This weekend’s box office belonged to high-octane thrills, as F1: The Movie sped into first place with a commanding debut. Elsewhere, How to Train Your Dragon continued to hold strong, while both Elio and M3GAN 2.0 posted modest openings. Rounding out the top five, 28 Years Later stumbled slightly compared to early projections but still performed respectably.
F1: The Movie Takes the Lead
F1: The Movie roared into theaters with a blistering $55.6 million debut, making it one of the summer’s biggest non-franchise openings. The racing drama’s blend of real-world adrenaline and star power clearly connected with audiences, even those with only a passing interest in motorsports. With strong audience scores and minimal direct genre competition, it’s likely to maintain box office momentum over the next couple of weeks.
How to Train Your Dragon Holds Strong
In its third weekend, How to Train Your Dragon added $19.4 million to its haul, showing solid box office staying power for DreamWorks’ live-action gamble. Family audiences continue to turn out, and word of mouth remains strong. With little family-friendly competition until late July, expect this one to fly steady through the season.
Elio Loses Ground
Pixar’s original sci-fi effort Elio kept in third place with $10.7 million, a disappointing figure for a studio once synonymous with box office gold. Despite a creative concept, the film struggled to cut through a crowded market and lacked the kind of marketing muscle that traditionally drives Pixar projects/ Without a major boost from critical acclaim or family buzz, its long-term box office prospects are uncertain.
M3GAN 2.0 Delivers a Middling Upgrade
M3GAN 2.0 earned $10.2 million, a modest result for the AI horror sequel. While the original had breakout success, the follow-up failed to match that energy, likely hurt by franchise fatigue and mixed reviews. Still, low production costs and horror’s evergreen appeal mean it could see better returns on digital platforms.
28 Years Later Lags Expectations
28 Years Later rounded out the top five with $9.7 million, falling short of earlier projections that had it landing north of $40 million. The long-awaited sequel drew interest from franchise loyalists but struggled to expand beyond that core. While international numbers may help, this domestic start is a sobering reminder that long gaps between sequels don’t always mean pent-up demand.
Jurassic World: Rebirth‘s Projections
Jurassic World: Rebirth is tracking for a strong opening weekend between $70 million and $80 million, as anticipation builds for the latest installment in the long-running dinosaur franchise. With no major blockbuster competition and a wide four-quadrant appeal, the film is positioned to draw both longtime fans and a new generation of viewers.
It’s likely opening around $72 million, assuming family audiences turn out and word-of-mouth holds through the weekend. If the estimates bear out, Rebirth will reaffirm the enduring box office power of the Jurassic brand.
As always, we’ll find out how the box office shapes up next week.
For more on Movies, stay locked on That Hashtag Show.
That Hashtag Show
