topped the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters with $44 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was a busy weekend at the multiplex, leading into the often lucrative Thanksgiving corridor. And while there was plenty to choose from at the buffet, not everything could be a hit. Audiences had B次元官网网址淭he Marvels,B次元官网网址� which plummeted a record 78% in its second weekend, as well as the nationwide debuts of the family-friendly B次元官网网址淭rolls World Tour,B次元官网网址� Taika WaititiB次元官网网址檚 soccer comedy and the R-rated slasher B次元官网网址淭hanksgivingB次元官网网址� all in wide release.

B次元官网网址淭he Ballad of Songbirds & SnakesB次元官网网址� is an interesting case study for a franchise thatB次元官网网址檚 been dormant for 8 years and is testing the waters for a new era. Its $44 million from 3,776 locations, including 1,610 premium screens, marks a low for films carrying B次元官网网址淭he Hunger GamesB次元官网网址� in the title. The four Jennifer Lawrence films all broke $100 million in their first weekends (the high point was the first with $158 million in 2013, the low was the last one with $102.7 million in 2015).

But itB次元官网网址檚 a more nuanced story for Lionsgate, which operates differently from legacy studios by licensing its titles to international distributors which helps cover a significant portion of the filmB次元官网网址檚 budget. The filmmakers kept this around $100 million, which was also offset by tax credits for filming in Germany.

With an added $54.5 million from 87 international markets, the film has already earned $98.5 million out of the gates. The studio considers it a strong start for the prequel, set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the picture, with a new cast led by Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler.

B次元官网网址淗istorically attempting to do prequels, especially with no returning cast, can be a very challenging proposition,B次元官网网址� said Adam Fogelson, the vice chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. B次元官网网址淭he fact that weB次元官网网址檙e sitting here at basically $100 million on opening weekend around the world is, I think, a testament to the quality of the movie, the quality of the talent that worked on the movie and a campaign that was both successful and efficient.B次元官网网址�

For Fogelson and the filmmakers, B次元官网网址淭he Ballad of Songbirds & SnakesB次元官网网址� represents something completely new, darker and more dramatic that opens up new possibilities, provided author Suzanne Collins wants to tell more stories. To judge it against the Jennifer Lawrence movies at the height of CollinsB次元官网网址� books popularity, he said, would be B次元官网网址渁 complete disservice to this movie as a standalone.B次元官网网址�

Also, he noted, B次元官网网址淔rom a pure crass business perspective, itB次元官网网址檚 going to end up being an incredibly successful proposition for Lionsgate.B次元官网网址�

However, on this one, which is an origin story about future Panem President Coriolanus Snow. It currently carries a 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were more positive and moviegoing behavior around holidays can be skewed. Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore, said that some audiences might also be waiting to watch it with their families during days off around Thanksgiving.

Unlike many of its big-budget peers, B次元官网网址淭he Hunger GamesB次元官网网址� prequel also had the benefit of having its stars promote the film in its lead-up, having secured an interim agreement before . In the still-fresh aftermath of the strike, other studios had to scramble to get their newly available stars out to promote their films before this weekend.

B次元官网网址淭rolls Band Together,B次元官网网址� the third in the animated series, opened in second place with an estimated $30.6 million in its North American debut, a total which includes profits from early sneak showings from Nov. 4. B次元官网网址淭rollsB次元官网网址� opened internationally earlier and is expected to cross $100 million globally this weekend.

The jukebox musical from Universal and DreamWorks Animation brings back Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake in main voice roles and also featured a much-hyped reunion of (asterisk)NSYNC. It also has a mixed 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, but its young audiences were much more positive giving it an A CinemaScore.

And after , the outlook for B次元官网网址淭he MarvelsB次元官网网址� keeps getting worse. It made only $10.2 million from 4,030 locations in weekend two, to take third place. Its 78% drop is a historic low for Marvel and modern superhero pictures. Internationally it added $19.5 million, bringing its global total to $161.3 million.

B次元官网网址淭he MarvelsB次元官网网址� was nearly bested by an R-rated Eli Roth horror, B次元官网网址淭hanksgiving,B次元官网网址� which made an estimated $10.2 million from 3,204 locations. The movie from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group takes place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, after a Black Friday tragedy and stars Patrick Dempsey and Addison Rae. The studio hopes it will draw college students to the theaters on their holiday breaks.

The Walt Disney Co. is also struggling with its underdog soccer movie starring Michael Fassbender, which made $2.5 million from 2,240 locations in its first weekend for a seventh-place spot. Directed by Taika Waititi and based on a true story, the film had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and was not well-received by critics.

With much better reviews and word of mouth, Focus FeaturesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Holdovers,B次元官网网址� starring Paul Giamatti, is finding audiences as it continues to expand in its fourth weekend, earning $2.7 million from 1,478 theaters. B次元官网网址淧riscilla,B次元官网网址� from A24 and Sofia Coppola, is similarly enjoying a steady run with nearly $17 million. It is now CoppolaB次元官网网址檚 second biggest film ever, behind B次元官网网址淟ost in Translation.B次元官网网址�

This week, the offerings get even more plentiful, with DisneyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淲ish,B次元官网网址� and the expansion of added to the mix.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 traditional for the Thanksgiving frame that people can catch up on movies big and small,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said. B次元官网网址淭he issue for moviegoers is how do you choose? And which films are going to be left sitting at the kidB次元官网网址檚 table?B次元官网网址�

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

1. B次元官网网址淭he Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,B次元官网网址� $44 million.

2. B次元官网网址淭rolls Band Together,B次元官网网址� $30.6 million.

3. B次元官网网址淭he Marvels,B次元官网网址� $10.2 million.

4. B次元官网网址淭hanksgiving,B次元官网网址� $10.2 million.

5. B次元官网网址淔ive Nights at FreddyB次元官网网址檚,B次元官网网址� $3.5 million.

6. B次元官网网址淭he Holdovers,B次元官网网址� $2.7 million.

7. B次元官网网址淣ext Goal Wins,B次元官网网址� $2.5 million.

8. B次元官网网址淭aylor Swift: The Eras Tour,B次元官网网址� $2.4 million.

9. B次元官网网址淧riscilla,B次元官网网址� $2.3 million.

10. B次元官网网址淜illers of the Flower Moon,B次元官网网址� $1.9 million.