Last Updated on April 23, 2025 by Angel Melanson
To put it lightly, it was a huge weekend at the box office, particularly for horror. While the genre can often be a reliable moneymaker, much of that has to do with the fact that the movies are typically made on the cheap, making it a relative game. This past weekend though, director Ryan Coogler’s Sinners arrived as a big-budget, wholly original vampire tale and managed to top the charts with the biggest opening for an original movie of any kind this decade.
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Sinners opened to an estimated $45.6 million this past weekend, which was in line with the very top end of expectations. It also took in $15.4 million overseas for a $61 million global start. That’s the biggest opening for an original movie since Jordan Peele’s Us ($71.1 million) in 2019, overtaking Peele’s NOPE ($44.3 million) from 2022. It also had the biggest opening ever for a horror movie on IMAX.
One key difference here is that Coogler’s latest cost at least $90 million to produce, which is getting into blockbuster territory. That being the case, Warner Bros. is going to need this one to hang around for a while. Having those IMAX screens and selling premium format tickets will absolutely help pad out the movie’s earnings as time goes on.
That said, every single sign is pointing towards this one having long legs. It is the first horror movie in decades to earn an A CinemaScore and it boasts absolutely stellar reviews from critics. You can read Fango’s review right here. Word of mouth is outlandishly good. Coogler’s track record, which includes Creed and Black Panther, certainly doesn’t hurt anything. Reuniting with Michael B. Jordan, who leads the cast in a dual role, certainly didn’t hurt either.
Sinners takes place in the 1930s and centers on a pair of brothers who return home in an attempt to start a legitimate business, leaving their checkered past behind. Their big opening is interrupted by bloodthirsty vampires.
Way lower down on the charts this weekend was The Ugly Stepsister, the fairytale/body horror movie from IFC, opened to just $175,000 on more than 500 screens. Unfortunately, that one will await discovery on VOD streaming down the line, though it does feel like the kind of movie that is destined to find its audience. In better news, David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds arrived in limited release on just three screens, pulling in a fantastic $52,100. Here’s hoping that continues as the legend’s latest expands.
Elsewhere in horror news, Christopher Landon’s new thriller Drop dropped 55% with a $3.3 million second weekend, suffering a bit from a deluge of competition. It has earned $20.6 million globally thus far on an $11 million budget. This one now seems like it’s going to run out of steam before reaching profitability in theaters, which is a real shame given its stellar reviews. Meanwhile, Blumhouse’s The Woman in the Yard fell out of the top ten and will likely finish its theatrical run with around $25 million globally. Not quite what the studio was hoping for there. Original cinema is a tough sell, which is partially what makes Sinners so damn impressive.
Overall, it was another great weekend following two great weekends (and great third weekend) put up by A Minecraft Movie. April has been the turnaround the box office needed after a very rough start to 2025 overall. Here’s hoping we can keep the momentum going as summer nears. Looking ahead, this weekend will see the arrival of David F. Sandberg’s adaptation of Until Dawn, the very popular horror video game of the same name. Ben Affleck’s thriller The Accountant 2 also opens, making for what figures to be another busy frame at the multiplex.
You can see the full list of the top ten movies at the box office for the weekend of April 18, 2025, below. For more, check out the new trailer for the Jordan-Peele produced Him.
- Sinners – $45.6 million (first weekend)
- A Minecraft Movie – $41.3 million (third weekend)
- The King of Kings – $17.2 million (second weekend)
- The Amateur – $7.2 million (second weekend)
- Warfare – $4.8 million (second weekend)
- Drop – $3.3 million (second weekend)
- Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing – $2.76 million (first weekend)
- Pride & Prejudice (20th anniversary re-release) – $2.7 million (first weekend)
- The Chosen: Last Supper Part 3 – $1.6 million (second weekend)
- Snow White – $1.1 million (fifth weekend)
