Hollywood set its sights on “A Minecraft Movie” to turn the tides of this year’s box office, and it accomplished just that with an astounding opening weekend. Surpassing expectations, the film raked in an impressive $157 million in ticket sales across theaters in the U.S. and Canada alone, according to studio estimates from Sunday. Accompanying this domestic success, international markets contributed an additional $144 million, marking its global debut at a total of $301 million. With the continuation of spring break across schools, the movie’s momentum seems far from slowing.
Pamela Abdy, co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, expressed excitement over the audience’s reception, stating, “We’re just thrilled that audiences are responding and that everyone’s going to the theater.” Not only did the film achieve the largest opening of 2025, but it also claimed the top spot for a video game adaptation debut, a title formerly held by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with $146 million. Predictions had the film grossing around $80 million over the weekend, yet “Minecraft” nearly doubled that figure.
Michael DeLuca, who shares the CEO role with Abdy, emphasized the film’s appeal, saying, “You can’t underestimate the value of earnest, entertaining, joyous cinema.” DeLuca pointed out that the quest for family-friendly escapism was evident in the movie’s success. Despite the lack of a traditional narrative in the block-centric game, legions of its 200 million active monthly players flocked to theaters. DeLuca highlighted the film’s widespread appeal, noting its success across various cinema sizes globally.
Directed by Jared Hess, recognized for “Napoleon Dynamite,” the PG-rated film was a collaboration between Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros., with a production budget of $150 million, excluding marketing costs. The ensemble cast features Jack Black and Jason Momoa, with Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen also playing pivotal roles. “We made the movie for the fans and the fans exceeded our expectations,” remarked DeLuca, noting the positive reception.
Critics offered mixed reviews for “A Minecraft Movie,” but audiences displayed more favorable opinions, handing it a B+ CinemaScore and 4 out of 5 stars in PostTrak exit polls. The audience was predominantly male at 62%, with 64% of attendees below the age of 25. Warner Bros. ensured a massive release, with the film opening in 4,263 domestic locations and 36,000 screens worldwide. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, noted, “Younger audiences love going to the movie theater, believe it or not,” underscoring the film’s transition from small screen to big screen as a must-see event.
Recent years have seen notable triumphs in video game adaptations, including the successes of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the “Sonic” franchise, and “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Dergarabedian remarked, “Video games were once a genre that had very mixed results at the box office, but the code has finally been cracked.”
In second place at the box office was Jason Statham’s action installation “A Working Man,” bringing in $7.3 million in its second week. The third spot was claimed by “The Chosen: Last Supper” part two, which grossed $7 million. The final set of episodes connected to this series is scheduled for an April 11th theatrical release. Meanwhile, “Snow White” slipped to fourth position, amassing $6.1 million, contributing to a global total exceeding $168 million.
The year’s opening has proved challenging for Hollywood and the theater business, with underperforming titles like “Snow White” and “Mickey 17.” Nonetheless, a singular hit like “A Minecraft Movie” has the potential to revitalize the industry, especially with intense marketing campaigns underway for the pivotal summer movie season, which officially commences in May. Prior to this weekend’s box office results, the revenue gap was at 13% below last year, but the success of “Minecraft” has mitigated it to 5%.
Here’s a rundown of the top grossing films domestically from Friday to Sunday:
1. “A Minecraft Movie,” $157 million.
2. “A Working Man,” $7.3 million.
3. “The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 2,” $7 million.
4. “Snow White,” $6.1 million.
5. “The Woman in the Yard,” $4.5 million.
6. “Death of a Unicorn,” $2.7 million.
7. “The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1,” $1.9 million.
8. “Hell of a Summer,” $1.8 million.
9. “The Friend,” $1.6 million.
10. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $1.4 million.