You'll never guess what movie opened at number one.

I think we all knew full well that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was going to catch fire at theaters nationwide in its debut weekend. What I sure didn't know was just how big it would be. To say the numbers are impressive is a massive understatement. They are a solid indicator that The Hunger Games franchise is now very much up there with some of the best franchises of all time, especially those in recent memory.

Move over Twilight: The Hunger Games is here, and it's kicking your tail. Looking at the specifics, Catching Fire took in a stunning $161.1. million - the fourth biggest movie opening ever (behind The Avengers, Iron Man 3 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2). Not only that, this second installment of the Hunger Games franchise enjoyed the biggest November movie debut in cinematic history, beating out the previous record holder, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, by nearly $20 million.

I fully expected The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to be number one with a bullet, but even I didn't think it would make that much. It bested the first Hunger Games movie (which opened with $152.5 million last year) and it shattered all kinds of records. Last week, I said I thought that more people would turn out for Catching Fire, simply because they got on board the Hunger Games train after seeing the first movie in theaters or on DVD. That looks like exactly what happened.

And there's more: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's global numbers are staggering. According to estimates, Catching Fire made nearly $308 million in its worldwide opening. Bulls eye, Katniss.

As for the rest of the pack, well, considering the craziness of Catching Fire, Thor: The Dark World still managed to take in more than $14 million, good enough for second place. The Best Man Holiday was third with $12.5 million, followed by the debut of Delivery Man at a dismal $8.2 million and Free Birds in fifth place with $5.3 million.

We opted to skip the packed theaters and see 12 Years a Slave (which was incredible), but I fully intend to have my posterior firmly planted at my local theater for Catching Fire later this holiday week!

Photo courtesy of EW.com