'Hunger Games' beats 'Twilight: Eclipse''s advance ticket sales record

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in "The Hunger Games".

Credit: Lionsgate

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Look out, Stephenie Meyer.

According to Fandango, "The Hunger Games"' sold more tickets in its first day of advance online sales than "Twilight: Eclipse", making it the fastest-selling film in the 12-year history of the moviegoing website. As a result of the brisk sales, theater owners are reportedly being forced to add new showtimes to keep up with demand.

In other words, it's looking like Lionsgate has a major hit franchise on their hands, at least if yesterday's numbers are any indication of what opening-weekend box-office is going to look like. And there's still a month to go before the film's March 23rd drop date

The numbers are all the more impressive when you consider that "The Hunger Games" is only the first installment in an untested franchise, unlike "Eclipse", which was already three movies into an already wildly-popular film series.

"The Hunger Games" is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, about a futuristic world in which every year a group of teenagers are chosen via lottery to fight to the death on live television. The film was directed by Gary Ross ("Seabiscuit", "Pleasantville") and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Willow Shields, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz.

The film's first sequel, "Catching Fire", has been slated for release on November 22, 2013.

Looking to secure a spot on opening weekend? Head on over to our official "Hunger Games" event page to purchase tickets!