'A Minecraft Movie' stomps to $80.6 million in second weekend
[April 14, 2025]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — After just two weeks in theaters, “A Minecraft Movie” is
already the highest grossing Hollywood release of 2025.
The Warner Bros. videogame adaptation followed up its blockbuster
opening with a second weekend of $80.6 million in ticket sales,
according to studio estimates Sunday. Worldwide, it’s quickly surpassed
$550 million.
After doubling expectations in its $300 million global debut, “A
Minecraft Movie” continued to draw audiences unlike anything else this
year. The film, directed by Jared Hess and starring Jack Black and Jason
Momoa, slid 50% in its second go-around in U.S. and Canadian theaters —
an impressive hold after such a big debut.
Though critics slammed the movie (46% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes) and
audience scores were merely good (a “B+” CinemaScore), “A Minecraft
Movie” latched on with moviegoers who have increasingly turned out in
droves for big-budget videogame adaptations.
“A Minecraft Movie,” a $150 million co-production of Warner Bros. and
Legendary Entertainment, has helped -– at least for now -– reinvigorate
theaters after a dismal start to the year. Overall ticket sales were
double that of the same weekend in 2024, according to Comscore. Before
“A Minecraft,” box office revenues trailed last year's by 11%, but have
now virtually pulled even. (2025 grosses still trail 2019's by 31%,
according to Comscore.)
None of the weekend’s new releases — Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings,”
the Walt Disney Co.’s “The Amateur,” Universal Pictures’ “Drop” or A24’s
“Warfare” — came close to challenging “Minecraft,” but several films
outperformed expectations.
“The King of Kings,” an animated tale of Jesus’ life aimed at Christian
audiences, came in second with $19.1 million in 3,200 theaters. The
film, loosely based on a children’s book by Charles Dickens, includes a
starry voice cast led by Oscar Isaac, Kenneth Branagh and Uma Thurman.
With an enviable “A+” CinemaScore from audiences, “The King of Kings” is
posed to capitalize in the coming week before Easter. Part three of
Fathom Entertainment's TV series, “The Chosen: Last Supper," also looked
to appeal to Christian audiences. It launched with $6.2 million from
2,296 cinemas.
“The Amateur,” a 20th Century production starring Rami Malek as a CIA
cryptographer hunting down his wife’s killers, debuted with $15 million
domestically, plus another $17.2 million overseas. Critics deemed the
revenge thriller an awkward star vehicle for Malek, who also produced.
“The Amateur” cost $60 million to make.
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This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Rami Malek in a
scene from "The Amateur." (John Wilson/20th Century Studios via AP)
 “Warfare,” director Alex Garland’s
follow-up to 2024’s “Civil War,” opened with $8.3 million in ticket
sales from 2,670 theaters. Garland co-wrote and co-directed the A24
release with Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, who based the film on
2006 mission he and his fellow Navy SEALs undertook during the war.
“Warfare,” which cost about $20 million to make, was lauded by
critics as an uncommonly realistic portrait of combat.
“Drop,” the latest thriller from Blumhouse Productions, debuted with
$7.5 million from 3,085 theaters. Christopher Landon’s film stars
Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”) as a single-mom widow on a first
date (Brandon Sklenar) who’s being terrorized by an unknown person
by messages to her phone. “Drop,” which premiered at SXSW, cost less
than $10 million to produce.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “A Minecraft Movie,” $80.6 million.
2. “The King of Kings,” $19.1 million.
3. “The Amateur,” $15 million.
4. “Warfare,” $8.3 million.
5. “Drop,” $7.5 million.
6. “The Chosen: Last Supper (Part 3)," $6 million.
7. “A Working Man,” $3.1 million.
8. “Snow White,” $2.8 million.
9. “The Woman in the Yard,” $2.1 million.
10. “The Chosen: Last Supper (Part 2)," $932,106.
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