Hunger Games smashes box office record

Post-apocalyptic action movie "The Hunger Games" opened with a staggering $155 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices, beating Hollywood's lofty expectations and making history as the third-highest domestic film opening.

Internationally, the Lions Gate Entertainment drama about an oppressive society's teen death match added $59.3 million from 67 markets for a global haul of $214.3 million.

The massive U.S. and Canadian debut for the film ranked behind only last summer's "Harry Potter" finale and 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight."

Reuters Hollywood business reporter, Lisa Richwine, said that "The Hunger Games'" success is a notable milestone.

SOUNDBITE: Lisa Richwine, Reuters Hollywood business reporter, saying (English):

"With a sequel you expect a lot of people to turn out if they liked the last movie, but with a brand new movie that's never been made before, a new concept, you never know if people are going to turn out or not. And for this movie they did."

"The Hunger Games" set the record for highest domestic opening of a non-sequel film and for the biggest debut outside the summer blockbuster season.

The movie's success brings the first blockbuster franchise to Lions Gate, a smaller Hollywood studio best known previously for the "Saw" horror series and comedian Tyler Perry's films.

SOUNDBITE: Lisa Richwine, Reuters Hollywood business reporter, saying (English):

"Lions Gate is very happy. They will make a lot of money on this. It's their biggest movie ever, not just biggest opening weekend but it's already grossed more than any movie they've put out before."

The "Hunger Games" blew past the domestic debuts for each of the first four "Twilight" films, which Lions Gate now owns after buying Summit Entertainment in January.

Lions Gate has already announced that the film version of the second book in the series, "Catching Fire," is scheduled for a November 2013 release.

Lindsay Claiborn, Reuters.