“Sinners” looks to rule the box office again as three new movies open in North America.
Director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan’s R-rated vampire thriller is expected to enjoy another huge weekend with $25 million to $30 million in its sophomore frame. Last weekend, “Sinners” opened to $48 million, marking the biggest debut for an original film since 2019. So far, the horror film has generated $55 million domestically and $71 million internationally against a $90 million production budget.
In terms of new releases, Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant 2” is aiming for $20 million to $25 million from 3,610 theaters. Amazon MGM is backing the sequel to 2016’s “The Accountant,” which opened to $24.7 million and became a surprise hit, ending its theatrical run with $155 million globally. The second film cost a hefty $80 million (around double the first film’s $45 million price tag) before factoring in global marketing expenses.
Gavin O’Connor returned to direct the R-rated “The Accountant 2,” which picks up as Affleck’s forensic accountant Christian Wolff teams up with his estranged brother (Jon Bernthal) to track down mysterious assassins after uncovering a deadly conspiracy. Critics have praised the sequel, with Variety’s Owen Gleiberman saying the follow-up film improves upon the first. In his review, he called “The Accountant 2” an “agreeably loopy hyperviolent good time.”
“The Accountant 2” will compete for second place on box office charts with “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” which Disney is re-releasing for the film’s 20th anniversary. Based on advanced ticket sales, the space opera sequel is expected to generate a sizable $20 million to $22 million over the weekend.
Another newcomer, Sony’s R-rated horror film “Until Dawn,” is targeting $8 million to $10 million from 3,000 venues. The movie, which cost $15 million, is inspired by the video game of the same name and follows a friend group trapped in a “Groundhog Day”-esque time loop as they’re stalked and murdered by a masked killer, only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening.
Elsewhere, A24’s fantastical “The Legend of Ochi” is expected to bring in single digits from 1,150 venues in its domestic debut. Isaiah Saxon directed the $10 million film about a shy farm girl named Yuri (“News of the World” breakout Helena Zengel) who lives on a remote island and forms a close bond with a wounded baby ochi — an elusive animal species she was raised to fear. Critical sentiment has been positive, with Variety’s review by Carlos Aguilar praising the film’s striking visuals. “‘Ochi’ oozes wonder shot after shot,” he wrote. It “prompts one to think, ‘How did they do that?’ only to be even more incredulous when realizing the techniques employed. That’s film sorcery.”
After a sluggish start to 2025, the box office is slowly regaining steam. Revenues are 5% ahead of last year while still trailing 29% behind the pre-COVID 2019, according to Comscore. Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” (May 2) and Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake (May 23) look to keep up momentum and fill auditoriums.
