“The Hunger Games” Prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Wins Box Office Despite Soft Opening
The long-awaited “Hunger Games” prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” has emerged as the victor in a busy box office weekend, despite its opening coming in just below expectations.
The film, which marks the return to the dystopia of Panem for the first time in nearly a decade, garnered $44 million from 3,776 North American theaters and $98 million globally in its first weekend of release. While these figures fell short of the initial sales of the original “Hunger Games” franchise, they were enough to win the weekend over three new contenders, including Universal and DreamWorks’ “Trolls Band Together,” Sony’s thriller “Thanksgiving,” and Taika Waititi’s sports comedy “Next Goal Wins.”
On the other hand, Disney’s superhero sequel “The Marvels” faced a steep decline due to the competition, experiencing a 79% drop in its second weekend. The film’s domestic tally now stands at $65 million, well below its $220 million budget.
Despite opening lower than its predecessors, the prequel is seen as well-positioned for its theatrical run, having cost $100 million to produce. Industry analysts believe it achieved a very good opening for an action-adventure prequel, with figures closely in line with expected averages. The film stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and others, and is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel.
Other new releases, such as “Trolls Band Together” and director Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving,” also garnered moderate success, with “Trolls 3” raking in $30.6 million and “Thanksgiving” securing $10.2 million from 3,204 theaters.
As the holiday season approaches, the box office is expected to get even busier next weekend with the openings of Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” and Disney’s “Wish.”
It’s been a mixed weekend for the box office, with some films faring better than others. Nonetheless, despite the challenges posed by new releases and stiff competition, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” has landed as a strong contender in the box office race.