Lionsgate’s highly anticipated prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, fell just short of the $100M milestone in its global opening weekend. With an estimated $98.5M in worldwide box office receipts through Sunday, the film came in slightly higher than initial projections in international markets, but domestic earnings fell below expectations.
The prequel, directed by Francis Lawrence, managed to rake in $54.5M from 87 international markets, outperforming predictions. Notable openings include the UK, where it debuted at No. 1 with $6.7M, and Germany, also taking the top spot with $4.8M. In China, the film opened at No. 3 with $4.5M. France and Mexico also had successful premieres, topping their respective markets with $4.1M and $3.7M.
Overall, Latin America saw some overperformance, contributing to the film’s strong international debut. However, in China, the response has been more lukewarm. While there is no Maoyan audience score yet, Douban critics have rated the film at 7.1, on par with the first Hunger Games installment, but not the franchise’s lowest. Maoyan predicts a final gross of $7.1M, which would make it the lowest-earning Hunger Games film released in China. This outcome was somewhat expected, as recent years have seen a shift in local tastes and a decline in Hollywood’s popularity in the country.
In the IMAX format, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes grossed $7.3M globally. This includes $3.2M from 74 overseas markets, with China contributing $700K, representing 15% of the film’s nationwide total. The IMAX release helped boost the film’s box office performance, particularly in terms of the international market.
As noted by industry sources, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes had a production budget exceeding $100M, a significant investment largely funded through foreign sales. Additionally, the film received $20M in German tax credits, further contributing to its high cost. With such a substantial budget, the film needed to achieve strong box office numbers to be considered a commercial success.
On the other hand, Disney/Marvel’s The Marvels faced a sharp decline in its sophomore weekend at the international box office. The film dropped by 67%, marking the steepest second-weekend dip for a Disney MCU film. Despite adding $19.5M from 52 markets, the film’s international total stands at just under $100M, currently at $96.3M. Globally, The Marvels has earned $161.3M.
Although The Marvels experienced a significant overall drop, it managed to hold on to the top spot in several markets, including France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Australia, Korea, Brazil, and Mexico. Notably, it secured the No. 2 position in these markets, demonstrating its popularity among both local and international audiences.
Universal/Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s continues to perform well, surpassing The Nun 2 to become the highest-grossing horror film of 2023. The film grossed $9.9M from 78 international markets, experiencing a 52% drop from the previous weekend. Its offshore total now stands at $139.2M, on par with The Nun 2 and The Conjuring 2, and surpassing Annabelle Comes Home and Insidious: The Red Door at the same point in the respective markets.
A notable achievement for Five Nights at Freddy’s was its successful debut in Korea. The film opened with $2.5M, marking the highest-grossing Hollywood horror opening of the year in the country. It also managed to claim the No. 1 spot, making it the biggest Blumhouse debut during the pandemic era. This strong performance adds to the film’s impressive international run, surpassing the lifetime gross of Glass and becoming the second highest-grossing Blumhouse title internationally (and globally, excluding Split).
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes may have narrowly missed the $100M mark in its opening weekend, but its international performance and critical reception provide some optimism. With a costly production and high expectations, Lionsgate will be closely monitoring its box office performance in the coming weeks. Similarly, The Marvels’ steep drop in its second weekend raises concerns, especially considering the film’s position within the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Five Nights at Freddy’s continues to exceed expectations, solidifying its place as the standout horror film of the year. As the global box office continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the next few weeks will be critical in determining the long-term success of these films.