Weekend Box Office Report Aug 1-3, 2025: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Retains Top Spot Despite Sharp Decline as New Releases Inject Fresh Energy

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For the weekend of August 1-3, 2025, the domestic box office collected around $118.5 million, which represented a 27% drop compared to the same period in the previous year. However, this figure demonstrates a certain toughness as the summer season has surpassed the $3 billion mark overall.

In its second weekend, Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe movie titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” continued to hold the top spot, but saw a steeper decrease than anticipated. Meanwhile, fresh entries like Universal’s animated sequel “The Bad Guys 2”, Paramount’s comedy reboot “The Naked Gun”, and Neon’s horror film “Together” added excitement, showcasing a varied selection that attracted families, comedy enthusiasts, and fans of the genre.

Over the upcoming weekend, the movies are expected to make a significant contribution towards the summer box office total of approximately $4 billion. This optimistic goal is being bolstered by the continuing success of films such as Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth from July.

So far this year, revenues have increased by 9.5% compared to the future year 2024, however, they are still 23% lower than what was achieved before the lockdown in 2019. Analysts suggest that perhaps a waning interest in superhero movies might be contributing to some of the drops, but the addition of different genres is keeping viewers engaged and interested.

Top 10 Films at the Domestic Box Office Auguse 1-3, 2025

Here is the top 10 lineup for the weekend, based on estimated grosses:

  1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps earned $40,000,000 this weekend, down 66% from last week, playing in 4,125 theaters for an average of $9,696 per screen. Total gross of $198,427,635 after two weeks. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
  2. The Bad Guys 2 debuted with $22,200,000 in 3,852 theaters, averaging $5,763 per screen. Total gross is $22,200,000 in its first week. From Universal Pictures.
  3. The Naked Gun opened to $17,000,000, across 3,344 theaters with a $5,083 average per screen. Total is $17,000,000 in week one. Paramount Pictures.
  4. Superman brought in $13,900,000, a 44.1% drop in 3,537 theaters, averaging $3,929 per screen. Cumulative gross is $316,256,392 after four weeks. Warner Bros.
  5. Jurassic World: Rebirth grossed $8,700,000, down 34.1% in 3,240 theaters at $2,685 average per screen. Total is $317,606,265 in week five. Universal Pictures.
  6. Together debuted at $6,802,000 in 2,302 theaters, averaging $2,954 per screen. Total of $10,858,502 (including previews) in first week. From Neon.
  7. F1: The Movie earned $4,100,000, a 35% decline in 2,024 theaters, averaging $2,025 per screen. Total is $173,290,512 after six weeks. Warner Bros.
  8. I Know What You Did Last Summer made $2,650,000, down 49% in 2,303 theaters at $1,150 average per screen. Cumulative gross is $29,268,554 in week three. Sony Pictures.
  9. Smurfs grossed $1,770,000, a 67.6% drop in 2,295 theaters averaging $771 per screen. Total of $28,502,397 after three weeks. Paramount Pictures.
  10. How to Train Your Dragon earned $1,350,000, down 53.5% in 1,459 theaters at $925 average per screen. Total gross is $260,408,625 in its eighth week. Universal Pictures International.

Key Performances and Analysis

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Leads but Stumbles

In its second week, Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” directed by Matt Shakman and featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, raked in a stunning $40 million, pushing its domestic earnings up to a whopping $198.4 million.

Worldwide, this movie has earned approximately $368 million. Notably, its earnings have significantly decreased by 66%, which is quite steep when compared to recent drops in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This decline is similar to that of films such as Thor: Love and Thunder (67% drop) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (70% drop).

IMAX screens contributed $5.2 million this weekend, pushing its global IMAX total to $26.3 million.

Animated Sequel ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Starts Solidly

As a movie enthusiast, I couldn’t help but notice that Universal’s charming family animation, “The Bad Guys 2,” made its grand entrance and landed comfortably in second place, raking in an impressive $22.2 million domestically. Interestingly enough, this opening weekend figure is remarkably similar to the original’s debut back in 2022 with a whopping $23 million.

In the second installment, starring Sam Rockwell and Marc Maron, garnered an “A” rating from CinemaScore and brought in $16.3 million overseas, totalling a worldwide debut of $44.5 million.

The movie, with an estimated budget of $80 million, is doing quite well financially. This is significant, considering that animated films typically maintain robust earnings during family outings in the summer season.

Comedy Reboot ‘The Naked Gun’ Delivers Laughs and Dollars

In a fresh take on the beloved comedy series “The Naked Gun,” produced by Paramount, and featuring Liam Neeson as the offspring of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character from the original installments, the film debuted with an impressive $17 million, surpassing predictions by a significant $2 million.

As a movie enthusiast, I must say that the movie, masterfully directed by Akiva Schaffer, is nothing short of impressive. With a whopping $42 million budget, it’s clear that no expense was spared in its creation. The audience response, as indicated by an “A-” CinemaScore, suggests a positive reception. Furthermore, the film’s 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and 67% Criticless rating are testament to its quality, indicating widespread critical acclaim.

The movie mainly attracted older male viewers (62% were men, 50% were over 35, and 70% were Caucasian), earning $11.5 million abroad, contributing to a global debut of $28.5 million. This is an encouraging indication for comedies in the post-lockdown era, where the genre has faced challenges but shows potential signs of recovery.

Holdovers: DC and Dinosaurs Continue to Soar and Roar

In its fourth weekend, the Warner Bros.’ Superman movie earned an additional $13.9 million in North America, bringing its total domestic earnings to $316.2 million. Globally, it has now made a total of $551.2 million.

In its fifth week, Universal’s movie titled “Jurassic World: Rebirth” earned approximately $8.7 million, surpassing $317 million in North America and raising its global revenue to an impressive $766 million. These films have proven their staying power, as they’ve only dropped by less than 45%, suggesting that well-established franchises maintain a lasting allure.

Indie Horror ‘Together’ Makes a Bloody Entrance

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but share my excitement about Neon’s chilling body-horror flick, “Together,” which has been captivating audiences since its premiere on a Wednesday. The film, featuring the exceptional talents of Alison Brie and Dave Franco, has generated an impressive total of $10.8 million so far, with an additional $6.8 million earned during the traditional weekend box office run. It’s truly a testament to the power of great storytelling and stellar performances!

Purchased at Sundance for $17 million, this film earned a “C+” from CinemaScore, which is common for its genre. Despite some varied audience responses, it’s expected to be profitable.

Looking Ahead

Over the upcoming weekend, a blend of superhero adventures, cartoons, and humor showcases how Hollywood is striving for variety in its productions, despite concerns about overexposure arising from large blockbuster releases.

With summer winding down, the industry remains optimistic about closing strong.

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2025-08-04 20:59