SATURDAY AM: It’s a very good start to the year with all movies grossing $127.4M this weekend; in fact that’s the best first weekend of a New Year post-Covid, besting 2023’s $104.2M. Nothing melodramatic going on, just a solid holdover frame. Compared to the first weekend of 2020, before Covid shut us down and when Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker ruled, weekend one of 2026 is only -11% off from that frame (which did $142.4M per Box Office Mojo).
When the box office year starts off great in weekend one, it’s never any indication of good luck or chi going forward, i.e. we’re beginning 2026 +22% over the first weekend in 2025; percentile wise that doesn’t mean we land there, of course.
Rival distribs believe we’ll have a slightly better frame for most titles than what we spotted last night, i.e. Avatar: Fire and Ash is now eyeing $36M for weekend 3 (and cume of $302M) and Zootopia 2 $18M for weekend 6 (cume of $362.6M). The expectation is that today will play largely flat in grosses to Friday with Sunday taking a steep dive of -35% to -40% for most titles in the top 10.
Top 10 chart (updating)
1. Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th) 3,835 (+35) theaters, Fri $14M (-38%) 3-day $36M (-43%) Total $302M/Wk 3
2. Zootopia 2 (Dis) 3,285 (-85) theaters, Fri $7.1M (+4%) 3-day $18M Total $362.6M/Wk 6
3. The Housemaid (LG) 3,070 (+28) theaters, Fri $5.2M (0%), 3-day $13.8M (-10%), Total $74.6M/Wk
Has the nation turned on Sydney Sweeney after the performances of Christy, Eden and Americana? Absolutely not. Those movies were never referendums for her success at the box office. The Paul Feig-directed, Hidden Pictures-produced thriller is $13.7M from taking over the entire running domestic B.O. ($88.3M) of her 2023 Christmas sleeper Anyone But You.
4. Marty Supreme (A24) 2,887 (+219) theaters, Fri $4.6M (-32%) 3-day $11.75M (-26%) Total $55.1M/Wk 3
5. Anaconda (Sony) 3,509 theaters, Fri $3.6M (-34%), 3-day $9.2M (-37%), Total $45M/Wk 2
6. SpongeBob Movie (Par) 3,217 (-353) theatres, Fri $3M 3-day $7.7M (-31%), Total $57.1M/Wk 3
7. David (Ang) 2,900 (-103) theaters, Fri $2.9M (-39%) 3-day $7.6M (-39%), Total $69.7M/Wk 3
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in ‘Song Sung Blue’
Focus Features
8. Song Sung Blue (Foc) 2,705 (+118) theaters, Fri $2.1M (-22%) 3-day $5.5M (-22%) Total $24.6M/Wk 2
The audience has expanded slightly in weekend 2 on this Craig Brewer-directed title, with Latino and Hispanic moviegoers increasing from 7% to 11% from weekend one to two, and Caucasian audiences recessing from 86% to 78% over the same period. It’s still an older skewing movie with 77% over 45 (versus 76% last weekend). In fact, the Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson movie got older with the over 55 bunch coming out yesterday at 60% versus 48% last week.
9. Wicked: For Good (Uni) 1,885 (-123) theaters, Fri $1.1M (-36%), 3-day $3M (-44%), Total $339.6M/Wk 7
The Jon M. Chu sequel hit PVOD and digital platforms on Dec. 30. Let the record show that Wicked, after arriving on PVOD on Dec. 31, 2024, went on to make an extra $45.7M at the domestic box office before ending its run at $474.9M.
Daisy Ridley in ‘We Bury the Dead’
Vertical
10. We Bury the Dead (Vert) 1,172 theaters, Fri $1.3M, 3-day $2.8M/Wk 1
The Daisy Ridley zombie film was acquired out of SXSW by Vertical. There’s a divide between Rotten Tomatoes critics and audiences at 86% fresh to 48%, and a very bad definite recommend from Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak audiences at 24%. Result is above the norm for a Vertical release with the movie playing best in the West, where close to a third of ticket sales are coming from, versus the 21% average for other pics in the marketplace. AMC Dine-In in Montclair, CA is top grossing venue for the Zak Hilditch-directed movie with close to $6k. 57% guy leaning, 55% between 18-34. Diversity demos are 47% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 12% Black, 8% Asian American and 8% other.
Other misc. details in distribution land:
–Hearing that theater chains got to keep 95% of that $25M-$27M concession cash from that 2-day Netflix stunt with the Stranger Things series finale over New Year’s Eve and Day.
–Paramount titled André Øvredal’s next horror film as Passenger and dated it for May 29. Producers are 18Hz’s Walter Hamada, as well as It‘s Gary Dauberman. Pic stars Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell and Oscar winner Melissa Leo. The movie is the only major studio wide release opening post Memorial Day’s Star Wars: Mandalorian and Grogu and before Amazon MGM Studios/Mattel’s Masters of the Universe during the first weekend in June.
Since this weekend is a holiday holdover one, please enjoy the following top 10 lists from 2025:
Top 10 Movies at the Domestic B.O.
Interesting to note that of all the comic book movies, DC’s Superman prevailed and only one Marvel movie out of three released last year cracked the top 10. Bravo to DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran.
