Recent box office reports offer a comprehensive look into the diverse performances of several films, spanning animated debuts, sci-fi epics, horror releases, and continuing theatrical runs. Newcomers like Pixar's "Hoppers" and Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" made significant splashes, while Warner Bros.' "The Bride!" faced a challenging opening.
The box office demonstrated strong growth, with total revenue for one reported weekend reaching $96.8 million, a 25% increase compared to the same weekend a year prior. Another weekend's total surpassed $87 million across all films, marking a 68% increase year-over-year.
Pixar's "Hoppers" Takes Flight
Pixar's "Hoppers" emerged as the top film during its opening weekend, securing $46 million domestically from 4,000 North American theaters. Internationally, it added $42 million, culminating in a worldwide debut total of $88 million. This achievement marked the largest launch for an original animated film from the studio since "Coco" in 2017. Previews contributed $3.2 million, with $2 million earned on Thursday night. The film was produced with a budget of $150 million.
Critical Acclaim and Sustained Performance
"Hoppers" garnered widespread critical and audience acclaim, boasting a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences, an "A" CinemaScore, and a perfect five-out-of-five stars on PostTrak exits. One source even reported a 97% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
By its second weekend, "Hoppers" was estimated to achieve approximately $30 million, reaching a domestic total of around $88.3 million. In its third global weekend, the film recorded $52.2 million ($18 million domestic, $34.2 million international), bringing its total worldwide cumulative gross to $242.6 million ($120.4 million domestic, $122.2 million international). Notably, its domestic third-weekend gross of $18 million was slightly below initial expectations.
By its fourth weekend, "Hoppers" secured an estimated $11.3 million, pushing its total domestic gross to $137.6 million.
The film also performed strongly internationally, opening at No. 1 in China with $9.6 million, marking the highest opening weekend for an original MPA animated film in that market since "Coco" in 2017. It also led in Taiwan with $3.0 million and ranked No. 1 in Malaysia.
The film's plot centers on Mabel (Piper Curda), who transfers her consciousness into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals, uncover mysteries, and rally the animal kingdom against a human threat.
"Project Hail Mary" Blasts Off Globally
"Project Hail Mary" achieved a global debut of $140.9 million, establishing itself as the largest worldwide opening for an MPA title in 2026. The film's net production budget was reported at $190 million. Its international gross for the opening weekend was an estimated $60.4 million from 82 markets. It opened at No. 1 in over 60 markets, including $10.2 million in the United Kingdom and $5 million in Australia. It debuted at No. 2 in China ($7.1 million) and South Korea ($4.3 million).
IMAX Dominance and Strong Second Weekend
IMAX contributed significantly to the film's success, generating $30.3 million to "Project Hail Mary's" worldwide gross, with $16.4 million from North American IMAX screenings. The film was also presented in the exclusive IMAX 70MM format in 15 locations, earning $2 million. Internationally, IMAX box office for the film totaled $11.2 million.
In its second weekend, "Project Hail Mary" achieved an updated gross of $53.1 million, following a Friday of $14.6 million. This strong performance placed its second weekend higher than "Oppenheimer" ($46.7 million) and "Dune Part Two" ($46.2 million).
Its total cumulative gross by the end of its second weekend was $162.9 million. Audience demographics for the second weekend showed 54% men and 36% women. Women over 25 represented 37% of the audience, men over 25 were 36%, and men under 25 accounted for 19%. Notably, women under 25, comprising 8% of the audience, showed 100% positive PostTrak exits.
"The Bride!" Struggles at the Box Office
Warner Bros.' "The Bride!", directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, debuted in North America with $7.3 million from 3,304 theaters. Its production budget was reported at $80 million by one source and $90 million by another. Studio projections for its opening weekend were $16 million to $18 million, while independent tracking services estimated $10 million to $15 million. Previews for the film generated $1 million.
Mixed Reception and Significant Drop
The film received a 71% audience score and a 60% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, with another source reporting a 59% rating. It received a "C+" CinemaScore.
