Box Office Weekend: Thunderbolts Holds the Top Spot, Sinners Keeps Defying Gravity (May 9-11, 2025)
Another weekend in the cinematic arena has closed its curtains, and while one champion held the line, another unexpected contender continued its improbable, record-breaking run. For the second frame in a row, Marvel Studios’ latest offering, *Thunderbolts*—or *The New Avengers*, depending on who you ask—clung to the top position at the **box office weekend** of May 9-11, 2025. But like a superhero fighting through exhaustion, its hold wasn’t without significant drops, prompting industry watchers to question whether this iteration of the MCU can recapture the franchise’s stratospheric past or settle into a “new normal” of solid, but not spectacular, numbers. Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s ambitious horror film, *Sinners*, kept exceeding every expectation, solidifying its place as a genuine phenomenon and writing a thrilling new chapter in the horror genre’s recent history.
This weekend provided a fascinating microcosm of the current theatrical landscape: a major franchise tentpole grappling with audience expectations and shifting strategies, a mid-budget original film becoming a runaway hit on sheer word of mouth, and smaller players finding niche success. As the summer movie season truly begins to heat up, the performances of these films offer crucial insights into what drives audiences to theaters in 2025.
Thunderbolts: The MCU Navigates a New Era
Marvel’s latest ensemble piece, *Thunderbolts*, secured another victory, adding an estimated $33.1 million to its domestic coffers in its second weekend. This brought its North American total to $128.5 million. While holding the number one spot sounds impressive, the 55% drop from its $74 million opening weekend performance is a critical metric. To put that in perspective, it’s a sharper decline than some earlier MCU sequels, but notably better than the steeper falloffs seen by a few recent Phase 4 and 5 entries. It suggests that while initial fervor might be somewhat muted compared to the *Endgame* days, there’s still a degree of staying power, perhaps indicative of slightly improved word of mouth than some predecessors.
Globally, *Thunderbolts* now stands at $272.2 million. This is where the path to profitability gets challenging. With a reported production budget of $180 million and marketing costs estimated around $100 million—a total spend of $280 million—the film needs a considerably larger worldwide tally to clear its costs and provide a healthy return, especially after theaters take their cut. This isn’t the era where $800 million or $1 billion was the baseline for a successful MCU outing. Disney CEO Bob Iger has been vocal about a strategic shift, emphasizing “quality over quantity” after a period of rapid expansion. *Thunderbolts*’ performance will be a key test case for whether this new approach can translate into more sustainable box office success, even if it means lower peak numbers than the franchise once commanded.
The film is now entering a crucial period. While its opening was solid, it wasn’t the kind of explosive debut that guarantees a long, easy ride. Its ability to hold onto screens and maintain audience interest in the coming weeks will be paramount. Adding to the challenge, the film is expected to lose its coveted IMAX and other premium large format screens as new blockbusters arrive. This loss of higher-priced tickets and premium viewing experiences will require standard screens and consistent turnout to keep the momentum going. Can it push significantly past the $400 million worldwide mark that seems to have become a recent ceiling for some MCU films? Or can it tap into something deeper that allows it to legs back towards the kind of numbers the “OG Marvel” movies used to hit? The answer is still playing out, one ticket sale at a time.
Sinners: The Horror Juggernaut Rolls On
If *Thunderbolts* represents the challenges facing established giants, *Sinners* is the thrilling counter-narrative of a film that built its own momentum and defied expectations at every turn. In its fourth weekend, Ryan Coogler’s horror film earned a stunning $23 million, a remarkable hold and a testament to its powerful connection with audiences. This performance pushed its domestic total past the $216 million mark, securing its place in the record books. It is now officially the highest-grossing original film (meaning, not a sequel, remake, or based on existing IP beyond a potential loose concept) at the US and Canada box office since Pixar’s *Coco* in 2017.
This kind of performance from a non-franchise, R-rated horror film with a $90 million budget is nothing short of extraordinary. Remember when a horror film hitting $100 million domestic was cause for celebration? *Sinners* blew past that weeks ago. Its global total is now nearing $300 million, a figure that guarantees significant theatrical profitability for Warner Bros., the studio that took the calculated risk on Coogler’s vision. This wasn’t just a horror hit; it became a genuine cultural talking point, fueling online discussions and drawing in viewers far beyond the genre’s typical fanbase. It even managed this feat despite losing some of its prime IMAX real estate to *Thunderbolts*, a common hurdle for legs-y films facing new competition.
The film’s run invites comparisons to other leggy box office champions. Domestically, it has the potential to surpass the domestic gross of high-profile original films like *Gravity* ($274 million domestic in 2013) and could even take aim at the $292 million domestic total of Christopher Nolan’s *Inception* (2010). Whether it ultimately reaches those specific milestones is almost beside the point; its trajectory demonstrates that audiences will passionately support ambitious, original filmmaking, especially when it taps into the primal power of the horror genre. While not typically the kind of film that generates widespread ‘Oscar buzz’, its commercial and critical reception has cemented its status as one of the year’s most significant cinematic events, proving that scares, when done right, can lead to spectacular box office results.
The success of *Sinners* isn’t just good news for Warner Bros. or Ryan Coogler; it’s a vital pulse check for the health of original cinema in the blockbuster era. It proves that you don’t need a cape or a 50-year history to draw massive crowds, provided the concept is compelling, the execution is strong, and the word of mouth is overwhelmingly positive. For studios constantly searching for the next reliable IP, *Sinners* is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the biggest rewards come from betting on fresh ideas and talented storytellers.
