The new Hunger Games movie The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes hit the box office almost a month ago. It still beats many new films out of the box office and grossed nearly $252 million worldwide. This new Hunger Games sensation is a prequel to the rest of the series. Still, it should be watched after seeing the other movies to fully understand the ending and potential character motivations.

This movie felt so much like returning to the 2013 Twilight and Maze Runner era that filled me with nostalgia. The characters were wonderfully developed, and while not the most cinematographic move this year, it certainly wasn’t far off. An adventure of a young upstart desperate to save his family and a girl with a death sentence are forced to work together to try and protect one another. Through a compelling story filled with beautiful symbolism and a cast of excellent actors, it wasn’t hard to become quickly absorbed in this movie. 

One thing I would have explained more would have been the uncertain ending and perhaps the plot development. While the movie is broken into different parts, maybe more backstory and explanation for why the ending felt so…sudden. The end felt rushed and more than a little…lacking for audiences who have not read the book or seen the other movies. As such, if only a few things could have been changed, then the film would be even more enticing for people who have not already seen the Hunger Games.

But enough about my thoughts, let’s talk about the new demand at the box office for new and original movies rather than spin-offs and sequels of stories that have already been written. This can be seen with film such as Barbie and Oppenheimer being the biggest hits of the year rather than Disney’s reimagining of The Little Mermaid, and even the new Indiana Jones movie being considered ‘flops’ in comparison to the 

newer ideas.

The only movie it feels that breaks this trend is the new Hunger Games, as it beat out Disney’s new Wish and the new Trolls movie but is still the lowest-grossing Hunger Games movie. This indicates that the reimaginings and retellings of classic books and stories aren’t worth seeing in theaters anymore.

As disappointing as this seems to many book fans hoping for a new movie or show based on their favorite books, this may be a good thing. Many shows, such as Lessons in Chemistry, have quickly become favorites of many but seem to do best on streaming services rather than at the box office. Perhaps your favorite books may become shows rather than movies; when they are released, you can watch them in your home. At the box office, however, many more new and hopefully intriguing films will be playing rather than the same tried and true stories that, while good, need to take a breather to let more creative and unique stories have their chance.