On this Mother’s Day weekend, Disney and Marvel’s THUNDERBOLTS* topped the box office charts for the second time in a row with $33.1M in new ticket sales, leading all films to a total of $ 83.3 M. The superheroes were only marginally helped by a combined $9M from the four new wide releases: SHADOW FORCE, the actioner from Lionsgate, JULIET AND ROMEO, the new take on Shakespeare from Briarcliff, CLOWN IN THE CORNFIELD, the horror film from IFC Films, and FIGHT OR FLIGHT, the action comedy from Vertical.
The current weekend was not able to match the same weekend last year, which was also Mother’s Day, which generated $96.1M overall on the strength of KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, which earned $58.4M in its opening frame. This ends the current streak of five consecutive weekends in 2025 that had beaten the matching weekends in 2024.
In ten days, THUNDERBOLTS* has sold $128.5M in tickets at North American theatres, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of the year. This puts it only slightly ahead of THOR from 2011, which had earned $119.5M at the same point in its release.
It’s useful to compare THUNDERBOLTS* with THOR because both Marvel movies were released on the first Friday in May, and THUNDERBOLTS* will need to earn approximately the same worldwide box office as THOR to reach profitability. In the end, THUNDERBOLTS* may have difficulty getting there, especially because THOR was able to play in theaters for 16 weeks, which has become a much rarer feat for movies in the post-pandemic era.
THUNDERBOLTS* vs. THOR after 10 Days
- THUNDERBOLTS* (5/2/2025) – Domestic Opening $76.0M (4,330 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $33.1M (-55%), Domestic 10-day $128.5M, Budget $180M, RT Critics/Audience 88%/94%
- THOR (5/6/2011) – Domestic Opening $65.7M (3,955 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $34.7M (-47%), Domestic 10-day $119.5M, Domestic Total $181.0M, Worldwide Total $449.3M, Budget $150M, RT Critics/Audience 77%/76%
Warner Bros.’ hot horror hit SINNERS held on to second place with weekend sales of $21.1M in its fourth weekend, showing a very modest drop of 36%. This original movie from filmmaker Ryan Coogler continues to exceed all expectations, with a 24-day total of $214.4M domestic and $283.3M worldwide. It has blown past the $225M benchmark in worldwide gross to reach profitability, calculated based on its $90M production budget.
The film is the top domestic-grossing horror film of the past five years, which has been held by FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S and earned $137.3M in 2023. With each passing week, SINNERS is moving up the list of all-time box office earners for horror films, with three titles still ahead.
They are IT with $329M domestic in 2017, JAWS with $274M domestic starting in 1974, and THE EXORCIST with $231M beginning in 1973. SINNERS has found an audience with hardcore horror lovers and general movie fans alike. Here is a comparison with IT, the #1 horror film of all time.
SINNERS vs. IT after 24 Days
- SINNERS (4/25/2025) – Domestic Opening $48.0M (3,308 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $45.0M (-6%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $33.0M (-28%), Domestic 4th Weekend $21.1M (-36%), Domestic 24-day $214.4M, Budget $90M, RT Critics/Audience 97%/96%
- IT (9/6/2017) – Domestic Opening $123.4M (4,103 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $60.1M (-51%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $29.8M (-51%), Domestic 4th Weekend $16.9M (-45%), Domestic 24-day $290.8M, Domestic Total $328.9M, Worldwide Total $702.8M, Budget $35M, RT Critics/Audience 85%/84%
While IT got off to a much faster start, SINNERS is holding up better and registered a higher gross than IT in its third and fourth weekends. Having excellent Rotten Tomatoes scores, SINNERS is benefiting from positive word of mouth. Multiple reports are circulating that some moviegoers are going back to theatres to take in the movie for a second time on the big screen.
Daytime TV talk show host Sherri Shepherd noted on The View how difficult it was to get tickets to see SINNERS, even for a midweek morning show time. The film is even coming back to IMAX screens at nine select 70MM locations in North America, giving fans another opportunity to experience it in the director’s preferred and intended cinematic format. This limited run takes place from Thursday, May 15th, through Wednesday, May 21st, and several locations are already reporting sold-out showtimes.
