Given the success of the first film (and the hoopla around the sequel), it’s not exactly surprising that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was a smash at the US box office,but the scale of the hit is impressive, after it opened with an impressive $161.1 million. That puts it firmly atop the list of November box office opening records and pushes **The Dark Knight Rises **aside on its way to the fourth biggest launch of all time across the pond.
Naturally, other films took a hit, with Thor: The Dark World down to second and $14.1 million, though with more than $167 million in the bank in America alone, Marvel will shed few tears. Comedy drama sequel The Best Man Holiday was third, earning $12.5 million, while Vince Vaughn’s stab at heartfelt comedy, The Delivery Man, didn’t help him much, with $8.2 million in fourth and one of the worst launches of his career. Free Birds rounded out the top five with $5.3 million.
Last Vegas slipped to sixth place, taking in $4.4 million, while Bad Grandpa tumbled to seventh and $3.4 million. Gravity was down to eighth with $3.3 million, 12 Years A Slave ninth ($2.8 million) and Dallas Buyer’s Club tenth with $2.7 million.
To see Jennifer Lawrence take on a thunder god and win in the full chart listings, head to Box Office Mojo.