Songbirds & Snakes dominates the B.O. over Thanksgiving weekend

Claiming the #1 spot for the second consecutive weekend, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes secured $28.8 million at the box office, experiencing a modest 35% drop. Its dominance is expected to persist in the rankings until Timothée Chalamet’s much-anticipated Wonka premieres on December 15th.

Within its ten days on the cinematic stage, Songbirds & Snakes has amassed $98.4 million, a fraction of the substantial $296.2 million collected by its predecessor, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, during its initial ten days in 2012.

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Despite a relatively uncluttered playing field in the upcoming weeks, Songbirds & Snakes may grapple with financial viability, given Lionsgate’s hefty $100 million investment in its production. Convention dictates that a film’s global box office should reach 2.5 times its production cost to break even. Present indications hint at Songbirds & Snakes falling just shy of this benchmark ($100,000,000 X 2.5 = $250,000,000). Attaining this threshold could spare it from the pitfalls that have plagued superhero franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the DC Universe (DCU).

Securing the #2 position in box office earnings at $20.4 million is Apple and Sony’s, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott. This historical epic narrates the tale of the famed French emperor in a runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes. Noteworthy is its inclusion among the leading contenders for this year’s Best Picture Oscar, alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Let’s explore a brief overview of these three potential Best Picture candidates:

Released by Universal Studios and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer premiered on 7/21/23. The historical drama, with a runtime of 3 hours, holds an R rating. Produced with a budget of $100 million, it has been in release for 129 days, accumulating a domestic gross of $325.3 million.

Killers Of The Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Apple, was released by Paramount on 10/23/23. With an R rating and a runtime of 3 hours and 26 minutes, the historical drama had a budget of $200 million. In its 38 days in release, it has garnered a domestic gross of $65.6 million.

Released by Sony Pictures and produced by Apple, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, made its debut on 11/22/23. The historical drama, with an R rating and a runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes, was created with a budget of $200 million. In its 5 days in release, it has accumulated a domestic gross of $32.5 million.

In Ridley Scott’s latest cinematic endeavor, Napoleon, viewers are offered a distinctive and intimate perspective on the renowned general’s swift and relentless ascent to power. The film places a significant emphasis on his tumultuous relationship with Josephine, identified as his one true love. Napoleon’s portrayal of historic battles is nothing short of spectacular, providing profound insights into Napoleon’s strategic brilliance as a military commander. Despite these merits, the movie has failed to garner widespread acclaim, receiving a lukewarm 60% from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spanning a remarkable 46-year career as a filmmaker, Ridley Scott has cultivated a reputation that rivals the likes of Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese. A three-time nominee for Best Director at the Academy Awards, Scott has left an indelible mark on cinema with classics such as Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Hannibal (2001), Blackhawk Down (2001), American Gangster (2007), and The Martian (2015). His collective body of work has amassed a staggering $1.8 billion in worldwide box office earnings, with The Martian standing out as the top earner at $228.4 million domestically and $630.6 million worldwide.

Despite Napoleon’s initial reception, having generated $32.5 million in domestic box office revenue within its first five days, the film faces the challenge of sustaining its financial success throughout the holiday season. Apple’s substantial $200 million investment in its production necessitates continued profitability.

Similar to Killers Of The Flower Moon, another $200 million Apple-financed film, Napoleon’s success will be measured not only by box office performance but also by its ability to attract new subscribers to Apple TV+. The film’s theatrical distribution has undoubtedly elevated its visibility among both the general public and esteemed awards organizations, serving as an initial step toward achieving this goal.

Continuing its Thanksgiving tradition, Disney unveiled its latest animated offering, Wish, which secured a #3 finish at the box office with a respectable $19.5 million in its inaugural three days. While Disney had hoped for a stronger debut, this marks a notable improvement from last year’s underwhelming Strange World, which managed only $12.1 million during its opening weekend at the same period.

Co-directed by Chris Buck, the creative force behind the wildly successful animated duo Frozen and Frozen 2, grossing a combined $2.7 billion worldwide, Wish unfolds the story of Asha, an idealistic girl whose potent wishes are answered by a cosmic force known as Star, a boundless ball of energy. Together, they confront the nefarious King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine. Despite the film’s star-studded cast and seasoned director, critics remain unimpressed, granting it a lackluster 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, moviegoers seem somewhat more enamored, offering a more favorable 81% audience score. After five days in theaters, Wish has accumulated $31.7 million, a more promising figure compared to last year’s $18.1 million from Strange World at the same juncture.

Wish faces a daunting challenge due to its relatively low opening, leaving little room for substantial earnings in the weeks ahead to match its hefty $175-$200 million production budget. Complicating matters further, Wish contends for the family audience with Trolls Band Together, which premiered the previous week. This competition poses a formidable obstacle for both films, particularly for the more financially demanding Wish.

