Warner Bros. Dominates Box Office with 'Weapons' and 'Freakier Friday'

8/10/2025

Warner Bros. continues its box office dominance with the horror film 'Weapons', set to surpass its predecessor 'Barbarian', alongside Disney's nostalgic hit 'Freakier Friday'.

Warner Bros. Dominates Box Office with 'Weapons' and 'Freakier Friday'

'Weapons' opens strong with $40 million projected, while 'Freakier Friday' charms audiences, proving Warner Bros. and Disney's box office prowess.

Warner Bros. Continues Box Office Success with "Weapons"

The Warner Bros. box office streak shows no signs of slowing down. Following the successful release of “A Minecraft Movie” four months ago, the studio continued its winning ways this weekend with the launch of New Line’s horror film “Weapons.” The movie achieved an impressive $18.2 million on its opening day across 3,202 locations, which includes $5.7 million from preview screenings. With this momentum, “Weapons” is projected to reach a remarkable $40 million during its opening weekend.

Director Zach Cregger's Success

Zach Cregger and is outperforming his debut, “Barbarian,” both financially and critically. While “Barbarian” received praise from critics, it underwhelmed at the box office, earning only a C+ on CinemaScore. In stark contrast, “Weapons” is on track to surpass the entire $40.8 million domestic run of “Barbarian” within just its opening weekend. Critics and audiences alike have responded positively to “Weapons,” as evidenced by its remarkable Rotten Tomatoes scores of 96% from critics and 88% from audiences, along with a rare A- grade on CinemaScore. This achievement makes “Weapons” the 14th horror film since 1981 to earn an A- or higher on CinemaScore, joining the ranks of other successful horror films like James Wan’s “Conjuring” series and Jordan Peele’s acclaimed “Get Out.”

Warner Bros.' Impressive Summer Performance

This stellar opening for “Weapons” concludes an exceptional summer for Warner Bros., which has seen successful releases like “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” “Superman,” and the Apple production “F1,” which Warner distributed. So far in 2025, the studio has grossed an astounding $1.45 billion domestically, leading all other studios in box office earnings.

Disney's Mid-Budget Success

Following closely behind Warner Bros. in the studio market share charts is Disney, which is enjoying its own mid-budget success with “Freakier Friday.” This legacyquel to the 2003 body-swap comedy featuring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan opened with $12.7 million on its opening day from 3,975 theaters and is on track for a $30 million opening weekend, aligning with pre-release projections. Aimed at nostalgic millennials, “Freakier Friday” has garnered a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A on CinemaScore, positioning it well for profitability against its $42 million budget.

The Decline of Marvel Studios

On the flip side, Marvel Studios is facing challenges with “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which is experiencing a steep decline in box office performance following a strong opening weekend. The film is estimated to earn $15 million in its third weekend, reflecting a significant 61% drop from its $40 million second weekend, which itself was down 66% from its opening weekend. Currently, the estimated domestic total for the movie stands at $229 million, falling 21% behind the pace set by “Superman,” which is now surpassing $330 million domestically with $7.8 million earned in its fifth weekend.

Conclusion

As Warner Bros. solidifies its position at the top of the box office with “Weapons,” the landscape of the film industry continues to evolve. With both successes and challenges among major studios like Disney and Marvel, it remains an exciting time for moviegoers and industry watchers alike.