“A Minecraft Movie” has truly leveled up at the box office, achieving a staggering $157 million in its opening weekend. This impressive figure not only marks the largest domestic debut of the year but also secures its place in history as the best opening for a video game adaptation. Initially, expectations set by Warner Bros. and Legendary for this PG fantasy comedy, featuring stars like Jack Black and Jason Momoa, estimated a take of $70 million to $80 million, with some optimistic analysts projecting numbers closer to $90 million. However, fueled by a strong demand for family-friendly entertainment and a broad appeal, “Minecraft” exceeded all expectations both in the U.S. and internationally.
On the international front, “A Minecraft Movie” added an impressive $144 million, bringing its global total to $301 million. The film was produced at a cost of $150 million, not including global marketing expenses. Prior to this blockbuster, the title for the year’s biggest opening was held by Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which earned $88 million. Meanwhile, Universal and Illumination's “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” had previously set the record for video game adaptations with a $146 million opening.
Directed by Jared Hess, known for hits like “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre,” “A Minecraft Movie” follows a group of misfits who find themselves transported through a portal into a cubic world, guided by a master crafter named Steve, voiced by Jack Black. Despite receiving mixed reviews, with a score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, audience turnout has proven resilient. David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm, commented that “the film is drawing like a coveted five-quadrant movie, appealing broadly to younger and older adults, as well as young teens and kids.”
Warner Bros. has been eagerly awaiting a hit, especially after the underwhelming performances of Robert De Niro’s “The Alto Knights” and Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson’s “Mickey 17.” Overall, box office revenues have been struggling, trailing 5.3% behind 2024 and 35% behind 2019, according to Comscore. However, the success of “Minecraft” has begun to bridge that gap. Upcoming for the studio is the $90 million R-rated vampire thriller “Sinners,” a collaboration between “Black Panther” and “Creed” creators Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan.
While “A Minecraft Movie” is based on one of the best-selling video games of all time, this doesn’t always guarantee success in Hollywood, as seen with last year’s “Borderlands.” Nonetheless, game-based films have seen a surge in success recently, with titles like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” all performing well at the box office. Legendary Pictures has successfully adapted major properties for the screen, and “A Minecraft Movie” continues this trend, adding to its roster that includes the Godzilla and King Kong franchises, as well as “Dune” and “Dune Part II.”
Warner Bros. employed an extensive promotional campaign that led to the largest third-party partnership in the company’s history, collaborating with 45 brands, including McDonald's, Doritos, Oreo, and Poppi Soda. This strategy effectively brought “A Minecraft Movie” to the forefront of public awareness. As the film dominated the box office, other releases struggled to gain traction.
In a distant second place, Jason Statham’s action thriller “A Working Man” garnered $7.2 million from 3,262 theaters, bringing its total to $27.7 million after two weeks. Fathom Entertainment’s “The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 2,” a faith-based film, took third place with $6.7 million from 2,235 cinemas. Meanwhile, Disney’s live-action “Snow White” fell to fourth place with $6 million in its third week, struggling to reach a total of $77 million domestically from a $250 million budget.
Rounding out the top five is Universal and Blumhouse’s “The Woman in the Yard,” which earned $4.5 million from 2,845 cinemas during its sophomore frame. This film, starring Danielle Deadwyler, has grossed $17 million so far, with a production budget of just $12 million. Additionally, Neon’s horror comedy “Hell of a Summer” opened to $1.75 million from 1,255 screens, a respectable start for a film made on a $3 million budget.
With the overwhelming success of “A Minecraft Movie,” the box office landscape is beginning to shift, offering a glimmer of hope for the industry as it navigates the volatile market. More updates on this cinematic phenomenon will follow.
