Box Office Boost for Two New Releases

Two new wide releases top the charts with strong openings as the summer season winds down.

Weapons and Freakier Friday Deliver Box Office Boost

Weapons opens to 42.5 million, Freakier Friday starts with 29 million, and the previous weekend champ Fantastic Four The First Steps drops to 15.5 million in its third weekend. The pair tops the box office as summer winds down and sets the pace for a crowded fall schedule. Weapons carries a budget of 38 million, Freakier Friday 42 million, and both are released by major studios. Zach Cregger follows Barbarian with this thriller wrapped in a horror style and features Julia Garner and Josh Brolin. The release marks a win for Warner Bros through its New Line division and keeps the studio in a strong position heading into autumn.

The Bad Guys 2 earns 10.4 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to around 43.4 million. The Naked Gun adds 8.3 million for a total of 33 million. Sketch opens to 2.5 million from Angel Studios. CinemaScore gives Weapons an A- and Freakier Friday an A, signaling solid audience reception that could support longer legs at theaters.

Two new hits show that crowded markets still reward bold debuts, but profit hinges on more than a fast start. With budgets toward the 40 million range, studios face pressure to translate opening numbers into lasting returns as streaming options respond to theatrical choices. The tally also underscores how studio strategy matters, with Warner Bros and its New Line label pushing momentum on a high profile horror and a family comedy.

Looking ahead, the industry will watch if this momentum survives into the fall and whether audiences stay for sequels and remakes or shift to streaming after a few weeks. The weekend also hints at a changing balance between star power and storytelling that could shape the next wave of releases.

Highlights

The box office still matters, but the real test is what comes next