Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller dominates again while Ben Affleckâs action sequel and Disneyâs Revenge of the Sith re-release battle for second place.
Sinners continues its triumphant run at the box office, poised to claim the top spot for a second consecutive weekend. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordanâs vampire thriller grossed an impressive $13 million on Friday, maintaining a remarkably slim 8% drop from its opening day last week. Benefiting from a slight expansion in theaters (from 3,308 to 3,347), the film is proving to be a formidable force, thanks in part to strong demand for premium formatsâImax screens alone accounted for 20% of the opening weekendâs revenue.
Against a $90 million production budget, Sinners has already surpassed expectations and industry forecasts, and is projected to cross the $100 million domestic mark by Saturdayâless than nine days after release. Some rival studios even predict a sub-10% weekend drop, a rarity outside of holiday seasons. If that holds, Sinners would achieve the best second-weekend drop for a $45M+ opener since Avatar in 2009. With momentum like this, crossing the $200 million domestic mark, a feat not seen for an original IP since Pixar’s Coco, looks increasingly likely.
Beyond its financial achievements, Sinners reaffirms that audiences will still rally around original blockbuster filmmakingâparticularly when paired with high-caliber talent and a compelling premise. Its success sends a clear message to studios increasingly reliant on franchise material: original storytelling can still be a massive draw.
Meanwhile, Ben Affleckâs The Accountant 2 launched to a solid $9.4 million in Friday and preview grosses across 3,610 theaters. The action sequelâwhich sees Affleck and Jon Bernthal reprising their roles as fraternal assassinsâis pacing toward a $25 million opening weekend, slightly ahead of the first filmâs $24 million debut in 2016. Directed again by Gavin O’Connor, the sequel nearly doubled the original’s production cost, with a reported $80 million budget.
Despite the steeper costs, the filmâs strong “A-” CinemaScore and positive reviews out of SXSW suggest solid audience reception. Amazon MGM appears to be playing a long game, valuing eventual success on Prime Video as much as, if not more than, theatrical grossesâa strategy they previously employed with Dwayne Johnsonâs Red One.
In a surprising third-place battle, Disney’s re-release of Star Wars: Episode III â Revenge of the Sith opened with $11.3 million between Friday and previews. The beloved prequel is outperforming past anniversary reissues from the Star Warssaga, doubling the opening of last yearâs Phantom Menace re-release and quadrupling Return of the Jediâs 40th anniversary figures. Depending on Saturdayâs turnout, Sith could even edge out The Accountant 2 for second place by weekend’s end.
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In fifth place, Sony and Screen Gemsâ horror adaptation Until Dawn debuted with $3.2 million from 3,055 venues. Directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Shazam!), the video game adaptation is tracking toward a $7 million weekend. However, lukewarm reviews and a “C+” CinemaScore suggest limited staying power beyond its initial genre audience. Fortunately, its modest $15 million production budget minimizes the financial risk.
Elsewhere, A Minecraft Movie continues its strong run, adding another $5.1 million on Friday. Now entering its fourth weekend, the video game adaptation is pushing toward a $377 million domestic total, surpassing Jurassic World Dominion and climbing up the all-time domestic charts. Globally, the film recently crossed the $700 million mark, solidifying its position as one of the yearâs major success stories.
Meanwhile, A24’s The Legend of Ochi expanded into 1,150 theaters and earned approximately $610,000 on Friday. The fantasy-adventure film, from first-time director Isaiah Saxon, is aiming for a modest low-seven-figure weekend haul as it continues its slow-burn rollout strategy.
Stay tuned as the full weekend numbers come inâbut for now, Sinners continues to rewrite expectations for original genre films at the box office.
