The Hunger Games made $33.5 million this weekend, putting its domestic total at about $303 million while American Reunion gathered $21.5 million, a respectable amount for the series previously kept alive by straight-to-DVD releases. Lastly, Titanic 3D made $17 million, which is a pretty big chunk of money for a film that almost everyone in America has already seen.
While it’s really no surprise that Hunger Games is making so much money, it really is worth noting how well its done against the Twilight series which is its main “competitor.” Hunger Games was seemingly marketed as the next Twilight, and the filmmakers did their best to establish a Twilight-like love triangle in the movie. The Hunger Games has now grossed more than $300 million in just three weeks, surpassing the highest-grossing Twilight film, Eclipse, much to the chagrin of Twilight fans.
Perhaps the success of Hunger Games is due to a more diverse appeal, bringing in men and women of a wider age group, than the more specific Twilight demographic of tweenage girls and pre-school Moms. Or – looking at this weekend alone – the demographic of American Reunion: nostalgic college students and men who think they are Stifler.
Now the question is, what will happen next week? The Three Stooges and The Cabin in the Woods will both hit theaters, but I think there’s a good chance that Hunger Games could snag one last winning weekend. The planets would have to align for The Three Stooges to get significant buzz, and Cabin in the Woods would have to transcend trends in the horror industry to hit number one.
Why do you think The Hunger Games surpassed Twilight so quickly? Will it be number one again next weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: BoxOfficeMojo
