Hunger Games Prequel Box Office Projections Eyeing Unfortunate Franchise Record
Based on the most recent box office predictions, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" has the potential to surpass a less favorable franchise record.
The latest addition to the Hunger Games franchise, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," is expected to set an unfavorable box office record. This film, adapted from Suzanne Collins' prequel novel of the same title, follows the coming-of-age tale of a young Coriolanus Snow (played by Tom Blyth), who mentors District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (portrayed by Rachel Zegler) in the 10th Hunger Games.
In addition to Blyth and Zegler, the cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes includes Viola Davis (as Dr. Volumnia Gaul), Peter Dinklage (in the role of Dean Casca Highbottom), and Hunter Schafer (as Tigris).
According to the latest box office projections from Deadline, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is anticipated to achieve a $50 million opening weekend, potentially making it the lowest-grossing opening weekend in the franchise's history. The previous record-holder was "Mockingjay - Part 2," which earned $102 million during its opening weekend in 2015. The estimated budget for this prequel was approximately $100 million.
Why The Box Office For The Hunger Games Prequel Is Disappointing?
The Hunger Games franchise has proven to be highly lucrative for Lionsgate, amassing a total revenue of over $3 billion. Nonetheless, when focusing on the opening weekend box office figures, the final two installments of the series experienced a notable decline. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" earned $121 million during its opening weekend in 2014, whereas "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" achieved a franchise-low of $102 million.
These figures stood in contrast to "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which raked in $158 million, narrowly surpassing the franchise opener that grossed $152 million.
Regrettably, with a projected $50 million opening, the prequel is likely to rank among the franchise's lowest domestic opening earnings, barely reaching half of what "Mockingjay - Part 2" collected during its three-day weekend in 2015.
Despite these less-than-promising projections, there remains a glimmer of hope for the prequel's success, given its $100 million budget. Typically, a movie needs to generate at least double its budget to break even, so in this case, the prequel needs to make at least $200 million worldwide to show a positive financial outcome.
Several factors contribute to the low box office expectations for "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." These include challenges in promoting the prequel due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike affecting the main cast, an eight-year gap between Hunger Games movies, and recent controversies involving Rachel Zegler due to her comments about the Snow White live-action remake.
Nevertheless, the commercial performance of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" could potentially improve through positive word of mouth and a favorable reception, potentially reviving the franchise from its hiatus. As of now, the prequel aims to navigate the competitive holiday movie season and secure its place in the box office landscape.
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