‘Hunger Games’ prequel flops in China as audiences ignore US films – The Hollywood Reporter
Tom Blythe and Rachel Ziegler in “The Hunger Games: Song of Songbirds and Snakes”
Courtesy of Murray Close/Lionsgate
Introduction Lionsgate The Hunger Games: Song of Songbirds and Snakes It opened at the Chinese box office in third place over the weekend, losing to two remaining domestic films and earning just $4.6 million. It’s just the latest disappointing performance by an American film on the market.
Songbirds and snakes Earning low to average social scores from Chinese audiences, ticket app Maoyan expects to gross only about $7 million by the end of its run.
Songbirds and snakes It opens eight years after the last hunger Games The title was released in theaters and 12 years after the first film hit the big screen. The previous four hunger Games Movies based on Suzanne Collins’ YA dystopian novels and starring Jennifer Lawrence have performed much better in China than the new title. hunger Games (2012) earned a total of $27 million, while The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) earned $28 million, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) brought in $36.5 million, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) earned $21.5 million.
But the Lionsgate prequel isn’t the only American franchise taking a swing at the big Chinese market. Disney Wonders, after losing its first weekend with an all-time Marvel Cinematic Universe opening of $11.5 million, fell to sixth place in its second frame, earning $1.4 million. Maoyan is now showing the film, which cost between $200 million and $250 million to produce, for only $15 million (111 million Chinese yuan).
Superhero films have been the most notable underperformers, but American studio franchises across the board have been on the decline in China this year. worldwide Fast x It holds the crown for the biggest Hollywood film of 2023 in the country, with a $51.1 million opening and a $140 million gross. And Transformers: Rise of the Monsters It opened with $40 million and topped with $92 million. However, the early installments of both film series earned much larger profits, indicating a widespread erosion of the franchise for studios in China.
Chinese crime thriller film Who is the suspect? (Also known as The final suspect) finished first of the weekend, winning his third straight frame. It has earned $10.6 million and has a total of $68.1 million to date. The film is directed by Zhang Mu, daughter of Chinese film legend Zhang Yimou. Produced by Beijing Dino Films, the film stars actress Zhang Xiaofei as a lawyer who is forced to defend a suspect on death row after her daughter is kidnapped.
alibaba local drama, Be my familyrose from third place to second place, earning $4.8 million over the weekend for a total of $15.4 million.
Song of songbirds and snakes It is based on Collins’ book of the same name. The film opened with $44 million at the North American domestic box office, enough to win the weekend but falling short of expectations. Rachel Ziegler and Tom Blythe lead the film’s cast, which also stars Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis. Francis Lawrence, who directed three previous Hunger Games films, returns as director.
