Moviefone Editorial

Category: Box Office

  • ‘Michael’ Breaks Box Office Records in First Weekend

    Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in 'Michael'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    Preview: 

    • ‘Michael’ has set records for biopic movies on its first weekend.
    • It topped the domestic box office with $97 million.
    • Elsewhere, new releases struggled.

    It may have arrived laden with controversies about re-shoots and didn’t exactly strike a chord with critics, but audiences have certainly embraced ‘Michael’, the biopic of troubled music superstar Michael Jackson.The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, has kicked off its run at the box office as an instant success, earning $97 million for first place.

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    The movie’s ticket sales rank as the best start of all time for a biopic, smashing the record set by 2015’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ ($60 million). And they tower above 2018’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which opened to $51 million. Can it match the latter’s huge run, though? That’s a bigger question. Still, with $217 million globally in one weekend, it’s a solid start.

    Related Article: ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Launches to Best 2026 Film Debut to Date

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    (L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day), Mario (Chris Pratt), Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Nintendo and Illumination’s 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie', directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
    (L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day), Mario (Chris Pratt), Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

    Previous champion ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ was pushed down to second place after three weekends in the No. 1 spot. Universal’s animated sequel added $21.2 million, boosting revenues to $384 million domestically and more than $800 million globally.

    ‘Project Hail Mary’, meanwhile, was third with $13.2 million, a remarkable tally for a film in its sixth weekend of release. So far, the space epic has generated a mighty $305 million in North America and $613 million worldwide.

    What about other new releases?

    (L to R) Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway in 'Mother Mary'. Photo: A24.
    (L to R) Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway in ‘Mother Mary’. Photo: A24.

    Besides ‘Michael,’ other new releases fared less well. A24’s thriller ‘Mother Mary’, starring Anne Hathaway as a pop star on the eve of a comeback, earned $1.3 million.

    And ‘Lorne’, a documentary about ‘Saturday Night Live’ boss Lorne Michaels, struggled to break out with $70,000 from 248 theaters. The film has collected $426,000 while playing in limited release.

    Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in 'Michael'. Photo Credit: Bruce Talamon.
    Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Bruce Talamon.

    List of Musician Biopics:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Michael’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Michael Jackson Music on Amazon

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  • ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ has Big Box Office Start

    (L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day) and Mario (Chris Pratt) in Nintendo and Illumination’s 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie', directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
    (L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day) and Mario (Chris Pratt) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

    Preview:

    • ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ has secured the biggest box office launch for the year to date.
    • It’s a sequel to 2023’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’.
    • ‘Project Hail Mary’ was pushed to second, but is still performing well.

    Easter Weekend feels like the appropriate date for the return of a character. In this case, it’s Mario (voiced in animated form by Chris Pratt), back in ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.’

    The sequel to 2023 hit ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ has been scoring plenty of points at the box office –– as it was predicted to –– earning $130 million domestically and $182.4 million internationally across its five-day extended release period for a global total of $372.5 million so far.

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    While the new movie didn’t quite hit the highs of the original, it certainly came close, and Universal will certainly be happy with its performance, which once again happened despite some caustic reviews.

    Related Article: Amazon’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Blasts Off to Big Launch at the Box Office

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in 'Project Hail Mary', from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
    Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in ‘Project Hail Mary’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    Amazon MGM’s sci-fi outing ‘Project Hail Mary’, which enjoyed a brief run as the biggest 2026 box office launch to date, continues to do well, dropping just 43% in its third weekend. It has now earned $217 million domestically and more than $400 million internationally, and despite losing some premium format screens to ‘Mario’, is still drawing crowds.

    Third place was the week’s other main new entry, A24 drama ‘The Drama’. Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the controversial movie took in $13.6 million domestically.

    In fourth place, Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ earned $5.8 million, pushing its own total to more than $332 million worldwide.

    And in fifth, we find ‘Reminders of Him,’ with the Colleen Hoover adaptation making $2.3 million in its fourth weekend of release.

    What’s coming next at the box office?

    ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ looks to have little major competition coming up in the family field, and next week brings rom-com ‘You, Me & Tuscany’ and thriller remake ‘Faces of Death’.

