ENTERTAINMENT

Box Office Booms with Surprising Hits

USASat Apr 12 2025
The movie industry is buzzing with excitement as the 15th weekend of the year just wrapped up. This weekend was a big deal because it was only the fourth time this year that all movies combined made over $100 million. This is a great sign for the industry, which has been struggling to regain its footing after a slow start to the year. One of the standout performers was A Minecraft Movie, which brought in a whopping $80 million in its second weekend alone. This blockbuster has been a massive hit, with a global total of $434 million so far. Without A Minecraft Movie, the top spot would have gone to The King of Kings, an animated biblical film from Angel Studios. This movie had a strong opening, pulling in around $17. 6 million, which is the best opening ever for an animated biblical film. The success of these movies is a good sign for the industry as it heads into the busy Easter weekend. Warner Bros is set to dominate the box office with A Minecraft Movie and Sinners, a film directed by Ryan Coogler. Even if Sinners doesn't take the top spot, its presence is sure to boost overall sales. Looking ahead, the industry is also excited about the potential of Disney/Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts, which is expected to bring in around $70 million. If it falls short of expectations, Memorial Day weekend is already shaping up to be a big one, with Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning expected to bring in a combined $160 million over three days. This weekend also saw the release of five new movies, which has some people worried that there might be too much competition. Two of these films, The Amateur and Warfare, are both targeting a similar audience of men over 25. Despite this, both movies had respectable openings, with The Amateur bringing in $15 million and Warfare pulling in $8 million. While some may have hoped for bigger numbers, these openings are in line with what was expected given the marketing budgets for both films. The success of these movies is a good sign for the industry as it heads into the busy Easter weekend. Warner Bros is set to dominate the box office with A Minecraft Movie and Sinners, a film directed by Ryan Coogler. Even if Sinners doesn't take the top spot, its presence is sure to boost overall sales. Looking ahead, the industry is also excited about the potential of Disney/Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts, which is expected to bring in around $70 million. If it falls short of expectations, Memorial Day weekend is already shaping up to be a big one, with Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning expected to bring in a combined $160 million over three days. The Amateur is playing well in coastal areas, while Warfare has found success in the South Central and West regions. The Amateur's audience was diverse, with a mix of Caucasian, Latino, Black, Asian, and Native American viewers. The top-grossing theater for The Amateur was the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City. Warfare, on the other hand, had a slightly different demographic makeup, with a higher percentage of Latino and Hispanic viewers. The top-grossing theater for Warfare was also the AMC Lincoln Square. Blumhouse/Universal's Drop, a horror film, had a lackluster opening, bringing in just $7. 7 million. Despite positive reviews from critics and audiences, the film has struggled to find a wider audience. The biggest demographic for Drop was young adults aged 25-34, with a diverse makeup of viewers. The top-grossing theater for Drop was the AMC Burbank in California. Fathom's The Chosen: The Last Supper – Part 3 had a modest opening, bringing in $6. 3 million. This film is part of a trilogy, with the first two parts bringing in a combined $31. 7 million at the domestic box office. The top-grossing location for The Chosen: The Last Supper – Part 3 was the Cinemark 12 in American Fork, Utah.

questions

    How does the timing of releases, such as the lead-up to Easter weekend, influence box office results?
    What factors are contributing to the momentum at the box office as we head into summer?
    Could the success of 'A Minecraft Movie' be attributed to something other than its popularity?

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