The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ignites $304m global debut

The worldwide result from 65 territories improved by more than 40% the $211.8m 2012 score set by The Hunger Games.

The North American tally not only swept aside the previous best November debut of $142.8m set in 2009 by Summit-Lionsgate’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon but registered the fourth biggest domestic opening weekend in history.

The international result delivered number one scores in virtually all of the 63 territories outside the US and Canada according to sources at the studio.

Catching Fire took $19.8m in the UK for a 250% gain on the original and $14m in Germany for a 300% increase. Australia generated $11.4m, Russia $11.2m for a 150% climb, Mexico $9.2m, Spain $5.9m, Brazil $3.2m rising to $11.1m after 10 days and Sweden $4m for a 250% increase.

The film grossed $3.3m in the Philippines, $3.2m in South Korea, $2.4m in Denmark,$2.7m in the Netherlands, $2.5m in Norway and $2.m in Singapore.

IMAX results were impressive as the global tally was expected to reach $18m-plus by Sunday night.

Catching Fire’s North American opening weekend beat that of The Hunger Games by 25%and generated an estimated $12.6m from 347 screens for a $36,300 average. A record three-day November debut beat $12.5m set by Skyfall last year as eight of the film’s top 10 North American engagements came from IMAX.

Internationally the sequel generated $5.4m. Key results include the Netherlands on a $73,000 average, Australia on $63,000 and the UK on $51,000. Last Vegas added $4m for $14m.

• UPDATE: Gravity delivered a sensational $34.8m launch in China on 5,854 screens through Warner Bros Pictures International to power a $45.7m weekend from more than 6.3m admissions from 9,500 screens in 57 markets.

The running total stands at $331.2m. Returning to the Chinese debut, 123 IMAX screens accounted for $7.4m of that tally as the result became IMAX’s biggest ever in the territory. The space epic arrives in Japan on December 13. Blue Jasmine added $1.1m from 312 in the second weekend in Spain to reach $3.2m. We’re The Millers stands at $118.8m.

• Thor: The Dark World brought in a further $24.8m from 71 territories through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International fuelled by launches in the penultimate markets of Italy and Greece. Only Japan is left on February 1 2014.

The international running total has reached $381m and the worldwide tally $548.8m. The god of thunder wielded his hammer in Italy to the tune of $6m.

Delivery Man, the DreamWorks remake of Quebecois comedy hit Starbuck took $1.2m from its first foray in Russia. Vince Vaughn stars.

• Constantine’s German smash comedy Fack Ju Gohte added $8m for a $36m running total.
• UPDATE: Captain Phillips grossed $6.7m through Sony Pictures Releasing International from 2,798 screens in 69 territories as the running total climbed to $76.6m.

The true-life thriller opened at number three in France on $1.7m from 500 and reached $2.8m in the second session in Germany. It opened in the Netherlands at number two on $450,267 from 65.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 added $4m from 3,273 in 53 for $92.4m and opened at number four in South Korea on $1.7m from 637.

Carrie used a $2.9m weekend from 2,095 in 30 territories to reach $21.7m and added $1.5m in the second weekend in Russia to elevate the running total to $7.6m. Mexico has produced $2.4m after the same period of time.

• UPDATE: Fox International’s The Counselor plundered a further $5.4m from 44 markets to climb to an early $29.9m. The drug trade thriller added $1.2m in the second weekend in France from 409 to reach $4.1m. Japan, the UK and Mexico stand at $3.3m, $2.4m and $1.4m respectively after two weekends.

DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo grossed $2.1m from 2,420 in 21 markets for $199.2m. The family release has taken $18.1m in the UK from six weekends.

UK hit Philomena has grossed $14.2m after four sessions and ranks number six.

• Medusa’s Italian comedy Sole A Catinelle added $3.2m for $65m.
• Bad Grandpa brought in a further $2.4m through Paramount Pictures International from 1,045 venues in 25 markets as the running total reached $33m.

Australia’s second weekend produced $1.5m from 221 locations on $5.5m to rank number two behind Thor: The Dark World.

• UPDATE: Universal Pictures International executives reported that the comedy Last Vegas generated $1.4m from 784 locations in six UPI territories to climbed to an early $3.5m. The film arrived at number three in Spain on $570,000 from 219 and opened in Finland and Norway on $68,000 and $62,000, respectively.

About Time stands at $42.8m. The rom-com has reached $7.6m in Australia after six weeks and opened in Chile at number five on $39,000 from 10.

Despicable Me 2 stands at $551.1m. Relationship ensemble The Best Man Holiday, which scored an excellent number two debut in North America last weekend, opened in Trinidad on $63,000 from six venues. It will launch through UPI in a further five territories, continuing with Lebanon on November 28. Foosball has reached $16.5m from three territories while All Is Lost stands at $81,279 in South Korea.