New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

No sane person will ever argue that $1.5 billion in box office is a disappointment on a general financial scale. In terms of opportunity cost, an argument could be made that a better movie more effectively capitalizes on the luster of the Marvel brand. No matter where you stand on that subject, it’s undeniable that Age of Ultron had its thunder stolen by the Jurassic Park and Star Wars franchises. Now, they’ll have to re-build as they plot the path to Infinity War. Fortunately, those titles will stand out as grander in scale than a battle with a sentient robot.

The news is either worse or better for The Hunger Games, depending on your perspective. Since this is ostensibly the end of the series, a disappointing film doesn’t hurt the bottom line. Rather than cop out and tie everything up in a nice little bow a la Twilight (Team Edward? Team Jacob? Why choose? Bella Swan can always breed more!), Lionsgate honored the grim vision of the Suzanne Collins by sending the viewing audience home in tears.

Those of us who’d read the books knew that the sadness was coming, at least if they were faithful in the adaptation. People who’d only watched the movies had no idea what was coming next. The moment the story reached its heart-wrenching climax in a crowd of children, its fate seemed sealed. Word-of-mouth on Mockingjay - Part 2 was never going to be good, but the horrors of the third act are impossible to market. Perhaps Lionsgate accepted this in advance, which explains why the marketing campaign was relatively understated for a tentpole blockbuster.

Stating the obvious, The Hunger Games went out with a proverbial whimper rather than a bang. Mockingjay Part 2 became the first film in the franchise to earn less than $300 million domestically, which says more about the shocking appeal of the first couple of films in the series than it does about the shortcomings of the Mockingjay twin productions.

The final Hunger Games film also became the lowest global earner with approximately $650 million. That aspect does speak to the struggles of the final project since the international marketplaces have expanded dramatically over the past three years. No 2015 film should do worse abroad than its 2012 predecessor, especially not if it’s the conclusion of a four-film saga. People should experience an emotional investment in the resolution of the story. The fact that they didn’t for Mockingjay Part 2 suggests that Lionsgate lost a sizable portion of their original audience at some point along the way.

From a financial perspective, the two Mockingjay films grossed $1.35 billion worldwide. A single film wouldn’t have managed such a dazzling take. That’s why the news is better if you have a vested interest in the financials of Lionsgate. Their shameless money grab worked, at least in terms of short term income.

A larger question exists, though. Rumors abound that prequels to The Hunger Games will begin at some point during the next few years. The scope of the plan would be akin to Star Wars with prequels to establish the dystopian world of Panem followed by later films that would blend well with the natural aging process of stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. If this is the long term goal – and the impending construction of Hunger Games theme parks suggests that the franchise is here to stay – the dissatisfying conclusion of Mockingjay - Part 2 damages the brand. By remaining faithful to the depressing book, Lionsgate has negated much of the goodwill they built with The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. So, they won financially in the short term but it could prove to be a pyrrhic victory over the life of the franchise.

Nobody would argue that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 or The Avengers: Age of Ultron failed at the box office. Both of them earned their spots among the mightiest blockbusters in the most lucrative year ever for domestic revenue. What they did do, however, was fail to match the popularity and momentum of their predecessors, thereby derailing the franchises in the short term. We’ve reached an odd box office era where films with combined global earnings of $2 billion can still qualify as financial letdowns with far-reaching ramifications.

Continued:       1       2       3