[Smithy]

The Hunger Games could have more box office success than The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, after pre-release ticket sales broke records.

The upcoming film - which opens on March 23 in the US and the UK - set a company record for advance ticketing site Fandango in the first day of sales.

The film scored 83% of sales on the website yesterday, with Act of Valor taking 7%, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds achieving 2%, plus Safe House and This Means War on 1% each.

The Lionsgate production, which stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, sold out hundreds of screenings although it does not premiere for another month.

The number of purchases broke the previous first-day advance ticket-seller record - held by The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - on Friday, May 14, 2010.

Rick Butler, who is executive vice president and general manager of Fandango, said: "The Hunger Games is off to a fantastic start.

"Yesterday we saw the biggest first day advance ticket sales in our company's nearly 12-year history – which is especially impressive for a March release and a non-sequel."

Flop ma ass

Update:

The Hunger Games is on course to open bigger than The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 in the US.

According to box office tracking numbers, audience anticipation is so high for the Suzanne Collins adaptation that analysts are predicting it will outpace the $138 million Breaking Dawn debut from last November.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 currently holds the record for the biggest ever opening weekend (with $169 million), but Hunger Games is expected to surpass the rest of the Potter franchise entries when it is released in cinemas on March 23.

Conservative estimates for The Hunger Games put it between $100 million to $120 million, though opening weekend figures are reportedly harder to predict once a film's tracking rises about the $100 million mark.


Definite interest in the Lionsgate action movie has jumped from 55% to 60% in the last week, while awareness went from 75% to 83%. The Hunger Games is also expected to catch a younger male audience, with interest from men younger than 25 sitting at 28% against the 10% for Breaking Dawn.

An anonymous studio executive told The Hollywood Reporter that Hunger Games is tracking "like a sequel, even though it isn't a sequel. It's three times higher than the first Twilight."

Jennifer Lawrence leads the Hunger Games cast as Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl selected to take part in a televised fight to the death against other children from the 12 Districts of a post-apocalyptic America (called Panem).

[CharlieO]

I don't even see the appeal of either.

[Niamh.]

[Black Dagger]

Take that doubters.

[Marc]

I need to read these books.. I don't particularly have time for them though.. :-/

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Marc

I need to read these books.. I don't particularly have time for them though.. :-/

READ THEM!!!! /caps

[Marc]

It's as if you're focusing the book into my hands and holding a gun to my head whilst I blubber out the words..

[Black Dagger]

Originally Posted by Marc

I need to read these books.. I don't particularly have time for them though.. :-/

MAKE TIME

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Black Dagger

MAKE TIME

How?

[Black Dagger]

Originally Posted by Marc

How?

QUIT UNIVERSITY FOR TWO WEEKS (MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO READ THEM ALL) THEN RETURN

[Roy Mars III]

Originally Posted by Marc

How?

stop eating or sleeping for a week. that should be enough

[Black Dagger]

Originally Posted by Roy Mars III

stop eating or sleeping for a week. that should be enough

Your idea is so much more logical than mine.

[Roy Mars III]

your idea will have him turning tricks in the street after a month

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Black Dagger

QUIT UNIVERSITY FOR TWO WEEKS (MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO READ THEM ALL) THEN RETURN

Originally Posted by Roy Mars III

stop eating or sleeping for a week. that should be enough

I can't I can't ahhh.

Roy's is more logical though, I could probably do that. LOL

[Shaun]

they're really easy reads, Marc, I got through the trilogy in 3 days

[Niall]

[Locke.]

This is just because Twilight's viewers were all kids that didn't know how to pre-order tickets

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Locke.

This is just because Twilight's viewers were all kids that didn't know how to pre-order tickets

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

[Smithy]

It's first film opening higher than 4 twilight and 7 Potter movies

[Niall]

Omg.

Originally Posted by Smithy

It's first film opening higher than 4 twilight and 7 Potter movies

*8 potter movies.

[Smithy]

No 7 you mess it won't open higher then DHP2

[Locke.]

According to box office tracking numbers, audience anticipation is so high for the Suzanne Collins adaptation that analysts are predicting it will outpace the $138 million Breaking Dawn debut from last November.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 currently holds the record for the biggest ever opening weekend (with $169 million), but Hunger Games is expected to surpass the rest of the Potter franchise entries when it is released in cinemas on March 23.

Conservative estimates for The Hunger Games put it between $100 million to $120 million, though opening weekend figures are reportedly harder to predict once a film's tracking rises about the $100 million mark.


Anything less than $138 million is gonna have to be classed as a flop now i'm afraid

[Glenn.]

Even though I love Harry Potter I really hope it does better. As a Twilight hater I am over the moon.

I really want this movie to break records. The story is powerful and it really deserves it.

[Niall]

Well I don't know, do I.