Who Are the Winners and Losers of Thanksgiving 2023?; Interview with Dir. Francis Lawrence of Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle and Daniel Loria go over release date changes and the latest updates from Canadian exhibitor Cineplex before diving into Thanksgiving 2023: Will any holdovers be able to hang on? What new releases will break through over the long holiday weekend? Then, in our feature segment, Boxoffice Pro’s Chad Kennerk interviews Francis Lawrence, director of Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

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Episode Resources:

• Fading Snow: Director Francis Lawrence on Kindling the Franchise with Origin Story THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
• Weekend Box Office: HUNGER GAMES and TROLLS Open Far Below Predecessors, THE MARVELS Has MCU’s Steepest Sophomore Drop
• DUNE: PART TWO Moves Up Two Weeks From March 15 to March 1, 2024, Replacing THE FALL GUY

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:04 MCU schedule switching
• 03:30 Diversification strategy of Cineplex
• 06:41 Weekend box office numbers
• 17:07 Napoleon theatrical release
• 19:32 Disney’s Wish
• 21:49 Holdover potential
• 26:24 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
• 28:39 Bringing back the The Hunger Games world
• 29:30 Career built on adaptations
• 30:53 Production stories, bonding experiences
• 33:00 Community in a fandom
• 34:35 Working with IMAX
• 36:40 Technology and visual effects
• 38:10 Favorite theatrical experience