Songbirds & Snakes vs. Trolls For This Weekend’s Box Office
Lionsgate’s Hunger Games prequel battled a bunch of trolls for the top box office spot this weekend.
A Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes earned $19.1 million, including $5.75 million in Thursday previews, edging out Trolls Band Together, the third Trolls installation. Yes, there is a franchise based on the creepy, bejeweled-belly button creatures currently residing in a plastic bin in your parents’ basement. Moreover, Eli Roth’s slasher film Thanksgiving, as well as The Marvels and Five Nights at Freddy’s, narrowly cinched out the competition despite underwhelming box office pull.
Prequel Versus All-Those-Other Hunger Games Films
The Hunger Games prequel generated $45 million; however, this fell under the $50 million projection. Certainly, it won’t be catching fire like the 2013 film that grossed $158 million. Unfortunately, the only way Songbirds & Snakes will be catching fire is if you bring your pyromaniac cousin Donny to the theater this Thanksgiving. That little monster collects lighters like they’re Halloween candy.
Moreover, DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together made $9.3 million during its opening day and $30 million by Sunday. This is not too shabby, but it is still sub-par compared to the $46 million debut of the 2016 original film.
Also, Walt Disney’s The Marvels failed to meet expected revenue, grossing a paltry $2.8 million on Friday, an astounding 87% lower than its debut. The precipitous drop-off surpassed this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp’s second-weekend decrease of 69.9%.
Record-breaking is not good for the lowest box office film, and it’s also not good for vinyl. With the abundance of hipsters today, it seems foolish to just break records. Instead, sell them to millennials who will pay outrageous prices.
Furthermore, Sony’s Thanksgiving $3.8 million return on Thursday and Friday looks less dismal since its budget was a modest $15 million. Although, despite the solid revenue, it still didn’t meet the $10 million projection.
Finally, Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s rounds out the bunch with 3.1 million, four weeks after its debut.
Final Thoughts
This weekend’s box office demonstrated how franchises reign supreme in Hollywood. The rule of thumb seems to be that if one has thought of a franchise, it probably already exists and is on the fourth or fifth film by now.
However, if you don’t feel like watching one, there are other options coming out this week, like Napoleon. It’s refreshing that the synopsis says we’ll get to watch the protagonist’s actual demise.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is currently in theaters.
The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Lionsgate Official Trailer
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Author
| Laura is a screenwriter and script consultant based in New York. She has a penchant for absurd comedy and psychological thrillers. |
| Matt Keyser is a recent graduate of Cal State Fullerton University with a bachelor's in Communications-Journalism. He is a freelance entertainment reporter with a focus on film and television. As a former senior programming coordinator for the Newport Beach Film Festival, Matt's experience with critiquing narratives and documentaries has helped showcase his passion for television and cinema through his writing. |
