A local cinema chain invited Filipinos to watch the “number one movie in the world” on Tuesday.
SM Cinema on November 21 teased viewers with a clip from the film “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” which takes off from the character of Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of Panem.
“The legacy lives on in #TheHungerGames,” the cinema chain said in a Facebook post.
“Watch the number 1 movie in the world, now showing at SM Cinema!” it added.
The cinema chain said the public can get tickets from its website, its SM Cinema app and through its mall ticket booths nationwide.
The cinema chain also shared another post declaring the fantasy-adventure film as “the number one movie in the world.”
Entertainment news site Deadline.com on Sunday, November 19 reported that the movie opened globally with an estimated $98.5 million.
“The Francis Lawrence-directed prequel came in slightly higher than pre-frame projections overseas with $54.5M from 87 international box office markets,” it said in a report.
“The top overseas market openings include the UK with a No. 1 of $6.7M, Germany also at No. 1 with $4.8M, China at a No. 3 of $4.5M, France with $4.1M at No. 1 and Mexico also at No. 1 with $3.7M,” it added.
“In IMAX, the global bow was $7.3M, including $3.2M from 74 overseas markets ($700K of which came from China to rep 15% of the nationwide total),” Deadline.com further reported.
The “Hunger Games” prequel debuted in the Philippines last November 15.
It is a film adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ novel of the same name which focuses on a young Coriolanus Snow before he became the ruthless dictator of Panem.
“Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a prequel to the popular “Hunger Games” trilogy which featured the characters of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
The prequel takes place 64 years before the events of the first “Hunger Games” film and serves as Snow’s (Tom Blyth) origin story.
It shows him as a young student bent on restoring the faded glory of his family name who participates in a mentorship program designed to make the annual Hunger Games more exciting for viewers.
Snow gets assigned to mentor District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) and eventually develops feelings for her as he commits to helping her survive the Games.
He is then pulled between good and evil as their relationship threatens to conflict with his own desired rise to power.
Apart from Tom and Rachel, the movie also features the talents of Hunter Schafer as Snow’s cousin Tigris, Josh Andrés Rivera as Snow’s friend Sejanus Plinth, Jason Schwartzman as TV host Lucky Flickerman, Peter Dinklage as Academy Dean Casca Highbottom and Viola Davis as sinister head game maker Volumnia Gaul.
Meanwhile, the novel is available in Fully Booked stores and other bookstores online and nationwide.