Speaking of Trolls Band Together, the film secured the #4 position at the box office with a weekend haul of $17.5 million, with a 42% drop from its opening. Universal is undoubtedly pleased with the outcome, as the film has already amassed $64.5 million within its first ten days on the big screen. As the cinematic stage is shared between Trolls and Wish, the spotlight will linger until Universal’s grand unveiling of Migration on December 22nd. Notably, there’s speculation that Trolls might outshine Wish, marking a considerable triumph, especially given its thrifty $95 million production cost—roughly half of Disney’s investment in Wish.

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Sony and TriStar’s Thanksgiving claimed the #5 spot, earning $7.2 million, a 31% dip from the previous weekend. The film has garnered $24.2 million domestically, surpassing its modest $15 million production cost. Thanksgiving emerges as the lone profitable contender among the weekend’s Top 5, underscoring a central challenge facing the industry in 2024. Balancing act is imperative; while theaters can’t rely solely on low-budget films, studios grapple with the unsustainable practice of investing hundreds of millions in films struggling to offset costs.

Slipping to the #6 position in its third weekend, The Marvels garnered $6.4 million, bringing its cumulative total to $77 million. In comparison, the third weekend for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last year saw a significantly higher gross of $44 million. Notably, the performance of Disney films alone is anticipated to contribute to a substantial shortfall, exceeding $500 million in projections for the year 2023.

In an unexpected turn, Alexander Payne‘s The Holdovers experienced a 2 percent increase this week, securing the #7 position with $2.75 million. The film, now just under $13 million through five weekends, demonstrated serendipitous resilience despite facing slight competition from additional theaters.

Believe it or not, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is not only still in theaters, obviously extending the “limited engagement,” but the queen of pop, film, and football is also STILL on the box office top 10 list! The film is holding onto the #8 spot for the second weekend in a row after screening in theaters for the past 7 weeks. The Eras Tour raked in an additional $2.3 million with a current cumulative total of $178,270,000. 

In its fifth week in theaters, Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s slipped to #9 from last week’s #5, earning $1.75 million, reflecting a 51% decrease. The cumulative box office for the film now stands at $136,209,000.

Securing the #10 spot at the box office, Amazon’s Saltburn from MGM disappointed with only $1.7 million, averaging just over $1,100 per theater. The five days of its release grossed $2.7 million.

The Top 10

1. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$28,300,000 (-37%) in 3,776 (no change) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,632; Cumulative: $98,374,000

2. Napoleon (Sony for Apple) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 64; Est. budget: $200 million

$20,400,000 in 3,500 theaters; PTA: $5,829; Cumulative: $32,500,000 (5 days)

3. Wish (Disney) NEW – Cinemascore: A-; Metacritic: 48; Est. budget: $200 million

$19,500,000 in 3,900 theaters; PTA: $5,000; Cumulative: $31,700,000 (5 days)

4. Trolls Band Together (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #2

$17,520,000 (-42%) in 3,893 (+23) theaters; PTA: $4,500; Cumulative: $64,468,000

5. Thanksgiving (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend #3

$7,150,000 (-31%) in 3,204 (no change) theaters; PTA: $2,232; Cumulative: $24,193,000

6. The Marvels (Disney) Week 3; Last weekend #4

$6,400,000 (-37%) in 3,070 (-960) theaters; PTA: $2,085; Cumulative: $76,900,000

7. The Holdovers (Focus) Week 5; Last weekend #6

$2,750,000 (+2%) in 1,601 (+123) theaters; PTA: $1,711; Cumulative: $12,888,000

8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Variance for AMC) Week 7; Last week #8

$2,330,000 (-16%) in 938 (-635) theaters; PTA: $2,463; Cumulative: $178,270,000

9. Five Nights at Freddy’s (Universal) Week 5; Last weekend #5; also streaming on Peacock

$1,750,000 (-51%) in 1,754 (-1,075) theaters; PTA: $998; Cumulative: $136,209,000

10. Saltburn (MGM) Week 2; Last weekend #14

$1,735,000 in 1,566 (+1,559) theaters; PTA: $1,108; Cumulative: $3,098,000

Maintaining the positive trajectory seen throughout the year, the box office recorded a three-day Thanksgiving weekend gross of $115.0 million, marking a substantial 34% increase compared to the previous year’s humdrum $85.8 million over the same holiday period.

This encouraging outcome serves as a reassurance to film executives that the ten-day frame surrounding Thanksgiving retains its potential as one of the most lucrative periods of the year. In stark contrast to last year’s underwhelming Thanksgiving slate, this year presented a more diverse array of appealing titles, and moviegoers responded accordingly.

