Sorry, Tony Stark, the odds were in Katniss’ favor.
Lionsgate”s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” officially topped “Iron Man 3” as the highest-grossing film released in 2013.
After grossing $493,000 yesterday, the sequel’s domestic total stands at $409.4 million, passing “Iron Man 3’s” final gross of $409 million.
Still in wide release, “Fire” is now the 13th highest-grossing North American release in history. The first “Hunger Games” topped out at $408 million in 2012.
According to Lionsgate’s press release, it’s the only time that the first two films of a franchise have both passed $400 million at the domestic box office.
Worlwide is a different story, however. Globally, “Iron Man 3” has earned $1.2 billion, while “Fire” has picked up $832.7 million so far.
Tony Stark and Katniss will face each other again at the 2015 box office, when Jennifer Lawrence toplines the last “Hunger Games” film opens and “Iron Man 3” star Robert Downey Jr. again suits up as the superhero for Marvel’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
“‘The Hunger Games’ franchise continues to evolve into a truly global phenomenon,” said Lionsgate C.E.O. Jon Feltheimer in a statement. “The success of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is a testament to the vision of author Suzanne Collins, the sure hand of director Francis Lawrence, the brilliant performances of a remarkably talented cast led by the amazing Jennifer Lawrence and superb execution by our motion picture production, marketing and distribution teams. We will continue to grow the transformative Hunger Gamesfranchise in the years to come even as we continue to develop a dynamic portfolio of premium new brands.”
The “Hunger Games” films also star Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth and Donald Sutherland.
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” opens November 21, with “Part 2” following on November 20, 2015.