Globally, "The Bride!" accumulated $6.3 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total for the debut weekend to $13 million (or $13.6 million by another report). In its second weekend, "The Bride!" experienced a steep 70% decline, with an estimated $2.15 million, bringing its total cumulative gross to $11.3 million by Sunday.
Industry analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations commented that "elevated horror is a tough sell" and suggested the film "couldn’t find an audience."
Warner Bros. issued a statement acknowledging the film's performance and stating their belief in studios "taking bold swings on originals." "The Bride!" is Gyllenhaal’s second directorial project and stars Jessie Buckley as the created companion and Christian Bale as Frankenstein's monster, inspired by the 1935 film "The Bride of Frankenstein."
"Reminders of Him" Connects with Audiences
Universal's "Reminders of Him," an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, debuted with an estimated $19-20 million for its opening weekend, securing the top position on Friday with $8 million from 3,402 North American locations. The film recorded $1.9 million in Thursday previews.
Strong Female Demographics Drive Success
The film's audience was predominantly female (81%), with 57% women over 25 and 25% women under 25. PostTrak data indicated a definite recommend score of 66%, and it received a "B" CinemaScore. Audience motivation for ticket purchases included its connection to Colleen Hoover's work (32%) and the romance drama genre (30%).
"Undertone" Opens with Modest Numbers
A24's horror film "Undertone" opened with an estimated $8.5 million to $10.5 million for its debut weekend, earning $4.3 million on Friday from 2,570 locations. The film generated $1 million in Thursday previews.
Mixed Audience Reaction for Horror Debut
It secured a "C" CinemaScore and a 41% definite recommend on PostTrak. The film's audience was male-leaning (55%), with 74% falling into the 18-34 age group.
Other Notable Box Office Performances
- Scream 7 (Paramount/Spyglass): In its second weekend, the film earned $17.1 million, marking a 72% decrease from its opening, with another report stating $17.3 million and a 74% decline. Globally, it accumulated nearly $150 million within its first 10 days. By its third weekend, it earned $7.5 million, pushing its domestic cumulative past $100 million. In its fifth weekend, it grossed $2.36 million, with a total domestic gross of $118.4 million. It is approaching the $200 million global mark, with a reported $10.5 million global weekend (including $6.2 million from international markets), bringing its international cumulative total to $79.3 million.
- GOAT (Sony Animation): The film surpassed $100 million in its seventh weekend, with a cumulative total of $100.7 million. In its fourth weekend, it ranked No. 4, earning $6.6 million for a domestic total of $83.8 million. Its fifth weekend saw an estimated $5 million for a total of $90.8 million. In its sixth weekend, it grossed $7 million globally ($3.5 million each from foreign and North American markets), bringing its global cumulative gross to $174.5 million ($77 million international, $97.5 million domestic).
- They Will Kill You (New Line/Nocturna): Opened with an estimated $5 million to $5.5 million after a $2.2 million Friday. Its international performance was $1.4 million across 66 territories.
- Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (Searchlight): Generated $4 million in its second weekend, with a cumulative total of $16.2 million. The film achieved a global weekend gross of $11.9 million, primarily driven by its $9.1 million domestic performance. Its international reach was limited, with $800K in the UK.
- Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Moviegoer): $4.65 million in its second weekend, total $22.6 million.
- Wuthering Heights (WB): Earned $3.8 million in its fourth weekend for a domestic total of $78 million and a global total of $213 million against an $80 million budget.
Market Overview: A Resurgent Weekend
The total box office for one reported weekend reached $96.8 million, indicating a 25% increase compared to the same weekend a year prior. Another weekend's total generated over $87 million across all films, marking a 68% increase compared to the same period last year.
The underperformance of films like "They Will Kill You" and "Ready or Not 2" was attributed by some sources to their similar genre (body count horror films) and close release dates, as well as lower marketing and advertising expenditures relative to production costs.
Spring break attendance data from ComScore indicated varying percentages of K-12 schools and colleges on break during these periods, influencing overall market dynamics.