Lionsgate’s Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has claimed the top spot at the North American box office this weekend, raking in an estimated $15.5 million in ticket sales. The action-packed heist film, starring Gerard Butler as Los Angeles sheriff "Big Nick", continues the story of his pursuit of a dangerous gang of thieves across Europe. The film is inspired by the 2003 Antwerp heist, which remains the largest diamond robbery in history, with over $100 million in stolen jewels.
The movie’s success comes as it offers viewers a mix of action, suspense, and adrenaline-pumping heist drama, contributing to its strong opening weekend performance. As Lionsgate looks to expand its universe with this sequel, the box office results suggest it may be well-positioned for continued success, although its performance will likely depend on the coming weeks' competition.
Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, an animated prequel to the 2019 blockbuster The Lion King, has dropped one spot to second place, earning $13.2 million this weekend. Despite the slight drop in rankings, the film has already grossed an impressive $188.7 million domestically, and it’s still making a significant global impact with $350 million from international markets.
With its continued box office dominance, Mufasa has now passed the half-billion-dollar mark in cumulative ticket sales. This solid performance illustrates the lasting appeal of the Lion King franchise and suggests Mufasa will maintain strong numbers in the coming weeks.
Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has slid down a position, landing in third place this weekend with an estimated $11 million. The film, based on the popular video game character, has consistently drawn family and action film audiences since its release. This marks a slight dip from the previous weekend’s performance but remains a solid contender in the box office race. The Sonic franchise continues to perform well, especially among younger viewers, ensuring that the third installment has potential for continued revenue through the holiday season.
Focus Features’ Nosferatu, a fresh take on the classic Dracula-inspired vampire narrative, has dropped one position to fourth place this weekend, grossing an estimated $6.8 million. The film’s unique blend of horror and gothic mystery has garnered interest from fans of the genre. While its box office earnings have been modest compared to the other releases, Nosferatu’s continued success at theaters indicates it has carved out a niche audience who appreciate its atmospheric horror.
Disney’s Moana 2 slipped to fifth place this weekend with an estimated $6.5 million. The film, which has been out for seven weeks, is nearing the $1 billion mark with a domestic total of $434.9 million and $554 million internationally. The sequel to the beloved animated film continues to draw large audiences, thanks to its charming characters, stunning visuals, and strong music. With its impressive earnings, Moana 2 is poised to become one of Disney’s highest-grossing animated films, although the dropping ticket sales signal that it may soon be overtaken by other blockbusters.
This weekend, the highly anticipated Robbie Williams biopic, Better Man, premiered in wide release, aiming to take an audacious approach to the traditional music biopic genre. Directed by Michael Gracey, best known for his work on The Greatest Showman, the film opts for a unique spin by portraying the British popstar through the use of CGI—a chimpanzee standing in for the pop icon. This decision marks a stark departure from the conventional, musical biopics like Rocketman (Elton John) and Elvis (Elvis Presley), both of which took a more traditional route to depict the lives of these legendary artists.
However, Better Man struggled to make an impact with audiences. Despite its innovative premise, the film opened to disappointing numbers, grossing only $1.1 million over the weekend from 1,291 theaters across North America. With a production budget of $110 million and a hefty $25 million acquisition price by Paramount Pictures, Better Man’s underperformance at the box office is a major setback for the studio.
A Complete Unknown and Wicked tied for sixth place, each earning $5 million this weekend. Both films continue to generate steady interest among specific audience groups.
Babygirl rounded out the top 10 with $3.1 million, continuing its strong run in the market.
Game Changer and The Last Showgirl both saw modest earnings, at $1.9 million and $1.5 million respectively.
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