This weekend, Warner Bros. takes center stage at the box office, securing the top two positions on the domestic charts. The highly anticipated vampire thriller “Sinners”, directed by Ryan Coogler, is struggling to eclipse the blockbuster success of “A Minecraft Movie”, which continues to dominate. Despite this challenge, “Sinners” made a respectable debut, grossing $19.2 million across Friday and preview screenings, albeit from 3,308 theaters—significantly fewer than the 4,302 locations where “Minecraft” is being shown.
With its current trajectory, “Sinners” is on pace to surpass Warner Bros.’ own predictions for a three-day opening weekend, estimated to be around $40 million. The film benefits from premium ticket pricing for IMAX showings, which include 70mm screenings. Warner Bros.' marketing campaign has heavily highlighted the film's use of IMAX cameras during production—a technical feature that has become synonymous with Christopher Nolan's films. Following the successful run of “Oppenheimer”, which saw audiences eagerly awaiting IMAX screenings, there is optimism that “Sinners” can achieve a similar favorable trajectory if it successfully generates excitement for the format among viewers.
“Sinners” is notable for being one of the year’s most ambitious projects, with a production budget of $90 million—a considerable investment for an original, R-rated film. Warner Bros. secured the rights to the film partly by agreeing to a unique deal with Coogler, allowing the filmmaker to reclaim the film rights after 25 years. This concession is a rarity in Hollywood, reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino's agreement with Sony for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Despite the significant investment, “Sinners” is checking all the boxes for potential future success, having received stellar reviews and positive audience feedback.
Set against the backdrop of the 1930s blues scene in the Mississippi Delta, “Sinners” features Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their southern roots only to confront a horde of vampires. The film's cast also includes notable actors such as Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, and Delroy Lindo. As the story unfolds, the film's gripping narrative and strong performances are expected to resonate well with audiences.
On the other hand, Warner Bros. celebrates continued success with “A Minecraft Movie”, which is climbing the box office record books, earning an additional $16 million on Friday alone. This impressive hold marks just a 22% drop from its daily total the previous week. With 15 days into its release, the film has now entered the top 100 all-time list of domestic grossers and is projected to reach nearly $350 million by the end of the weekend. The question remains: how high can it climb?
In third place, Angel Studios capitalizes on the Easter weekend with its animated biblical adaptation, “The King of Kings”, which earned $6.6 million on Friday. Rivals estimate that the film will earn around $17 million in its second weekend, reflecting a modest 12% drop from its debut. Even while competing against “Minecraft” for family audiences, “The King of Kings” has struck the right chord with its target demographic, perfectly timed for the Easter holiday. This success positions it as Angel Studios’ second-biggest hit, following the original breakthrough “Sound of Freedom.”
Fourth place goes to “The Amateur,” which earned $2.3 million on Friday. In its second weekend, this Disney release from 20th Century Studios is aiming to surpass $27 million through Sunday. Despite projections suggesting a 54% drop, this figure would be considered solid, especially given the film's mixed reviews. However, with a production budget of $60 million for the PG-13 espionage thriller, achieving profitability remains a challenge.
Rounding out the top five is A24’s “Warfare,” which grossed approximately $1.6 million on Friday, aiming for a $4.8 million second weekend total. Directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, this real-time military thriller is anticipated to reach a domestic total of around $17 million by the end of the weekend.
New releases this weekend include Bleecker Street's remake of “The Wedding Banquet,” featuring a cast that includes Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Kelly Marie Tran. Opening in 1,133 theaters, this well-received rom-com, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year, managed to earn about $360,000 on Friday and may struggle to reach the $1 million mark for its opening weekend. Additionally, GKids debuts “Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing,” inspired by a popular rhythm video game, in around 800 locations, projecting a three-day bow of approximately $2.7 million. Lastly, Briarcliff Entertainment's animated comedy “Sneaks,” which features the voices of Anthony Mackie and Chloe Bailey, opened in about 1,500 venues, earning around $240,000 on Friday and is expected to fall short of the top 10.
