The first United States Catching Fire box office numbers are in. The Hunger Games sequel nabbed an impressive $25.2 million at the midnight box office.
The late night showings – which included screenings that started as early as 8 p.m. local time – set a new record for The Hunger Games franchise but did not come close to becoming the top earner in history. The first film in the dystopian series made $19.7 million.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 holds the record for top midnight box office earner with an amazing $43.5 million. The Dark Knight Rises sits at number two with $30.6 million, closely followed by four Twilight movies just under Batman’s total.
Catching Fire is expected to make north of $175 million this weekend in the United States alone and is poised to enter the top-earner record books.
Discuss the film with fellow fans in this open thread we’re hosting all weekend. At the same link you’ll find all of our original Catching Fire coverage including fun info graphics and Peeta/Gale comparisons.