THE FANTASTIC FOUR Hangs On

Aug 3, 2025

Disney and Marvel’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS earned the top spot at the weekend box office for the second consecutive weekend, netting $40.0M in new sales. The total for all films came in at $124.0M, boosted by three new wide-opening movies: THE BAD GUYS 2 from Universal, THE NAKED GUN from Paramount, and TOGETHER from NEON. This compares to the $170.3M earned on this weekend last year, paced by a mighty $96.8M from DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE in its second weekend.

Next Friday, Disney’s FREAKIER FRIDAY will open with many expecting it to be the last film of the summer that could earn $100M in total domestic box office. Warner Bros.’ WEAPONS and Angel Studios’ SKETCH will also arrive, looking for their slice of the late summer audience. That lineup will be measured against last year’s $157.8M on the second weekend in August, led once again by DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, which took in $53.8M in its third weekend.

In this summer’s faceoff between the two relaunched superhero franchises, DC’s SUPERMAN and Marvel’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, we can now look at the results after the first ten days of each film. SUPERMAN has outperformed THE FANTASTIC FOUR by 19% during that period. SUPERMAN began with a slimmer 6% box office lead after the first three days, so the momentum for SUPERMAN seems to be building over time. Whereas SUPERMAN’s second weekend drop was only 53%, THE FANTASTIC FOUR’s came in at a steep 66%.

SUPERMAN vs. THE FANTASTIC FOUR after 10 Days

THE FANTASTIC FOUR’s ten-day total is $198.4M domestic and $368.7M worldwide, which is higher than the total for any of the three previous FANTASTIC FOUR movies. However, this year’s movie still has a way to go to pass the inflation-adjusted gross of the 2005 original that earned $154.7M in 2005, translating to $255.7M in current dollars.

The Disney and Marvel teams should be proud of their accomplishment in rehabilitating this franchise from the depths it had reached as of the 2015 release of FANTASTIC FOUR, which earned only $167.9M worldwide. This year’s movie has already earned almost twice that amount and received a very positive response from critics and audiences. With another full month of the summer ahead, Disney can now focus on earning the $500M in worldwide sales the movie will need to be profitable.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS vs. Previous FANTASTIC FOUR Films after 10 Days

Universal and DreamWorks’ THE BAD GUYS 2 finished in second place with $22.2M domestic and $44.5M worldwide. This is the direct sequel to the THE BAD GUYS animated original from 2022 and the 49^th theatrical release for DreamWorks. It is also the first DreamWorks movie to be partially animated by Sony’s Imageworks studio, under an experimental “mixed production model”.

THE BAD GUYS grossed a very solid $250.4M worldwide in 2022. The inspiration for these movies is Aaron Blabey’s popular children’s book series “The Bad Guys,” which consists of 20 books that have sold 25M copies in total. The sequel is once again directed by Pierre Perifel, with co‑direction by JP Sans, who was the head of character animation on the first film.

The plot revolves around the reformed animal thieves (“The Bad Guys”) who are drawn out of retirement to help with one last heist by a new, all-female criminal crew (“The Bad Girls”). If the movie does well, this plot twist sets things up nicely for a future spinoff. The movie touches on themes of redemption, reputation, teamwork, and the struggle between staying with bad habits from the past or turning a page and making better choices.

The climactic action in the movie takes place in outer space, echoing Book 5 (“Intergalactic Gas”) from the children’s series. The voice actors include Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf), Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, and Awkwafina, who all reprise their roles from the first movie.

Critical reception has been good, with an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is only 3% lower than the original, which was also well received. Audiences are even more excited with a 95% score, higher than the 93% rating for the original. Here are some sample comments from the critics.

Variety praised the film’s kinetic action scenes—especially the rocket‑boarding helicopter sequence—which “stunned” like a real Tom Cruise stunt in animated form. The Washington Post describes the film as a “zippy crime caper” with moral depth, lively pacing, and witty self-aware comedy. Though geared toward kids, it also offers enough sly references and layers to entertain adults.

The San Francisco Chronicle describes the sequel as “serving up another round of good times for all ages,” praising its chemistry among the voice cast, brisk pacing, and bold animation style. The Associated Press brings it back down to earth with a rating of only 1½ stars out of 4, arguing the sequel “boldly goes bigger”—even into space—but in the process loses much of the original’s charm and narrative coherence.

After spending $80M to make the film, it will need to earn $200M worldwide to turn a profit. It $22.2M domestic opening puts it on a solid track to accomplish this. Note that the original earned $250.4M globally. Here is how the two BAD GUYS movies compare after their opening weekends.

THE BAD GUYS 2 vs. THE BAD GUYS after Opening Weekend

THE NAKED GUN, Paramount’s reboot of the comedy classic, finished in third place with $17.0M domestic and $28.5M worldwide in its opening weekend. The NAKED GUN movie franchise began on December 2, 1988, introducing audiences to the antics of the Police Squad and its three leaders: Lt. Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen; Ed Hocken, played by George Kennedy; and Nordberg, played by O.J. Simpson.

The original film went on to earn $78.8M domestic, without any international distribution. When adjusted for inflation, this comes out to a healthy $214.9M in 2025 dollars. This offbeat comedy, with its sight gags and racy dialogue, struck a chord, scoring 88% with critics and 84% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

With a hit on their hands, Paramount decided to make two more features, THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR in 1991 and NAKED GUN 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT in 1994. The series had lost its momentum by the third film, which earned only 65% of the original’s box office despite spending more than twice as much to make the sequel. The Rotten Tomatoes grades had also dropped sharply.

