New York – The highly anticipated release of “Captain America: Brave New World” had audiences flocking to theaters on its opening weekend, but the film’s second week saw a steep decline in ticket sales. Despite remaining at the top of the box office, the film’s 68% drop in sales has left many questioning the future of the Marvel franchise.
After a record-breaking debut of $100 million over four days and $88 million over three days, “Brave New World” saw a significant decrease in its second week, with only two previous MCU titles experiencing a similar drop. This has raised concerns about the strength of the once-invincible Marvel brand, which has struggled to recapture its pre-“Avengers: Endgame” success.
Critics have been quick to slam “Brave New World,” and audiences have also given it a lukewarm response, with a “B-” CinemaScore. Fans had hoped that this installment, led by Anthony Mackie, would bring back the magic of the earlier Marvel films, but it seems to have fallen short of expectations.
Despite the disappointing domestic performance, “Brave New World” has still managed to gross $289.4 million worldwide, with international sales reaching nearly $150 million. With few big-budget releases in the coming weeks, the film is expected to continue its reign at the box office through much of March.
The only new release to make a significant impact at the box office this weekend was “The Monkey,” the latest horror film from director Oz Perkins. Adapted from a Stephen King short story, the film opened with $14.2 million for Neon, making it the second-best debut for the indie distributor. This is a promising start for Perkins, whose previous film “Longlegs” was a hit in 2024, grossing $22.4 million in its opening weekend.
Neon had even more reason to celebrate this weekend, as their top awards contender “Anora” continued to gain momentum leading up to the Academy Awards next Sunday. The film, directed by Sean Baker, added wins at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, solidifying its position as a top contender for the Best Picture award.
Neon, along with production company Blumhouse, have found success with their low-budget collaborations, with more projects in the works. Even if “The Monkey” doesn’t reach the heights of “Longlegs,” which grossed $126.9 million globally, fans can look forward to the release of “Keeper” this October.
Starring Tatiana Maslany and Theo James, “The Monkey” tells the story of an old toy monkey found in an attic. While reviews have been positive (77% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences have given it a less impressive C+ CinemaScore. However, horror films typically receive lower scores from audiences.
Neon’s marketing strategy for “The Monkey” followed a similar cryptic and macabre approach as they did with “Longlegs.” The film even had a funeral-themed premiere at Los Angeles’ Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and fan screenings were held at the Hollywood Cemetery. With a production cost of $10 million, the film has already proven to be a success for Neon and producer James Wan.
In contrast, Lionsgate’s “The Unbreakable Boy” had a disappointing opening weekend, grossing only $2.5 million in 1,687 theaters. The Christian-themed film, directed by Jon Gunn and starring Zachary Levi and Meghann Fahy, tells the story of parents learning to cope with their son’s autism and brittle bone disease.
“Paddington in Peru,” the third installment of the beloved marmalade-loving bear, fell to third place in its second weekend, grossing $6.5 million in 3,890 locations. The film has been more successful overseas, with a total of $150 million in international sales so far.
Meanwhile, “Ne Zha 2,” the animated Chinese blockbuster, continued to dominate the box office in its second weekend, bringing in $3.1 million from 800 theaters. In China, the sequel has grossed a staggering $1.7 billion this month, breaking numerous box office records. This puts “Ne Zha 2” ahead of “Inside Out 2” ($1.66 billion) as the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office this weekend
