Hollywood’s Heating Up: ‘Sinners’ Dominates Again While ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and ‘The Accountant 2’ Battle for Second
April’s shaping up to be an electric month at the movies, and it’s about time! After a sluggish start to 2025, theaters are finally seeing packed seats and booming popcorn sales. Thanks to heavy-hitters like Sinners and Minecraft, the domestic box office is making a serious comeback, now running 11% ahead of 2024's pace, though still about 30% shy of the pre-pandemic glory days of 2019, according to Comscore. But hey, momentum is momentum!
Let’s talk about the movie that’s absolutely crushing it: Sinners. This horror juggernaut is defying the genre’s typical second-weekend slump with a tiny 6% drop from its opening weekend haul. After debuting with a killer $48 million, it followed up with a rock-solid $45 million. That kind of hold is practically unheard of for horror flicks, which usually plummet after scaring audiences the first weekend.
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$122.5 million grossed domestically
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$161.6 million racked up worldwide
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$90 million production budget (already paid off, and then some!)
Glowing reviews, buzzing word-of-mouth, and a fanbase that can’t get enough of its chilling thrills have turned Sinners into the movie to beat. With director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan at the helm, it’s clear why this vampire thriller keeps sucking audiences right back into theaters.
Meanwhile, a battle of the blockbusters was brewing just below Sinners. It was neck and neck between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2 for the No. 2 spot on the charts. In the end, the Force stayed strong as Revenge of the Sith pulled ahead, raking in $25.2 million domestically across 2,775 locations. Add another $17 million internationally, and you're looking at a $42 million global weekend — not bad for a movie that’s been available to stream or buy for, oh, about 20 years now!
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20th Anniversary Re-Release – Fans still showed up in droves
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Massive Nostalgia Factor – Star Wars fans never disappoint
Disney definitely knew what they were doing with this anniversary re-release. Nostalgia is powerful, and when it comes to Star Wars, the galaxy’s loyalty clearly knows no bounds.
The Accountant 2 wasn’t far behind though, locking in the No. 3 spot with a solid $24.5 million from 3,610 theaters. For an R-rated action drama targeted at a more mature crowd, that’s a respectable start — especially considering the first movie back in 2016 also opened around $24.7 million (not adjusted for inflation).
But here's the catch: The Accountant 2 cost $80 million to produce — almost double the original’s $45 million budget. That means it’ll have to do some serious box office math to turn a real profit. The good news? Audiences gave it a hearty "A-" CinemaScore, and word-of-mouth could easily keep it afloat in the coming weeks.
Ben Affleck is back as the brilliant, socially awkward accountant who can throw hands as well as he crunches numbers. This time, he teams up with Jon Bernthal (his on-screen brother) to uncover a sinister conspiracy and hunt down deadly assassins. With director Gavin O'Connor steering the ship once again, fans of the first movie are definitely getting what they signed up for: brains, brawn, and lots of bullets.
Down at No. 4, Minecraft: The Movie is still swinging its pixelated pickaxe and hauling in cash. In its fourth weekend, it grabbed another $20 million, pushing its domestic total to a monster $377 million and a staggering $816 million worldwide.
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Biggest Hollywood release of the year so far
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Jack Black and Jason Momoa leading the charge
Safe to say, video game adaptations are no longer the punchline they used to be. Warner Bros. struck gold with this one, and there’s no sign of slowing down.
While those heavyweights duked it out, there was plenty of room for some newcomers too. Landing in fifth place was Sony’s R-rated survival horror Until Dawn, scaring up $8 million from 3,055 locations. International audiences chipped in another $10.1 million, giving the film an $18.1 million worldwide debut.
Given its modest $15 million production budget, it doesn't need to break the bank to turn a profit — a win even if critics and audiences weren't exactly singing its praises. Until Dawn pulled a shaky 51% Rotten Tomatoes score and a "C+" CinemaScore, which might spell a short shelf life at the box office.
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Low budget = lower risk
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Strong international interest could help boost profits
Meanwhile, A24’s whimsical The Legend of Ochi debuted quietly but charmingly in ninth place, earning $1.4 million from 1,153 theaters. Directed by Isaiah Saxon, the $10 million fantasy film tells the story of a shy farm girl who befriends a wounded baby Ochi — a creature she was raised to fear.
It’s a smaller, more heartfelt offering compared to the summer’s explosion of action and horror flicks, but in typical A24 fashion, it’s carving out its own unique audience. Sometimes, it’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch.
And let’s not forget, there’s even more firepower on the horizon. Marvel’s Thunderbolts drops next weekend, and it’s expected to keep this box office revival burning hot. If April’s current streak continues, Hollywood could be looking at a much healthier summer than anyone dared hope for a few months ago.
In short:
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Sinners is an absolute beast at the box office
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Star Wars re-release proves nostalgia never dies
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The Accountant 2 might just add up to a success story
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Minecraft continues to smash records
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Smaller newcomers like Until Dawn and The Legend of Ochi find their niche
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Big things are coming with Thunderbolts on the horizon!
Senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian put it perfectly: "Hollywood is on a hot streak in April." After a bleak March, this box office revival feels like a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Grab your popcorn — it’s going to be a thrilling ride into summer!
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