"The Hunger Games" racked up $1.3 million in IMAX midnight shows, the company said Friday.
The film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-seller showed late Thursday night on 269 IMAX screens.
That ranks as IMAX's fourth highest grossing midnight release. The record holder remains "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2" with over $2 million.
Overall, "The Hunger Games" set a record for non-sequel midnight grosses, earning an estimated $19.7 million in 2,565 locations.
Also read: 'Hunger Games' Mania Raises Box Office Bar: Will It Set a Record?
Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX filmed entertainment, said that many locations are reporting sellouts on both Friday and Saturday.
By mid-day Friday, IMAX had doubled its midnight tally.
"We had an amazing midnight and 3 a.m. numbers, but today the momentum has even accelerated," Foster told TheWrap.
"The Hunger Games" is expected to gross as much as $125 million over the weekend.
If it reaches that mark, "The Hunger Games" will be the biggest March debut ever, surpassing “Alice in Wonderland,” which opened to more than $116 million in 2010.
A spokeswoman for Lionsgate did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday ticket sales, but advance sales have been strong.
Online ticketing agency MovieTickets.com reported Friday that nearly 2,500 screenings offered nationwide by the company have sold out, of which over 1,400 were for Thursday's midnight screenings.