Marvel's New Avengers Make a Splash

The Marvel universe is buzzing with excitement as "Thunderbolts" continues to dominate the box office. In its second weekend, the film raked in $33. 1 million, which is a significant drop from its debut but still impressive compared to other Marvel releases. Movies like "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" saw much steeper declines in their second weekends. The success of "Thunderbolts" can be attributed to positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth, which has kept audiences engaged. The film has already grossed $128. 5 million in North America and $272 million worldwide. This is a big deal because "Thunderbolts" had a hefty production and marketing budget of around $280 million. To justify this cost, the movie needs to keep performing well. Disney is banking on the reveal of the asterisk in the title, which hints at the team becoming "The New Avengers, " to keep the momentum going. Fans are also excited about the team's appearance in the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday" in 2026. Disney's CEO has praised "Thunderbolts" as a prime example of their new movie strategy. After a series of underperforming films, Disney is focusing on quality over quantity. This shift is good news for theater owners, as Disney has another Marvel sequel, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps, " coming out later this year. Meanwhile, "A Minecraft Movie" and "Sinners" are also making waves at the box office, showing remarkable staying power. In the horror genre, "Clown in a Cornfield" managed to crack the top five with $3. 8 million from 2, 277 theaters. This is a big deal for a low-budget film, which reportedly cost under $1 million to make. The movie's success is a testament to the enduring appeal of horror films, even with rough audience scores. Two other newcomers, "Shadow Force" and "Fight or Flight, " had more modest openings, each pulling in around $2 million. These films are facing an uphill battle to recoup their production costs, especially "Shadow Force, " which has a $40 million budget. "Fight or Flight, " on the other hand, has a much lower barrier to profitability due to its smaller budget. "Sinners" continues to be a strong performer, crossing the $200 million mark domestically. The vampire thriller has enjoyed unprecedented holds at the box office, with ticket sales now at $216 million domestically and $68 million overseas. "A Minecraft Movie" is also on track to become the year's first billion-dollar release, with a mighty $409 million in North America and $909 million globally. Ben Affleck’s "The Accountant 2" is also holding steady, with $50. 8 million domestically and $71 million worldwide. However, with an $80 million price tag, the film may struggle to turn a profit in its theatrical run. Overall, domestic revenues are up 15. 8% compared to 2024, though still about 32. 5% behind 2019. The summer movie season is heating up, with several big releases on the horizon. This includes "Final Destination: Bloodlines, " "Lilo & Stitch, " and "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. " Despite a relatively quiet weekend, May is shaping up to be an epic month for movie theaters.