Can you feel the excitement in the air? POP! That’s the thrilling sound of champagne corks bursting at Warner Bros in Burbank this morning. After last weekend’s impressive $48 million debut for Sinners, industry insiders were left pondering whether the film could achieve profitability, especially considering its lackluster international launch. However, this weekend, the answer is a resounding “yes!” The film experienced only a minor decline of 6% in its second week, bringing in another $45 million and pushing its total earnings to a remarkable $122 million. The film’s A CinemaScore rating indicates that the buzz surrounding Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic is overwhelmingly positive, positioning it as a strong contender to surpass $200 million at the domestic box office. This figure is particularly extraordinary for an R-rated horror movie, as it resembles the performance of a major action blockbuster. It’s clear that this success will significantly boost Warner Bros profits and solidify Coogler and Michael B. Jordan as two of the most promising talents in the film industry.
In the race for second place, the competition was fierce, with the re-release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith narrowly surpassing The Accountant 2. Sith earned an impressive $25.2 million, while The Accountant 2 brought in $24.4 million, slightly exceeding our initial projections. This is a significant accomplishment for the Sith re-release, especially given its limited one-week run, as Disney likely aims to prevent any competition with the upcoming Thunderbolts release next weekend. With an A-minus CinemaScore, there are hopes that The Accountant 2 will gain traction in its second week, despite a softer opening. Notably, its opening weekend earnings are almost identical to what the first film made nine years ago, which, when adjusted for inflation, reflects solid audience interest.
The animated adaptation, A Minecraft Movie, continues to dominate the box office as the year’s highest-grossing film, adding another impressive $22.7 million to its total, resulting in a staggering $379 million domestic gross. In contrast, another video game adaptation released this weekend, Sony’s Until Dawn, struggled significantly, earning only $8 million. With a modest budget of just $7 million, it’s unlikely to cause substantial financial losses for the studio. However, there’s a palpable sense of disappointment, as the film was expected to have franchise potential, given the popularity of its source material.
Angel Studios’ King of Kings, their animated retelling of the life of Christ, saw a dramatic 77% drop in its box office earnings this weekend, a predictable outcome following the film’s considerable boost during the Easter holiday last week. The film has achieved a domestic gross of $54 million, making it Angel Studios’ second highest-grossing film to date, following the success of Sound of Freedom, providing a much-needed win for the studio. Meanwhile, 20th Century Studios’ thriller starring Rami Malek, The Amateur, earned $3.8 million, culminating in a total domestic haul of $33.8 million. While these figures may seem modest domestically, the film has been performing well internationally and is expected to surpass $100 million in overseas markets. By the time it arrives on Hulu, it should break even for Disney, who owns the rights to the film.
Unfortunately, A24 continues to face challenges in 2025, as their acclaimed film Warfare garnered only $2.6 million, leading to a total of $21.8 million—merely a third of what Alex Garland’s previous film, Civil War, earned last year. Adding to their troubles, their family adventure film, The Legend of Oshi, flopped with a disappointing $1.4 million this weekend. With this string of underperforming titles, including Opus and Death of a Unicorn, A24 is in dire need of a hit. However, there is hope that their film Friendship, which received praise at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), could become a cult classic in the future.
In the ninth position, the restored version of the legendary Pink Floyd at Pompeii concert film from 1971 achieved a remarkable $2.6 million. The success of this film, alongside Sith, illustrates that studios should place greater emphasis on specialty releases. Given the current year marks the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, it seems highly likely that Disney will release more Star Wars content before the year concludes. Just a thought to ponder….
