John Wick 5 and New Hunger Games Film Announced as Disney's Snow White Flops

Summary

Lionsgate’s careful planning with The Hunger Games franchise pays off, while Disney struggles with rushed remakes and sequels.
The Hunger Games and John Wick maintain quality storytelling and audience engagement, setting them apart.
John Wick 5 moves forward with Keanu Reeves, after 4 delivers high-octane action and exceeding box office expectations.

Lionsgate is taking daring steps with “The Hunger Games: Dawn of the Reaping” and “John Wick: Chapter 5,” actively developing two of its most prominent franchises. On the other hand, Disney appears to be encountering difficulties, with their latest attempt at a live-action remake, “Snow White,” featuring Rachel Zegler, adding to their struggles. While Lionsgate strategically plots future successes, Disney seems to be experimenting haphazardly, hoping for a lucky strike.

In a remarkable fashion, the film series “The Hunger Games” and “John Wick” have managed to preserve a level of continuity that very few franchises can rival. Each subsequent installment consistently meets audience expectations without deviating from what initially captivated us about their worlds or narratives. Conversely, Disney seems to be churning out repetitive remakes, visually extravagant but empty CGI productions, and sequels that seemingly lack demand. The contrast in strategies between these two studios is increasingly evident with each new production, and it appears Disney is scrambling to catch up.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – Another Likely Win for Panem

As a passionate film lover, I can’t help but express my excitement over the success of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” prequel, which has shown that audiences crave more dystopian tales of rebellion. Now, it seems that Lionsgate is answering our collective call with the greenlighting of an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ next installment: “Sunrise on the Reaping”. This upcoming film will delve into events 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence in the original series) voluntary participation as a tribute. The focus will be on the 50th Hunger Games, or the second Quarter Quell, where Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson in the original series) defied the Capitol and triumphed against all odds.

Lionsgate distinguishes itself by its strategic approach. Unlike other studios that quickly churn out sequels to capitalize on franchise popularity, Lionsgate demonstrated patience after Mockingjay Part 2 in 2015. They resisted the urge to produce unnecessary spin-offs or prequels, instead allowing Suzanne Collins time to generate new material. This ensured that any new addition to the franchise would maintain the intricate storytelling that made The Hunger Games a cultural sensation initially. When The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was released in 2023, fans who had been yearning for more Panem returned, making the film a success with over $337 million in global box office earnings against a budget of $100 million, and garnering positive critical acclaim, proving that the audience remained engaged as long as the story was captivating.

It appears that the film studio, producers, and directors recognize that the true power of the “Hunger Games” series lies in its compelling characters and their journeys through a world filled with violence and politics. This isn’t just about children fighting to the death; it’s a commentary on power dynamics, media manipulation, and rebellion. If Lionsgate had released more content too quickly to capitalize on the franchise, it might have weakened these themes, as has been the case with some Disney franchises, transforming a thought-provoking narrative into an ordinary action series. By allowing Suzanne Collins to guide the process, the studio has ensured that each new addition maintains its depth and significance.

As we eagerly await “Sunrise on the Reaping“, anticipation is mounting. Online conversations are abuzz with theories about casting, the unfolding of the second Quarter Quell, and how the movie will delve deeper into Panem’s history. Given past trends, it seems that Lionsgate is poised for another success with this upcoming chapter.

John Wick 5—Keanu Reeves Is Back Again

Despite the apparent conclusion to Baba Yaga’s tale in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” as indicated by John’s gravestone, Lionsgate is pushing ahead with “John Wick 5.” The “John Wick” films consistently excel at the box office due to fans’ insatiable appetite for Keanu Reeves in a bulletproof outfit, dishing out swift justice with pinpoint accuracy and his loyal canine companion by his side.

The John Wick series consistently excels at providing fans with an enjoyable blend of sleek, adrenaline-pumping entertainment, devoid of heavy moralizing or didactic messages. It’s raw, high-speed action that doesn’t compromise on choreography, stunts, or visual effects. Each movie seems carefully tailored rather than hastily produced for profit. Unlike some recent Marvel movies such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Eternals, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which have been criticized for poor CGI, dull fight sequences, and underwhelming scripts, John Wick offers spectacle with precision.

The commitment shown by Reeves in his role significantly contributes to the franchise’s prosperity. His intense stunt training and emphasis on realism make every gunfight, physical combat, and chase scene appear genuine. Numerous fans have observed similarities between Reeves and the franchise, as well as Tom Cruise and the Mission Impossible series – a pattern that seems to be yielding positive results.

