Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have proven their box office magic once again. Their new original R-rated vampire thriller Sinners emerged as the No. 1 film in North America this weekend, collecting a solid $45.6 million from 3,308 theaters. Despite competition from Warner Bros.’ own family blockbuster A Minecraft Movie, Sinners captivated audiences with its bold genre twist, historical setting, and magnetic lead performance by Jordan, who plays dual roles as twin brothers.
This marks the biggest debut for an original film since Jordan Peele’s Us opened to $71 million in 2019, and the strongest for an R-rated original since before the pandemic. The film’s exceptional CinemaScore grade of “A”—a rarity in the horror genre—suggests stellar word of mouth, boosted by its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score.
A Bloody Good Weekend for ‘Sinners’
“Sinners” is set in the 1930s and follows identical twins Smoke and Stack who return to the American South to open a juke joint, only to find their hometown overrun by vampires. Filmed using IMAX cameras and featuring lush period visuals, the movie leaned heavily into premium large-format screens. IMAX alone accounted for 20% of revenue, with Dolby and 4DX formats contributing to 45% of total ticket sales.
“The enormous production cost is going to cast a long shadow,” noted David A. Gross of FranchiseRe, referring to the film’s $90 million production budget (excluding global marketing). Still, he called it “an excellent opening for a period horror film.”
Internationally, Sinners added $15.4 million, taking its global total to $61 million after just one weekend. Given the acclaim and strong start, the film may have legs in the coming weeks.
Warner Bros. made a bold move by offering Coogler eventual ownership rights to Sinners after 25 years—an extraordinary deal that reflects the studio’s confidence in the filmmaker. Notably, even Steven Spielberg doesn’t receive similar rights for his films.
‘Minecraft’ Slips to Second but Stays Dominant
After two weekends atop the charts, A Minecraft Movie dropped to second place with $41.3 million, down 47% from the previous weekend. The family-friendly video game adaptation, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, has now amassed $344.6 million domestically and a staggering $720.8 million globally, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year so far.
Though it narrowly missed topping the box office again, Minecraft continues to perform like a juggernaut, already outpacing Disney and Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World ($410 million globally).
Easter Weekend Box Office Roundup
Rounding out the top five:
3rd Place: The King of Kings, Angel Studios’ animated take on the life of Jesus, earned $17.2 million in its second weekend—a minimal 10.8% drop. With $45.3 million in total so far, the Easter-timed release continues to resonate.
4th Place: Disney’s The Amateur, starring Rami Malek as a rogue CIA analyst, took in $7.2 million, bringing its total to $27.3 million after two weeks. With a $60 million budget, the film is shaping up to be a commercial underperformer.
5th Place: A24’s Warfare added $4.8 million, totaling $17.1 million. Although critically praised, the indie combat thriller still needs more momentum to recoup its $20 million production cost.
New Releases and Limited Debuts
GKIDS’ anime film Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing opened to a strong $2.76 million from just 800 screens, while Focus Features’ Pride & Prejudice 20th anniversary re-release drew in $2.7 million from 1,393 screens.
Meanwhile, Bleecker Street’s modern queer dramedy The Wedding Banquet, a reinterpretation of Ang Lee’s 1993 classic, underperformed with $922K across 1,139 theaters. Despite a well-reviewed ensemble cast featuring Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Kelly Marie Tran, the film struggled to find its footing.
Market Trends and Studio Outlook
With Sinners and Minecraft leading the charge, Warner Bros. appears to be turning the tide after box office duds like The Alto Knights and Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17. “We are thrilled to see how Ryan Coogler’s original movie and Minecraft have resonated,” said studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy in a statement. “Warner Bros. remains committed to bold theatrical experiences.”
Industry-wide, domestic box office revenues are now 5% ahead of last year, although still 29% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels, according to Comscore. With major titles like Marvel’s Thunderbolts, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake on the horizon, the coming months could bring further recovery.
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