'Catching Fire' makes $409.4M at the U.S. box office

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" was the highest-grossing 2013 film at the U.S. box office, Lionsgate announced Friday.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, the movie is the second installment in the franchise.

"Catching Fire," which has earned $409.4 million in its first 49 days of release, set a record for the biggest November opening weekend of all time with $158.1 million. It has already become the 13th highest-grossing North American release in history and remains in wide release.

"Catching Fire" has also grossed $428.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office total of $838.2 million in its first seven weeks of release compared to $691 million worldwide box office generated during the entire run of the first "Hunger Games" film.

"'The Hunger Games' franchise continues to evolve into a truly global phenomenon," Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer said in a statement Friday. "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 Games' franchise in the years to come even as we continue to develop a dynamic portfolio of premium new brands."

The next two installments of "The Hunger Games" franchise -- "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" -- are currently in production for release Nov. 21, 2014, and Nov. 20, 2015, respectively.