Weapons dominates weekend box office

A look at a split box office weekend where a horror hit leads while mid-budget sequels and a high-profile drama struggle.

Weapons Dominates Second Weekend as Americana Struggles

Weapons is on track to top the box office again this weekend with an estimated 25 million dollars, keeping its strong hold on the No. 1 spot. Its second-week performance looks resilient, with a forecast drop of about 42 percent, a solid achievement for a horror title playing in 3,450 cinemas. The film’s ongoing appeal is evident in its per-theater strength and the broader trend of durable horror releases drawing audiences even as other genres shift.

Nobody 2 opens around 9.4 million dollars in its domestic debut. With a budget of about 26 million dollars, the sequel lands lower than some expectations, though the first Nobody saw a pandemic-era start of 6.8 million and eventual domestic total around 68 million. The new release benefits from a modest budget and a quick path to premium video on demand in roughly three weeks, a tactic studios have leaned on to recoup costs quickly.

Freakier Friday, a family-friendly comedy with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, is projected to earn in the mid-teens, reflecting continued audience interest in reunion projects. Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee’s new prestige title, opens in select theaters before a broader, shorter release window on Apple TV+ and limited theatrical play. Americana, a crime heist drama starring Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey, debuts in 1,100 theaters but is tracking toward a weak box office opening with a low per-theater average. The market is showing a clear appetite for some theatrical experiences while other releases struggle to gain momentum.

The weekend shows a market that rewards durable blockbusters and high-gleam streaming tie-ins while smaller titles battle for attention. The contrast between Weapons’ steady performance and Americana’s weak debut underscores how release strategy and audience reach matter as much as budget size. Studios are increasingly testing PVOD windows for mid-budget projects, a move that can reduce risk when theatrical reception is uncertain. The numbers also reveal how theater counts shape perception; a film’s per-location average can tell a different story from its total gross, especially when hits roll out across thousands of screens while indie titles linger in limited runs.

As the industry navigates a crowded slate, investors will watch whether PVOD and staggered releases deliver the expected financial relief or simply shift where the money lands. The takeaway is clear: a strong core concept and smart distribution plan can soften a soft opening, but a weak opener can ripple through a studio’s plans for the season.

Highlights

The week will test how audiences balance the lure of star-driven projects with the pull of on-demand viewing.