Early tracking shows the film could rival the "Twilight" movies for box office bucks. Midnight screenings sold out across the country, including 3,000 tickets sold on Fandango.com alone.
Some fans are taking their appetite for adventure beyond the big screen. Fan "survival tours" are being offered in North Carolina, where "The Hunger Games" was shot.
Participants learn skills, such as archery, camouflage, how to use a slingshot and build a fire. The tour includes a competition in which the winner gets a prize and the loser gets to live.
Locally, the Barnes and Noble store at the Grove in Los Angeles held a promotional celebration for fans on Thursday. The event included games, goodies, trivia contests and raffles. NOOK VIP Pass holders were also given the chance to get autographs from the film's cast members.
"The Hunger Games" is based on the first book in the trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins. "The Hunger Games" takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The government is behind a mandatory reality show, where almost all the contestants wind up dead.
The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
See a list of "The Hunger Games" events in the Los Angeles area.