    (L to R) Anna (Halle Bailey) and Michael (Regé-Jean Page) in 'You, Me & Tuscany', directed by Kat Coiro. Photo: Giulia Parmigiani/Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Anna (Halle Bailey) and Michael (Regé-Jean Page) in ‘You, Me & Tuscany’, directed by Kat Coiro. Photo: Giulia Parmigiani/Universal Pictures.

    List of Movies Similar to ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Showtimes

    Buy Chris Pratt Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Project Hail Mary’ Launches to Big Box Office

    Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in 'Project Hail Mary', from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
    Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in ‘Project Hail Mary’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Project Hail Mary’ is a big hit at the box office already.
    • Ryan Gosling stars in the movie.
    • Elsewhere, Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ stayed strong but ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ only found modest results.

    ‘Project Hail Mary’ chronicles a man in spaceship on a mission to save humanity from a star-snacking organism. And the movie itself, which stars Ryan Gosling, has just saved Amazon MGM’s box office hopes.

    The new film, adapted from the novel by ‘The Martian’s Andy Weir by writer Drew Goddard and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, enjoyed a massive domestic opening of $80.5 million, the biggest by far for the studio.

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    Even with a hefty $200 million budget to make up (not including a big ad campaign), the movie’s worldwide start of 140.9 million –– the biggest in Amazon MGM’s history and the strongest launch for a movie so far this year –– will go some way to helping that.

    Related Article: How did Video Game Adaptation ‘Iron Lung’ Surprise at the Box Office?

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    (L to R) Mabel and Loaf in Pixar's 'Hoppers'. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Mabel and Loaf in Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    Pixar’s ‘Hoppers,’ which has proved to be a welcome success for the animation company, slid to second place after a couple of weeks. It added $18 million for $120.4 million domestically.

    Third place went to the Indian action epic ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge,’ which earned $9.5 million from just 987 locations.

    Searchlight’s ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ had to make do with $9 million domestically and $11.9 million globally, but has a relatively smaller budget of around $20 million.

    Finally, in fifth place we find romantic drama ‘Reminders of Him’, which made $8 million.

    What’s on the horizon?

    (L to R) Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad in Nintendo and Illumination’s 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie', directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
    (L to R) Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

    ‘Project Hail Mary’ should have a clear run to keep earning next week, though Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ is looming, and if it follows the pattern of the original, will likely launch in first place when it arrives on April 1.

    (L to R) Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on the set of their film 'Project Hail Mary', from Amazon MGM Studios.
    (L to R) Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on the set of their film ‘Project Hail Mary’, from Amazon MGM Studios.
    Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    List of Phil Lord and Chris Miller Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Ryan Gosling Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Iron Lung’ is a Surprise Hit at the Box Office

    Mark Fishbach in 'Iron Lung.' Photo: Markiplier Studios.
    Mark Fishbach in ‘Iron Lung.’ Photo: Markiplier Studios.

    Preview:

    • ‘Iron Lung’ took second place at the box office this weekend.
    • The film was self-distributed and funded by YouTube superstar Mark Fischbach.
    • ‘Send Help’ took the top spot.

    Submersible-based horror title ‘Iron Lung’ all but sunk the competition this week.

    The new movie, financed, self-distributed, co-directed and starring YouTuber Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach scored an impressive second place at this past weekend’s box office.

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    With a thrifty reported budget of $3 million, the movie managed second place against ‘Send Help’, the latest effort by an established director (Sam Raimi) with all the might of the Disney marketing machine behind it.

    Related Article: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Reigns Once Again Atop the Christmas Box Office

    What’s the story of ‘Iron Lung’?

    Mark Fishbach in 'Iron Lung.' Photo: Markiplier Studios.
    Mark Fishbach in ‘Iron Lung.’ Photo: Markiplier Studios.

    ‘Iron Lung’ follows a fugitive (Fischbach) in a post-apocalyptic future who, after a world-ending event known as “The Quiet Rapture,” must scavenge natural resources in an ocean of blood.

    Other cast members include Troy Baker, Elsie Lovelock, Seán McLoughlin and Caroline Kaplan. It was co-directed by David Szymanski, who created the original game.

    The movie made $21.7 million worldwide in its debut from theaters, with $17.8 million of that from North America.

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    Rachal McAdams as Linda Liddle in 20th Century Studios' 'Send Help'. Photo by Brook Rushton. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Rachal McAdams as Linda Liddle in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Send Help’. Photo by Brook Rushton. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Even given the impressive start for ‘Iron Lung,’ Raimi’s ‘Send Help’ triumphed, bringing in $19.1 million. But it’s all the more stunning that ‘Iron Lung,’ which relied on grassroots, word-of-mouth marketing, was able to compete at all.

    (L to R) Director Sam Raimi and Rachel McAdams on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Send Help'. Photo by Brook Rushton. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director Sam Raimi and Rachel McAdams on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Send Help’. Photo by Brook Rushton. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    List of Films Based on Video Game:

    Buy Sam Raimi Movies and TV on Amazon

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  • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Crosses the Billion Dollar Mark

    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ has now crossed a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
    • James Cameron’s latest has earned $306 million domestically.
    • Disney has now release three billion-dollar grossers in the past 12 months.

    The changing of the seasons. The tides of the sea. Immutable.

    Add to that list the power of director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ franchise entries to earn a billion dollars, with the latest, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, crossing that point today according to studio backers Walt Disney.

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    The official figures are that ‘Fire and Ash’ has earned more than $306 million from domestic box office and $777.1 million internationally. All in all… a billion and counting. Which makes three billion-dollar worldwide titles for Disney released in 2025, as ‘Fire and Ash’ joins ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Zootopia 2’.

    Related Article: Every James Cameron Directed Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

    What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

    How has ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ been performing?

    A scene from 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    A scene from 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The latest entry has been praised for its visuals and its sweeping scope, though both reviewers and audiences have still been less enamored of it in general.

    Still, that clearly hasn’t hurt its box office power. The bigger question is whether it can match the previous movies, which both crossed two billion. All told, the franchise has earned more than $6.35 billion to date.

    James Cameron on ‘Avatar’s future

    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    This is what Cameron recently told The Hollywood Reporter about his feelings on the future of the franchise:

    “This can be the last one. There’s only one unanswered question in the story. We may find that the release of ‘Avatar 3’ proves how diminished the cinematic experience is these days, or we may find it proves the case that it’s as strong as it ever was — but only for certain types of films. It’s a coin toss right now. We won’t know until the middle of January.”

    And regardless of the final performance, the filmmaker himself is feeling like he might be ready to move on:

    “I feel I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Do I want it to be a wild success — which almost compels me to continue and make two more ‘Avatar’ movies? Or do I want it to fail just enough that I can justify doing something else?”

    He has a variety of other projects in the works, with an adaptation of Charles Pellegrino’s book ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ among them. So he may also feel like stepping away completely or handing the ‘Avatar’ directing duties to someone else. As always, though, the decision rests in Cameron’s hands.

    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    List of James Cameron Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Stays Top of the Box Office

    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won the weekend’s box office again.
    • ‘Marty Supreme’ nabbed third place.
    • ‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Anaconda’ also debuted.

    As we’ve learned before with ‘Avatar’ movies, it’s not necessarily the launch, it’s the hold. A key phrase among the films’ Na’vi characters is “I see you,” and audiences certainly came out to see the third entry, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ with the title staying top of the box office for a second weekend.

    Across the Christmas holiday weekend, James Cameron’s latest took in a solid $64 million over the traditional weekend and $88 million since the Christmas holiday on Thursday.

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    That three-day earning marks a 28% decline from its $89 million launch, a stronger hold than 2022’s ‘The Way of Water’ managed.

    Related Article: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is Fairly Hot at the Box Office with $88 million

    How is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ performing?

    Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    As mentioned above, the third entry is holding on well. So far, it has earned more than $217.7 million domestically and shows little sign of slowing down.

    Worldwide, thanks to strong business in places such as China, the movie has now crossed $760 million, indicating that it should at the very least pass the $1 billion mark. Will it push past $2 billion like its predecessors? That’s trickier to predict.

    Still, while some may deride the franchise for having little cultural impact, crowds certainly turn out for it.

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.
    Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.

    There was also good news for star Timothée Chalamet and director Josh Safdie, as ‘Marty Supreme’, which expanded and enjoyed the best numbers among “newcomers” in third place with $17.4 million from 2,600 theaters over the weekend and $27.1 million through the four-day holiday frame.

