Avatar: Fire And Ash, Zootopia 2 and The Housemaid led the way but a crop of indies of all sizes pulling up behind injected variety, color and coin to a buoyant 2026 box office debut. The weekend’s overall total three-day domestic box office at an estimated $132 million is the best first weekend of a new year post-Covid. A young 2026 is at $157 million year-to-date, up 6.6% from 2025, as per Comcsore.
We Bury The Dead opened to $2.5 million on 1,172 screens, Vertical’s highest-grossing opening weekend film to date. “We’re thrilled that 2026 kicked off with such a strong box office weekend and proud that We Bury The Dead was part of that moviegoing experience,” said CEO Peter Jarowey of the Daisey Ridley-starring zombie pic by Zak Hilditch. Vertical has been ramping up its slate. “We’re grateful to our theatrical partners for their continued support as we bring more films to the big screen.”
Neon’s No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook grossed a substantial $991k on 45 screens in week 2 for a $1.98 million cume. The Secret Agent is at $200k on 117 screens in week 6 for a cume of $1.98 million. The big indie distributor has been deftly steering a crop of terrific international titles with Sentimental Value still on 70 screens with a cume of $4 million in week 9 and It Was Just An Accident on 15 in week 12 at $1.7 million.
IFC’s psychological horror The Plague by Charlie Polinger with Joel Edgerton grossed $400k on 590 screens for a $445.1k cume in a national week two expansion.
In its fourth weekend, Janus Films’ release of Bi Gan’s Resurrection began its national expansion, grossing an estimated $132.4k on 86 screens for a cume of $345.7k. Janus has also been releasing more and showing some nice numbers.
From Searchlight Pictures, Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern hit $1 million ahead of its national expansion with significant increases and holds across 33 theaters. It’s up by 22% from last weekend for a $250k gross. Expands to 1,000+ theaters next week. Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee starring Amanda Seyfried is holding in its second weekend exclusively in 70mm grossing $66k for a cume of $259k from four screens in NY and LA with increases across 3 of the 4. Expands Jan. 16.
The second weekend of Mubi’s Father Mother Sister Brother from Jim Jarmusch continued its platform rollout with an estimated $51.7k from four screens for a gross of $187.7k Momentum remains solid, the distrib said, with sold-out screenings reported throughout the second frame as the release builds toward a nationwide expansion Jan. 9.
Top 10: A24’s Marty Supreme is no. 4 at the domestic box office on 2,887 screens for a $12.5 million weekend and a $56 million cume. Animated David from Angel Studios is at no. 7 on 2,900 screens with an $8 million weekend and a $70 million cume.
Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue from Focus Features is at no. 8 on 2,700 screens with $5.87 million for the three days a $25 million cume. Starring Hugh Jackmann and Kate Hudson, the film has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes audience score is overperforming in the middle of the U.S. including markets like Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City and at regional circuits Marcus, Harkins, Emagine, and the Larry Miller Theaters.