"THE HUNGER GAMES" SETS BOX OFFICE RECORD WITH $155 MILLION OPENING: JOSH HUTCHERSON ROUNDS OUT TOP AND BOTTOM OF TOP 10

Still from The Hunger Games

We all predicted greatness, but this is amaze! The Hunger Games in its opening weekend has become the fourth highest opening weekend for a Film ever with $155 million from 4,137 theatres in North America. Also, according to Deadline, this sets a record for highest opening weekend ever for a non-sequel Film. To put it into perspective, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I in November 2011 earned $138.1 in its opening weekend. With stellar reviews (87% on Rotten Tomatoes), Moviegoers will be in "hunger" mode for a while by the looks of it and also international numbers have yet to come in still, but this is legendary.  Congratulations, Lionsgate and Alliance Films - well played.

Meanwhile, last week's Champ 21 Jump Street continues to perform above expectations in second in its second week with $21 million, undoubtedly aided by Moviegoers who couldn't get into sold-out The Hunger Games screenings, looking for an alternative choice.

In third is Dr. Seuss' The Lorax which is going strong in third in this its fourth week, with $14 million.  To date it has made a stellar $176 million domestically for Universal Pictures.

John Carter tallies in at number four, trailing distantly behind The Lorax with $5.3 million.  Although its North American numbers seem to be below par, internationally the Action-Fantasy has made $184 million thus far, hopefully on its way to helping Disney recoup some of that $250 million budget.  It's looking like this one might fare well in On-Demand, Home Video formats.

Opening in only 398 theatres is the Faith-themed October Baby with $1.8 million in eighth spot and rounding out the Top Ten is another Josh Hutcherson-starring Film, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in its seventh week of release with $1.4 million.

"THE LORAX" SPENDS SECOND WEEK AT #1: 2012'S FIRST BOX OFFICE HIT

Still from The Lorax

The Lorax makes it two-for-two this weekend at the Box Office for Universal Pictures earning $39.1 million, adding-up to a spiffy two-week tally of $124 million - by far 2012's biggest Box Office success story.

Debuting in second this weekend is Disney's John Carter with a $30.6 million opening which might appear to be impressive at first. It is undeniable however that expectations were high for the $250-million budget 3-D Action/Sci-Fi.  With Overseas numbers still to come in, it just might fare better on a global scale.  Not a stellar start for what could have been a lucrative Franchise for both Disney and its Star, Taylor Kitsch, even though it did debut on-top based on Friday night's numbers.  Alas the more Family-centric draw of The Lorax over the weekend is what helped that one prevail.

Warner Bros. continues to bank on its low-budget Party-Comedy Project X, in third spot this weekend in this its second week of release with $11.5 million. To date, it has brought in $40 million, already exceeding the expectations of many.

Opening in 1,890 theatres and landing in fourth spot is the mixed-reviewed (49% on Rotten Tomatoes) Horror Flick Safe House starring Elizabeth Olsen, earning $7 million for Open Road (eOne Films in Canada), going head-to-head with former Champion Act of Valor in fifth also with $7 million.  Final numbers will soon be released for exact order of finish. 

Eddie Murphy's A Thousand Words from Paramount Pictures opens in sixth spot with $6.3 million, seeing some highs of late with successes like Tower Heist and Shrek Forever After, and of course some lows like this, Meet Dave and Imagine That.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island slips to ninth spot with $3.6 million in its fifth week of release, also just edging-out Action/Rom-Com This Means War which hangs-on to the Top Ten with $3.6 million in its fourth week - now grossing $46.7 million total in North America.  This order of finish however could also be reversed with final numbers coming tonight. 

TAYLOR KITSCH IN TORONTO FOR "JOHN CARTER": SIGNED PHOTO GIVEAWAY

Taylor Kitsch in Toronto - March 2012

Toronto found itself in quite the Kitschuation today with Kelowna-born Actor Taylor Kitsch flying-in for a jam-packed day of Press in support of Disney's John Carter. The stunning Action/Sci-Fi Opus with a $250-million budget, is the v. latest from Academy Award-winning Director Andrew Stanton (WALL-E), based upon Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom series of novels.  