    Domestic ticket sales stand at $28.3 million after a weekend in limited release. The three-day figure marks the second-biggest opening weekend to date for A24.

    Still, second was Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2,’ which has been one of the year’s success stories. The animated sequel took in $20 million over the weekend and $25.2 million since Christmas Day. In total worldwide, it has now earned $1.42 billion.

    Fourth was ‘The Housemaid’ with $15.4 million for the weekend, ahead of new arrival ‘Anaconda’ in sixth. The action comedy, which features Paul Rudd and Jack Black, made $14.6 million over the weekend and has taken $23.7 million since Christmas. The movie also opened internationally with $20 million for a global start of $43.7 million.

    Also new to the charts was ‘Song Sung Blue,’ which stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the based-on-truth tale of Neil Diamond tribute musicians. That earned $7.6 million over the weekend in eighth place and $12 million through the four-day holiday frame.

    (L to R) Kate Hudson as Claire Sardina and Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina in director Craig Brewer's 'Song Sung Blue', a Focus Features release. Credit: Sarah Shatz/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Kate Hudson as Claire Sardina and Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina in director Craig Brewer’s ‘Song Sung Blue’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Sarah Shatz/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

    List of James Cameron Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Heats up the Box Office

    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won the weekend’s box office.
    • James Cameron’s latest earned $345 globally.
    • Angel Studios’ David took second place.

    Once again, it’s James Cameron’s world, and we’re just living in it.

    The filmmaker’s latest trip to the moon of Pandora, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ heated up the frosty box office, opening top of the charts with $88 million.

    And while that figure puts it behind the launch of 2022’s predecessor ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ it’s never in the opening that ‘Avatar’ movies really perform, and this new franchise entry is likely to hang around the charts, hoovering up cash.

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    The new movie also represents some hefty figures for the filmmaker in particular, representing his biggest global launch (more on that below) and the second-biggest start for a movie this year (squeezed in between fellow Disney stablemates ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch.’)

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

    How did ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ do elsewhere?

    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Overseas, the new ‘Avatar’ entry took in $257 million, leading to a global launch of $345 million. That is, as mentioned, the best international start for a Cameron movie.

    According to Cameron himself, the movie needs to perform in order for him to keep making ‘Avatar’ films:

    “It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit. I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

    Now, we wait to see what sort of staying power ‘Fire and Ash’ displays…

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    'David.' Photo: Angel Studios.
    ‘David.’ Photo: Angel Studios.

    With a big-screen Goliath dominating the chance, it seems somehow fitting that faith-based outfit Angel Studios chose to release ‘David,’ a kid-friendly story inspired by the Biblical tale of the warrior who took on the giant, and spun-off from TV series ‘Young David.’

    The movie made $22 million on 3,118 screens, arriving in second place and marking the best three-day opening for Angel.

    Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s ‘The Housemaid,’ a campy thriller, opened in third place with $19 million, while ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ had to make do with fourth and $16 million.

    In fifth place was ‘Zootopia 2’, which is still doing great business. It added $14.5 million in its fourth weekend on release, tallying $282 million domestically to date and a massive $1.27 billion globally, making it the most successful Hollywood release of the year so far.

    Finally, opening 10th, Timothée Chalamet-starrer ‘Marty Supreme’ made an impressive debut in limited release, earning $875,000. That doesn’t sound much until you remember it opened on just six screens ahead of an expansion planned for Christmas Day.

    That represents $145,933 per theater — the best of the year and highest average since ‘La La Land’ in 2016, according to studio A24.

    Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.
    Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.

    List of James Cameron Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon

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  • Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2’ Feasts on the Thanksgiving Box Office

    (L to R) Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Zootopia 2'. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘Zootopia 2’. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Zootopia 2’ was a hit at the Thanksgiving holiday box office.
    • The Disney animated sequel earned $156 million across five days.
    • ‘Wicked: For Good’ had a solid second weekend.

    Disney has long staked out the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period as prime box office real estate, priming one of its animated movies for release as families are looking for something to watch as part of their celebrations.

