Catching Fire stormed to the top of the North American charts on an estimated $161.1m to set a new November record and score the fourth biggest domestic debut of all time.

The film overtook the previous best November haul of $142.8m set by The Twilight Saga: New Moon in 2009.

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson reprise their roles in the YA smash. Francis Lawrence directs.

Elsewhere, DreamWorks’ comedy remake Delivery Man, based on the Quebecois hit Starbuck, opened at number four on $8.2m through Buena Vista. Vince Vaughn stars.

12 Years A Slave slipped one place to number nine through Fox Searchlight but maintained momentum as $2.8m from 1,474 theatres boosted the running total to $29.4m after six sessions.

Focus Features’ Oscar hopeful Dallas Buyers Club broke into the top 10 in its fourth weekend, climbing two places to number 10 on $2.8m for $6.5m after expanding by 482 sites to 666.

Buena Vista platform-released Frozen in a single site for a formidable $238,000, while TWC debuted Venice and Toronto hit Philomena starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan on $133,000 from four venues for an excellent $33,425 average.

Next weekend’s wide releases are action title Homefront starring Jason Statham through Open Road and Fox Searchlight’s ensemble musical Black Nativity.

Estimated Top 10 North America Nov 22-24 2013
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date
1 (-) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $161.1m –

2 (1) Thor: The Dark World (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $14.1m $167.8m

3 (2) The Best Man Holiday (Universal) UPI $12.5m $50.4m

4 (-) Delivery Man (Buena Vista-DreamWorks) WDSMPI $8.2m –

5 (4) Free Birds (Relativity Media) Relativity International $5.3m $48.6m

6 (3) Last Vegas (CBS Films) Good Universe $4.4m $53.9m

7 (5) Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (Paramount) PPI $3.5m $95.5m

8 (6) Gravity (Warner Bros) WBPI $3.3m $245.5m

9 (8) 12 Years A Slave (Fox Searchlight) Lionsgate International $2.8m $29.4m

10 (12) Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features) Voltage Pictures $2.8m $6.5m

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