LOS ANGELES, California – “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is expected to make a solid debut with box office analysts predicting an opening haul of between $42 million and $55 million this weekend. This prequel to the $3 billion Hunger Games franchise, based on the 2020 novel by author Suzanne Collins, is set 60 years before the original story and is a standalone film. The film is a return to the dystopian universe that has captivated audiences around the world.

Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler star in the film, which provides an origin story for Coriolanus Snow, a character destined to become the tyrannical ruler of the fictional country of Panem in the Hunger Games universe. The movie is a table-setting weekend for theaters and studios, coming at a time when the entertainment industry is still recovering from the impact of release delays and industry strikes.

While box office analysts believe that the film’s $50 million opening will be a positive sign for Hollywood, some are cautious about its ability to recapture the massive audiences that turned out for previous Hunger Games installments. The film’s standalone nature and lack of star power from the original franchise may present marketing challenges. However, it has been praised by critics for its outstanding cast and exciting story.

The movie is not expected to reach the same ticket sales levels as its predecessors, with each of the other four films in the Hunger Games franchise debuting with more than $100 million in ticket sales at the domestic box office. The studio does not plan on returning to Panem unless Collins writes another book, making “Ballad” a standalone production with no promise for future installments.

As theaters and studios continue to navigate the impact of the pandemic on consumer moviegoing habits and industry strikes, Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” presents an opportunity to revitalize the box office and engage audiences once again.