    And in the case of ‘Zootopia 2,’ the strategy has worked, with the sequel to the 2016 original enjoying a successful first fun, ending up with $156 million for the extended weekend period ($96.8 million from Friday to Sunday).

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    That puts it just behind last year’s ‘Moana 2’ (which is still the top Thanksgiving grosser) and ahead of other Disney stablemates such as ‘Frozen II.’

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Zootopia 2’

    How did ‘Zootopia 2’ do elsewhere?

    (L to R) Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Zootopia 2'. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘Zootopia 2’. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In addition to its domestic haul, the new movie earned good reviews and broke some records overseas.

    It scored the top opening day of the year to date for an animated title in key markets, including in France, Germany and Italy, an even more impressive feat considering it isn’t a holiday elsewhere, not to to mention a record-setting $272 million in China at a time when Hollywood is worried about the future of the Chinese market.

    The movie ended up with a massive $556 million globally to stand as the fourth-biggest opening weekend in history.

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    (L to R) Bowen Yang is Pfannee, Bronwyn James is Shenshen, and Ariana Grande is Glinda in 'Wicked For Good', directed by Jon M. Chu.
    (L to R) Bowen Yang is Pfannee, Bronwyn James is Shenshen, and Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.

    ‘Wicked: For Good,’ the second part of Jon M. Chu’s ambitious adaptation of the stage musical and Gregory Maguire book that present an alternate look at the storyline from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ fell 62.2% from its opening weekend, but still put up some impressive numbers.

    It crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office on Thanksgiving day itself and ended up with a $93 million total at the end of the five-day period, for a $270.4 million total in the States and $393.3 million globally after 10 days on release.

    While its reviews and earning power might not have been as rapturous as last year’s first ‘Wicked,’ it’s clearly still enchanting audiences.

    Third place went to ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,’ with the latest entry in the magician heist franchise taking $10.1 million across the five days.

    In fourth, we find ‘Predator: Badlands’ with $85 million so far domestically since release, ahead of fifth-placed entry ‘The Running Man,’ which truly seems to have run out of steam, ending up with $34 million total in the US so far.

    There were few new entries looking to challenge Disney’s dominance of the holiday, but A24 did open whimsical afterlife comedy drama ‘Eternity’ in more than 1,400 theaters, where it took in $5.2 million.

    (L to R) Callum Turner and Elizabeth Olsen in 'Eternity'. Photo: A24.
    (L to R) Callum Turner and Elizabeth Olsen in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

    List of Jared Bush Films:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Zootopia 2’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Jared Bush Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Wicked: For Good’ Enjoys Strong Opening Box Office

    Ariana Grande is Glinda in 'Wicked For Good', directed by Jon M. Chu.
    Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.

    Preview:

    • ‘Wicked: For Good’ has launched successfully at the box office.
    • It made $150 million in North America.
    • The film also had the fourth most successful global start for a movie in 2025.

    The signs and portents were already healthy around ‘Wicked: For Good,’ but the actual launch of the second movie adapted from the hit Broadway musical (and source novel) really showed some magic, and is now the most successful film adapted from a stage show.

    Director Jon M. Chu’s second film, which followed last year’s ‘Wicked’ has begun its box office run as the second most successful movie debut this year, with $150 million in North America. That wasn’t enough to topple ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ which was still the best launch with $162 million this past April.

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    Still, assuming ‘For Good’ has legs (and the “A” grade CinemaScore from audiences suggests it might), this should easily be one of the biggest hits of the year).

    And it’s a welcome boost for the box office in general, which has been languishing of late.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Wicked: For Good’

    How did ‘Wicked: For Good’ do elsewhere?

    (L to R) Ariana Grande is Glinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in 'Wicked For Good', directed by Jon M. Chu.
    (L to R) Ariana Grande is Glinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.

    With an additional $76 million from overseas markets and more than $226 million globally, ‘For Good’ was the fourth-biggest launch this year, behind the likes of the live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, and, of course, ‘A Minecraft Movie.’

    Still, Universal will be happy with the result, and is far ahead of where ‘Wicked’ was upon its own opening last year ($164.2 million).

    Here’s Franchise Entertainment Research’s David A. Gross on the movie’s success:

    “This is a sensational opening. The only limitation, relatively speaking, is the series’ overseas performance. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a classic American story, with a natural domestic skew.”

