'Weapons' horror film scores a box office victory
[August 11, 2025]
By ITZEL LUNA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s August, and horror and humor came to play.
In a month that’s long been known to let edgier movies thrive, Zach
Cregger’s highly anticipated horror film “Weapons” did not disappoint,
topping the box office during its debut weekend with $42.5 million
domestically from 3,202 theaters. It made $70 million internationally.
The film’s success also handed its distributor, Warner Bros. Pictures,
the seventh No. 1 opening of the year, and became the studio’s sixth
film in a row to debut with over $40 million domestically.
“Freakier Friday,” Disney’s chaotic sequel to the 2003 classic, “Freaky
Friday,” took the second spot during its premiere weekend, earning $29
million in 3,975 North American theaters. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee
Curtis return, this time for a double body-swapping between the
mother-daughter duo and Lohan’s teen daughter and soon-to-be
stepdaughter.
Viral marketing tactics, coupled with strong social media word-of-mouth,
boded well for both films’ success, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior
media analyst for the data firm Comscore.
“The top two films could not be more different, and that’s what makes
this weekend so appealing for moviegoers,” Dergarabedian said. “Both are
perfectly tailored for their audiences to react in real time over the
weekend to these films and then post on social media.”
“Weapons” transports audiences to the small town of Maybrook, where 17
kids up and leave their homes at 2:17 a.m., leaving bewildered parents
in their wake. The town is left to navigate the lingering effects of
trauma through horror, paranoia and a touch of existential humor.
The film is Cregger’s follow-up to his solo directorial debut with the
2022 genre-bending horror, “Barbarian.” That critically-acclaimed film
had a slower start and smaller budget, but still topped the charts
during its premiere with $10 million domestically and made a splash in
the genre.
“Weapons” generated a lot of buzz for its strong reviews (95% on Rotten
Tomatoes).
“The internet’s exploding right now between Friday and today. You just
see that people are having a great time with it,” said Jeffrey
Goldstein, president of global distribution for Warner Bros. “It starts
with an exceptional movie, an exceptional marketing campaign, and the
date was exceptional too.”
The success of the comedy-horror double premiere meant “The Fantastic
Four: First Steps” surrendered its two-week run in the top spot and
landed in the third position, bringing in $15.5 million domestically.
The superhero movie enjoyed a strong $118 million debut, but stumbled in
its second weekend.
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This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Cary Christopher
in a scene from "Weapons." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
 “The Bad Guys 2,” which got a
healthy start at the No. 2 spot during its premiere weekend, came in
fourth place, earning $10.4 million domestically. “The Naked Gun”
had a similar fate, reaching the fifth position with $8.4 million in
North American theaters.
“Jurassic World Rebirth,” which came in seventh this week, is
expected to hit $800 million globally by Monday, according to NBC
Universal, following a successful run in theaters.
Warner Bros. started off slow this year, but made a
comeback with the box-office hit, “A Minecraft Movie,” which opened
with $157 million domestically. Since then, movies like “Sinners,”
“Superman” and now, “Weapons,” have found success.
The studio set “a blueprint to how to create a perfect summer
lineup,” Dergarabedian said.
“Weapons ”also joins a stream of successful horror movies this year,
its opening numbers coming in just behind “Final Destination:
Bloodlines” and “Sinners.”
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. “Weapons,” $42.5 million.
2. “Freakier Friday,” $29 million.
3. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” $15.5 million.
4. “The Bad Guys 2,” $10.4 million.
5. “The Naked Gun,” $8.4 million.
6. “Superman,” $7.8 million.
7. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $4.7 million.
8. “F1: The Movie,” $2.9 million.
9. “Together,” $2.6 million.
10. “Sketch,” $2.5 million.
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