LOS ANGELES — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is scorching the box office.
Lionsgate has released early numbers on what's expected to be one of the biggest November openings ever. The studio reports Saturday that "Catching Fire" has grossed $70.5 million domestically and $64 million internationally, bringing its total to $135 million.
Numbers were from Friday's opening day, but includes some scattered preview shows on Thursday night. The sequel gained $25.3 million from the Thursday screenings.
"Catching Fire" is expected to bump two-week champ "Thor: The Dark World" out of the No. 1 slot.
Totals for "Catching Fire" are expected to reach $150 million domestically over the weekend, though some reports estimated a $170 million opener.
The numbers for are expected to mark the eighth-highest domestic opening to date.