The Friday Night Lights Star did the rounds today including visits to CityTV's Breakfast Television,  CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, Global's Entertainment Tonight Canada, MuchMusic's New.Music.Live, CTV's eTalk and The Marilyn Denis Show.  He even pre-taped some interviews also, including an appearance on The Roz and Mocha Show, to air on KISS 92.5 tomorrow morning.  As if that were not gratuitous enough, Kitsch even greeted Fans at a Screening at AMC Yonge x Dundas this evening, where he was lovely enough to stop and pose for a quick Photo and sign an Autograph for my Readers!  We last caught-up with the Actor in Toronto last January when he was in-town promoting The Bang Bang Club.

Although this Toronto leg of his Press Tour is his final one for John Carter,  Kitsch did take time to enjoy a Toronto Maple Leafs game last night at the Air Canada Centre, in addition to a much-needed Passport renewal, after experiencing some much-talked-about issues traveling in Asia recently.

John Carter sees Kitsch starring as a former Military Captain who inexplicably is transported to Mars, which is on the brink of collapse.  There he meets the beautiful Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and finds himself fighting for the inhabitants of the Planet, while also rediscovering himself.  Having screened the Film finally tonight, I can confirm that it is a gorgeous visual spectacle which will propel Kitsch even more so as a household name. It delivers laughs, action and romance - a bit of something for all. Walt Disney Motion Pictures Canada releases John Carter (available in 3-D) nationwide on Friday, March 9, 2012 and this weekend alone those who see it also will see an exclusive 3-D Trailer for The Avengers also.

To enter to win that signed Photo of Kitsch, remember to click "like" on Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook and also this corresponding Post.  Remember also to follow on Twitter too!  All are welcome to enter and your deadline is April 7, 2012.  Good luck!

Watch a 10-minute Clip of John Carter below:

TAYLOR KITSCH ALMOST DENIED ENTRY TO THE PHILIPPINES

Taylor Kitsch on the Late Show with David Letterman

Only in Asia! Taylor Kitsch, star of Disney's upcoming John Carter, recently made a promotional stopoff in Japan for that Film, before flying back to resume work on Oliver Stone's Savages in the Philippines.

Things got a little problematic for the Kelowna-born Actor upon entry to the Philippines when it was realized that Kitsch had run-out of pages on his Passport to stamp.  Not familiar at all with Kitsch's Body of Work (unlike many of his female Fans!), the Officer was prepared to send him back on a flight to Japan. After a bit of pleading - which was not helped by the fact that he no longer has long hair - finally Kitsch was able to pass one of the most crucial screen tests of his career by showing the Officer a Trailer for John Carter on his iPhone!

Learn how it all went down on the Late Show with David Letterman:

A new and final Trailer also has been cut for John Carter, to prep us for its March 9, 2012 release. See it here:

(Photo credit: CBS | Video credit: CBS/Walt Disney Motion Pictures Canada)

"JOHN CARTER" LOS ANGELES PREMIERE PHOTOS

Taylor Kitsch in Los Angeles for Premiere of John Carter

Although it doesn't open till March 9, 2012, Walt Disney Motion Pictures' John Carter had its Premiere in Los Angeles last night at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live and attending were the likes of Helen Mirren, Willem Dafoe, Zendaya Coleman, Bella Thorne, Dermot Mulroney, Frankie Muniz, Lynn Collins, Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Cranston and of course its Canadian Star, Taylor Kitsch who will see a huge 2012 with this and also Battleship on its way. 

Although it is possibly just hearsay, there are hopes of Kitsch coming home for a bit of Press for the $250-million release.  Nothing has been confirmed just yet.

The official Synopsis for John Carter is as follows:

"From Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes John Carter—a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.". 

See more Photos from the Red Carpet below: