Ryan Coogler’s latest project, the supernatural horror film “Sinners,” has emerged as a significant success this weekend, claiming the top spot at the box office and exceeding all expectations. The film grossed an impressive $45.6 million during its opening weekend in the United States, well above the anticipated figure of around $35 million. This strong performance allowed it to outpace “A Minecraft Movie,” which has earned a noteworthy $41.3 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic gross to nearly $345 million.
Both titles, “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie,” are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, underscoring the studio’s dominance in the current box office landscape. Interestingly, Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, plays a pivotal role in shaping narratives around film releases and their subsequent performances.
Much of the success of “Sinners” can be attributed to the powerful collaboration between Coogler and lead actor Michael B. Jordan. The duo has previously worked together on four distinct films, including the acclaimed Disney blockbuster “Black Panther.” According to Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, the star power that Coogler and Jordan bring to the table has significantly contributed to the film’s attractiveness to audiences. He noted, “That star power for ‘Sinners’ and really kind of a fresh, original take on the vampire movie genre helped bring out moviegoers.”
The positive critical reception further bolsters “Sinners’” potential for long-term box office success. With an astonishing 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 84 score on Metacritic—ranking as the seventh highest for films released in 2025—“Sinners” has been well received by both critics and audiences alike. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, remarked on the film’s critical acclaim, suggesting that it may be one of the best-reviewed No. 1 films ever, especially within the horror genre.
The encouraging results for “Sinners” point to a resurgence for the horror film genre, which saw significant success in 2017 with the release of films like “It” and “Get Out.” Back then, horror movies accumulated more than $1 billion at the box office, especially aided by audience enthusiasm. This trend appears to be gradually gaining momentum again, as the genre racked up $948 million in 2024. As Dergarabedian highlighted, horror films are characterized by their low production costs, which often translate into high profitability, thus capturing filmmakers’ and studios’ interests.
Universal Pictures is also on track to capitalize on this trend, preparing to release two notable horror sequels this year: “M3GAN 2.0” and “Black Phone 2,” set for June and October, respectively. These upcoming films are expected to contribute to the genre’s recovery and ongoing relevancy.
In the broader context of the industry, overall domestic box office earnings, which initially dipped by 13% at the opening of “A Minecraft Movie,” have rebounded and are currently up by 5.3% compared to the previous year, according to Comscore data. Box office analyst David A. Gross of FranchiseRe noted that “A Minecraft Movie” is projected to approach the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Following its successful opening, the family-friendly fantasy adventure has garnered considerable attention, particularly for its engaging comedic moments.
Audiences seem to be captivated by the film, which is described as “mainstream action-adventure entertainment at its best,” according to Gross. Looking ahead, Dergarabedian expects the box office to maintain its upward trajectory as the summer movie season kicks off in May, featuring highly anticipated titles like Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” for Memorial Day weekend. All of these factors together signal an exciting and potentially profitable period for the film industry.