Sorry, Bella. When it comes to box-office odds, Katniss Everdeen had everything in her favor. "The Hunger Games" scored $155 million in North American ticket sales this weekend, the third highest opening weekend of all time, according to estimates from Lionsgate.
Only "The Dark Knight" ($158.4 million) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" ($169.1 million) have had stronger opening weekend showings, giving "The Hunger Games" the highest non-sequel weekend premiere ever. The $155 million bounty also outranked every entry in the "Twilight" series, including the franchise's biggest opener, "New Moon," which started with $142.8 million when it bowed in November of 2009.
"The Hunger Games" had opened strong on Friday, notching $68.5 million in ticket sales, as fans lined up for midnight screenings and packed theaters around the country.
About a government-sponsored reality show-like tournament, where 24 children -- aged 12-18 -- fight to the death, "The Hunger Games" stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. It was based on of first book of Suzanne Collins's best-selling young-adult trilogy. "Catching Fire," the second film in the planned trilogy, arrives in theaters in November of 2013.
Internationally, "The Hunger Games" grossed $59.25 million.
"HUNGER GAMES" REVIEWS