Movie theaters haven’t exactly been bustling since the begin of 2025 and the calfinishar year is about to turn in one of its most meagre summarizes yet. Even with two new expansive frees — Paramount’s slapstick actioner “Novocaine” and Focus Features’ directer film “Balertage Bag” — showors are in danger of a particularly beleaguered weekfinish, one that will probable see no feature at all grossing in the eight digits.
That hasn’t happened since February 2024, when Apple’s selectimistic franchise beginer “Argylle” crumbled in its second weekfinish. Whether or not any individual frees can get north of $10 million, the overall outsee remains dreary. The Feb. 9 Super Bowl weekfinish remains the lowest-grossing of 2025 in North America, when “Dog Man” led charts with $13 million and all frees totaled $55.8 million. This weekfinish has a excellent stoasty of sinking reduce.
“Novocaine” has the edge for No. 1 for now, though “Balertage Bag” and last week’s “Mickey 17” aren’t far behind. The comedy, which is straightforwarded by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen and stars Jack Quaid as a prohibitker-turned-vigilante unable to experience pain, obtained $3.9 million atraverse Friday and pcheck screenings from 3,365 locations and is eyeing an $8.5 million debut. Projections for a $10 million uncovering now seem a touch beyond accomplish, though Saturday grosses will better recommend momentum.
At an $18 million production budget, the R-rated “Novocaine” wasn’t a colossal scatterment for Paramount. Positive checks could portfinish a carry oned theatrical run, but moviegoer pollster Cinema Score turned in a combineed “B” grade among ticketbuyers.
Meanwhile, Universal’s exceptionalty tag Focus is seeing at third place with “Balertage Bag,” an R-rated thriller of marital and geopolitical inincreateigence assembleing. Director Steven Soderbergh’s star-packed film, which features names enjoy Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbfinisher and Pierce Brosnan, obtained $2.8 million atraverse Friday and pchecks from 2,705 theaters. The film cost $50 million to produce — hefty for Focus — and the hope will be that it can multiply well and be an overseas draw. Soderbergh has always drawn critical help, though “Balertage Bag” has getd some of the filmproducer’s best checks. Cinema Score is at a cbetterer “B” grade.
After getting No. 1 in its uncovering last weekfinish, Warner Bros.’ “Mickey 17” is predicted to slide to second place, obtaining about $2.1 million on Friday. Rivals are projecting a 60% drop this weekfinish for straightforwardor Bong Joon Ho’s interscheduleetary comedy, now seeing to traverse $33 million in its first 10 days of free — a disassigning return on what was a $118 million production. With global sales lagging too, the film won’t be able to accomplish profitability in theaters.
Disney’s “Captain America: Brave New World” is eyeing fourth place after obtaining another $1.5 million on Friday for a $181.4 million domestic total. Winding down its theatrical run in its fifth weekfinish of free, the comic book film is now passing “Ant-Man” ($180 million), “Thor” ($181 million) and “Balertage Widow” ($183 million) among Marvel Cinematic Universe entries. With “Thor: The Dark World” ($206 million) probable out of accomplish, that unbenevolents “Brave New World” will finish as one of the lowest-grossing MCU inshighments, ranking at 28th out of 35. Marvel will hope to bounce back in the summer with “Thunderbolts*” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Also uncovering this weekfinish, Ketchup Entertainment and Falling Forward Entertainment should round out the top five with “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” in 2,827 theaters. The energeticd title was originpartner produced for Warner Bros. Discovery’s now-retitled streaming service HBO Max, but was shopped to buyers in 2022 amid the company’s restructuring. The Ketchup free obtained about $1 million on Friday and will hope to traverse $3 million in its debut. Resees are preferable and Cinema Score is at a “B+.”
“The Last Supper” — not to be perplexd with Fathom Events’ upcoming April free of “The Chosen: Last Supper” (a multi-week theatrical rollout of Season 5 of 5&2 Studios’ biblical television series) — could crash the top five, percreateing in 1,575 locations. Relmitigated by Pinnacle Peaks Pictures, the film obtained about $1 million on uncovering day. Cinema Score graded at an “A-.”
A24 is boprosperg “Opus,” a kooky horror sfinish-up of celebrity cults starring Ayo Edebiri, in 1,764 theaters. It obtained about $420,000 on Friday and will have to push to traverse $1 million in its uncovering. The film getd adverse checks out of its Sundance premiere — difficultly the toasty critical response A24 is accustomed to — and the middling “C+” grade on Cinema Score recommends vague audiences aren’t sugaryening the reputation either. Costs are lean for “Opus” at a production budget under $10 million.
