"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," the highly anticipated prequel to "The Hunger Games" franchise, has achieved an impressive milestone, crossing the $100 million mark worldwide in just three days since its release. Despite falling short of the original series' box office success, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group is satisfied with the film's performance.

The ticket sales for "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" amounted to $44 million in North America and $54.5 million internationally, securing its position as the top-grossing film at the box office. However, it did not come close to matching the enormous success of the original "Hunger Games" franchise, which earned a collective global gross of $3 billion and launched Jennifer Lawrence to stardom.

Adam Fogelson, the vice chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, expressed his contentment with the film's financial performance, stating, "We were a little lighter domestically and a little over internationally, so we're thrilled with the result. It'll be a great business result for the studio."

Financial analysts agree that "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is positioned well in its theatrical run. The film had a production budget of $100 million, slightly higher than the first "Hunger Games" but considerably lower than its three sequels. Despite prequels generally not performing as strongly as direct sequels, Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations, predicts that the film will be a moderate hit for Lionsgate.

It is expected that "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" will turn a profit for Lionsgate, primarily due to licensing its titles to international distributors. However, these initial receipts do not indicate a strong enough interest in Panem to justify a complete reboot of the franchise without beloved characters like Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.

Starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth, the prequel introduces a new cast and explores the story set decades before Katniss Everdeen's participation in the Hunger Games. The film centers around a young Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem, and his mentorship of District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Reviews for the film have been mixed, with a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences appear to be more enthusiastic than critics.

While the studio's decision to continue the franchise will depend on its staying power during Thanksgiving and international box office turnout, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is off to a slightly stronger start in foreign territories. Key markets outside of North America include the United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, and Mexico. China, a once important market for Hollywood films, has been less receptive to non-local language titles, and the original "Hunger Games" movies did not achieve significant success there, earning only around $20 million each.

Looking at the competition, Lionsgate's Fogelson expects "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" to remain a popular choice among families throughout the Thanksgiving weekend and into December. The film now faces less competition from Disney's superhero sequel "The Marvels," which experienced a significant drop in ticket sales, with a decline of 78% in its second weekend.

Fogelson indicates that the film's success has opened up numerous possibilities for further exploration of the Panem universe, hinting at potential future projects under Suzanne Collins' direction.

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" proves to be a promising addition to "The Hunger Games" series, with strong financial performance and the potential for future endeavors within the franchise.