Hollywood’s feast and famine before Thanksgiving, as ‘Hunger Games’ prequel tops box office

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” tops the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters. The $44 million in ticket sales the film earned is a new low for the franchise. It always opened over $100 million in its Jennifer Lawrence days. The animated “Trolls Band Together” opened in second place with $30.6 million, while “The Marvels” fell to third in its second weekend. Taika Waititi’s soccer comedy “Next Goal Wins” and the slasher “Thanksgiving” also opened in wide release over the busy, pre-Thanksgiving weekend.