Weekend Box Office: 'Hunger Games' Slays 'Titans' and 'Mirror Mirror,' Races Past $250 Million

As expected, Lionsgates’ “The Hunger Games” held onto the top spot at the box office in spectacular fashion this weekend, as the blockbuster film grossed an estimated $61.1 million, down a relatively modest 60% considering its record opening. The sci-fi actioner rocketed past the $200-million mark on Friday-- in eight days--and the domestic cume through the weekend is an impressive $251.3 million – reaching the $250-million level faster than any other non-sequel. (See Top Ten Box Office Chart below.)

Internationally the “Hunger Games” has taken in around $113.9 million – combining for a worldwide cume of stunning $364.9 million. “Hunger Games” also hit another unique note in boxoffice history this weekend as it was the top movie, the top-selling book, and the top-selling album.

Overall, it was another up weekend at the boxoffice in North America with an estimated total of $154 million, marking a stout 23% improvement on last year’s $124.7 million.  As a result of the high number of up weekends in 2012 so far, the estimated year-to-date total stands ahead of last year at this time by a solid 20%.

In the second spot was Warner Bros.’ “Wrath Of The Titans” with an estimated $34.2 million, a lukewarm debut considering it’s estimated $150-million budget and the $61.2 million opening of “Clash of the Titans." IMAX contributed a solid $4.7 million from 292 locations to the opening this weekend.

“We knew this was going to be a tough weekend,” said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution for Warner Bros., referring to both “Hunger Games” and the NCAA basketball tournament finals. “But we had a good solid opening.  We hoped to get some playability and positive word-of-mouth in order to set up a strong second weekend.  We’re going to get there, we’re just going to get there in a different way.”

Fellman noted that “Clash” opened on Good Friday, when 82% of kids were out of school, while this past Friday the Spring Break had not yet begun. Only starting Monday will 31%of kids will be out of school; this coming Good Friday that number will jump to 82%.

“Clash” made most of its epic $493.2 million boxoffice gross internationally, with $163.2 million domestic and $330 million foreign, and “Wrath” will most likely do the same.  With an international cume of roughly $112.2 million so far, the estimated worldwide cume for “Wrath” is close to $150 million.