Warner Bros.’ horror hit WEAPONS came in first place for the second weekend in a row, adding $25.0M in the last three days, which was a decline of 43% from its opening. All films in release earned $92.9M, which compares to last year’s $140.4M on this same weekend, which was led by Disney’s sci-fi thriller ALIEN: ROMULUS that opened with $42.0M.
Six of the seven weekends so far in this year’s third quarter have come in lower than the corresponding weekends last year. Whereas the year-to-date box office at the end of the second quarter was 15% higher in 2025 than it was in 2024 at that same time, the relatively soft third quarter so far has dropped that figure to only 7% higher as of Thursday, August 14th.
As is typical, the box office from the final month of the summer is fizzling out as attention turns to squeezing in a few last days of vacation and getting the kids ready for back-to-school. With still another month ahead of more modest movie releases, the industry’s attention is rapidly turning towards the fourth quarter of the year, with the expectation that moviegoing will pick up to finish out the year.
In its first ten days, WEAPONS has sold $89.0M domestic and $148.8M worldwide, a pleasant surprise. Two months ago, no one would have expected that WEAPONS had a chance to rival SINNERS, the highest-grossing horror movie of the year. The Ryan Coogler film scored extremely high marks on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $278.6M domestic and $365.9M worldwide.
Several critics pegged it as a strong candidate for an Oscar Best Picture nomination. How could WEAPONS possibly compete with that? Perhaps the only thing the two films had in common was that they were both horror titles with supernatural overtones. Oh, and they were both distributed by Warner Bros.
As recently as ten days before its opening, box office experts expected Disney’s FREAKIER FRIDAY to do better than WEAPONS on their shared opening weekend. However, in the last days before they opened, WEAPONS stock began to rise as advance ticket sales spiked and the critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes landed at 94%, only slightly lower than SINNERS’ impressive 97% score.
On its opening weekend, the domestic total for WEAPONS was $43.5M and FREAKIER FRIDAY wound up with $28.6M. The first three days of WEAPONS came in at 91% of SINNERS’ opening weekend box office. Could lightning strike twice for Warner Bros.? SINNERS followed up its impressive opening with a mere 5% drop in its second weekend, setting the film up for a long, productive run in theatres.
WEAPONS’ second weekend drop of 43% is quite good, but it shows how difficult the challenge is to keep pace with SINNERS. One bit of good news is that WEAPONS cost only $38M to produce, far below SINNERS’ $90M budget. SINNERS wound up with a healthy 4 to 1 ratio of total worldwide box office to production cost.
WEAPONS will only need to earn $152M worldwide to match that ratio, and in its first ten days, it has already sold $148.8M. Flush with success, there is already talk about making a prequel to WEAPONS. Here is where the two films stand after ten days in release.
WEAPONS vs. SINNERS after 10 Days
Disney’s FREAKIER FRIDAY finished in second place in its second weekend, earning $14.5M and a drop of 49% from its opening. In ten days, the comedy sequel has earned $54.8M domestic and $86.3M worldwide. By comparison, its 2003 predecessor earned $100.2M domestic and $160.8M worldwide, without factoring in any adjustments for inflation from the past 22 years.
Within the next week or two, FREAKIER FRIDAY will cross the $105M in worldwide sales that it needs to be profitable, based on its $42M production budget.
FREAKIER FRIDAY vs. FREAKY FRIDAY after 10 days
Universal’s NOBODY 2 finished in third place with $9.3M domestic and $14.2M worldwide in its opening weekend. This is a follow-up to the actioner NOBODY, which opened during the pandemic on 3/26/2021. It’s virtually unprecedented for a studio to make a sequel to a movie that earned a mere $27.6M domestic and $57.5M worldwide.
However, Universal factored in that NOBODY’s box office was earned under difficult conditions, and that the movie was well received, with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 84% from critics and 94% from audiences. Universal felt that it was worth a shot once they were able to convince the original cast to return. They also kept the film’s production budget at a low $25M to reduce the risk.
