“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” has sparked attention at the domestic box office. The “Hunger Games” prequel garnered approximately $19.1 million on its opening day from 3,776 locations, including $5.75 million in Thursday previews.
The latest installment in the young adult dystopian action series is expected to maintain the top spot at the domestic box office over a busy weekend, which also sees the wide releases of the animated sequel “Trolls Band Together” and the seasonal slasher “Thanksgiving.”
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“Songbirds and Snakes” has the advantage of higher ticket prices from Imax and other premium large formats. It is projected to reach a three-day tally of approximately $45 million, which would qualify as a decent debut for a franchise revival with a $100 million production budget. However, it is trailing behind earlier projections of $50 million going into the weekend. It also has little chance of reaching the box office highs of previous “Hunger Games” entries. The 2012 original set a March opening weekend record at the time with a staggering $152 million. “Catching Fire” followed with $158 million before the two-part “Mockingjay” finale declined with $121 million and $102 million.
Fan nostalgia appears to have had little effect on reviews, as the critical response to this entry marks a series-low. However, early audiences are more positive, although not overly enthusiastic, as indicated by the “B+” grade through research firm Cinema Score. The “Hunger Games” prequel will need to maintain some buzz through the Thanksgiving holiday to demonstrate that the property can still draw a crowd.
“Songbirds and Snakes” stars Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow, who will eventually lead the class disparity-plagued country of Panem in the original “Hunger Games,” a role played by Donald Sutherland. Rachel Zegler also stars as Hunger Games contestant Lucy Gray Baird, who charms Coriolanus. The cast also includes Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, and Jason Schwartzman. Franchise regular Francis Lawrence returns to the director’s chair.
Meanwhile, “The Marvels” is facing a significant drop in its second outing. The Marvel Studios production earned $2.8 million on Friday, down a staggering 87% from its opening day last week. It is expected to make around $10 million in its sophomore outing. Last spring’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earned the Marvel Cinematic Universe superlative for the biggest second-weekend plummet when it dropped 69.9%. Only a few months later, “The Marvels” appears likely to break that record.
Hefty percentage drop-offs from opening weekends are common among superhero entries, but “The Marvels” also got off to a slow start with a franchise record-low $46.1 million debut. Now, the film is declining rapidly in a marketplace that will only get more crowded over the Thanksgiving holiday. The ten-day domestic total is expected to fall around $64 million, a disappointing result considering the film’s $220 million production budget.
“Trolls Band Together” is set to take second place, projecting $30 million from 3,870 venues over the three-day frame. The DreamWorks Animation production earned $9.3 million on its opening day, tracking behind the $46 million debut that the original “Trolls” landed in November 2016.
Animated features have struggled to match the blockbuster numbers they achieved before the pandemic. “Band Together” may not reach those heights, but it hopes to be a healthy hit. Though the “Trolls” franchise has never been a critical darling, its jukebox musical theme has given the series lasting appeal. Additionally, the film sports a $95 million production budget, falling below the hefty price tags of other animation tentpoles.
“Thanksgiving” by Eli Roth earned $3.8 million across Thursday and Friday. The horror film is coming in a bit behind projections, looking at a $10 million debut. With a modest $15 million production budget, notable positive reviews, and the eponymous holiday still ahead on the calendar, “Thanksgiving” is positioned to do well. It has a “B-” Cinema Score grade, which is routine for a horror film.
Universal’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” looks to round out the top five in its fourth weekend of release, projecting another sizable drop. The adaptation of the popular horror video game series is expected to surpass $132 million by Sunday, ranking as the 17th-highest grossing North American release of the year.
Also opening nationwide, Searchlight Pictures is releasing Taika Waititi’s long-awaited soccer comedy “Next Goal Wins” in 2,240 theaters. The film will open outside the top five after earning a paltry $1.1 million on opening day. It received worse reviews after landing with a thud at the Toronto Film Festival. However, audiences are more positive with a “B+.”
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