There’s an interesting and unexpected shift unfolding at the box office this weekend. Based on early internal estimates, last week’s number one film, “Thunderbolts,” is projected to bring in around $30M in its second weekend— that’s a 60% drop from its debut. However, what’s truly turning heads is that “Sinners,” now in its fourth weekend in theaters, is poised to challenge the Marvel release for the top spot.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” is currently tracking to earn between $26M and $28M, reflecting a much smaller 25% dip from the previous weekend. This performance highlights the film’s impressive staying power and growing word of mouth. It’s become a word-of-mouth cultural phenomenon, well, at least in the U.S.
Earlier today, “Sinners” crossed the $200M threshold at the domestic box office and has earned roughly $60M internationally, signaling strong global interest. On the other hand, “Thunderbolts” —despite Marvel’s high-profile marketing strategy, which involved renaming and marketing the film as “The New Avengers” —doesn’t seem to be generating the kind of momentum many anticipated.
While “Thunderbolts” is still expected to hit the $100M domestic milestone by this afternoon, the contrast in week-to-week performance suggests it may not have the same long-term legs as “Sinners.” Coogler’s film also recently nabbed a re-release in IMAX 70mm auditoriums from May 15-21.