NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Marvel Studios鈥� opened with $76 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, kicking off with a solid No. 1 debut that fell shy of Marvel鈥檚 more spectacular launches.
All eyes had been on whether 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥� 鈥� a team-up of antihero rejects similar to 鈥淎vengers鈥� 鈥� could restore the Walt Disney Co. superhero factory to the kind of box office performance the studio once enjoyed so regularly. The results 鈥� similar to the debuts of 鈥淭he Eternals鈥� ($71 million) and 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp鈥� ($75 million) 鈥� suggested Marvel鈥檚 malaise won鈥檛 be so easy to snap out of.
Some had expected a bigger opening for 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥� because of the film's good word-of-mouth. Unlike most recent MCU entries, reviews (88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) have been excellent for 鈥淭hunderbolts,鈥� directed by Jake Schreier and starring , David Harbour and Sebastian Stan. Audiences gave it an 鈥淎-鈥� CinemaScore.
That kind of response should power the movie to strong business in the coming weeks. Though bigger MCU films 鈥� including 2024鈥檚 鈥淒eadpool vs. Wolverine鈥� (with a $211 million opening on the way to $1.34 billion worldwide) 鈥� have monopolized movie screens immediately, 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥� could gather steam more steadily. Or, it could go down as another example of Marvel struggling to rekindle its golden touch.
Marvel spent about $180 million to produced the movie, which added $86.1 million in overseas sales. The film also teases the next MCU chapter, 鈥淭he Fantastic Four: First Steps,鈥� due out July 25.
鈥淢arvel set the bar so high for so many years that a $76 million opening may seem to some like it should have done $100 million or something like that,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. 鈥淭his is a great reset. They're hitting the reset with 鈥楾hunderbolts." The great reviews and the word-of-mouth should hold it (in) good stead.鈥�
The Walt Disney Co. also might not have expected such stout competition from The Warner Bros. release, which had led the box office the last two weeks, continued to hold remarkably well. In its third week, it grossed $33 million, a dip of only 28%.
鈥淪inners,鈥� a 1932-set vampire movie about bootlegging brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown, has proven a spring sensation in theaters. It has collected $179.7 million domestically and $236.7 million globally thus far.
Warner Bros. also nabbed third place with the smash-hit video game adaptation. In its fifth weekend, it rung up another $13.7 million to bring its North American gross to nearly $400 million. Worldwide, it has totaled $873.4 million. Warner Bros. added 鈥淏lock Party Edition鈥� screenings over the weekend for a sing-along and 鈥渕eme-along鈥� experience. The film has seen some rowdy screenings from TikTok-inspired moviegoers.
More than three years after was killed on set, the arrived in theaters. Its release brought some closure to one of Hollywood鈥檚 greatest tragedies. Distributor Falling Forward Films didn't report box office, but estimates suggested 鈥淩ust鈥� grossed approximately $25,000 in 115 theaters.
Following Hutchins鈥� death, the film鈥檚 armorer, , was sentenced to prison for involuntary manslaughter. First assistant director to probation after pleading no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, a co-producer on the film, , in 2023 and again in 2024.
As part of a wrongful death settlement, Matt Hutchins, Hutchins' husband, was made an executive producer on the film.
Also opening over the weekend was starring Nicolas Cage as a man trying to surf a 鈥渓ocals-only鈥� Australian beach. The Madman Films release collected a modest $674,560 from 884 theaters.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. 鈥淭hunderbolts,鈥� $76 million.
2. 鈥淪inners," $33 million.
3. 鈥淎 Minecraft Movie,鈥� $13.7 million.
4. 鈥淭he Accountant 2,鈥� $9.5 million.
5. 鈥淯ntil Dawn,鈥� $3.8 million.
6. 鈥淭he Amateur,鈥� $1.8 million.
7. 鈥淭he King of Kings,鈥� $1.7 million.
8. 鈥淲arfare,鈥� $1.3 million.
9. 鈥淗it: The Third Case,鈥� $869,667.
10. 鈥淭he Surfer,鈥� $674,560.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
