36.5M copies of 'Hunger Games' in print

NEW YORK, March 29 (UPI) -- Scholastic says there are more than 36.5 million copies of Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" trilogy of books in print in the United States.

The publisher said there are more than 17.5 million copies of "The Hunger Games," more than 10 million copies of "Catching Fire" and more than 9 million copies of "Mockingjay" currently in circulation.

"Suzanne Collins has created a vivid and compelling future world that has captivated both teen and adult readers and is sure to become a classic," Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing, said in a statement Thursday. "We are proud to be her publisher and we join readers everywhere in celebrating her amazing talent."

"The Hunger Games" was first published in September 2008. It has since appeared on the New York Times best-seller list for more than 180 consecutive weeks.

The film adaptation opened last week and posted the third-biggest weekend opening in U.S. box-office history with $155 million in receipts.