Movie theaters across the nation experienced a sluggish weekend as returning films dominated the charts, with Sony Pictures Animation’s family-friendly ‘GOAT’ claiming the number one position by a narrow margin over Warner Bros.’ R-rated ‘Wuthering Heights.’
The animated feature ‘GOAT’ brought in $17 million during its second weekend in theaters, while ‘Wuthering Heights’ collected $14.2 million, based on Sunday’s studio projections. Both movies are now in their second week of release.
The weekend proved particularly challenging for new releases, with every fresh title failing to reach the $10 million mark. This included the faith-centered follow-up ‘I Can Only Imagine 2,’ Glen Powell’s dark comedy ‘How to Make a Killing,’ and the critically panned horror flick ‘Psycho Killer,’ which currently holds a dismal 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Baz Luhrmann’s immersive documentary ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ provided a bright note, generating $3.3 million from just 325 IMAX locations during its limited run before expanding nationwide on Feb. 27.
‘These somewhat slower weekends can be a land of opportunity,’ said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore.
The Stephen Curry-produced ‘GOAT,’ featuring the voice of ‘Stranger Things’ star Caleb McLaughlin as a determined goat pursuing athletic greatness, experienced only a modest 38% decline in its sophomore weekend. Studio executives credit strong audience recommendations for the film’s staying power. The movie has now accumulated more than $58.3 million domestically and reached $102.3 million worldwide.
In contrast, ‘Wuthering Heights’ saw a steeper 57% drop from its debut weekend, bringing its North American earnings to $60 million. International markets contributed an additional $26.3 million, elevating the global tally to $151.7 million against its $80 million production cost. The United Kingdom remains the film’s strongest overseas territory, generating $22.5 million in that market alone.
Lionsgate and Kingdom Story’s ‘I Can Only Imagine 2’ secured third place with an $8 million opening. This sequel to the 2018 Dennis Quaid drama, which earned $86 million on a $7 million budget, fell short of the original’s $17 million debut but met industry forecasts. Despite the modest opening, audiences awarded the film a rare A+ CinemaScore rating.
Amazon and MGM’s ‘Crime 101’ dropped 59% in its second outing, earning $5.8 million for fourth position. The heist thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo has accumulated $24.7 million against its reported $90 million production budget. ‘Send Help’ completed the top five with $4.5 million in receipts.
A24’s ‘How to Make a Killing’ captured sixth place with $3.6 million from 1,600 theaters across North America. The StudioCanal production, drawing inspiration from ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets,’ features Powell as a man systematically eliminating family members to claim a $28 billion inheritance. John Patton Ford, director of ‘Emily the Criminal,’ helmed the project, which received lukewarm critical reception with a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score.
20th Century Studios’ ‘Psycho Killer’ performed significantly worse, landing outside the top ten with only $1.6 million from 1,110 locations. The horror-thriller, penned by ‘Seven’ writer Andrew Kevin Walker and directed by first-time filmmaker Gavin Polone, failed to connect with both critics and moviegoers. PostTrak data revealed that merely 31% of viewers would recommend the film to others.
Current box office figures show the year running approximately 5% higher than the previous year, with Dergarabedian anticipating increased activity when ‘Scream 7’ debuts next weekend.
‘It’s been a kind of rollercoaster ride at the box office,’ he said.
The weekend’s top ten, based on estimated Friday through Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters according to Comscore:
1. ‘GOAT,’ $17 million.
2. ‘Wuthering Heights,’ $14.2 million.
3. ‘I Can Only Imagine 2,’ $8 million.
4. ‘Crime 101,’ $5.8 million.
5. ‘Send Help,’ $4.5 million.
6. ‘How to Make a Killing,’ $3.6 million.
7. ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,’ $3.3 million.
8. ‘Solo Mio,’ $2.6 million.
9. ‘Zootopia 2,’ $2.3 million.
10. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ $1.8 million.
