The Hunger Games is named highest-grossing film of 2014

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 has beaten Guardians Of The Galaxy to become North America's highest-grossing 2014 release.

The third instalment of the dystopian film series hit $333.18 million on Wednesday (21Jan15), replacing the superhero blockbuster, which has raked in $333.17 million since its release in July (14).

Coincidentally, the second film in the Jennifer Lawrence-led franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, surpassed another Marvel movie, Iron Man 3, as 2013's highest-grossing movie.

Moreover, Mockingjay's recent achievement marks the first time in the nation's box office history a franchise has nabbed the number one spot for two years in a row.

And history could possibly be made again later this year (15), when the fourth and final instalment of the series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, hits cinemas in November.