Box Office Buzz: Animated Animals Overtake Literary Romance, Elvis Rocks IMAX
The weekend box office has delivered a surprising shake-up, with the animated talking animal comedy “GOAT” leaping into the top spot, dethroning last week’s champion, the romantic drama “Wuthering Heights.” While the overall takings might not have set the world on fire, a few standout performances and a legendary musical icon have certainly added some spice to the weekend’s financial figures.
“GOAT” Claims the Top Spot
“GOAT,” the family-friendly animated flick produced by basketball star Steph Curry, has proven its staying power. In its second weekend, the film saw a respectable dip of only 38%, pulling in an estimated $17 million. This brings its total earnings to a solid $58 million after just ten days. The film, which centres around basketball-adjacent antics with talking animals, has clearly resonated with audiences, demonstrating a strong appeal beyond its initial release.
“Wuthering Heights” Settles for Second
Despite its initial success, the critically acclaimed “Wuthering Heights” experienced a steeper decline of 57% in its second weekend, earning $14.2 million. While this might seem like a significant drop, the film has still managed to amass a substantial $60 million in its first ten days. Globally, both films are performing admirably, with “GOAT” reaching $102 million and “Wuthering Heights” exceeding $151 million worldwide, indicating a healthy performance for both productions.
Faith-Based Sequel Finds a Niche
Claiming the third position is “I Can Only Imagine 2,” the latest instalment in the faith-based film series chronicling the journey of the Christian band MercyMe. The original film, released in 2018, was a surprise hit, opening to $17 million and ultimately grossing $83 million. The sequel, however, debuted with a more modest $8 million. With a considerably larger production budget of $18 million compared to the first film’s $7 million, the profit margins for “I Can Only Imagine 2” are expected to be tighter, presenting a different financial challenge for this instalment.
Holdovers Show Resilience
The fourth and fifth spots are occupied by films that have demonstrated impressive staying power. “Crime 101,” which enjoyed a strong opening last week, experienced a 59% drop but still managed to secure $5.77 million over the weekend, bringing its ten-day total to $24.7 million.
Meanwhile, “Send Help” continues its remarkable run, falling by a mere 49% in its fourth weekend to rake in $4.5 million. This desert island survival story, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, has accumulated an impressive $55.5 million domestically and $83 million worldwide after 24 days.
Glenn Powell’s New Venture Underperforms
In sixth place, A24’s “How to Make a Killing,” featuring Glenn Powell and Margaret Qualley, opened to $3.5 million from 1,625 theatres. With a reported budget of $40 million, this debut marks a less-than-ideal start for the film. This result adds another challenging box office outing for Powell, who is looking to bounce back from the commercial disappointment of a recent remake. Hollywood, however, is a marathon, not a sprint, and with Powell’s talent, many are optimistic about his future projects, including the upcoming sci-fi blockbuster “The Great Beyond” from J.J. Abrams.
Elvis Lights Up the IMAX Screen
The undisputed box office champion of the week, however, is Baz Luhrmann’s “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.” This concert film, a companion to his 2022 biopic “Elvis,” premiered exclusively in 325 IMAX theatres and generated a staggering $3.25 million. This translates to an exceptional per-theatre average of $10,000, the highest of any film on the chart. The concert movie is set to expand to more theatres next week, and the industry will be watching closely to see if its appeal extends beyond the most dedicated Elvis enthusiasts.
A Quiet Weekend, But Not a Washout
Disney’s (or rather, 20th Century Studios’) “Psycho Killer” failed to make a significant impact, debuting with a disappointing $1.6 million from 1,100 theatres and missing out on a top 10 spot. It’s likely this film will find its audience on streaming platforms in the coming weeks.
Overall, the weekend was predicted to be a slow one, but it performed better than anticipated. The strong performances of “GOAT” and “Wuthering Heights,” coupled with the electrifying presence of Elvis Presley in IMAX, contributed to a total weekend gross of $79 million. This figure represents a modest two percent increase compared to the same weekend in 2025.
Looking ahead, the highly anticipated “Scream 7” is set to hit theatres next week, promising to shake up the box office. Despite the controversy surrounding the firing of Melissa Barrera, the return of writer-director Kevin Williamson and original star Neve Campbell has generated significant buzz among fans. The previous instalment, “Scream 6,” achieved a franchise-best opening of $44 million in 2023, and the question on everyone’s mind is whether “Scream 7” can surpass that impressive milestone. We’ll have to wait and see.
All figures are based on weekend estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.