The fourth film in the John Wick series, namely “John Wick 4,” earned an impressive $432 million globally, indicating that viewers are still captivated by the universe of assassins and chaos fueled by revenge. This franchise has consistently surpassed its own achievements and exceeded box office predictions. For instance, “John Wick 3” amassed $327 million, while “Chapter 2” garnered $171 million. Each subsequent film delves deeper into the complex underworld of the High Table, intensifies the action sequences, and maintains the essence that fans adore. Therefore, it’s reasonable to anticipate that “John Wick 5” will continue this trend of box office success.

In June 2025, the John Wick spinoff movie Ballerina, featuring Ana de Armas, will hit theaters as well. Some predictions suggest that its box office performance might not be as strong.

Snow White and The Disney Dark Ages

Currently, Disney, a massive entertainment group, is often criticized for churning out hastily produced content that lacks inspiration. Some people believe this corporation has weakened its own reputation by acquiring intellectual properties and subsequently releasing subpar remakes, numerous sequels, and an excess of content. The studio’s emphasis on quantity over quality has resulted in viewer exhaustion and decreasing box office revenue. Iconic franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones have all experienced setbacks due to the incessant flow of mediocrity, leading to a series of high-profile failures.

Disney’s live-action Snow White debuted in theaters on March 21, but unfortunately stumbled with its CGI dwarfs, casting issues involving leading actresses Zegler and Gadot, and questionable script decisions that overlooked the charm of the original. The movie opened to a meager $87.3 million against a hefty $250 million budget, causing it to struggle amidst negative reviews from critics and audiences who chose to stay home instead.

Disney’s Other Recent Box Office Woes

Marvel

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) Disappointment. BNW had a budget of $180 million and an opening of $88.5 million domestic. The film also received lukewarm reviews and saw a significant 68% drop in its second weekend.
The Marvels (2023) Flop. Despite a production budget of $220 million, the film opened with $46 million domestically and grossed $206 million worldwide. The underperformance has been mainly attributed to franchise fatigue and diminishing audience interest.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Disappointment. Having a production budget of $200 million, the film barely broke even, with net profits reported at just $88,000. Critics blamed awful CGI, a boring villain, and an underwhelming storyline as reasons for its poor debut.

Live-Action Remakes

Snow White (2025) Flop. Despite a hefty budget of roughly $250 million, the film made just $87 million worldwide during its opening weekend. Controversies surrounding the movie are believed to have negatively impacted its box office performance.
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) Disappointment. With a budget of around $275 million, this prequel opened to a modest $35.4 million and mixed reviews. Maybe not surprising for a prequel nobody asked for, though the movie did go on to earn a respectable $721 Million worldwide gross over a period of weeks.

Star Wars

The Acolyte (2024) Canceled. The show’s cancellation reflects Disney’s ongoing challenges in developing new Star Wars content.

Pixar

Elemental (2023) Disappointment. With a budget of $200 million, the film had a modest domestic opening weekend of $29.6 million, marking one of Pixar’s lowest debuts. However, it did experience a bit of a rebound in the following weeks.
Lightyear (2022) Disappointment. Despite production costs around $200 million, the film opened with $50.6 million domestically and grossed only $226 million worldwide. Not even making back its massive marketing budget. Its underperformance is likely due to audience confusion regarding its relationship to Toy Story and, again, some online controversy.

Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) Major Flop. Despite a massive budget of approximately $294.7 mil plus marketing costs, the film opened with a sad $60 million domestically. It failed to justify its substantial budget, and became another reported loss for Disney.

Although there have been some stumbles along the way, it’s important to acknowledge that Disney has enjoyed some recent successes. Pixar’s Inside Out 2 set a new benchmark for highest-grossing animated films, while Deadpool & Wolverine shattered R-rated box office records. Some of their franchises, like Star Wars, have experienced a decline in recent years, but the latest Thunderbolts* trailer seems to be taking a bolder, more artistic route, reminiscent of A24 productions. It’s possible that Disney is starting to respond to fans who are yearning for something novel and engaging, but we’ll have to wait and see if they can learn from Lionsgate’s strategies and steer in the right direction.

*Note: “Thunderbolts” should be replaced with the actual title of the movie or franchise that Disney is promoting.

2025-04-03 18:36

John Wick 5 and New Hunger Games Film Announced as Disney’s Snow White Flops