Thanksgiving Box Office Battle: 'Wish' vs 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

Box Office Showdown

Disney's 'Wish' and Lionsgate's 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' are currently engaged in a box office battle to claim the top spot over the Thanksgiving holiday. 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' a dystopian prequel in its second week of release, is showing impressive resilience against the family-friendly animated film 'Wish.' Additionally, Apple Original Productions' 'Napoleon' is surpassing initial estimates and giving both films a run for their money.

While this competition is good news for moviegoers, it's a different story for Disney. 'Wish' is not performing as expected, and the studio may be facing yet another box office disappointment. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, 'Wish' earned a disappointing $3.9 million, bringing its total to $12.2 million. It is projected to generate $35 million over the five-day period, falling short of its blockbuster potential.

In contrast, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' is expected to maintain its lead for the second week in a row. The prequel earned $5.9 million on Thanksgiving, reaching a domestic total of $69.6 million. It is projected to pull in $42 million over the five-day period. Considering its lower production budget of $100 million, compared to Disney's $200 million for 'Wish,' 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' has a better chance of turning a profit.

Challenges and Potential

Despite its underperformance, 'Wish' does have one advantage. Recent animated films, such as Disney and Pixar's 'Elemental,' have started slowly but managed to maintain a presence in theaters. Whether 'Wish' can follow this trend remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, 'Napoleon,' a lavish epic from Ridley Scott, faces similar struggles. With a production budget of $200 million, the film earned $4.4 million on Thanksgiving and is expected to gross $33 million over the holiday period. However, Apple, with its massive market cap, is less concerned about the film's financial results. Instead, it plans to release 'Napoleon' theatrically to build anticipation for its launch on Apple TV+.

Other films in the Thanksgiving box office include Universal and DreamWorks Animation's 'Trolls Band Together,' which is projected to earn $23.2 million, and TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media's 'Thanksgiving,' expected to make $10 million.

Holiday Box Office Performance

This Thanksgiving period is expected to result in ticket sales of $190 million, marking the highest box office revenue since the impact of Covid-19 on the industry. However, it falls short of the record set in 2018 when films like 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' and 'Creed II' attracted larger audiences.

Despite the challenges and varying performances, the Thanksgiving box office battle continues with 'Wish' and 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' vying for dominance.