The U.S. box office saw a steady weekend as Marvel’s Thunderbolts continued to dominate in its second frame, while holdover hits like Sinners and A Minecraft Movie retained strong audience pull. Meanwhile, several new films, including Clown in a Cornfield, Shadow Force, and Fight or Flight, made their debut with modest openings.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts Still #1 with $35M Weekend
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts held onto the top spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $35 million in its second weekend, reflecting a 53% drop from its opening haul of $76 million. The film is now projected to close out Sunday with a cumulative $130.3 million domestically.
Compared to other post-Labor Day Marvel releases, Thunderbolts is performing slightly ahead of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which earned $34.7 million during the same post-holiday weekend in 2021 (a 54% drop from its debut). This indicates that despite the typical second-weekend slump, Thunderbolts has retained a significant portion of its audience, especially across premium formats like IMAX and PLF (premium large format) screens, which are contributing substantially to its revenue.
About the Film
Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts features a star-studded cast including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and David Harbour, playing morally ambiguous anti-heroes in a mission sanctioned by the U.S. government. The film explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and blurred lines between heroism and villainy.
With positive reception—holding 88% critic and 94% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes—it’s expected to maintain a solid presence until major summer tentpoles begin rolling out next weekend.
Sinners Defies Drop-off Expectations, Nears $215M
Warner Bros’ Sinners remained a major box office force, claiming the #2 spot with $20 million in its fourth weekend. That’s a relatively small 39% drop from the previous weekend, signaling strong word-of-mouth and continued audience interest. The supernatural drama has now grossed $213.3 million domestically and is likely to surpass $220M early next week.
About the Film
Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, Sinners tells the story of a 1930s jazz musician who becomes a vampire and struggles to balance immortality with his love for humanity. It blends historical fiction, horror, and social commentary in a way that’s earned acclaim from both audiences and critics.
In terms of genre comparison, Sinners now ranks among the most successful vampire films ever released in North America. Its fourth-weekend gross is on par with The Sixth Sense ($20M) and higher than It ($16.9M). It trails only The Blair Witch Project’s fourth-weekend haul of $24.3M—though that film was technically still in a wide-release expansion at the time.
A Minecraft Movie Crosses $408M in North America
Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures’ A Minecraft Movie added $7 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to a whopping $408 million after six weeks in theaters. The film continues to defy drop-off expectations, declining only 48% week-over-week.
Global Box Office and Reception
Globally, the film has earned over $876 million, solidifying its place as one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations in history—second only to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Audiences have praised its imaginative use of block-based world-building and its appeal to both younger fans and nostalgic adults.
Weekend Top 7: Full Breakdown
| Rank | Film Title | Theaters | Friday Gross | Weekend (3-Day) | % Drop | Total Gross | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunderbolts (Disney) | 4,330 | $9M | $35M | -53% | $130.3M | 2 |
| 2 | Sinners (Warner Bros) | 3,502 | $6M | $20M | -39% | $213.3M | 4 |
| 3 | A Minecraft Movie (WB) | 3,468 | $1.7M | $7M | -48% | $408M | 6 |
| 4 | The Accountant 2 (AMZ) | 3,402 | $1.58M | $5.8M | -39% | $50.6M | 3 |
| 5 | Clown in a Cornfield | 2,277 | $1.4M | $3M | N/A | $3M | 1 |
| 6 | Shadow Force (LG) | 2,170 | $950K | $2.7M (est.) | N/A | $2.7M | 1 |
| 7 | Fight or Flight (Vert) | 2,153 | $1M | $2M | N/A | $2M | 1 |
New Releases Round-Up
Clown in a Cornfield Opens with $3M
Indie horror title Clown in a Cornfield from IFC Films debuted with $3 million, backed by strong critical reception (80% on Rotten Tomatoes). Based on Adam Cesare’s bestselling novel and directed by Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil), the film follows a murderous clown returning to a forgotten midwestern town.
Shadow Force Underperforms with $2.7M
Lionsgate’s action thriller Shadow Force, starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, opened to an underwhelming $2.7 million. Critics were lukewarm (50% on Rotten Tomatoes), and preview earnings were low ($200K). The film follows an estranged couple targeted by an elite shadow ops unit trying to silence them.
Fight or Flight Scores $2M on Debut
Vertical Entertainment’s airborne action-thriller Fight or Flight, led by Josh Hartnett and directed by James Madigan, debuted with $2 million. With strong preview buzz ($550K from Mystery Monday screenings) and a 78% fresh rating, the film is about a mercenary protecting a target aboard a hijacked flight. Early audience metrics show a 49% “definite recommend” score.
What’s Next at the Box Office?
Looking ahead, the summer box office season begins in earnest next weekend with the debut of New Line Cinema’s Final Destination: Bloodlines, which is tracking for a strong $30M–$40M opening. Thunderbolts will continue to dominate IMAX and PLF screens until then, giving it one more weekend of strong premium-format revenue.
Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes—which launched internationally this weekend—is also expected to contribute significantly to next week’s box office totals. As of now, industry insiders forecast the entire domestic box office weekend to match or slightly exceed last year’s comparable frame of $96.1 million.
This weekend marked a moment of stability and modest wins at the U.S. box office. Marvel’s Thunderbolts continues its impressive run, Sinners proves to have long legs, and Minecraft cements itself as a family blockbuster. New releases had mixed results, with indie horror Clown in a Cornfield standing out the most. As summer blockbuster season approaches, all eyes now turn to high-stakes franchises poised to energize the multiplexes in the weeks ahead.
