'The Hunger Games' box office earns $6M amid lukewarm response
Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has been in the buzz for some time now. The prequel is slated for a decent box office run. As per Deadline, the prequel raked in an estimated $5.75M to $6M during Thursday night previews. Featuring Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, the weekend projections predict a $50M+ US collection and $100M+ global box office haul.
Aiming for a lucrative weekend ahead
The preview night earnings for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes are comparable to those of Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, which made $5.8M and opened to a $60M weekend. Amazon/MGM's Creed III garnered $5.4M in Thursday previews and had a $58.3M opening weekend. However, the prequel faces hurdles due to its fresh cast and some of The Hunger Games fans being unaware of Suzanne Collins's new novel, which sold 3.5M copies.
Critics' response and social media buzz
Although the franchise's latest installment received its lowest Rotten Tomatoes score at 64% fresh, the Hunger Games series has often been impervious to critics. Social media analytics firm RelishMix reports that the buzz surrounding The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is mixed-leaning-positive, with many fans feeling nostalgic about the franchise. One fan remarked, "14-year-old me is so happy, and 25-year-old me is sobbing."
