Thanksgiving Box Office Collection: 'Hunger Games' prequel dominates, 'Wish' and 'Napoleon' struggles

In a surprising turn of events at the Thanksgiving weekend box office, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" maintained its dominance for the second week, surpassing the highly anticipated Disney release "Wish" and Ridley Scott’s "Napoleon," as per studio estimates on Sunday.

Despite the buzz surrounding new entries like "Wish" and Scott’s epic "Napoleon," neither managed to outshine Lionsgate's "Hunger Games" prequel. The return to Panem garnered $28.8 million over the weekend and a substantial $42 million during the extended five-day holiday frame, solidifying its position as the audience favorite.

While "Napoleon" narrowly secured the second spot with $20.4 million from Friday through Sunday and an impressive $78.8 million globally, it fell short of toppling "Songbirds and Snakes." Although the film received mixed reviews and a moderate CinemaScore of "B-," its performance in theaters exceeded expectations.


Apple Studios made a significant statement with "Napoleon," echoing its Hollywood ambitions seen earlier with Martin Scorsese’s "Killers of the Flower Moon." Despite a hefty estimated budget of $200 million, the film, a 168-minute historical drama, displayed a strong start for Apple's foray into adult-skewing content.

On the other hand, Disney’s "Wish" didn’t match the studio's Thanksgiving legacy seen with previous releases like "Frozen II," "Ralph Breaks the Internet," and "Coco." With a $31.7 million five-day opening, falling short of the forecasted $50 million, the film, tied to Disney's 100th anniversary, faced criticism from critics and audiences alike.

"Wish" joins the list of recent Disney underperformers, adding to the studio's challenges alongside the lackluster performance of "The Marvels." Despite competing against DreamWorks and Universal Pictures' "Trolls Band Together," which grossed $17.5 million in its second week, "Wish" struggled to capture its anticipated audience.

However, the fate of "Wish" is not yet sealed. Pixar's "Elemental" followed a similar trajectory, starting modestly but eventually amassing nearly $500 million worldwide.

Emerald Fennell's "Saltburn," Barry Keoghan’s journey in "Saltburn," and other releases like Netflix's "Maestro" and Focus Features' "The Holdovers" continue to diversify the cinematic landscape.

While the Thanksgiving box office numbers reached $172 million in the U.S. and Canada, marking a significant increase from recent years, they still lag behind the pre-pandemic era. In 2019, boosted by the success of "Frozen 2," the box office soared past $262 million during Thanksgiving weekend.

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.