In an unusual turn of events, a convergence of four fresh wide releases graced the cinema scene this weekend. Thanksgiving, an annual spectacle, cast its enchantment over this ten-day holiday stretch, beckoning movie enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the cinematic smorgasbord.
Taking the spotlight and the #1 spot at the box office among this eclectic quartet is The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, the fifth installment in The Hunger Games saga. Joining the cinematic revelry are Universal’s Trolls Band Together, Sony’s Thanksgiving, and Searchlight’s Next Goal Wins.
This influx of cinematic novelties propelled the weekend’s box office gross to a commendable $115.3 million, marking an 11% surge from last year’s $102.5 million during this very weekend. Last year’s luminary, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, claimed the top spot with a $66.4 million haul in its second weekend.
Within the pantheon of Lionsgate’s franchise treasures, The Hunger Games series stands tall alongside the Twilight series. Songbirds & Snakes met pre-release expectations, comfortably clinching the weekend victory with a $44.0 million earnings. Nevertheless, this outcome falls short of the pace set by the franchise’s preceding cinematic venture.
Accumulating a staggering total of nearly $3 billion globally, the quartet of Hunger Games films stands as a testament to their monumental success. Not only did they conquer the box office, but their financial triumph is equally astounding, flaunting an exceptional 6 to 1 ratio when contrasting worldwide box office earnings with production costs—far surpassing the industry’s conventional benchmark of 2.5 to 1.
In a collaborative effort with the original author of the book series, Suzanne Collins, Lionsgate crafted a narrative designed to rekindle the allegiance of loyal fans, allure a fresh generation, and shift the spotlight away from Jennifer Lawrence‘s portrayal of Katniss Everdeen.
Enter Songbirds & Snakes, a prequel journeying 64 years into the past, unraveling the origins of The Hunger Games contests. At its core is an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, destined for the Panem presidency, mentoring Lucy Gray Bird, the female tribute from the destitute District 12.
Despite a mere 33% of the $133.8 million average box office garnered by its forerunners, the current installment, with an opening weekend gross of $44.0 million, is poised for profitability. This is attributed to a shrewd release date and a relatively modest production budget of $100 million—$60 million less than the expenditure on the last Hunger Games installment eight years ago.
The ensemble, led by Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Bird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, injects a fresh perspective into the prequel. Despite a lukewarm critical reception with a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film resonates strongly with audiences, boasting an impressive 91% audience score. This suggests that a business model prioritizing acceptable box office returns with a lower budget could chart a course for mature franchises, paving the way for new movies with more realistic expectations regarding audience response and box office triumph.
Securing the #2 spot at the box office, Trolls Band Together achieved an opening weekend gross of $30.6 million. This installment marks the third chapter in The Trolls animated family film franchise. The journey commenced with an unexpectedly robust $46.6 million opening weekend on October 13-15, 2016, culminating in a domestic haul of $154 million and a global box office triumph of $347.2 million.
The second venture, Trolls World Tour, faced the unique challenge of a pandemic release on April 10, 2020. Amidst these circumstances, it found its audience predominantly on Peacock, Comcast/Universal’s in-house streaming service. Despite this unconventional viewing pattern, the film managed to amass a worldwide box office of $49.3 million. Universal’s confidence in the franchise remained unwavering, leading to the creation of a third film—Trolls Band Together.
Reuniting the original cast of Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, the film offers an abundance of music to captivate its youthful audience. Despite the vibrant trolls failing to win over critics, receiving a modest 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, moviegoers are enamored, granting it an impressive 91% audience score.
In the #3 slot, Marvel Studios’ The Marvels experienced a substantial drop, earning $10.2 million in its second weekend. This marked a staggering 78% decline from its already record-low debut of $46.2 million—an unprecedented figure within the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 33-movie repertoire spanning 15 years. While Disney had held out hope for a stabilization in subsequent weeks, this 78% plummet during the second weekend stands out as one of the most severe second week drops for any major film, irrespective of studio or genre.
The Marvels’ cumulative ten-day gross now stands at $65.0 million domestically. With a hefty production cost of $200 million, recouping this investment and sidestepping the looming specter of the widely discussed superhero decline appears increasingly improbable for Disney. The financial prospects seem to pose a formidable challenge for the studio, casting shadows over the movie’s ability to break even and avoid becoming another casualty of the superhero genre’s apparent downturn.
