Box Office: ‘Minecraft’ to Steamroll Over Rami Malek’s ‘Amateur,’ Blumhouse Thriller ‘Drop’

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Over the weekend, “A Minecraft Movie” is expected to dominate the box office once more, with fresh releases such as Universal and Blumhouse‘s heart-pounding film “Drop”, and the Rami Malek-starring spy thriller “The Amateur” hitting the cinemas.

The PG-rated comedy “Minecraft,” produced by Warner Bros. and Legendary, dominated the box office last weekend with a staggering debut of $162.7 million, making it the largest opening of the year and the highest ever for a movie based on a video game. In its second week, analysts predict a drop in ticket sales between 50% to 60%, bringing in around $65 million to $82 million. The film’s trajectory might even match Universal’s successful video game adaptations “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Barbie,” both of which experienced relatively small declines in their second weekends. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” dropped by 37% with $92 million, while “Barbie” fell by 42% with $93 million upon its sophomore outing. To date, “Minecraft” has amassed over $320 million worldwide and is poised to surpass Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” ($412 million) as the biggest Hollywood release of the year.

From a cinema enthusiast’s perspective, it seems that Disney and 20th Century Studios’ “The Amateur” and Angel Studios’ animated faith-based film, “The King of Kings,” will be neck and neck in the race for second place at the box office. Both movies aim to gather around $12 million to $14 million during their opening weekends, while “Drop” and A24’s “Warfare” are predicted to earn roughly $6 million to $8 million.

The latest movie from Angel Studios, known for ‘The Sound of Freedom’ and faith-based films like ‘Brave the Dark’ and ‘Rule Breakers’, is titled ‘The King of Kings’. To attract more families, Angel Studios has introduced a promotion called ‘Kids Go Free’. This means that children can watch the film for free when an adult ticket is purchased. The voice cast for this movie includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, and Pierce Brosnan. In ‘King of Kings’, young author Charles Dickens narrates the biography of Jesus Christ.

As a movie enthusiast, allow me to share my thoughts on “Warfare,” an intense war drama directed by Alex Garland, best known for his work on “Civil War,” in collaboration with Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza. This film is based on Mendoza’s personal experiences as a former Navy SEAL and offers a gripping, real-time portrayal of a platoon of soldiers navigating treacherous insurgent territory.

The cast, brimming with promising talent, includes D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai from “Reservation Dogs,” Will Poulter from “We’re the Millers,” Cosmo Jarvis from “Shogun,” Joseph Quinn from “A Quiet Place Day One,” Kit Connor from “Heartstopper,” Noah Centineo from “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Michael Gandolfini from “The Many Saints of Newark,” and Charles Melton from “May December.” Each actor brings their unique charisma to the ensemble, making for an engaging viewing experience.

The film titled ‘Warfare’ has been widely acclaimed (boasting a 92% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes), with critic Justin Chang from The New Yorker lauding the “surprising yet magical blending of skills” displayed by its co-directors. Garland, as per Chang, contributes immense cinematic intelligence and, owing perhaps to his British background, shows an innate resistance to American nationalism. Mendoza, on the other hand, draws upon his own grueling experience during the 2006 evacuation of Ramadi.

The intriguing tone of “Drop,” a chilling thriller directed by Christopher Landon (of “Freaky” fame), might boost its word-of-mouth. This critically acclaimed movie stars Meghann Fahy, who broke out in “The White Lotus,” as Violet, a widowed mother. During her first date with Henry, played by Brandon Sklenar from “It Ends With Us,” she starts receiving menacing phone calls. The caller is sinister; they demand that Violet murder her date before they harm her son and sister. EbMaster’s Siddhant Adlakha commended “Drop” as a “confidently silly, pulpy mystery,” noting that the film effectively combines tech paranoia and the ominous specter of abuse to create something surprisingly tense and enjoyable.

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2025-04-09 18:18