In a remarkable display of box office strength, “Sinners” has emerged victorious for the second weekend in a row, demonstrating its appeal in the competitive landscape of cinematic releases. Directed by Ryan Coogler and featuring Michael B. Jordan, this vampire thriller topped Friday’s box office, outperforming several new releases, including Ben Affleck’s action sequel “The Accountant 2”, Sony’s video game adaptation “Until Dawn”, and Disney’s re-release of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith”.
Warner Bros. has reported that “Sinners” achieved a stellar opening Friday total of $13 million, reflecting only an 8% decline in daily earnings compared to the previous week. The film's reach expanded as it added theaters, increasing from 3,308 to 3,347 venues. A significant factor contributing to its enduring success is the heightened demand for IMAX and premium large format screenings, which accounted for 20% of the film’s revenue during its opening weekend.
Despite its considerable $90 million production budget, “Sinners” has consistently surpassed industry expectations, making it a standout performer in North America. The film recently claimed the top spot at the box office, outpacing “A Minecraft Movie” to achieve the largest opening for an original film since 2019. With daily ticket sales holding strong over the past week, “Sinners” is on track to reach the impressive milestone of $100 million in domestic revenue by Saturday, just nine days after its release.
Industry experts are anticipating a remarkable drop of less than 10% for “Sinners” during its second weekend, which would mark the best performance for a film debuting above $45 million since “Avatar” saw a mere 1.8% decline in December 2009. This achievement is particularly striking given that “Sinners” is accomplishing this feat without the aid of a holiday weekend. Such retention rates for a new release are exceedingly rare, sparking discussions about the potential for “Sinners” to join the ranks of original films that have grossed over $200 million in North America.
Despite the strong performance of “Sinners”, it faces competition from other new releases. “The Accountant 2”, featuring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, earned $9.4 million from Friday and preview screenings across 3,610 venues. This action sequel is projected to achieve a $25 million opening weekend, slightly ahead of the first “Accountant” film, which opened to $24 million in 2016. The sequel, which carries a production cost of $80 million, has garnered positive early reviews, receiving an A- grade from Cinema Score.
In third place, Disney’s re-release of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” generated $11.3 million on Friday and is projected to surpass $20 million over the three-day weekend. This film, a beloved installment of George Lucas' prequel trilogy, has seen its reputation grow since its original release in 2005.
Meanwhile, “Until Dawn”, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game, opened in fifth place with $3.2 million. Directed by David F. Sandberg, this horror movie has received mixed reviews, reflected in its C+ grade from Cinema Score, which may hinder its box office longevity. The film was produced on a modest budget of $15 million.
Rounding out the top five, “A Minecraft Movie” added another $5.1 million to its total, as it continues to perform well in its fourth weekend. Projections indicate that the film will reach a domestic total of $377 million by Sunday, surpassing “Jurassic World Dominion” and solidifying its place among the highest-grossing North American releases of all time.
In conclusion, “Sinners” is not only dominating the box office but also highlighting the audience’s appetite for original blockbuster films. With its impressive performance against formidable competition, the film is setting new benchmarks in the industry and paving the way for future releases.
