The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes makes Number 1 debut on the Official Film Chart

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is officially the first new Number 1 film of 2024.

As last week’s chart-topper Love Actually sees a post-Christmas descent out of the Top 20 (24), the prequel to the cult Hunger Games series starring Rachel Zegler flies straight in at the top on digital downloads only, holding back the now award-winning Barbie (2) and Oppenheimer (3).

64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows the story of young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who is, to his dismay, assigned to mentor District 12’s tribute Lucy Gray (Zegler); they find themselves forced to team up to shift their fates and turn the odds in their favour.

After their successes at the Golden Globes this week, Barbie rises one place to Number 2, and Oppenheimer jumps four to Number 3, marking a notable rebound for the former chart-topping films.

The Equalizer 3 is also up one (4) while animated family favourite The Super Mario Bros. Movie leaps four (5) and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 climbs two (6).

Re-entering the Top 10 this week is Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, up nine spots to Number 7, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, rising four to Number 8, and Harrison Ford’s return as Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, rebounding four to Number 9.

Singing and dancing up ten places this week is the star-studded, animated musical sequel Trolls Band Together, which rounds off at Number 10.

See the full Official Film Chart Top 40 here