Warner Bros A MINECRAFT MOVIE finished third with a weekend total of $8.0M, a drop of 42%. In the 38 days since it opened, the live-action movie inspired by the video game has earned $409.0M domestic and $900.6M worldwide. It stands currently as the number one movie of the year and has given a much-needed lift to both theatre owners and its studio, Warner Bros., after a deflating first quarter. A MINECRAFT MOVIE needed $375M in worldwide box office to be profitable, and it has long since crossed that mark, having a robust 6:1 ratio of production cost to worldwide box office.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE is currently the 79th highest-grossing film of all time, having passed SPIDER-MAN 3 from 2007 with its $891.7M worldwide total. While it will not reach THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, which is now the 19th highest-grossing movie of all time, will wind up as the second-place box office earner for movies based on video games.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE vs. THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE after 5 Full Weeks and 6 Weekends
- A MINECRAFT MOVIE (4/4/2025) – Domestic Opening $162.8M (4,263 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $78.5M (-52%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $41.3M (-47%), Domestic 4th Weekend $22.7M (-44%), Domestic 5th Weekend $13.7M (-40%), Domestic 6th Weekend $8.0M (-42%), Domestic 38-day $409.0M, Budget $150M, RT Critics/Audience 47%/86%
- THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (4/5/2023) – Domestic Opening $146.4 (4,343 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $92.3M (-37%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $59.9 (-35%), Domestic 4th Weekend $40.8M (-32%), Domestic 5th Weekend $18.6M (-55%), Domestic 6th Weekend $12.1M (-32%), Domestic 40-day $535.6M, Domestic Total $574.9M, Worldwide Total $1.361B, Budget $100M, RT Critics/Audience 59%/95%
Amazon MGM’s action thriller THE ACCOUNTANT 2 finished in fourth place with $6.1M, a drop of 36% in its third weekend. This brings its 17-day total to $50.9M domestic. The sequel has not matched the performance of the original, despite having better reviews from critics and audiences. Star Ben Affleck and director Gavin O’Connor had hoped THE ACCOUNTANT 2 would be the middle step on the way to a trilogy of ACCOUNTANT movies, but the next chapter now seems to be in doubt.
With a production budget of $75M, 70% higher than the original, THE ACCOUNTANT 2 will need to make $188M worldwide to break even, and we expect it will only get to $ 125.0 M. Unless the team can find a way to make a third movie on a much tighter budget, THE ACCOUNTANT 2 will be the last movie in this series.
THE ACCOUNTANT 2 vs. THE ACCOUNTANT after 17 Days
- THE ACCOUNTANT 2 (4/25/2025 from Amazon MGM) – Domestic Opening $24.5M (3,610 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $9.5M (-61%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $6.1M (-36%), Domestic 17-Day $50.9M, Budget $75M, RT Critics/Audience 78%/92%
- THE ACCOUNTANT (10/14/2016 from Warner Bros.) – Domestic Opening $24.7M (3,332 locations), Domestic 2nd Weekend $13.6M (-45%), Domestic 3rd Weekend $8.5M (-38%), Domestic 17-Day $61.3M, Domestic Total $86.3M, Worldwide Total $155.6M, Budget $44M, RT Critics/Audience 53%/77%
IFC Films’ horror offering CLOWN IN THE CORNFIELD finished in fifth place by scaring up $3.7M in its opening weekend. Out of the 18 weekends in 2025 so far, 11 have featured at least one new horror movie opening wide. It’s too simple to say that horror fatigue is setting in, especially after SINNERS has done so very well, but that movie has been successful in breaking out of the core horror movie audience and into the general moviegoing population.
The glut of horror products is certainly due to its reputation as a profitable style of movie that can be made on a minimal budget. Assemble a cast of unknowns, led by an up-and-coming director, select a location to film that is as far away from Los Angeles as possible, perhaps even outside the U.S., and roll film for as little as two months.
CLOWN IN THE CORNFIELD is just such a film, with a cast of likeable unknows, shot over five weeks in in Winnipeg, Canada, soak the set in gallons of fake blood, and give the director’s chair to Eli Craig, the son of Sally Field, with only one prior feature under his belt – TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL that grossed $5.2M worldwide in 2010. It has been reported that the total production budget of the film was under $1M, and its box office has already in its first weekend.
The film has a healthy 74% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a somewhat lower audience score of 64%. Critics have had a mixed response to the film, with the San Francisco Chronicle praising it as an effective mash-up of horror and comedy, noting its homage to 1980s slasher tropes and a strong performance by Katie Douglas as Quinn.
The Daily Beast highlighted the film’s self-aware humor and nostalgic nods to traditional slasher elements, while noting its predictable plot and underdeveloped subplots. RogerEbert.com found the film more interesting when embracing chaos rather than explaining it, likening its energy to a mix of “It” and “Scream.”
Finally, Variety criticized the film for its “dyspeptic downer vibe,” stating that it wasn’t particularly scary and lacked effort in that regard. With its opening weekend at only $3.65M, the film will not be around for long. But it’s hard to argue with niche profitability. While exhibitors cannot survive on $3M films, their theatres do have plenty of screens available to play to willing audiences.
Where Are We as of 5/8/2025
After the 18th week of 2025, the domestic box office stands at 118% compared to 2024 and 67% compared to 2019.
