The box office battle this weekend sees "Weapons" taking the lead against "Freakier Friday", with both films enjoying strong openings as the summer tentpole season begins to wind down. Opening at the top, Warner Bros. and New Line’s "Weapons" has amassed an impressive $18.2 million from Friday and preview screenings across 3,202 locations. This horror film features screenings in IMAX and other premium large format auditoriums. Select screenings kicked off Thursday afternoon at 2:17 PM, aligning with a pivotal moment in the story when a group of children mysteriously awakens and disappears.
Featuring an ensemble cast that includes notable actors such as Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan, "Weapons" is already exceeding its pre-weekend projections, which had initially estimated a total of around $30 million. With a production budget of $38 million, this R-rated original is off to a fantastic start. The film's performance marks a significant improvement from writer-director Zach Cregger's previous low-budget hit, "Barbarian", which opened to $10 million in 2022 before gaining momentum through positive word of mouth.
"Weapons" has not only received high praise from critics but has also garnered an encouraging “A-” grade from the moviegoer survey firm CinemaScore. Horror films typically receive lower audience ratings, making these high marks particularly promising for "Weapons". Cregger, who gained recognition as a founding member of the sketch group The Whitest Kids U’ Know, continues to establish himself as a compelling voice in the horror genre. New Line’s successful acquisition of "Weapons" in a bidding war has resulted in yet another summer box office victory for Warner Bros.
In second place, Disney's "Freakier Friday" is also off to a solid start, earning $12.7 million from Friday and previews across 3,975 locations. While "Weapons" benefits from IMAX, "Freakier Friday" has secured its share of premium large format auditoriums. This comedy sequel follows the beloved 2003 remake and reunites stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in a body-swapping adventure. With pre-weekend projections ranging from $27 million to $30 million, the film is poised to exceed expectations, especially given its production budget of $42 million.
"Freakier Friday" has also received positive reviews and boasts an impressive “A” grade from CinemaScore, further enhancing its prospects as the summer movie season progresses.
In third place, Disney’s "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" earned an additional $4.5 million on Friday, marking a 62% drop from last week’s daily total. This superhero adventure is on track for a total of $229 million in North America by Sunday. Earlier this week, it surpassed "Captain America: Brave New World" ($200 million) to become the seventh-largest domestic release of the year. However, it remains only the 26th-highest-grossing installment within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), indicating a decline in Marvel's box office dominance.
Fourth place goes to Universal’s "The Bad Guys 2", which added $3 million on Friday and is projected to earn $10.7 million in its second weekend, representing a 51% decline from its opening. This DreamWorks Animation sequel is expected to reach a domestic total of $43.7 million within its first 10 days of release, closely trailing the original film's performance from 2022.
Rounding out the top five is "The Naked Gun", the final release from Paramount’s previous regime following its acquisition by Skydance. The comedy featuring Liam Neeson added $2.3 million on Friday and is anticipated to earn $8.4 million over the weekend, down 50% from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic total to approximately $33 million.
Additionally, Angel Studios launched the fantasy comedy "Sketch" in 2,006 locations on Wednesday. This film, which was acquired after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last year, has generated $3.2 million thus far and is expected to rank in tenth place for the weekend.
As the summer moviegoing season continues, the competition among these new releases highlights the dynamic landscape of the box office, showcasing both horror and comedy as strong contenders.
