Box Office: ‘Minecraft’ Scores $80 Million in Massive Second Weekend

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The “Minecraft Film” garnered an impressive $80 million during its second week in cinemas, holding onto the top spot at the box office despite five fresh films debuting in theaters.

The earnings for “A Minecraft Movie,” initially setting a record at $162.7 million, have dropped by half since then. This is still an impressive retention rate for a film of its magnitude. To date, the Warner Bros. and Legendary production, featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, has made $282 million in the U.S. and $550 million worldwide. With just 10 days in cinemas, “Minecraft” has surpassed other films this year, earning more than Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which grossed $199 million domestically and $410 million globally.

Despite a rough beginning in 2025, the release of “A Minecraft Movie” has significantly improved the financial situation for movie theater operators across the nation. Previously, box office receipts were running about 11% behind last year and an astounding 40% below 2019 levels, based on Comscore data. However, this gap has since narrowed to just 0.5% behind 2024 figures and 31% below 2019’s totals. Hollywood is pinning its hopes on upcoming films like Ryan Coogler’s R-rated “Sinners,” Marvel’s “Thunderbolts,” Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and Disney’s remake of “Lilo & Stitch” to fill the revenue gap, with the aim of eventually surpassing 2024’s year-to-date earnings.

‘A Minecraft Movie’ rode in as saviors during a rather sluggish March for cinemas,” noted senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “This is fantastic timing, just before the kickoff of the summer movie season.

In terms of debut performances among fresh releases, “The King of Kings,” a family-friendly animated film from Angel Studios with a spiritual theme, opened in second position, earning $19 million across 3,200 cinemas. The voice cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, and Pierce Brosnan. This movie tells the biography of Jesus Christ as narrated by young author Charles Dickens. Critics’ reviews were divided (63% on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences were impressed and gave it a rare “A+” rating on CinemaScore polls at the exit. Angel Studios, known for “The Sound of Freedom,” is encouraging parents with their “Kids Go Free” program, which allows children to watch the film free of charge when an adult ticket is purchased.

Brandon Purdie, head of global theatrical distribution at Angel Studio, stated that the high CinemaScore for ‘The King of Kings’ speaks volumes. The movie is among the 128 titles that received an exceptional ‘A+’ rating, indicating its quality. It seems families are eager to watch top-notch films together in cinemas, and this weekend’s success demonstrates just what audiences are yearning for.”

“This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving” -> “demonstrates just what audiences are yearning for”)

Ranking third is Disney’s action-packed thriller “The Amateur,” earning $15 million from 3,400 cinemas. Internationally, it grossed an additional $17.2 million, bringing its total global earnings to $32.2 million. These early returns are on the optimistic side of predictions, but with a production budget of $60 million, “The Amateur” needs to maintain its presence in theaters to cover its costs. Audiences gave it a “B+” on CinemaScore, which could boost word-of-mouth recommendations. In this film, Rami Malek portrays a CIA analyst who seeks revenge for the terrorist attack that claimed his wife’s life. The supporting cast includes Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, and Laurence Fishburne.

The gritty battlefield drama “Warfare,” produced by A24 and directed by Alex Garland and Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, opened at No. 4 with earnings of $8.3 million from 2,670 theaters across North America. This film, which had a production budget of $20 million, is inspired by Mendoza’s experiences as a former Navy SEAL, offering a gripping portrayal of a platoon of soldiers battling their way through insurgent territory in real-time.

Among this weekend’s fresh debuts, “Warfare” garnered the most positive response. It received an “A-” on CinemaScore and a stunning 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The appeal for younger audiences was largely due to the impressive ensemble cast of “Warfare”, featuring breakout stars such as D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai from “Reservation Dogs”, Will Poulter known for “We’re the Millers”, Cosmo Jarvis recognized for his role in “Shogun”, Joseph Quinn from “A Quiet Place Day One”, Kit Connor of “Heartstopper”, Noah Centineo famous for “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, Michael Gandolfini from “The Many Saints of Newark”, and Charles Melton, who appeared in “May December”.

The horror movie “Drop,” produced by Universal and Blumhouse, placed fifth in the box office upon its release, earning $7.7 million across 3,085 cinemas. However, it underperformed internationally, grossing just $2 million from 47 territories, resulting in a global debut of $10 million. Despite this modest opening, the film’s production cost was only $11 million, meaning it doesn’t require significant earnings to turn a profit. Directed by Christopher Landon, known for “Freaky,” “Drop” stars Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”) as a widowed mom named Violet, who receives menacing phone calls while on a date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar from “It Ends With Us”). The caller threatens to harm her son and sister unless she kills the man she’s dining with first. While “Drop” received positive reviews for a horror film (83% on Rotten Tomatoes), it garnered only an average response from audiences, receiving a “B” grade on CinemaScore.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that “The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 3,” Fathom Entertainment’s inspiring TV series revolving around Jesus and his disciples, made its debut in the sixth spot at the box office, raking in $6.15 million from a grand total of 2,296 screens. This is quite impressive, given that another spiritual film, “King of Kings,” is currently running alongside it. The earnings align well with the initial sales figures for parts one and two, demonstrating a steady fanbase. Interestingly, Fathom Entertainment is planning to release the fifth season of this series in cinemas, with each episode having a two-week run. To date, “Part 1” has accumulated an impressive $20 million, while “Part 2” has generated $11.3 million. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!

As a devoted cinephile, I’ve got to share some news about Disney’s “Snow White” remake. After four weekends in theaters, it’s slid down to the eighth spot, taking in only $2.8 million from 2,540 screens. However, this modern take on the classic tale has still managed to garner a total of $81.9 million domestically and an impressive $181 million globally.

More to come….

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2025-04-13 18:17