( EW.com ) -- The `` Games '' have officially begun ! Last night , `` The Hunger Games '' grossed a truly staggering $ 19.7 million from midnight showings across the country -- the highest midnight total ever for a non-sequel , and the seventh highest midnight total ever ( behind three `` Harry Potters '' and three `` Twilights '' ) . After only a few hours , it 's clear that the film is already a smash , and it 's almost certainly headed for a debut well above the $ 100 million mark . Sure , the overnight figure ca n't compare to the $ 43.5 million that `` Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 '' conjured up at midnight shows last year ( on its way to $ 169.3 million -- the highest opening weekend of all time ) , or the $ 30.3 million that `` The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn -- Part 1 '' found at midnight on its way to $ 138.1 million , but it 's likely that `` The Hunger Games , '' which does n't have the same amount of built-in sequel anticipation , wo n't face the same weekend frontloadedness as those titles . Saturday and Sunday grosses should prove quite sturdy . Back in 2008 , `` The Dark Knight '' earned $ 18.5 million at midnight , but still managed a stunning $ 158 million debut -- the second highest debut of all time -- proving that not every blockbuster makes a full 25 percent of its opening weekend gross at midnight . Based on this $ 19.7 million figure , `` The Hunger Games '' should take in at least $ 50 million on Friday and could reach as high as $ 150 million over the full weekend frame -- although that estimation is very bullish . My fellow box office prognosticating colleague John Young is predicting a more sensible $ 130 million weekend . We 'll have to wait and see see how high it climbs . Either way , it appears that the odds are very much in Lionsgate 's favor ! See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
`` The Hunger Games '' grossed a staggering $ 19.7 million from midnight showings . Saturday and Sunday grosses should prove quite sturdy . Comment: