Topline
“Weapons,” the new original horror film distributed by Warner Bros., blew past projections and dominated the domestic box office this weekend, grossing an estimated $42.5 million according to early numbers from Hollywood publications, surpassing “Freakier Friday” to earn the top spot.
Julia Garner and Josh Brolin attend the premiere of “Weapons” in Los Angeles.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
“Weapons,” an original horror-mystery film about a missing class of 17 school children starring Josh Brolin and Julia Garner, brought in $42.5 million over the weekend and earned a coveted A- Cinemascore with audiences—on par with classics like “Silence of the Lambs.”
“Freakier Friday,” a sequel to the 2003 Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis comedy hit, also debuted this weekend, bringing in $29 million to earn a second-place slot ahead of holdover blockbusters.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” remained in third place with $15.5 million for its third weekend in theaters, while DreamWorks’ animated family film “The Bad Guys 2” rounded out fourth place with $10.4 million.
“Weapons” was boosted by a strong opening day performance on Friday, when it brought in a strong $18.2 million for one of the most successful horror debuts of the year so far.
Key Background
“Weapons” was written and directed by Zach Cregger, a former sketch comedy performer famous for his role in “The Whitest Kids U’ Know,” a popular comedy troupe with an eponymous IFC series. Cregger has since become known for his work in the horror genre, writing and directing “Barbarian” in 2022. But Cregger’s new film has already surpassed his 2022 cult hit, which had a $10.5 million opening weekend and brought in $40.8 million over its total run in domestic theaters.
Surprising Fact
Analysts at Box Office Pro initially predicted “Freakier Friday” would come out on top, with name recognition and millennial nostalgia driving sales in the $35 million-$45 million range. “Weapons,” an original film without a built-in audience, was expected to attract a slightly smaller audience, selling $25 million-$35 million.
How Did ‘weapons’ Fare In Previews?
The $5.7 million performance in Thursday previews quickly surpassed “Sinners” and “Final Destination Bloodlines,” two of the biggest horror hits of 2025 so far. Both films went on to make more over their opening weekends, with “Sinners” grossing $48 million and “Final Destination Bloodlines” bringing in $51.6 million. Only “28 Years Later” made more in early showings with $5.8 million in June previews. However, the long-awaited third installment of the zombie horror series that began in 2002 had a worse weekend in the long run—grossing only $30 million at the domestic box office.
How Will ‘weapons’ Compare To Other Warner Bros. Hits?
The strong opening for “Weapons” adds another blockbuster for Warner Bros., which has put out several of 2025’s biggest films so far. “Sinners” turned into a surprise hit for the distributor, grossing $278 million at the domestic box office, while “A Minecraft Movie” turned into one of the highest-grossing films of the year so far—reeling in $423.9 million at the domestic box office for a total of $955 million worldwide. “Superman” opened in July and has since grossed over $325 million at the domestic box office, and is still showing in some theaters.
