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Written by: E. George
Published May 8, 2025 @ 3:35 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – “Thunderbolts*” kicked off the summer movie season with a solid performance at the domestic box office, earning an estimated $76 million from North American theaters. While not a record-setting launch for Marvel Studios, the opening significantly outpaced last year’s summer starter, when “The Fall Guy” debuted with a disappointing $27.7 million.
Released by Disney, “Thunderbolts*” collected $162.1 million globally, including $86.1 million from international markets. Though slightly under initial forecasts, the film’s performance indicates healthy interest in a Marvel title built around lesser-known characters.
Directed by Jake Schreier, “Thunderbolts*” follows a team of misfits and outcasts from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who band together after being manipulated into conflict. The cast includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others. The film explores themes of redemption and unity as the group resists a covert operation designed to pit them against one another.
With a production cost of $180 million before marketing, the film’s financial trajectory will depend on its performance in the coming weeks. Early audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Thunderbolts*” earned a 95 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and strong exit poll scores, signaling potential for sustained interest. The film also attracted a more diverse and slightly less male-skewing audience than many prior Marvel entries.
Premium formats helped boost revenue as well, with IMAX screenings contributing $20 million to the film’s overall global total.
The wider box office also saw signs of renewed momentum. Warner Bros.’ supernatural thriller “Sinners” claimed second place with $33 million in its third weekend, pushing its domestic total to $179.7 million and global earnings to $236.7 million. The film’s modest week-to-week decline highlights strong audience engagement.
In third place, “A Minecraft Movie” experienced a resurgence, grossing $13.7 million following the studio’s promotion of interactive “rowdy” screenings. The family-oriented blockbuster is now approaching $400 million domestically and edging closer to the $1 billion mark worldwide.
In limited release, Alec Baldwin’s long-delayed Western “Rust” made a quiet debut, earning just $25,000 from 115 theaters. The film was simultaneously released on premium video-on-demand. Its arrival follows a tragic on-set shooting in 2021 that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. Despite being completed at the request of Hutchins’ family, the film is struggling to find a theatrical audience.
Overall, box office revenue surged compared to the same weekend last year, with ticket sales up 95 percent. Year-to-date numbers are now nearly 16 percent ahead of 2024, a promising sign for the industry following years of pandemic disruptions and labor strikes.
With high-profile releases like “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, the summer movie season appears poised for a significant rebound.