The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which stars Rachel Zegler, reportedly underperformed the film’s opening weekend box office projections.
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
According to Box Office Report, the film only brought in an estimated $44 million in its domestic opening weekend.
That estimation is $3 million below Box Office Pro’s projection of $47.1 million for the film’s opening weekend. The outlet predicted the film would gross between $42 million and $55 million, but specifically claimed it would do $47.1 million.
Those projections had been significantly increased from their original projections at the end of October, which claimed the movie would gross between $35 million and $45 million.
Outside of the domestic market, the film grossed $54.5 million for a global gross of $98.5 million.
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Luna Steeples as Dill, Cooper Dillon as Mizzen, Producer Nina Jacobson and Lucas Wilson as Panlo in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
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The film did post the highest opening weekend for a film starring Zegler. Zegler debuted in West Side Story, which only grossed $10.5 million in its opening weekend in December 2021.
Her other film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, had an opening weekend of $30.1 million in March of this year.
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Courtesy of Lionsgate
While it might be Zegler’s highest grossing opening weekend, it is still the worst opening weekend in The Hunger Games franchise without even adjusting for inflation.
Catching Fire had the highest grossing opening weekend in the franchise with $158 million. The original film sits in second place with a $152.5 million opening. Mockingjay Part 1 brought in $121.8 million while Part 2 only grossed $102.6 million.
That means that Zegler’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes saw a 57% decline in its opening weekend compared to Mockingjay Part 2. It’s a 72% decline from Catching Fire’s $158 million.
Box Office Pro also notes that even if the film follows the multiples of the previous four films in the franchise when looking at final gross compared to opening weekend it will bring in between $115 million and $120 million. The outlet notes that is “lower than three of the four original films’ opening weekends alone.”
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro believes the film might have some strong legs given its performing well with women under 25 and could take advantage of the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.
However, the film does not appear to be performing well with general audiences as it received a B+ CinemaScore, the worst in the franchise.
The grade is a B+ for #songbirdsandsnakes Did you see this in theaters tonight? Let us know in the comment below! #HungerGames #CinemaScore pic.twitter.com/A1zyGvYNoU
— CinemaScore (@CinemaScore) November 18, 2023
For comparison, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire received an A while Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2 both received A- scores.
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
What do you make of the opening weekend box office results for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
