'Sinners' surges past 'Minecraft' to lead box office
[April 21, 2025]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — Brand names, not filmmakers or stars, are said to rule
the box office these days. But Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” led by twin
Michael B. Jordans, proved a bloody exception to modern movie rules,
launching with $45.6 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian
theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.
“Sinners,” a Warner Bros. release that cost about $90 million to
produce, was a bold gamble on originality — albeit with genre elements —
and one of the most bankable American directors in Coogler. The “Creed”
and “Black Panther” director wrote and produced “Sinners,” a 1932-set
vampire movie about bootlegging brothers (both played by Jordan) who
open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown.
“A Minecraft Movie,” the year’s biggest Hollywood hit, followed close
behind in second, collecting $41.3 million in its third week of release.
That gave Warner Bros., after a handful of disappointments, an enviable
one-two punch at the box office with one original, director-driven movie
and one IP-based property.
“A Minecraft Movie,” which Warner Bros. co-produced with Legendary
Pictures, has amassed $720.8 million worldwide in three weeks of
release.
Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture
Group, celebrated the two films’ resonance with moviegoers. The studio
accounted for a remarkable 64% of the domestic box office for the Easter
weekend.
“Movies have the power to transport us to worlds only seen on the big
screen, and Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing singular
in-theater experiences to audiences looking for bold movies, both
original and those based on beloved existing properties,” Abdy and De
Luca said in a statement Sunday.
But all eyes were on the performance on “Sinners,” which Warner Bros.
went to extreme lengths to secure. Abdy and De Luca agreed to give
Coogler not just a cut of gross ticket sales but ownership of the film
after 25 years — a virtually unheard of concession.
But Coogler and Jordan, whose collaborations stretch back to “Fruitvale
Station,” make up one of the industry’s most potent director-actor duos.
Reviews (98% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes) were stellar for “Sinners” and
audiences, too, were enthralled by its supernatural twists. The film
earned an “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers.
Overseas, “Sinners” faced a more uphill battle. It collected $15.4
million in 71 international markets. Domestically, “Sinners” attracted a
diverse audience: 38% Black, 35% white, 18% Hispanic and 5% Asian.
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This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan,
foreground from left, Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in a
scene from "Sinners." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
 Before “Sinners,” dual roles had
been rough business for Warner Bros. The studio saw flops in both
“The Alto Knights” (a period gangster film featuring a doubled
Robert De Niro) and “Mickey 17” (a sci-fi movie with two Robert
Pattinsons).
But the strong opening for “Sinners,” which should
be sustained in the coming weeks given the strong word of mouth,
cements Coogler’s place as one of a handful of filmmakers whose name
draws big audiences. Another would be Jordan Peele, whose “Nope”
(2022) debuted similarly with $44.3 million.
Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings,” an animated tale of Jesus’ life
aimed at Christian audiences, capitalized on the Easter weekend,
grossing $17.2 million in its second week of release. That was
nearly equal to its opening weekend ($19.1 million), and brought
“The King of Kings” to a domestic total of $45.3 million.
Bleecker Street’s “The Wedding Banquet,” Andrew Ahn’s reimagining of
Ang Lee’s 1993 queer comedy of errors, opened on 1,142 North
American screens with $922,906 in ticket sales. “The Wedding
Banquet,” a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, stars Lily Gladstone,
Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran and newcomer Han Gi-chan.
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. “Sinners,” $45.6 million.
2. “A Minecraft Movie,” $41.3 million.
3. “The King of Kings,” $17.3 million.
4. “The Amateur,” $7.2 million.
5. “Warfare,” $4.9 million.
6. “Drop,” $3.4 million.
7. “Colorful Stage: The Movie,” $2.8 million.
8. “Pride & Prejudice” (2005), $2.7 million.
9. “The Chosen: Last Supper,” $1.8 million.
10. “Snow White,” $1.2 million.
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