(AP) – Horror movies usually pull a surprise splash at the box office for a single week, but Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is defying the odds and turning into a true cinematic event.
In its second weekend in theaters, “Sinners” pulled in $45 million across the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. That marks a tiny 6% dip from its Easter debut, the smallest drop in any genre since “Avatar” in 2009. Worldwide, “Sinners” has now earned about $161.6 million.
For the industry, the performance signals that the movie’s appeal has broadened beyond horror aficionados to casual moviegoers curious about what all the buzz is about. Last weekend, 56% of attendees were male. This weekend, male and female audiences came in at roughly a 50/50 split. Premium large-format screenings, such as 70mm IMAX, remain a major draw. In the film’s second weekend globally, IMAX accounted for about 21% of the total, up nearly 9% from the prior weekend.
Fronted by notable stars, including Michael B. Jordan in a twin role, the movie arrived after a wave of excellent reviews. And to be fair, “Sinners” isn’t simply a horror film: it blends elements of drama, action, and a touch of Southern Gothic musical ambience.
“It’s one of the smallest declines ever for a highly successful opening that continued to perform strongly in its second weekend,” observed Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It’s an absolute phenomenon.”
Hollywood typically expects a noticeable drop in a film’s second week. Even a 50% decline is considered solid math in the industry; when it’s less than that, it’s remarkable.
“You can buy a big opening weekend through marketing, but if a film doesn’t have what it takes, it will fall,” Dergarabedian noted. “There’s no better barometer of success than a second weekend like this.”
The film was produced by Coogler’s Proximity Media in collaboration with Warner Bros., which handled the cinema rollout. After a few disappointments earlier in the year, it marks the studio’s second major hit after “A Minecraft Movie” helped deliver strong box-office numbers this month.
“Sinners” easily outpaced this week’s new big challenger: “The Accountant 2,” a Ben Affleck-led sequel released by Amazon MGM Studios, which opened in third with about $24.5 million in its debut weekend. Gavin O’Connor directed the film, which played in 3,610 theaters in North America. Audiences gave it a promising A- on CinemaScore.
The film that edged out “The Accountant 2” for second place was a Star Wars re-release from two decades ago: “Revenge of the Sith.” The anniversary re-release pulled in roughly $25.2 million for the weekend, and many cinemas reported sold-out crowds—more than double the turnout of last year’s “The Phantom Menace” re-release. Internationally, it earned $17 million in 34 territories, delivering a global weekend of $42.2 million. It stands as one of the most successful re-releases in history.
“A Minecraft Movie” took fourth place with $22.7 million, bringing its North American total to about $380 million.
The video-game adaptation “Until Dawn” also debuted this weekend, taking in about $8 million and placing it in the top five. Sony Pictures released the film, led by Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino, which has amassed $18.1 million worldwide.
The successes of “Minecraft” and “Sinners” have given a substantial boost to April’s box office, which is up 102% versus April 2024. Year-to-date totals are more than 10% higher than last year after a mid-March lull. All of this comes just as the summer movie season kicks off on May 2 with Disney’s “Thunderbolts.”
“There may not be a better opening act for the summer movie season than this weekend,” Dergarabedian added.
The ten top-grossing films in U.S. and Canada theaters
Final North American figures will be available on Monday. The following list reflects estimated Friday-to-Sunday ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Sinners”, $45 million.
2. “Revenge of the Sith”, $25.2 million.
3. “The Accountant 2”, $24.5 million.
4. “A Minecraft Movie”, $22.7 million.
5. “Until Dawn”, $8 million.
6. “The King of Kings”, $4 million.
7. “The Amateur”, $3.8 million.
8. “Warfare”, $2.7 million.
9. “Pink Floyd at Pompeii — MCMLXXII”, $2.6 million.
10. “The Legend of Ochi”, $1.4 million.
