The Hunger Games catches fire at the box office

In news that should surprise nobody, The Hunger Games broke a whole bunch of records at the international box office over the weekend.

The picture earned $214.25 million worldwide; $155 million of that came from the U.S. alone, were it enjoyed the third biggest opening of all time (behind the debut weekends of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight). It’s the biggest ever bow for a non-sequel.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact The Hunger Games trumped the openings of all four Twilight films. Will Breaking Dawn Part 2 be able to outdo Katniss and co?

The flick collected just under $10 million in Australia alone.

There are plenty more titles that the picture claimed: Widest opening independent release; highest grossing film (already!) for studio Lionsgate; biggest March opening. You can see them all at Box Office Mojo.

The Hunger Games is based on Suzanne Collins’ hit YA novel. Directed by Gary Ross, it stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

Discuss: Were you among the crowds?