Over 36 weekends so far in 2025, only a handful have been led by an original screenplay. Three of those were Ryan Coogler’s Sinners; others included Novocaine, Flight Risk and F1: The Movie. This weekend added a seventh: Zach Cregger’s original horror film Weapons outran Disney’s long-awaited Freakier Friday to take the top spot.
Weapons delivered a major win for Warner Bros., opening to an impressive $42.5 million against a $38 million budget. Cregger, who broke out with Barbarian in 2022, has improved on that sophomore follow-up: Barbarian opened to $10.5 million and finished north of $40 million; Weapons opened at four times that and is tracking for strong hold through next weekend. International play contributed another $27.5 million, pushing Weapons’ global launch to about $70 million. Critics have embraced the film as well, with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score that marks it among the year’s best-reviewed wide releases.
This result is notable for Warner Bros. beyond one title: Weapons joins a streak of six consecutive Warner Bros. openings over $40 million this year — including Sinners, A Minecraft Movie, F1: The Movie, Superman and Final Destination: Bloodlines — the studio’s strongest run of big openings ever. The success also underscores that original, mid-budget horror can still break out when strong word-of-mouth, smart release timing and critical praise align.
Box office highlights and context from the weekend
– Freakier Friday opened to $29 million domestically and $15.5 million internationally for a $44.5 million global start. With a reported $42 million budget, it will be looking to sustained legs to reach profitability, ideally approaching the totals of the 2003 Freaky Friday remake, which finished around $110 million domestically.
– The Fantastic Four: First Steps dropped 60% in its third weekend to $15.5 million. The film stands at roughly $230.4 million domestically after 11 days and is tracking toward a likely domestic finish in the $270–280 million range; worldwide totals are now around $434 million.
– The Bad Guys 2 fell 51% to $10.4 million in weekend two, bringing its 10-day domestic total to $43.4 million. With an $80 million production budget and $83.9 million worldwide so far, it will need steadier holds to approach the original’s lifetime domestic take.
– The Naked Gun reboot reached $8.3 million in its second weekend and $33 million after 10 days, on a trajectory that could land it in the $50–55 million range.
– James Gunn’s Superman passed $578 million worldwide, with $331.2 million domestically after 31 days; it should turn a profit and is likely to end its U.S. run in the high $300 millions.
– Jurassic World: Rebirth added $4.7 million in weekend six, sitting at $326.8 million domestically and set to pass $800 million globally this week.
– F1: The Movie continues to be a strong hold, topping $178 million domestically and another $392 million overseas for a global total north of $570 million.
– Smaller releases: Neon’s Together fell to $2.6 million (12-day total $17.2 million). Angel Studios’ Sketch made $2.5 million over the weekend and $5 million since opening Wednesday; critics have liked it (about 97% on the Tomatometer).
What this weekend suggests — analysis and takeaways
– Horror’s continued viability: Weapons reinforces that audiences still reward original horror when the film generates early buzz. Low- to mid-budget horror has the advantage of clearer paths to profitability and can deliver outsized returns if word-of-mouth and critical support line up.
– Warner Bros.’ release strategy is paying off: Back-to-back big openings across different genres (horror, franchise, animation, and tentpoles like Superman) show the studio’s slate depth this year and an ability to capture varied audience segments.
– Franchise returns versus originals: Studios remain cautious about relying solely on legacy properties, but this weekend shows originals can compete — even against nostalgia-driven sequels from major players like Disney — especially when they fill a genuine gap in the marketplace (fresh horror, grown-up action, or family fare with modern hooks).
Upcoming to watch
Bob Odenkirk returns in Nobody 2, directed by Timo Tjahjanto, which should interest action fans. Apple, Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (a Kurosawa remake starring Denzel Washington) and several indie and genre titles (Americana, East of Wall, Red Sonja, a new Witchboard) are also on the near-term slate and could shift the box office landscape in the weeks ahead.
Short summary
Zach Cregger’s Weapons opened to $42.5 million, becoming the seventh 2025 weekend led by an original screenplay and delivering Warner Bros.’ sixth consecutive $40M-plus opening of the year. Weapons’ strong domestic and international start, plus a 95% critical score, underscores horror’s continued potency when paired with positive word-of-mouth. Other weekend highlights: Freakier Friday opened to $29 million; Fantastic Four: First Steps slowed with a steep third-week drop; Jurassic World: Rebirth and Superman continue to post robust cumulative grosses; F1 remains a steady international hit.
Positive note
This weekend is a reminder that original filmmaking still matters and can break through crowded release calendars. Mid-budget films with strong creative voices and good early buzz — especially in horror — offer studios and audiences fresh options and can generate big returns without franchise attachment.
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