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    (L to R) Shannon Gorman and Brendan Fraser in 'Rental Family'. Photo by James Lisle/Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Shannon Gorman and Brendan Fraser in ‘Rental Family’. Photo by James Lisle/Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    There was less to feel good about for other new releases.

    ‘Rental Family,’ which stars Brendan Fraser as a lonely, struggling actor who lands the not-so-plum job of playing stand-in roles for strangers in Japan, opened in fifth with $3.3 million. Yet it did at least enjoy strong reviews and positive word of mouth, which might help it stick around.

    Action thriller ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ landed at sixth place with $2.6 million, behind already soft estimates of $3 million. That’s less than 2023’s prior instalment, ‘Sisu’, which opened to $3.3 million.

    ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’, the third instalment of the magician heist movies, slipped to second place on $9.1 million, a 56% drop from its debut. ‘Predator: Badlands’ was pushed to third, earning $6.5 million in its third weekend, while ‘The Running Man’ lagged behind in fourth place and $6.1 million.

    Glen Powell stars in Paramount Pictures' 'The Running Man'.
    Glen Powell stars in Paramount Pictures’ ‘The Running Man’.

    List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Wicked: For Good’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘Predator: Badlands’ Has Franchise-Best Box Office Opening

    Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Predator: Badlands' film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Predator: Badlands’ film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • ‘Predator: Badlands’ has started in impressive fashion at the box office.
    • It has earned more than $80 million globally.
    • Other movies didn’t fare as well.

    Looks like audiences were more than ready to get back on the hunt.

    ‘Predator: Badlands,’ the newest movie featuring the titular alien creatures, soared to the top of the box office this past weekend, earning a healthy $40 million at the box office.

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    The movie, which was budgeted at $105 million (not counting advertising costs), is the most successful launch for the ‘Predator’ franchise, overtaking the previous record holder, 2004’s franchise crossover ‘Alien vs. Predator.’

    It’s the latest success in the series for co-writer/director Dan Trachtenberg, who previously made the likes of ‘Prey’ and the animated ‘Predator: Killer of Killers,’ both of which were well received but were released via Hulu.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’

    How did ‘Predator: Badlands’ do elsewhere?

    Thia (Elle Fanning) in 20th Century Studios' 'Predator: Badlands' film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Thia (Elle Fanning) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Predator: Badlands’ film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The new ‘Predator’ outing was just as successful outside the States, earning another $40 million for an $80 million global opening. That’s a great start, and points to it reaching profitability.

    Here’s Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian on the movie’s success:

    “ ‘Predator: Badlands’ shows how unpredictable and dynamic the marketplace can be. All it takes is one over-performance to get the industry back on track. This is a great lead in for what promises to be one of the better months of November for the industry.”

    What else happened at the box office this weekend?

    (L to R) Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in 'Die My Love'. Photo: Kimberley French/Mubi.
    (L to R) Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in ‘Die My Love’. Photo: Kimberley French/Mubi.

    Unfortunately for the box office prospects, ‘Badlands’ was one of the few movies to make much of an impact this week, the rest of the new arrivals limited to less wide releases and awards contenders.

    Faith-based entry ‘Sarah’s Oil’ fared best, opening in fourth place with $4.5 million. ‘Nuremberg’, a drama about the historic post-World War II trials, did solid business, landing fifth with $4.1 million, though given its higher-profile and starry cast (Russell Crowe and Rami Malek among them) it likely hoped for more.

    Still, stars really couldn’t save Lynne Ramsay’s latest, psychodrama ‘Die My Love.’ Despite Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in the lead roles, the story of post-partum depression and dysfunction tanked with audiences, earning $2.8 million for eighth.

    And that’s still better than the Sydney Sweeney-starring boxing biopic ‘Christy’, which couldn’t even crack the top 10, stumbling to 11th with $1.3 million. It’s the latest flop opening for the actor and could well lead to chatter that her rising star status is under serious threat (at least for now).

    Sydney Sweeney in 'Christy'. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.
    Sydney Sweeney in ‘Christy’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.

    List of Movies in the ‘Predator’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Predator: Badlands’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Predator’ Movies on Amazon

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