Hunger Games prequel makes $98.5 million debut

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" topped the North American box office in its first weekend with $44 million in ticket sales. The film marks a new era for the franchise, set 64 years before the original story, and is a standalone prequel. While it had a lower opening weekend compared to previous films in the series, its international performance and licensing deals helped offset the budget. Critics had mixed reviews, but the studio considers it a strong start. Other films like "Trolls Band Together" and "The Marvels" had varied performances at the box office.