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Claiming the #1 spot for the second consecutive weekend, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes secured $28.8 million at the box office, experiencing a modest 35% drop. Its dominance is expected to persist in the rankings until Timothée Chalamet’s much-anticipated Wonka premieres on December 15th.

Within its ten days on the cinematic stage, Songbirds & Snakes has amassed $98.4 million, a fraction of the substantial $296.2 million collected by its predecessor, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, during its initial ten days in 2012.

STAY INFORMED! GET INSPIRED!

Subscribe to our FREE elert and get the latest news from advertising, entertainment, production and post-production!

You agree to privacy and terms.

Despite a relatively uncluttered playing field in the upcoming weeks, Songbirds & Snakes may grapple with financial viability, given Lionsgate’s hefty $100 million investment in its production. Convention dictates that a film’s global box office should reach 2.5 times its production cost to break even. Present indications hint at Songbirds & Snakes falling just shy of this benchmark ($100,000,000 X 2.5 = $250,000,000). Attaining this threshold could spare it from the pitfalls that have plagued superhero franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the DC Universe (DCU).

Securing the #2 position in box office earnings at $20.4 million is Apple and Sony’s, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott. This historical epic narrates the tale of the famed French emperor in a runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes. Noteworthy is its inclusion among the leading contenders for this year’s Best Picture Oscar, alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Let’s explore a brief overview of these three potential Best Picture candidates:

Released by Universal Studios and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer premiered on 7/21/23. The historical drama, with a runtime of 3 hours, holds an R rating. Produced with a budget of $100 million, it has been in release for 129 days, accumulating a domestic gross of $325.3 million.

Killers Of The Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Apple, was released by Paramount on 10/23/23. With an R rating and a runtime of 3 hours and 26 minutes, the historical drama had a budget of $200 million. In its 38 days in release, it has garnered a domestic gross of $65.6 million.

Released by Sony Pictures and produced by Apple, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, made its debut on 11/22/23. The historical drama, with an R rating and a runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes, was created with a budget of $200 million. In its 5 days in release, it has accumulated a domestic gross of $32.5 million.

In Ridley Scott’s latest cinematic endeavor, Napoleon, viewers are offered a distinctive and intimate perspective on the renowned general’s swift and relentless ascent to power. The film places a significant emphasis on his tumultuous relationship with Josephine, identified as his one true love. Napoleon’s portrayal of historic battles is nothing short of spectacular, providing profound insights into Napoleon’s strategic brilliance as a military commander. Despite these merits, the movie has failed to garner widespread acclaim, receiving a lukewarm 60% from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spanning a remarkable 46-year career as a filmmaker, Ridley Scott has cultivated a reputation that rivals the likes of Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese. A three-time nominee for Best Director at the Academy Awards, Scott has left an indelible mark on cinema with classics such as Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Hannibal (2001), Blackhawk Down (2001), American Gangster (2007), and The Martian (2015). His collective body of work has amassed a staggering $1.8 billion in worldwide box office earnings, with The Martian standing out as the top earner at $228.4 million domestically and $630.6 million worldwide.

Despite Napoleon’s initial reception, having generated $32.5 million in domestic box office revenue within its first five days, the film faces the challenge of sustaining its financial success throughout the holiday season. Apple’s substantial $200 million investment in its production necessitates continued profitability.

Similar to Killers Of The Flower Moon, another $200 million Apple-financed film, Napoleon’s success will be measured not only by box office performance but also by its ability to attract new subscribers to Apple TV+. The film’s theatrical distribution has undoubtedly elevated its visibility among both the general public and esteemed awards organizations, serving as an initial step toward achieving this goal.

Continuing its Thanksgiving tradition, Disney unveiled its latest animated offering, Wish, which secured a #3 finish at the box office with a respectable $19.5 million in its inaugural three days. While Disney had hoped for a stronger debut, this marks a notable improvement from last year’s underwhelming Strange World, which managed only $12.1 million during its opening weekend at the same period.

Co-directed by Chris Buck, the creative force behind the wildly successful animated duo Frozen and Frozen 2, grossing a combined $2.7 billion worldwide, Wish unfolds the story of Asha, an idealistic girl whose potent wishes are answered by a cosmic force known as Star, a boundless ball of energy. Together, they confront the nefarious King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine. Despite the film’s star-studded cast and seasoned director, critics remain unimpressed, granting it a lackluster 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, moviegoers seem somewhat more enamored, offering a more favorable 81% audience score. After five days in theaters, Wish has accumulated $31.7 million, a more promising figure compared to last year’s $18.1 million from Strange World at the same juncture.

Wish faces a daunting challenge due to its relatively low opening, leaving little room for substantial earnings in the weeks ahead to match its hefty $175-$200 million production budget. Complicating matters further, Wish contends for the family audience with Trolls Band Together, which premiered the previous week. This competition poses a formidable obstacle for both films, particularly for the more financially demanding Wish.