Speaking of fresh ideas, or perhaps just very, very popular existing ones, while Sinners grabbed headlines for its original bona fides, another non-superhero film continued its march towards a billion dollars. For insights on the horror genre’s current strength, check out our related post: The Untamed Beast: How Horror Took Over the Box Office.
Beyond the Top Two: Mining Success and Indie Scares
Further down the charts, other films made their mark. Warner Bros. Pictures’ *A Minecraft Movie* continued its surprisingly dominant run. The video game adaptation added to its substantial haul, pushing its domestic total past $400 million and its worldwide box office past an incredible $909 million. It’s now firmly on track to become the rare live-action film based on a video game to cross the coveted $1 billion global threshold, a testament to the enduring appeal of the game and a successful translation to the big screen that avoided the pitfalls of many previous game adaptations. This film underscores that massive, pre-existing IP remains a potent force, even outside the traditional superhero space.
In the realm of independent horror, *Clown in a Cornfield* debuted with a record-setting opening weekend for IFC Films, earning an estimated $3.8 million. While this figure might seem modest compared to the nine-figure sums discussed above, it represents a significant success for the distributor and the film itself, made on a much smaller budget. The movie received a ‘C+’ CinemaScore from audiences, which is typical for horror but doesn’t necessarily indicate strong word of mouth. However, IFC is leveraging a 31-day theatrical window before it hits VOD, hoping to maximize its exclusive time in theaters. Its performance will be watched closely to see if it can surpass the domestic total of recent indie horror hits like *Late Night with the Devil*.
Other films in the market included Sony’s video game adaptation *Until Dawn*, which quietly added around $2 million, pushing its worldwide total towards $45 million against a reported $15 million budget – a solid, profitable outcome even without making big splashes. Smaller genre pictures like *Shadow Force* and *Fight or Flight* also opened but failed to make significant impacts on the top ten, illustrating the challenging landscape for new releases without strong marketing pushes or undeniable buzz.
The Wider Picture: A Market Finding Its Footing
Looking at the overall picture for the weekend of May 9-11, 2025, the total box office revenue remained about 11% below the same weekend in 2024. This year-over-year comparison continues to be a talking point for the industry as it fully recovers from the disruptions of recent years. However, the year-to-date figures offer a more optimistic view, showing a 15.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This suggests a slow but steady recovery, driven by stronger performances from some key titles throughout the year, like *Sinners* and *Minecraft*, even if individual weekends might lag behind last year’s specific releases.
The performance of *Sinners*, in particular, highlights a crucial element of the market’s current health: the ability of diverse films, not just the biggest franchise entries, to break through and find massive audiences. The independent success of *Clown in a Cornfield* at its scale further reinforces that different segments of the market are responding to theatrical offerings. While the dominance of tentpoles is undeniable, the health of the overall ecosystem relies on these smaller, unexpected hits filling the gaps and demonstrating audience appetite for variety.
Looking Ahead: New Blood and Shifting Screens
As we move into the next few weeks, the box office landscape is set to shift once again. The highly anticipated *Final Destination: Bloodlines* is poised to arrive, promising another dose of elaborate, R-rated horror mayhem. Given the incredible success of *Sinners* and the enduring appeal of the *Final Destination* franchise’s morbid creativity, this entry could prove to be a major summer blockbuster, potentially even giving the reigning champs a run for their money.
The arrival of new blockbusters like *Final Destination* means tough competition for existing films. As mentioned earlier, *Thunderbolts* will lose its valuable premium screens, forcing it to rely even more heavily on standard showings and positive word of mouth to maintain its trajectory. Can audiences who weren’t compelled by the initial trailers or opening weekend reviews be swayed by friends or online chatter? Its path to profitability depends heavily on it avoiding steep weekly drops from here on out.
Similarly, *Sinners*, while a certified hit, will face the natural decline that comes with market saturation and new releases. Its historical performance suggests it has stronger legs than most horror films, but maintaining its current pace will be difficult. However, its remarkable domestic gross has already secured its legacy, and any additional millions are just gravy for what has become one of the biggest success stories of the year.
The coming weeks will show whether *Thunderbolts* can rally and climb closer to the MCU numbers of old, or if its current pace represents the adjusted reality for the franchise. They will also reveal if the horror boom continues with *Final Destination: Bloodlines* and if films like *Minecraft* can achieve that rare billion-dollar milestone. The **movie theater** landscape remains dynamic, unpredictable, and utterly fascinating to watch unfold.
The Verdict: A Weekend of Contrasts
The box office weekend of May 9-11, 2025, offered a clear picture of the current cinematic climate. On one side, you had a major franchise installment doing respectable business but facing questions about its ultimate ceiling and the brand’s evolving performance metrics. On the other, you had a breakout original hit demonstrating the enduring power of compelling storytelling, especially in the horror genre, to capture the zeitgeist and generate truly remarkable box office numbers. Add in the quiet dominance of a massive IP like *Minecraft* and the niche success of indie players, and you have a market that is complex, competitive, and constantly providing new narratives to track.
While the overall numbers still have ground to gain compared to peak pre-pandemic years, the energy generated by films like *Sinners* and the consistent performance of films like *Minecraft* offer reasons for optimism. The challenge for studios remains finding the right balance between reliable franchises and bold, original content that can capture the public’s imagination and drive them out of their homes and into those darkened rooms where movie magic happens.