The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has done big business for Canadian-based Lionsgate and IMAX.

Lionsgate’s second installment of the Hunger Games franchise grossed an estimated $161.1 million on its opening weekend, the Vancouver-based mini-studio reported Sunday.

That surpassed the $152.5 million opening for the original The Hunger Games release.

And Catching Fire, which cost Lionsgate $130 million to make, opened big worldwide, pulling in an estimated $307.7 million.

A big promotional push overseas for Catching Fire by Lionsgate meant the sequel easily beat the first film’s $211.8 million bow internationally in March 2012.

Elsewhere, Toronto-based IMAX brought in an estimated $18 million on IMAX screens worldwide, with the North American take put at an estimated $12.6 million on 347 screens.

Imax digitally remastered The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, directed by Francis Lawrence,for its super-sized screens.

The Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth-starrer is produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force, in tandem with producer Jon Kilik.