Thunderbolts’ and ‘Sinners’ Dominate U.S. Box Office: A Powerful Weekend for Superheroes and Southern Vampires

The second weekend of May may have been quiet in terms of major debuts, but two powerhouse films—Marvel’s Thunderbolts and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners—continue to steal the spotlight at the North American box office. Despite a handful of new releases, these two films maintained strong momentum and proved that compelling content and audience buzz are still key drivers in 2025’s cinema landscape.

Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Holds the Top Spot

Leading the weekend, Thunderbolts pulled in $33.1 million across the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. That marks a 55% drop from its opening weekend, a relatively modest decline compared to typical second-week performances for superhero films. With an additional $34 million from international markets, its global tally now stands at an impressive $272.2 million.

This ensemble superhero film, featuring fan favorites like Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and Sebastian Stan, is outperforming its Marvel predecessor Captain America: Brave New World, which saw a steep 68% drop in its second weekend. Critics and fans alike are crediting Thunderbolts’ success to better reviews and stronger word-of-mouth.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore, noted, “The sustained performance of Thunderbolts feels like a return to Marvel’s golden era. It’s not just about the opening numbers anymore—long-term performance is the real indicator of success in today’s theatrical climate.”

The film’s continued box office strength comes at a good time for Marvel Studios, which is also preparing for another major summer release: The Fantastic Four: First Steps.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolts*

‘Sinners’ Crosses $200 Million Domestically

In its fourth weekend, Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s bold blend of Southern Gothic horror and supernatural thriller, brought in another $21.1 million domestically. The film has now crossed the $200 million milestone in North America and has earned $283.3 million worldwide with $6.6 million from international territories.

This is a remarkable achievement for an original, R-rated film—especially one that mixes genre storytelling with deep-rooted cultural themes. The film is so popular, it’s set to return to 70mm IMAX screens next weekend “by popular demand,” according to IMAX officials.

Sinners continues to benefit from positive reviews, strong performances, and a unique narrative that resonates with audiences looking for fresh storytelling in Hollywood’s often formulaic landscape.

Other Box Office Standouts

While Thunderbolts and Sinners held their ground, Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie remained in the top three. In its sixth weekend, the family-friendly video game adaptation added just under $8 million, bringing its domestic total to $409 million and global earnings close to $910 million.

Fourth place went to The Accountant 2, a sequel to the Ben Affleck-led thriller, which earned $6.1 million over the weekend. Meanwhile, Clown in a Cornfield, a low-budget horror flick distributed by IFC, surprised industry watchers by cracking the top five with $3.7 million—a high-water mark for the indie distributor.

New Releases Struggle to Make a Mark

Despite a packed release schedule, new entries failed to gain significant traction. Shadow Force, an action thriller starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, made $2 million from over 2,000 screens. Josh Hartnett’s airplane action film Fight or Flight earned an equal amount, also falling short of expectations.

Another film, Until Dawn, debuted with $2 million, while The Amateur brought in $1.1 million. Biblical epic The King of Kings closed out the top ten with $680,656.

Indie Highlight: ‘Friendship’ Scores Big in Limited Release

While wide releases struggled, indie comedy Friendship, starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, made waves in limited release. Playing on just six screens in New York and Los Angeles, the film posted the best per-screen average of the year at $75,317, with many shows selling out. A24 has confirmed plans for a nationwide expansion over Memorial Day weekend.

Though this past weekend was relatively subdued, the summer box office is about to heat up. Next week sees the release of Final Destination: Bloodlines, expected to shake up horror fans. Memorial Day weekend will bring two major titles—Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning—likely to dominate the charts.
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