- Minecraft (WB) – $423.9M
- Lilo & Stitch (Dis) – $423.7M
- Superman (WB) – $354.1M
- Jurassic World Rebirth (Uni)- $339.6M
- Zootopia 2 (Dis)– $337.9M
- Wicked: For Good* (Uni)- $335.4M
- Sinners (WB)- $279.6M
- Fantastic Four – First Steps (Dis) – $274.2M
- How to Train Your Dragon (Uni)- $262.9M
- Avatar: Fire and Ash* (20th)- $250.2M
*still in release
Top 10 Openings at the Domestic B.O. (3-day)
1.A Minecraft Movie (WB) – $162.7M
2. Wicked: For Good (Uni) – $147M
3. Lilo & Stich (Dis) – $146M
4. Superman (WB) – $125M
5. Fantastic Four – First Steps — $117.6M
6. Zootopia 2 (Dis) – $100.2M
7. Jurassic World: Rebirth (Uni) – $92M
8. Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th) – $89.1M
9. Captain America: Brave New World (Dis) – $88.8M
10. How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) – $84.6M
Top 10 Exhibitors (by box office)
- AMC – $2.08B
- Regal – $1.37B
- Cinemark – $1.32B
- Cineplex – $610M
- Marcus – $224M
- Harkins – $155M
- Alamo Drafthouse – $131M
- Landmark of Canada – $113M
- Santikos – $91M
- Emagine Entertainment – $79M
Top 10 theaters (in box office)
- AMC Burbank 30 – $23.3M
- AMC Lincoln Square NYC – $21.9M
- AMC Empire 25 NYC – $20.2M
- AMC Dine-In Disney Springs 24, Fl – $18.5M
- AMC Grove 14, LA – $17.6M
- AMC Century City 15 – $17.6M
- Regal Irvine Spectrum, CA – $16.5M
- AMC Universal Citywalk – $15.1M
- Cinema Cineplex Laval, Quebec – $13.5M
- Cineplex Yonge-Dundas – Toronto – $13.3M
FRIDAY PM: If all goes right for 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash this weekend, in addition to crossing $1 billion worldwide, the James Cameron directed sci-fi movie will cross the $300M threshold stateside. Tonight, we’re hearing the pic’s third weekend is around $35M at 3,835 theaters, -44%, after a $13.4M Friday, which will get the threequel to $301M by Sunday.
Avatar: Way of Water‘s third weekend was Dec. 30-Jan 1, which did $67.4M (+4%), while its first weekend of 2023, technically the sequel’s fourth frame, grossed $45.8M (-32%). In hindsight, it’s interesting how well Way of Water hung in there, despite everyone miss-comping the title to Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the misperception that the sequel actually opened under projections. The original Avatar‘s third weekend fell on the first frame of the New Year 2010, that’s when the pic grossed $68.4M.
Today there were 94% K-12 schools on break and 97% colleges on break according to ComScore. Those numbers eases to 45% K-12 out and 84% colleges on break on Monday, which is still great for the movie business.
Zootopia 2 is the gift that keeps on giving for Disney with a sixth weekend of $17M at 3,285 theaters, -14%, after a $6.6M Friday. Cume by EOD Sunday is $361.6M. That sixth weekend is more than Moana 2‘s a year ago, which did $12.4M, however, that sequel was bigger out of the gate than Zootopia 2 by $66.6M with a running cume through its sixth Sunday of $425.2M. Still a fantastic hold by Zootopia 2 versus Moana 2‘s -34% a year ago.
Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Housemaid’
Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate
Lionsgate’s The Housemaid is currently claiming third with $12M+ at 3,070 theaters, -22%, after a $4.6M Friday. Total by Sunday for the Paul Feig directed thriller, Hidden Pictures production is $72.8M, which will be far past the filmmaker’s previous Lionsgate black comedy, A Simple Favor, which ended its stateside run at $53.5M.
MARTY SUPREME, from left: Gwyneth Paltrow, Timothee Chalamet, 2025. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
A24’s Marty Supreme from Josh Safdie will pass the final domestic take of the Safdie brothers’ previous 2019 movie together, Uncut Gems ($50M), this weekend, which is the distributor’s third highest grossing title at the domestic B.O. A $4M Friday will get Marty to between $9M-$10M at 2,887 sites, -39%, in its third frame and on the high end, a running total of $53.4M back in 2018.
Fifth is Sony’s Anaconda with a second weekend of $8M at 3,509 locations, -45%, after a $3.1M Friday for a running total of $43.8M.
Sixth belongs to Angel Studios’ David at 2,900 locations with a third Friday of $2.9M, third weekend of $7.4M, -41%, for a running total of $69.4M.
Seventh is coming in with Paramount’s SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants third weekend of $7.2M at 3,217, -35%, after $2.9M Friday for a total of $56.6M.
The second weekend of Focus Features’ Song Sung Blue is $4.7M at 2,705 sites, -34%, for a running cume of $23.8M in 8th place. The second Friday for the Hugh Jackman-Kate Hudson Neil Diamond tribute band movie is $1.8M.