Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” has successfully held the top position at the box office, raking in an impressive $33.1 million during its second weekend of release. Although ticket sales saw a decline of 55% from its robust opening weekend, which grossed $74 million, this drop is significantly better than other recent Marvel films. For instance, February’s “Captain America: Brave New World” experienced a 68% decline, while “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” fell by 70%, “The Marvels” by an alarming 78%, and “Thor: Love and Thunder” by 67%. Despite starting softer than most of these blockbusters (except for “The Marvels”), positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth may help “Thunderbolts” maintain its presence in theaters.
To boost interest in “Thunderbolts”, Disney revealed the meaning behind the asterisk in the film's title, announcing that the eclectic group of antiheroes will now be referred to as “The New Avengers”. Additionally, the studio disclosed that these characters will make an appearance in the upcoming 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday”. This strategic casting news is designed to entice audiences to familiarize themselves with the Thunderbolts ahead of next year’s epic superhero crossover.
As of now, “Thunderbolts” has accumulated $128.5 million in North America and $272 million globally. Given the film's production cost of $180 million along with an estimated $100 million spent on marketing, it needs to exceed expectations to justify its hefty financial investment. Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, commended “Thunderbolts” earlier this week, labeling it the “first and best” representation of Marvel’s new movie strategy following the critical and commercial disappointments of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “The Marvels,” and “Captain America: Brave New World.” Iger acknowledged that the company had lost focus by producing too many films, emphasizing the importance of quality over quantity.
In addition to “Thunderbolts”, Disney will release its final Marvel sequel of the year, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, on July 25. Meanwhile, both “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners” have achieved notable box office milestones, showcasing their endurance on the big screen. However, three new releases faced challenges this weekend, with the low-budget horror film “Clown in a Cornfield” managing to secure a top-five position with $3.8 million from 2,277 theaters. This figure is commendable for a film reportedly produced for under $1 million. The movie centers around a masked killer, Frendo, who terrorizes a quiet town.
Despite its impressive opening, “Clown in a Cornfield” received a less-than-stellar C+ grade from CinemaScore exit polls, a common score for the horror genre. Movie consultant David A. Gross noted, “This is a solid opening for an indie horror film, particularly for a micro-budget production like this.” The weekend’s other two newcomers, Lionsgate’s action thriller “Shadow Force” and Vertical Entertainment’s “Fight or Flight”, struggled to make a significant impact, each expected to earn around $2 million from roughly 2,100 theaters.
“Shadow Force”, featuring Kerry Washington, portrays married ex-assassins evading former colleagues but is on track to become the first major bomb of the summer against its $40 million budget. In contrast, “Fight or Flight”, starring Josh Hartnett as a disgraced Secret Service agent, is also anticipated to underperform.
In the second spot, “Sinners” held strong with $21.1 million in its fourth weekend, showing a minimal decline of 36% from its previous outing. This vampire thriller has crossed the significant milestone of $200 million, with its domestic ticket sales reaching $216 million and international earnings at $68 million, totaling $283 million worldwide.
The “A Minecraft Movie” maintained its position at No. 3, bringing in $8 million during its sixth weekend. The film has generated a staggering $409 million in North America and $909 million globally, setting it up to potentially become the first billion-dollar release of the year if its momentum continues.
Ben Affleck’s action thriller “The Accountant 2” remained in fourth place, earning $6.09 million in its third weekend, with a modest 36% decline from the previous week. The film has grossed $50.8 million domestically and $71 million worldwide, a commendable figure for an R-rated sequel targeting older audiences, despite its significant $80 million budget. Given that studios and theaters share ticket sales, the film may face challenges in breaking even during its theatrical run.
Following this weekend, overall domestic box office revenues are 16% ahead of 2024, yet still approximately 32% behind 2019 figures, according to Comscore. The summer movie season, which typically accounts for 40% of the annual box office, is set to intensify with upcoming releases including Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Final Destination: Bloodlines” on May 16, and Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” along with Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
As Comscore’s senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted, “This is a relatively quiet weekend, but it’s shaping up to be an epic month of May for movie theaters.” The landscape is primed for significant box office activity as audiences gear up for the summer blockbuster season.
