Thunderbolts’ Second Weekend, Minecraft Box Office Milestone
- "Thunderbolts*," the latest offering from marvel Studios, maintained its reign at the box office, earning $33.1 million during its second weekend, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
- While ticket sales for "Thunderbolts*" experienced a 55% drop from its $74 million debut, this decline proved less steep than those of several recent Marvel releases.
- Despite a softer opening than some of its predecessors (excluding "The Marvels"), "Thunderbolts*" may benefit from positive reviews and audience reception.
Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’ Remains box Office Champion in Second Week
Table of Contents
- Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’ Remains box Office Champion in Second Week
- ‘Thunderbolts*’ Performance Better Than Recent Marvel Films
- Disney Banks on ‘Thunderbolts*’ connection to Future ‘Avengers’ Film
- ‘Thunderbolts*’ Needs Strong Performance to Justify Budget
- Disney CEO Praises ‘Thunderbolts*’ as New Strategy example
- Other Films See Box Office Success
- Low-Budget Horror ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Makes Top Five
- ‘Shadow Force’ and ‘Fight or Flight’ Struggle
- ‘sinners’ and ‘A minecraft Movie’ Continue Strong Runs
- ‘The Accountant 2’ remains in Top Five
- Overall Box Office Up From Last Year
- Box Office Report: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Remains on Top
“Thunderbolts*,” the latest offering from marvel Studios, maintained its reign at the box office, earning $33.1 million during its second weekend, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Performance Better Than Recent Marvel Films
While ticket sales for “Thunderbolts*” experienced a 55% drop from its $74 million debut, this decline proved less steep than those of several recent Marvel releases. “Captain America: Brave New World,” released in February,saw a 68% decrease in its second weekend. Other films, such as 2023’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (down 70%), “The Marvels” (down 78%), and 2022’s ”Thor: love and Thunder” (down 67%), all experienced steeper declines.
Disney Banks on ‘Thunderbolts*’ connection to Future ‘Avengers’ Film
Despite a softer opening than some of its predecessors (excluding “The Marvels”), “Thunderbolts*” may benefit from positive reviews and audience reception. Disney has attempted to further generate interest by revealing that the asterisk in the film’s title signifies the team’s future designation as “The New Avengers.” The studio also announced that the group of antiheroes will appear in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” hoping this casting news will encourage audiences to familiarize themselves with the Thunderbolts before the upcoming superhero ensemble.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Needs Strong Performance to Justify Budget
To date, “Thunderbolts*” has grossed $128.5 million in North America and $272 million worldwide. Given its $180 million production cost and approximately $100 million marketing spend, the film needs to exceed expectations to be considered a financial success.
Disney CEO Praises ‘Thunderbolts*’ as New Strategy example
Earlier in the week, Disney CEO Bob Iger lauded ”Thunderbolts*,” calling it the “first and best” example of Marvel’s revised movie strategy, following critical and commercial disappointments such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “The Marvels,” and “Captain America: Brave New World.”
We’ve learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality, and frankly, we’ve all admitted to ourselves that we lost a little focus by making too much.
Bob Iger, Disney CEO
This shift in strategy could be welcome news for theater owners, as Disney’s final Marvel sequel of the year, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” is slated for release on July 25.
Other Films See Box Office Success
Meanwhile, “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners” achieved notable box office milestones, demonstrating their staying power. While “Thunderbolts*” and these holdovers dominated, three new releases struggled to gain traction.
Low-Budget Horror ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Makes Top Five
The low-budget horror film “Clown in a Cornfield” managed to secure a spot in the top five,earning $3.8 million from 2,277 theaters. This is a significant achievement for the film, wich reportedly cost under $1 million to produce.It marks the biggest opening weekend for IFC, surpassing the previous record holder, 2024’s “Late Night With the Devil,” which opened with $2.8 million. The film centers on a masked killer named Frendo who leaves victims in a cornfield.
According to CinemaScore exit polls, “Clown in a Cornfield” received a “C+” grade.
That kind of audience score is common for the genre. This is a solid opening for an indie horror film, particularly for a micro-budget production like this.
David A. Gross, Franchise Entertainment Research
‘Shadow Force’ and ‘Fight or Flight’ Struggle
Two other new releases, lionsgate’s action thriller “Shadow Force” and Vertical Entertainment’s “Fight or Flight,” are competing for eighth place, each estimated to earn $2 million from approximately 2,100 theaters. Final numbers are expected monday.
“Shadow Force,” starring Kerry Washington, has received poor reviews. With a $40 million budget, it is shaping up to be a major disappointment. Lionsgate typically recoups a portion of its production budget through international sales.
”Fight or Flight,” starring Josh Hartnett, features a Secret Service agent protecting a wanted criminal on a plane. Vertical acquired the North American rights for a low price, giving it a lower threshold for profitability.
‘Shadow Force’ will quickly move from theaters to streaming and try to recoup its production cost there. This is a soft opening for an indie action thriller, a genre that struggles at the box office.
David A. Gross, Franchise Entertainment Research
‘sinners’ and ‘A minecraft Movie’ Continue Strong Runs
“Sinners” remained strong in second place, earning $21.1 million in its fourth weekend, a decrease of only 36%. The vampire thriller has now grossed $216 million domestically and $68 million overseas,for a worldwide total of $283 million.
