"Hunger Games" No. 1 at international box office

PanARMENIAN.Net - "The Hunger Games" is No. 1 at the international, as well as the domestic box office, The Wrap reported.

While much of the focus has been on the $155 million Lionsgate's sci-fi saga grossed domestically, it took a strong $59.25 million at the international box office, the studio said.

It is projected to be the No. 1 movie in nearly all of its 67 markets.

The film, about a dystopian future world in which children are forced to fight to the death in "Hunger Games," a brutal event televised every year in the North American nation of Panem, did especially well in English-speaking markets.

In Australia, the movie opened to $9.69 million, comparable to "Harry Potter" and "Transformers." In New Zealand, it took $1.27 million.

"The Hunger Games" opened to $7.49 million in the U.K., $6.5 million in Russia and $3.7 million in Scandinavia, where markets are combined.

It did $3.9 million in Germany, $3.75 million in France and, according to early estimates, $3.59 million in Mexico and $2.6 million in Brazil.

Moviegoers in Asia turned out in strong numbers, as well.

In the Philippines, where the "Twilight" franchise is especially popular, "The Hunger Games" opened to $1.71 million. In Singapore, it took $1.38 million, in Taiwan it took $1.36 million, in Hong Kong it took $709,000, in Malaysia it took $655,000 and in Thailand it took $649,000. The movie has not yet opened in Japan, which is the world's second-largest movie market. It also has yet to open in Spain and Italy.