Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth lead an entirely new cast and take the stage in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which is based on a 2020 novel by author Suzanne Collins and set decades before Katniss Everdeen bravely volunteers as tribute. The story centers on a young Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem, as well as District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, whom he mentors in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Reviews were mixed (it has 60% on Rotten Tomatoes), though audiences appear to be more enthusiastic than critics.

“The Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is nearing the $100 million mark worldwide after three days of release.

Those ticket sales, including $44 million in North America and $54.5 million internationally, were enough to top the box office. But they didn’t come close to recapturing the glory of the original “Hunger Games” franchise, which launched Jennifer Lawerence to stardom and collectively grossed $3 billion globally. The first four installments, released between 2012 and 2015, each generated at least $100 million domestically and $200 million (or up to $300 million, in the case of 2013’s “Catching Fire”) globally in their respective opening weekends.