Filming started in late 2024 in Winnipeg, Canada, and was wrapped up within two months. A new director was enlisted in Timo Tjahjanto, an Indonesian action horror specialist. His goal was to apply his talents to make the action scenes even more intense than they were in the original.
Returning cast members include Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Connie Nielsen (GLADIATOR), and Christopher Lloyd (BACK TO THE FUTURE). Sharon Stone (BASIC INSTINCT) stars as the main villain “Lendina,” with Colin Hanks (ORANGE COUNTY) as a corrupt sheriff, and John Ortiz (FAST & FURIOUS) as the shady theme-park operator.
The plot of the movie features a seemingly mild-mannered suburban dad, Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk), who has left behind his former career as an assassin. Hutch is drawn back into violence when mayhem erupts at a waterpark where he and his family are trying to enjoy a fun getaway. Unlike the gloomy tone of the first movie, NOBODY 2 projects a brighter, more summery vibe while also featuring more action and brutality.
Critics have been so-so about the result, giving NOBODY 2 a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences are much more revved up, giving it a 90% score, which is only slightly lower than the original’s 94%. The Financial Times awarded NOBODY 2 a solid 3-star rating, describing it as “NATIONAL LAMPOON’s VACATION with added ultra-violence,” praising its absurd, comedic tone mixed with brutal action.
The Washington Post highlights the stylized fight choreography and wry humor, noting that the sequel retains gritty thrills in an 89-minute package, showing intensity and understated character moments. The Houston Chronicle says it “leans on brutal action with dark humor,” calling the film fun, fast-paced, and satisfying to mid-budget action lovers, without losing its bite.
The AP News took a negative view, calling NOBODY 2 an underwhelming sequel that fails to match the original’s impact. The shift to absurd, comedic violence is marred by inconsistent tone and awkward humor. Sharon Stone’s villain stands out but can’t save the film, rating it 1 out of 4 stars.
With a miserly production budget of $25M, the film only needs to earn $63M worldwide to become profitable. Based upon the opening weekend of $9.3M domestic and $14.2M worldwide, it is off to a decent start and has a chance of getting there.
Universal should be commended for making something positive out of the ashes of the pandemic, giving the new action franchise another chance to make good. We expect that a NOBODY 3, either a prequel or sequel, will turn up in the future at a theatre near you. Here is how NOBODY 2 compares to the original.
NOBODY 2 vs. NOBODY
Disney’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS finished in fourth place in its fourth weekend, with a gross of $8.8M, a decline of 44% from last weekend. After 24 days, the reboot of Marvel’s FANTASTIC FOUR franchise has earned $247.0M domestic and $468.7M worldwide, making it the top-grossing movie out of the four films in the series.
The original FANTASTIC FOUR earned $333.5M worldwide in 2005. This year’s reboot has demonstrated that there is interest in the franchise and that its four superheroes could turn up in some form in future Marvel movies. The movie was expensive to make, and will need to earn $500M in global box office to be profitable. It is getting close to that figure, with $468.7M worldwide after 24 days. Here is how the film stands against the other three films in the franchise.
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS vs. Earlier FANTASTIC FOUR Movies after 24 Days
Speaking of sequels, THE BAD GUYS 2 from Sony finished in fifth place with $7.5M in its third weekend, a drop of only 29%. This brings its 17-day total to $57.2M in the U.S. and Canada, and $117.4M worldwide. The second movie is unlikely to match the original’s $250.4M in worldwide box office.
The main culprit is its underperformance in foreign territories, which is only producing 51% of its worldwide total compared to the first film’s 61%. THE BAD GUYS 2 will need to earn $200M worldwide to be profitable, based on its $80M production budget.
THE BAD GUYS 2 vs. THE BAD GUYS after 17 Days
Where Are We as of 8/14/2024
After 32 weeks, the 2025 domestic box office stands at 107% compared to the same point in 2024 and 76% compared to 2019.
