Slow Moviegoing Weekend Overview
This weekend has marked one of the most sluggish periods for the domestic box office in 2025, as well as one of the weakest since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the releases, it appears that audiences have chosen to stay home rather than venture out to theaters.
Leading the Box Office: ‘Novocaine’
Paramount’s action-comedy Novocaine has managed to dominate this declining market, debuting with an estimated $8.7 million. Despite expectations of hitting the $10 million mark, the film has set a new benchmark for the weekend by outperforming competitors. With Jack Quaid in the leading role, the story introduces a unique twist on the traditional action hero—someone who excels in resilience rather than aggression. Thanks to genetic modifications, Quaid’s character can withstand pain, adding a distinctive angle to the action-comedy genre.
Close Competition: ‘Black Bag’ and ‘Mickey 17’
The fight for second place has emerged as a battle between Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag and Warner Bros.’ struggling film Mickey 17, both grossing approximately $7.5 million. Mickey 17, however, is facing significant challenges, having dropped roughly 60% from its opening weekend—a trend that raises questions about its long-term viability in theaters.
Box Office Statistics
Unsurprisingly, this weekend is one of the rare occasions when no film has crossed the $10 million threshold. Overall, the domestic box office revenue has only reached about $54.7 million, only slightly better than the dismal figures from the Super Bowl weekend earlier this year, which stood at $55.8 million.
Marvel’s Steady Performance
In fifth place, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World continues to show resilience, earning around $5.5 million in its fifth week and bringing its North American total to nearly $190 million. Furthermore, Disney has crossed a significant milestone by becoming the first studio this year to surpass $1 billion in overall box office receipts.
Emerging Titles and Future Prospects
Continuing the trend of new releases, A Looney Tunes Movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still debuted with $3.2 million, rounding out the top five. Additionally, independent film The Last Supper followed closely with $2.8 million.
As exhibitors eagerly await the arrival of Disney’s much-anticipated live-action adaptation, Snow White, executives remain optimistic about future releases. Expectations are high for Snow White to launch with a domestic opening between $50 and $56 million, followed by the video game adaptation A Minecraft Movie, both predicted to perform well in theaters.
Stay tuned for more updates as the box office landscape continues to evolve.