The much-anticipated release of Blumhouse?s Wolf Man has sadly turned into a significant disappointment, as this newly launched werewolf film has only managed to secure a third-place opening at the box office. This underwhelming performance is surprising given the hype surrounding its release.
It seems we may have encountered the first box office flop of 2025, with Universal and Blumhouse?s Wolf Man severely underperforming during this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Industry expectations had indicated that the film would earn at least $20 million, with some predictions estimating around $17 million. However, the film’s performance has been severely hindered by negative word-of-mouth, as evidenced by its disappointing C-minus CinemaScore rating. Ultimately, it grossed only $10.5 million this weekend, which is enough for a lackluster third-place finish. To put this into perspective, it earned less than the poorly received Night Swim did during its opening weekend last year, and only marginally more than Blumhouse?s Imaginary, which was also met with unfavorable reviews. Given that director Leigh Whannell?s The Invisible Man had a strong opening of $28 million in 2020, hopes were high for Wolf Man. Unfortunately, audiences do not seem to resonate with this more realistic interpretation, which abandons traditional werewolf elements such as silver bullets and full moons in favor of a body horror approach reminiscent of The Fly that prioritizes family drama over genuine scares.
In contrast, the low-budget film One of Them Days, which received high praise from our critic, emerged as a surprise hit this weekend, grossing $11.6 million and taking the top spot at the box office. Close behind was Mufasa: The Lion King, which experienced only a slight dip in earnings, with a mere $70,000 separating the two films according to ComScore data. As the four-day MLK holiday earnings are finalized, it is likely that Mufasa will secure the lead due to its strong overall performance. To date, Mufasa has surpassed $200 million in domestic earnings after a slower start than expected. While it may not reach the astronomical figures of the 2019 Lion King, it demonstrates impressive staying power at the box office. Meanwhile, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was released during the Christmas season, fell to fourth place with $8.6 million, while last week?s top film, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, saw a significant drop of 56% to only $6.6 million. It is projected to finish its run just below the $44 million that its predecessor garnered.
In the meantime, Disney?s Moana 2 continues to perform admirably, adding over $6 million this weekend for a commendable total gross of $442.8 million. Additionally, Nosferatu is approaching a significant milestone, with its current earnings at $4.3 million, which brings its domestic total close to $90 million. The film A Complete Unknown has also maintained strong performance, earning $3.79 million this weekend, resulting in a domestic total of $57 million. If it receives multiple Oscar nominations, the film stands a strong chance of surpassing the $70 million mark in domestic earnings. Meanwhile, Wicked has continued to shine, bringing in another $3.55 million for an impressive domestic total of $464 million, and it is likely to finish just shy of the $500 million mark. Lastly, A24?s Babygirl rounded out the top ten with a solid $2.02 million, bringing its total domestic gross to $25.3 million.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s comprehensive wrap-up of the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend grosses, alongside updates on how awards contenders like The Brutalist and September 5 are faring in the box office landscape.