Perhaps the final blow to the franchise came on the evening of June 17, 1994, three months after the opening of the third film. That is the night of O.J. Simpson’s nationally-televised “low-speed chase” through Los Angeles on live TV, culminating in his arrest for the murders of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

Another hurdle for Paramount to overcome when bringing back the franchise was that comedies have not done particularly well since the pandemic. The market share for comedies in 2002 was 23%, the highest it had been in the prior 30 years. By 2024, that number had dropped 10%, and in the first 7 months of this year, it was a minuscule 2% of the total box office. Sony’s buddy film ONE OF THEM DAYS is the highest-grossing comedy so far in 2025, taking in $50.1M domestic. This ranks it as the 24^th highest-grossing movie of the year.

Paramount felt it had an opportunity to relaunch THE NAKED GUN with a complete overhaul of the cast, an updated script, and a 31-year gap since the last feature came to theatres. The essential character of Frank Drebin Jr. was given to Liam Neeson, who has built his career playing a series of angry men seeking revenge.

One notable exception was his role as Oscar Schindler in SCHINDLER’S LIST from 1994, which won the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards that year. While Neeson was nominated for Best Actor, he did not win that award. Outside of a few comedic cameos, he has never starred in a comedy, so while his casting might have been offbeat, it could also have been strategically successful.

His performance has been cited by multiple reviewers as a highlight of the new film. Pamela Anderson plays the femme fatale role that Priscila Presley played in the first three films. The character Ed Hocken Jr. is played by Paul Walter Hauser, best known for playing Richard Jewell in Clint Eastwood’s movie of that same name. Perhaps wisely, no attempt was made to bring back the character of Nordberg, who had been played by O.J. Simpson. The plot centers on Drebin Jr., who tries to solve a murder while saving the Police Squad from becoming a Spirit Halloween store.

The response from those who have seen it has been positive, giving this THE NAKED GUN the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores in franchise history, with 91% from critics and 77% from audiences. The Financial Times praises Neeson as a “worthy successor,” praising the movie’s blend of slapstick and absurdity. While not every joke lands, most deliver the absurd punch that’s core to the franchise.

The Independent highlights its high joke-to-minute ratio, with many viewers “laughing to tears” watching the sequel inject fresh energy into a beloved franchise. The New York Post describes it as “the biggest surprise of the year,” and somehow, it’s the funniest movie to hit theaters in a long time, with relentless humor escalating into absurd lunacy.

Not everyone loved the film. The Washington Post argues that the reboot fails, not due to cast or effort, but because a comedy cannot thrive by recycling its old jokes. It is nostalgic mimicry rather than fresh humor. Neeson’s earnest performance lacks Nielsen’s effortlessly comic presence, making the humor feel strained.

The production budget for the film came in at $42M, and the film will need to earn $105M to break even. This is the first NAKED GUN movie to have foreign distribution, so any amount coming from international markets will be a bonus that the earlier films did not have. Here is how the reboot compares to the earlier films in the franchise.

THE NAKED GUN (2025) vs. Earlier NAKED GUN Movies

Warner Bros. and DC’s SUPERMAN finished in fourth place with $13.9M, a decline of 44% from last weekend. This brings its 24-day totals to $316.2M domestic and $551.2M worldwide. After starting in its first weekend with only 75% compared to the franchise leader BATMAN V. SUPERMAN from 2016, the new SUPERMAN has now moved ahead of that title after 24 days with $316.2, M and it is only a matter of time before SUPERMAN’s total box office flies past BATMAN V. SUPERMAN’s.

It is also close to breaking into the black, which happens when the film crosses $563M in worldwide gross. Perhaps the only dark cloud hanging over this film is lagging international sales. BATMAN V. SUPERMAN earned 62% of its total box office from foreign markets, while SUPERMAN has only managed 43%. One glaring example of this decline from international markets is China, where SUPERMAN grossed only $8.5M in its first week compared to a total contribution of $95.8M for BATMAN V. SUPERMAN.

This is especially alarming since there are twice as many IMAX screens now in China compared to nine years ago, when BATMAN V. SUPERMAN played. That’s 809 IMAX screens in China today, versus 335 IMAX screens nine years ago.

SUPERMAN began its very strong run in the domestic market by earning $36.7M on 409 IMAX screens in the first 10 days, or 16% of its total domestic gross of $236.2M during that time. How could SUPERMAN perform so poorly in China, with almost twice as many IMAX screens? It might be worth considering the current geopolitical winds, with an anti-American sentiment driving down the appeal for an American superhero whose motto is that he stands for “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.”

SUPERMAN (2025), BATMAN V. SUPERMAN (2016), and SUPERMAN (1978)

Universal’s JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH finished in fifth place with $8.7M, a drop of 34%. This brings its total through four full weeks and five weekends to $317.6M domestic and $766.0M worldwide. While the film is already profitable, having a ratio of 4.3 to 1 in worldwide gross to production cost, its financial backers may be somewhat disappointed with this result.

JURASSIC WORLD movies have suffered three consecutive drops after the success of the franchise’s success of JURASSIC WORLD in 2015. This movie will be the first in the series to gross less than $1B worldwide, and because of the requirement for these movies to feature expensive special effects, any future JURASSIC WORLD will be costly to make.

While we expect the franchise to continue, a more prudent fiscal approach may be to protect the bottom line. All JURASSIC PARK and JURASSIC WORLD movies have had summertime release dates, so perhaps the next one can pick a less competitive time of year to limit competition and maximize grossing potential.

JURASSIC WORLD Movies