Marvel Studios’ new flick “Thunderbolts” has zoomed into the number one spot at the US box office with a mighty £60 million ($76 million) on its opening weekend – an impressive figure, though not hitting the highs once synonymous with the legendary comic powerhouse.
The superhero conglomerate’s latest release “Thunderbolts”, boasting a line-up including stars like Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Sebastian Stan, propelled itself to the summit, according to studio estimates on Sunday. However, these figures somewhat pale in comparison to Marvel’s historic crowd-pulling blockbusters.
With lofty expectations for “Thunderbolts” to herald Marvel’s comeback after a series of lacklustre films, the outcome has mirrored that of previous films such as 2021’s “Eternals” ($71 million) and 2018’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp” ($75 million), rather than shattering records like “Avengers: Endgame.”
Yet, the movie isn’t without its accolades. Breaking away from recent tepid Marvel ventures, “Thunderbolts” has bagged a commendable 88% ‘fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a sterling “A-” CinemaScore grade, signaling audiences are indeed captivated by it.
Industry expert Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, hailed the release: “This is a great reset,” he commented. “‘Thunderbolts’ is resonating, with excellent reviews and positive buzz likely to sustain its success.”, reports the Mirror.
Under the direction of Jake Schreier, “Thunderbolts” hints at what lies ahead for Marvel, including the highly anticipated “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” scheduled for a July 25 release.
The film, which saw an outlay of around $180 million in production costs, also garnered a hefty additional $86.1 million in international box office takings.
Competition at the box office remained fierce, with Ryan Coogler’s vampire drama “Sinners” continuing its reign for a third consecutive week, pulling in an impressive $33 million – a mere 28% drop from the previous weekend. The 1932-set thriller, which features Michael B.
Jordan playing bootlegging brothers, has now amassed nearly $180 million domestically and over $236 million worldwide.
Warner Bros. secured the third spot with their blockbuster “A Minecraft Movie.”
The film, based on the popular video game, earned $13.7 million over the weekend, bringing its global total to a whopping £698 million ($873.4 million).
To maintain momentum, the studio introduced “Block Party Edition” screenings, complete with interactive sing-alongs and “meme-along” sessions aimed at TikTok enthusiasts.
Among the most buzzed-about films was “Rust,” which made its way to theatres more than three years after the tragic on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The Alec Baldwin-led western managed to gross approximately $25,000 across 115 cinemas, as per estimates, though no official box office figures have been disclosed.
The release of “Rust” comes on the heels of a drawn-out legal battle. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed received a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, while first assistant director David Halls was given probation following a no-contest plea.
Charges against Baldwin were dropped twice, once in 2023 and again in 2024. As part of a settlement for wrongful death, Hutchins’ husband, Matt Hutchins, took on the role of executive producer for the film.
In other news, “The Surfer,” featuring Nicolas Cage, made a modest impact at the box office, earning £540,000 ($674,560) across 884 cinemas.
Here’s the complete list of this weekend’s Top 10 movies at the North American box office:.
“Thunderbolts” raked in a thunderous $76 million, leading the pack.
“Sinners” followed with a solid $33 million.
“A Minecraft Movie” built up $13.7 million.
“The Accountant 2” calculated a total of $9.5 million.
“Until Dawn” saw $3.8 million.
“The Amateur” debuted with $1.8 million.
“The King of Kings” reigned over $1.7 million.
“Warfare” battled to $1.3 million.
“Hit: The Third Case” detected $869,667.
“The Surfer” rode the wave to $674,560.