“A Minecraft Movie” held steady at No. 3 with $8 million in its sixth weekend, bringing its North American total to $409 million and its global total to $909 million.
‘The Accountant 2’ remains in Top Five
Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant 2” remained in fourth place with $6.09 million in its third weekend. The film has grossed $50.8 million domestically and $71 million worldwide.
Overall Box Office Up From Last Year
Overall domestic revenues are up 16% from 2024, but still about 32% behind 2019, according to Comscore.
This is a relatively quiet weekend, but it’s looking like it’s going to be an epic month of May for movie theaters.
Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore
Here’s a Q&A breakdown of the provided text about the box office performance:
Box Office Report: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts‘ Remains on Top
This report provides an overview of the weekend’s box office performance, analyzing the success of “Thunderbolts” and other films.
General Performance and Trends
Q: Which film remained at the top of the box office, and what were its earnings?
A: “thunderbolts” maintained its position at the top, earning $33.1 million in its second weekend.
Q: How did “Thunderbolts“‘s second-weekend performance compare to other recent Marvel movies?
A: While sales dropped 55% from its debut,this decline was less steep than those of previous Marvel films like “Captain America: Brave New World” (68% drop),”ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (70% drop),”The marvels” (78% drop),and “Thor: Love and Thunder” (67% drop).
Q: what are the current worldwide and North American earnings for “Thunderbolts“?
A: “Thunderbolts” has grossed $128.5 million in North America and $272 million worldwide to date.
Q: How is Disney hoping to boost interest in “Thunderbolts“?
A: Disney revealed that the asterisk in the film’s title means the team will be known as “The New Avengers” and will appear in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” in 2026.
Q: What is disney’s approach to the Marvel movies strategy?
A: Disney is reframing their movie strategy and their CEO Bob Iger confirmed the need for a more refined and intentional approach.
Q: Are overall domestic revenues up from last year?
A: Yes, overall domestic revenues are up 16% from 2024, but still about 32% behind 2019 according to Comscore.
Other Top Performers
Q: Which other movies are doing well at the box office?
A: “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners” are also performing well and demonstrating staying power. “The Accountant 2” is also in the top 5.
Q: How did “Sinners” perform in its fourth weekend?
A: “Sinners” earned $21.1 million in its fourth weekend, a decrease of only 36%, reaching a total of $216 million domestically and $68 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $283 million.
Q: What’s the performance of “A Minecraft Movie”?
A: “A minecraft Movie” held steady at No. 3 with $8 million in its sixth weekend, bringing its North American total to $409 million and its global total to $909 million.
Q: How did “The Accountant 2” perform?
A: Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant 2” remained in fourth place with $6.09 million in its third weekend,with $50.8 million domestically and $71 million worldwide.
new Releases
Q: which new movies struggled to gain traction?
A: Three new releases struggled: “Shadow Force”, “Fight or Flight” and “Clown in a Cornfield”.
Q: describe the performance of “Clown in a Cornfield.”
A: “Clown in a Cornfield,” a low-budget horror film, managed to secure a spot in the top five, earning $3.8 million from 2,277 theaters. It marks the biggest opening weekend for IFC.
Q: Where did audience polls rate “Clown in a Cornfield”?
A: “Clown in a Cornfield” received a “C+” grade from CinemaScore exit polls.
Q: How did “Shadow Force” and “Fight or Flight” fare?
A: “Shadow Force” and “Fight or flight” are competing for eighth place, earning an estimated $2 million each from approximately 2,100 theaters.
Q: Why might “Shadow Force” be considered a disappointment?
A: “Shadow force,” starring Kerry Washington, has received poor reviews, and with a $40 million budget, it is likely to be a disappointment.
Q: What is the production company and its approach to these films?
A: Lionsgate typically recoups a portion of its production budget via international sales.
Q: Why might “Fight or Flight” be profitable?
A: Vertical acquired the North American rights for a low price, lowering the threshold for profitability.
Financial and Strategic Implications
Q: What is the estimated budget for “Thunderbolts“?
A: $180 million to produce, with an additional marketing spend of roughly $100 million.
Q: What does the future hold for the studio’s movie strategy?
A: The final Marvel sequel of the year, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, is slated for release on July 25.
Q: What is the overall industry outlook?
A: This is a relatively quiet weekend, but it’s looking like it’s going to be an epic month of May for movie theaters.
Analyzing Box Office Success
Q: What factors contribute to a film’s box office success?
A: A film’s success is influenced by production/marketing spending, audience reception, and competition from other releases.
Q: What is considered triumphant for an indie horror film?
A: This is a solid opening for an indie horror film, notably for a micro-budget production.
movie Financials Summary
Here is a table summarizing the key financial data from the reports:
| Film | North American gross | Worldwide Gross | Production Cost | Marketing Spend (approx.) |
| ———————– | ——————– | —————- | ————— | ————————- |
| Thunderbolts* | $128.5 million | $272 million | $180 million | $100 million |
| Sinners | $216 million | $283 million | not Specified | Not Specified |
| A Minecraft Movie | $409 million | $909 million | Not Specified | Not Specified |
| The Accountant 2 | $50.8 million | $71 million | Not Specified | Not Specified |