After two big weekends, the North American box office takes a hit
[September 22, 2025]
By LINDSEY BAHR
Neither a Jordan Peele-produced horror nor a Margot Robbie and Colin
Farrell romantic drama were enough to continue the September hot streak
at the movies. After back-to-back weekends that had films majorly
overperforming, first “The Conjuring: Last Rights” followed by the anime
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle,” the North American
box office slowed significantly.
Overall ticket sales were down nearly 50% from last weekend, with the
holdover champion “Demon Slayer” edging out the newcomer “Him” for first
place, according to studio estimates Sunday. Crunchyroll and Sony
Pictures’ “Demon Slayer” added $17.3 million over the weekend, bringing
its total to $104.7 million, which makes it the highest grossing anime
film ever in North America.
The football horror “Him” opened in second place with an estimated $13.5
million in ticket sales. Universal Pictures opened “Him” in 3,168 North
American theaters, where the audience was 52% male and 65% over the age
of 25. Internationally, it earned $400,000.
Produced by Peele’s Monkeypaw and directed by Justin Tipping, “Him” is
about a promising young quarterback (Tyriq Withers) who is invited to
train with a veteran (Marlon Wayans) at an isolated compound.
“Him” scored with neither critics (it carries a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes)
nor audiences, who gave the film a C- CinemaScore. In his review for The
Associated Press, film writer Jake Coyle wrote that the film “was made
with the potent premise of bringing the kind of dark, satirical
perspective that characterizes a Monkeypaw production to our violent
national pastime. But that promise gets fumbled in an allegorical
chamber play that grows increasingly tedious.”
“Him” was also nearly upstaged by another horror, “The Conjuring: Last
Rights,” which made an estimated $13 million in its third weekend. With
a global total of $400 million, it’s now the biggest film in the
Conjuring universe.
They are two of three horror movies in this weekend's top 10, including
“Weapons.” According to data firm Comscore, this year that genre alone
has generated $1.1 billion in domestic box office receipts, just several
million short of the 2017 record driven by “It” and “Get Out.”
“Horror movies have been on a bit of a hot streak,” said Paul
Dergarabedian, Comscore's head of marketplace trends. “It’s going to be
a record-breaking year.”
In addition to “Demon Slayer,” Sony had a new film this weekend as well:
The original romance “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” starring Robbie and
Farrell, but that fizzled with audiences, earning only $3.5 million from
3,300 locations. It also received largely negative reviews and currently
has a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Audiences are selective in what they want to see,” Dergarabedian said.
“Negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original films
with no brand recognition.”
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Colin Farrell, left, and Margot Robbie attend the Sony Pictures
premiere of "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" at AMC Lincoln Square on
Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
In its second weekend, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” added another
$6.3 million, bringing its running total to $31.6 million. The Stephen
King adaptation “The Long Walk” is also estimating $6.3 million in
weekend two, down only 46% from its opening. Its domestic total of $22.7
million has already exceeded its production budget of $20 million
(though that sum does not account for marketing and promotion).
Ron Howard’s 1995 hit “Apollo 13” played in 200 theaters this weekend
for its 30th anniversary as well. It made an estimated $600,000. The
30th anniversary re-release of “Toy Story,” now in its second weekend,
added $1.4 million.
Next weekend there is excitement surrounding the new Paul Thomas
Anderson film “One Battle After Another," although his biggest hit to
date remains the 2007 film “There Will Be Blood,” which made just over
$76 million worldwide, not accounting for inflation.
And right on its heels is a very different kind of cinema experience:
AMC Theaters is hosting a release party for Taylor Swift’s 12th studio
album, “ The Life of a Showgirl." The 90-minute show, aptly titled “The
Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” will play at all 540 AMC theaters
in the U.S. from Oct. 3 through Oct. 5.
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. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” $17.3 million
2. “Him,” $13.5 million.
3. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $13 million.
4. (tie) “The Long Walk,” $6.3 million.
4. (tie) “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $6.3 million.
6. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” $3.5 million.
7. “The Senior,” $2.8 million.
8. “Toy Story” (30th Anniversary re-release), $1.4 million.
9. “Sight & Sound Presents: NOAH - Live!” $1.4 million.
10. “Weapons,” $1.3 million.
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