In 4th place, Sony’s holiday horror flick, Thanksgiving, clawed its way to a weekend box office haul of $10.1 million, making a chilling premiere in theaters. Released strategically during the holiday season, the film aims to lure in a diverse moviegoing audience, particularly the cohort of idle college and high school students seeking an escape from family obligations.
While Thanksgiving’s debut may not rival the remarkable $80 million opening of Five Nights At Freddy’s on 10/27-10/29, industry predictions suggest a more modest second-weekend decline compared to the steep 76% dip suffered by FNaF. Set against the backdrop of a 2022 Black Friday riot in Plymouth, Massachusetts, resulting in tragic casualties, the storyline incorporates revenge, adding complexity to Sheriff Eric Newton’s quest to restore calm to the town that inspired the iconic American holiday. Patrick Dempsey leads the cast as Sheriff Eric Newton, earning accolades from both critics and audiences, evident in the film’s impressive 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With a lean production budget of $15 million, Thanksgiving is poised for profitability, standing out as a horror spectacle that made its mark with a theatrical premiere.
The horror sensation of the season, Five Nights at Freddy’s, clinched the #5 position this weekend with an additional $3.5 million in ticket sales. This solidifies its standing as the most successful horror film of the season, boasting a robust box office total of $132.6 million domestically. In the realm of horror cinema for 2023, it proudly wears the crown as the highest-grossing film, marking its undeniable impact and resonance with audiences.
Making its debut this weekend, Searchlight’s Next Goal Wins secured the #7 position at the box office with $2.5 million in domestic ticket sales. This historic soccer film directed by Taika Waititi delves into the journey of a soccer team hailing from American Samoa, offering a unique and compelling narrative in the world of sports cinema.
This weekend, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour graced 1,573 North American theaters and secured the #8 spot at the box office, grossing $2.4 million, marking a 61% decline from the previous weekend as it slipped down the list from the #3 position on the box office top ten list.
Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla, distributed by A24, continues its impressive journey, securing the #9 position at the box office and nearing the $17 million cumulative milestone. In its latest weekend showing across 1,802 theaters, Priscilla added another $2.3 million to its box office tally.
REELated:
Securing the #10 spot with a dramatic 58% decline, Killers Of The Flower Moon earned $1.9 million in its fifth weekend at the box office. The total domestic gross stands just under $64 million.
The Top 10
1. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) NEW – CInemascore: B+; Metacritic: 53; Est. budget: $100 million
$44,000,000 in 3,776 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $11,653; Cumulative: $44,000,000
2. Trolls Band Together (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 53; Est. budget: $95 million
$30,600,000 in 3,870 theaters; PTA: $7,907; Cumulative: $31,770,000
3. The Marvels (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend #1
$10,200,000 (-78%) in 4,030 (no change) theaters; PTA: $2,531; Cumulative: $65,025,000
4. Thanksgiving (Sony) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 63; Est. budget: $15 million
$10,200,000 in 3,204 theaters; PTA: $3,184; Cumulative: $10,100,000
5. Five Nights at Freddy’s (Universal) Week 4; Last weekend #2; also streaming on Peacock
$3,500,000 (-%) in 2,829 (-865) theaters; PTA: $1,237; Cumulative: $132,612,000
6. The Holdovers (Focus) Week 4; Last weekend #6
$2,700,000 (-16%) in 1,478 (+700) theaters; PTA: $1,824; Cumulative: $8,400,000
7. Next Goal Wins (Disney) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 45; Est. budget: $14 million
$2,500,000 in 2,240 theaters; PTA: $1,116; Cumulative: $2,500,000
8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Variance for AMC) Week 6; Last week #3
$2,400,000 (-61%) in 1,573 (-1,275) theaters; PTA: $1,526; Cumulative: $175,300,000
9. Priscilla (A24) Week 4; Last weekend #4
$2,326,000 (-49%) in 1,802 (-559) theaters; PTA: $1,291; Cumulative: $16,982,000
10. Killers of the Flower Moon (Paramount) Week 5; Last weekend #5
$1,920,000 (-58%) in 1,714 (-1,643) theaters; PTA: $1,120; Cumulative: $63,570,000
As the curtain falls on 45 weeks of cinematic endeavors, the year-to-date box office stands tall, boasting a remarkable 122% surge when compared to the same juncture in 2022. Additionally, the cumulative figures showcase an impressive 83% leap when measured against the totals recorded in 2019. This notable growth signals a robust resurgence in the film industry, reflecting the resilience and resurgence of audience engagement with theaters.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
