‘Thunderbolts*’ Stays No. 1 — Box Office: Marvel Hit Tops Again, ‘Sinners’ Crosses $200 Million Milestone

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May 11

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

Florence Pugh’s Marvel team-up holds the top spot while Warner Bros.’ breakout original closes in on R-rated box office history.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts continues its winning streak in its second weekend at the box office, securing the top spot again with an estimated $9 million Friday gross. The Jake Schreier-directed ensemble film is now north of $100 million domestic, and with weekend projections aiming beyond $130 million, it’s proving to be a rare holdover success in a year marked by uneven franchise performances.

The roughly 53% drop from opening weekend signals solid staying power—especially when contrasted with February’s Captain America: Brave New World, which saw a steeper 68% plunge. Among the 36 Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, Thunderbolts is tracking toward the eighth-best second weekend hold, placing it firmly between 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and 2021’s Eternals. While it’s still early days for this $180 million production (+$100 million in marketing), early returns suggest that positive word of mouth and a more character-driven tone may be giving the MCU its first legitimate box office win of the year.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ Sinners added $6.5 million on Friday and will officially cross the $200 million domestic mark by Saturday. That figure elevates the R-rated original film past Captain America: Brave New World to become 2025’s second-highest-grossing title in North America, trailing only A Minecraft Movie. With continued low week-over-week drops, Sinners is closing in on Wedding Crashers and set to enter the top 20 all-time R-rated domestic releases.

Elsewhere in the top five, A Minecraft Movie added another $1.9 million on Friday. Now in its sixth weekend, the family-friendly video game adaptation boasts a towering $402 million domestic haul and is expected to surpass $900 million globally on Saturday. At this rate, the Mojang blockbuster could break into the top 50 all-time domestic earners before month’s end.

Amazon MGM’s The Accountant 2 lands in fourth place, adding $1.67 million Friday for a projected $50.8 million cumulative domestic take through Sunday. While respectable, the Ben Affleck sequel is trailing its predecessor’s box office pace by nearly 20% despite a higher budget and wider rollout.

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In fifth, IFC’s slasher Clown in a Cornfield, released under the Shudder horror imprint, grossed $1.69 million between Friday and early previews across 2,277 theaters. Despite an enthusiastic SXSW reception and solid festival buzz, early audience response landed the film a lukewarm “C+” CinemaScore. Still, the title is pacing ahead of Shudder’s 2023 success Late Night With the Devil, suggesting the streamer’s theatrical ambitions remain viable.

Outside the top five, several smaller releases had varied openings. Lionsgate’s Shadow Force, starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, debuted in 2,170 venues and earned roughly $720,000 on Friday. Meanwhile, Fight or Flight, a Josh Hartnett-starring plane thriller from Vertical, earned $990,000 in 2,153 theaters, hampered by middling audience response despite favorable critical reviews. Briarcliff’s Juliet & Romeo, a romantic musical reimagining starring unknown leads, drew just $96,000 on Friday from 1,350 locations and received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

As Thunderbolts holds its grip at the top and Sinners continues to astonish with its longevity, the box office heads into next weekend with horror on the horizon: Final Destination: Bloodlines is expected to bring fresh blood to the summer race.