A Quiet Winter Weekend at the Box Office: "Dog Man" Leads Again
The box office remained subdued over a quiet winter weekend, with DreamWorks Animation’s "Dog Man" holding onto its position as the top movie in theaters. This animated Universal Pictures release, adapted from Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular graphic novel series, brought in $13.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates. Despite the arrival of two new releases—"Love Hurts" and "Heart Eyes"—"Dog Man" continued to dominate, proving its staying power with audiences. The film has now grossed $54.1 million domestically in just two weeks, making it a solid success given its modest production budget of $40 million.
However, the weekend wasn’t without its challenges. "Dog Man" saw a steep drop of 62% in its second weekend, a common trend for animated films that often front-load their box office performance. Still, with its low budget and strong opening, the film is already profitable and poised to continue its successful run. The quiet weekend also highlighted a larger industry trend, as Hollywood often cedes Super Bowl weekend to the small screen. Last year, Apple’s "Argylle" debuted to lackluster results on the same weekend, underscoring the challenges of releasing films during this time. Instead, studios focus on promoting their upcoming blockbusters through high-profile Super Bowl trailers, capitalizing on the massive television audience.
"Heart Eyes" and "Love Hurts" Struggle toGain Traction
The weekend’s new releases, "Heart Eyes" and "Love Hurts," failed to make a significant impact, trailing behind "Dog Man" in the box office rankings. "Heart Eyes," a horror-rom-com mashup from Spyglass Media Group and distributed by Sony, debuted in second place with $8.5 million from 3,102 theaters. Directed by Josh Ruben and starring Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, the film received positive reviews from critics but didn’t quite resonate with audiences, earning a "B-" CinemaScore. Despite its modest $18 million production budget, the film’s underwhelming performance suggests it may struggle to break even.
Meanwhile, "Love Hurts," an action comedy from 87North Productions, opened in third place with a disappointing $5.8 million from 3,055 theaters. The film, which stars Ke Huy Quan in his first major movie role since his Oscar-winning comeback in "Everything All at Once," follows a mild-mannered realtor with a hitman past. Despite its modest budget of $18 million and the star power of Quan and co-star Ariana DeBose, audiences largely rejected the movie, giving it a "C+" CinemaScore. The poor reception suggests that "Love Hurts" may not have the legs to recover at the box office.
Box Office Takeaways: A Mixed Bag forHollywood
The weekend’s box office was a mixed bag for Hollywood, with "Dog Man" continuing to perform well but the new releases failing to gain traction. The film industry’s strategy of focusing on Super Bowl weekend as a time to promote future releases rather than compete with the big game appears to be paying off. Trailers for highly anticipated films like Marvel’s "Captain America: Brave New World" and Sony’s "Paddington in Peru" dominated the conversation, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the biggest box office weekends of the year next week.
Meanwhile, "Dog Man" continues to benefit from its loyal fanbase and the lack of direct competition. While its second-weekend drop was significant, the film’s strong opening and modest budget ensure that it remains a success story for Universal Pictures. The performance of "Heart Eyes" and "Love Hurts," on the other hand, highlights the challenges of releasing films during a time when audiences are more focused on football than the movies. As the industry looks ahead, all eyes are on next weekend’s potential blockbusters to inject some much-needed energy into the box office.
Final Box Office Rankings: "Dog Man"Reigns Supreme
The final box office rankings for the weekend were dominated by familiar faces, with "Dog Man" leading the pack. Here’s how the top 10 films fared:
- "Dog Man" – $13.7 million
- "Heart Eyes" – $8.5 million
- "Love Hurts" – $5.8 million
- "Mufasa: The Lion King" – $3.9 million
- "Companion" – $3 million
- "One of Them Days" – $3 million
- "Becoming Led Zeppelin" – $2.6 million
- "Flight Risk" – $2.6 million
- "Sonic the Hedgehog" – $1.8 million
- "Moana 3" – $1.5 million
Final domestic figures will be released Monday, but the current estimates paint a clear picture: "Dog Man" is the undisputed champion of the box office, while the new releases struggled to find their footing. As the industry prepares for the release of "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Paddington in Peru," next weekend promises to bring some much-needed excitement to theaters.
