Josh Hutcherson, who plays District 12 tribute Peeta, told THR about one of the toughest scenes to film: "I had to lie still in a riverbed for an hour and a half while they did camouflage makeup and not move a muscle or it would mess it up when they shot. My arms were falling asleep. It was really painful."
Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games earned $19.7 million in midnight runs, one of the best showings ever at the domestic box office as fans rushed to see the book-to-film adaptation.
Hunger Games, playing in more than 2,500 theaters, scored the best midnight gross ever for a nonsequel and the seventh-best midnight gross overall.
PHOTOS: ‘Hunger Games’ Premiere: Red Carpet Arrivals
By comparison, The Dark Knight earned $17 million in midnight runs in 2008, and Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith did $17 million three years earlier. The past three Twilight films all grossed $26 million to $30 million in midnight runs, while Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the all-time leader at $43.5 million.
Toplined by Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, Hunger Games is based on the best-selling young-adult novel by Suzanne Collins. Interest in the film is massive, according to tracking, with some box-office observers believing Hunger Games could open north of $130 million domestically.
PHOTOS: ‘Hunger Games’ Mall Tour
Hunger Games whipped up enormous presale business, breaking records for a nonsequel, according to online ticketing services Fandango and MovieTickets.
On Friday, Hunger Games moves into a total of 4,137 theaters, including Imax runs.
