Hunger Games Takes the Top Spot, Napoleon Makes a Strong Showing, Wish Disappoints at Thanksgiving Box Office

“The Hunger Games” Continues to Reign Supreme at the Box Office, While New Releases “Napoleon” and “Wish” Struggle to Find Their Footing

Hunger Games

Despite high expectations, Disney’s latest animated film, “Wish,” failed to capture the hearts of moviegoers over the Thanksgiving weekend, leaving Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” as the top draw.

“Songbirds and Snakes,” the prequel to the popular “Hunger Games” franchise, grossed $28.8 million over the five-day holiday frame, bringing its total domestic haul to nearly $100 million. The film’s strong performance can be attributed to its loyal fan base and its timely release during the holiday season.

In a surprising turn of events, Ridley Scott’s historical epic, “Napoleon,” edged out “Wish” for second place, grossing $32.5 million over the five-day period and an estimated $20.4 million from Friday to Sunday. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, also topped the global box office with $78.8 million.

Despite mixed reviews and a “B-” CinemaScore rating, “Napoleon” outperformed expectations at the box office, suggesting that audiences are still drawn to big-budget historical dramas. The film’s success is a welcome boost for Apple Studios, which is hoping to establish itself as a major player in the Hollywood film industry.

“Wish,” on the other hand, fell short of expectations, grossing $31.7 million over five days and $19.5 million from Friday to Sunday. The film, co-written and co-directed by the “Frozen” team of Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and featuring the voices of Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine, had been forecast to debut closer to $50 million.

Critics were not impressed with “Wish,” saying that it felt more like a marketing ploy than a genuine movie. The film’s underperformance is a disappointment for Disney, which has a history of successful Thanksgiving releases.

In other box office news, DreamWorks and Universal Pictures’ “Trolls Band Together” continued to perform well, grossing $17.5 million in its second frame and $25.3 million over the five-day period. Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” starring Paul Giamatti as a boarding school instructor, made $3.8 million over the five-day weekend, bringing its total domestic gross to $12.9 million.

Overall, ticket sales reached $172 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the five-day holiday weekend, up from recent years but still well behind the typical pre-pandemic Thanksgiving weekends.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

• 1. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” $28.8 million.
• 2. “Napoleon,” $20.4 million.
• 3. “Wish,” $19.5 million.
• 4. “Trolls Band Together,” $17.5 million.
• 5. “Thanksgiving,” $7.2 million.
• 6. “The Marvels,” $6.4 million.
• 7. “The Holdovers,” $2.8 million.
• 8. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” $2.3 million.
• 9. “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” $1.8 million.
• 10. “Saltburn,” $1.7 million.