Marvel’s latest film, Thunderbolts, held onto the top spot at the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. The movie, featuring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, earned USD 33 million over the weekend, continuing to draw large audiences.
The film saw a 55% drop from its debut, but the performance is considered a solid result for a Marvel release, with industry experts noting that it performed better than many recent Marvel films. Entertainment news outlet Variety described the drop as “far better” than others in the Marvel franchise.
Marvel Reveals ‘The New Avengers’ Twist
In an effort to maintain interest ahead of the second weekend, Marvel unveiled an interesting detail about the film’s title. The asterisk in Thunderbolts refers to the film’s group of antiheroes, who are poised to become the new version of the Avengers. This revelation builds excitement for the team’s future role in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, a highly anticipated film that Marvel hopes will mirror the success of its earlier Avengers films.
Marvel and its parent company Disney are hopeful that the new Avengers team will help continue the franchise’s box-office dominance. The Thunderbolts will have a significant role in shaping the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Other Box Office Performances
While Thunderbolts dominated, other films continued to perform strongly at the box office.
The Warner Bros. period vampire thriller, Sinners, stayed in second place for the weekend. It earned USD 21.1 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to USD 180 million. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has been a major hit with audiences, receiving glowing reviews from critics.
Meanwhile, the animated film A Minecraft Movie held onto third place, adding USD 8.0 million to its earnings. This brings its total domestic box-office haul to over USD 400 million. Globally, the movie has crossed USD 900 million, further solidifying the success of video game adaptations in cinema.
Other Notable Films
The Accountant 2, from Amazon MGM Studios, ranked fourth with USD 6.1 million. In this sequel, Ben Affleck plays a math genius with ties to criminal activities, while Jon Bernthal portrays his brother, a hitman. The film continues to attract strong attention and maintain steady box-office numbers.
A new indie horror release, Clown in a Cornfield, debuted in fifth place with a solid USD 3.7 million. The film, which was produced on a modest budget, has been praised for its performance and is considered a success for a micro-budget indie production. David A. Gross, of Franchise Entertainment Research, called it “a solid opening” for the genre.
Box Office Top 10
Here are the top 10 films at the North American box office for the weekend:
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Thunderbolts – USD 33 million
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Sinners – USD 21.1 million
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A Minecraft Movie – USD 8.0 million
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The Accountant 2 – USD 6.1 million
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Clown in a Cornfield – USD 3.7 million
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Shadow Force – USD 2.0 million
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Fight or Flight – USD 2.0 million
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Until Dawn – USD 2.0 million
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The Amateur – USD 2.0 million
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The King of Kings – USD 1.1 million
The Road Ahead
As Thunderbolts continues to dominate the box office, all eyes will be on the upcoming slate of Marvel films, including Avengers: Doomsday. Fans are eagerly awaiting how these new antiheroes will reshape the MCU and what the future holds for Marvel’s cinematic universe.