Speaking of Trolls Band Together, the film secured the #4 position at the box office with a weekend haul of $17.5 million, with a 42% drop from its opening. Universal is undoubtedly pleased with the outcome, as the film has already amassed $64.5 million within its first ten days on the big screen. As the cinematic stage is shared between Trolls and Wish, the spotlight will linger until Universal’s grand unveiling of Migration on December 22nd. Notably, there’s speculation that Trolls might outshine Wish, marking a considerable triumph, especially given its thrifty $95 million production cost—roughly half of Disney’s investment in Wish.

REELated:

French Riveria Film Fest partners with Entertainment Oxygen

Sony and TriStar’s Thanksgiving claimed the #5 spot, earning $7.2 million, a 31% dip from the previous weekend. The film has garnered $24.2 million domestically, surpassing its modest $15 million production cost. Thanksgiving emerges as the lone profitable contender among the weekend’s Top 5, underscoring a central challenge facing the industry in 2024. Balancing act is imperative; while theaters can’t rely solely on low-budget films, studios grapple with the unsustainable practice of investing hundreds of millions in films struggling to offset costs.

Slipping to the #6 position in its third weekend, The Marvels garnered $6.4 million, bringing its cumulative total to $77 million. In comparison, the third weekend for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last year saw a significantly higher gross of $44 million. Notably, the performance of Disney films alone is anticipated to contribute to a substantial shortfall, exceeding $500 million in projections for the year 2023.

In an unexpected turn, Alexander Payne‘s The Holdovers experienced a 2 percent increase this week, securing the #7 position with $2.75 million. The film, now just under $13 million through five weekends, demonstrated serendipitous resilience despite facing slight competition from additional theaters.

Believe it or not, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is not only still in theaters, obviously extending the “limited engagement,” but the queen of pop, film, and football is also STILL on the box office top 10 list! The film is holding onto the #8 spot for the second weekend in a row after screening in theaters for the past 7 weeks. The Eras Tour raked in an additional $2.3 million with a current cumulative total of $178,270,000. 

In its fifth week in theaters, Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s slipped to #9 from last week’s #5, earning $1.75 million, reflecting a 51% decrease. The cumulative box office for the film now stands at $136,209,000.

Securing the #10 spot at the box office, Amazon’s Saltburn from MGM disappointed with only $1.7 million, averaging just over $1,100 per theater. The five days of its release grossed $2.7 million.

The Top 10

1. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$28,300,000 (-37%) in 3,776 (no change) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,632; Cumulative: $98,374,000

2. Napoleon (Sony for Apple) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 64; Est. budget: $200 million

$20,400,000 in 3,500 theaters; PTA: $5,829; Cumulative: $32,500,000 (5 days)

3. Wish (Disney) NEW – Cinemascore: A-; Metacritic: 48; Est. budget: $200 million

$19,500,000 in 3,900 theaters; PTA: $5,000; Cumulative: $31,700,000 (5 days)

4. Trolls Band Together (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #2

$17,520,000 (-42%) in 3,893 (+23) theaters; PTA: $4,500; Cumulative: $64,468,000

5. Thanksgiving (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend #3

$7,150,000 (-31%) in 3,204 (no change) theaters; PTA: $2,232; Cumulative: $24,193,000

6. The Marvels (Disney) Week 3; Last weekend #4

$6,400,000 (-37%) in 3,070 (-960) theaters; PTA: $2,085; Cumulative: $76,900,000

7. The Holdovers (Focus) Week 5; Last weekend #6

$2,750,000 (+2%) in 1,601 (+123) theaters; PTA: $1,711; Cumulative: $12,888,000

8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Variance for AMC) Week 7; Last week #8

$2,330,000 (-16%) in 938 (-635) theaters; PTA: $2,463; Cumulative: $178,270,000

9. Five Nights at Freddy’s (Universal) Week 5; Last weekend #5; also streaming on Peacock

$1,750,000 (-51%) in 1,754 (-1,075) theaters; PTA: $998; Cumulative: $136,209,000

10. Saltburn (MGM) Week 2; Last weekend #14

$1,735,000 in 1,566 (+1,559) theaters; PTA: $1,108; Cumulative: $3,098,000

Maintaining the positive trajectory seen throughout the year, the box office recorded a three-day Thanksgiving weekend gross of $115.0 million, marking a substantial 34% increase compared to the previous year’s humdrum $85.8 million over the same holiday period.

This encouraging outcome serves as a reassurance to film executives that the ten-day frame surrounding Thanksgiving retains its potential as one of the most lucrative periods of the year. In stark contrast to last year’s underwhelming Thanksgiving slate, this year presented a more diverse array of appealing titles, and moviegoers responded accordingly.

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