Rebecca Ferguson-Led Thriller Dethrones ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ at This Weekend’s Box Office

This weekend’s box office featured a little bit of everything – new sci-fi movies, popular animated sequels, and the return of a classic fantasy series. Amazon MGM Studios’ new action thriller took the number one spot, and Disney and 20th Century Studios continued to perform well with their existing films. Smaller, independent films and re-releases also attracted audiences. Overall, the weekend shows that movie theaters are offering a wide variety of films and that people are still going to see them.

‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ (2025)

‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ made $965,000 this weekend, pushing its total earnings in the U.S. to almost $70 million after six weeks in cinemas. The animated film sees SpongeBob journey into the deep ocean to face the Flying Dutchman. Directed by Derek Drymon, the movie features the same voice actors from the popular TV show. While still performing, ticket sales are gradually decreasing as the film finishes its time in theaters.

‘Clika’ (2026)

The new movie ‘Clika’ opened in theaters this weekend, bringing in $1,275,000 from 522 theaters. Directed by Michael Greene, the film follows a musician in a small town as he tries to make his mark in the Mexican-American music world. The story begins when a video of his performance unexpectedly goes viral. The film stars Jay Dee, Daniel Lopez, and Uziel Pantoja Delgado.

‘Anaconda’ (2025)

Anaconda earned $1.3 million in its fifth week, bringing its total earnings to over $62 million. This 2025 version is a fresh take on the popular series about enormous, dangerous snakes. The films usually follow a group of adventurers who come face-to-face with these legendary creatures in a faraway jungle. Although ticket sales dropped sharply by 60.9% this weekend, the movie continues to be among the top fifteen most popular films.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002)

As a huge film fan, I was thrilled to hear that ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ was back in cinemas! It did really well too, bringing in $1.6 million over the weekend. Peter Jackson’s film, which picks up after the Fellowship breaks apart, is just incredible. Everyone remembers that massive battle at Helm’s Deep – it’s still one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen on screen. It’s a landmark film, not just for being a great adaptation of Tolkien’s book, but also for its groundbreaking visual effects that still hold up today.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ recently earned $1.6 million during a limited return to theaters. This last movie in the trilogy shows the final fight for Middle-earth and the completion of Frodo and Sam’s quest to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom. First released in 2003, the film famously won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Now, fans have another chance to see the epic conclusion on the big screen with its 2026 re-release.

‘Primate’ (2025)

The movie ‘Primate’ earned $1.64 million during its third weekend in theaters, which was a significant drop of 67.4% from the week before. So far, the film has made a total of $23.5 million domestically. This science-fiction horror film is about dangerous animal experiments at a secure facility, but it’s been difficult for it to stay popular with so many new movies being released.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)

This weekend, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ made $2 million as part of a nationwide re-release of the entire trilogy. The film first introduces viewers to the world of the Shire and the Hobbits, and shows how the fellowship is formed to destroy the One Ring. Directed by Peter Jackson, it’s known for setting a new standard for fantasy movies and creating a detailed, immersive world. This re-release proves the franchise remains incredibly popular, even twenty-five years after it first came out.

‘Hamnet’ (2025)

‘Hamnet’ earned $2 million at the box office this weekend, a 48% increase from last week. Now playing in 1,996 theaters – a major expansion for its ninth week in release – the film is based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel and tells the story of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and the grief of losing their son. Chloé Zhao directed the film, which stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

‘Return to Silent Hill’ (2025)

The new psychological horror movie ‘Return to Silent Hill’ earned $3.25 million in its opening weekend, playing in 2,000 theaters. It’s a fresh take on the beloved video game ‘Silent Hill 2’, and director Christophe Gans, who made the first ‘Silent Hill’ film in 2006, is back at the helm. The story centers on a man returning to the mysterious, fog-filled town to find a lost love.

‘Marty Supreme’ (2025)

‘Marty Supreme’ continued to do well in theaters, earning $3.55 million in its sixth week and bringing its total earnings in the US to over $86 million. The A24 film stars Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis player based on the life of Marty Reisman. Directed by Josh Safdie, the movie is set in the competitive world of New York during the mid-20th century and has been a reliable hit for the independent studio since its release.

’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ (2025)

‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ earned $3.6 million in its second weekend, a significant drop of 71.2% from its opening. The film, from Sony Pictures, is the latest installment in the popular survival horror series created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. It picks up the story in post-apocalyptic Britain, years after the outbreak of the Rage Virus. Despite the decline, the film has already made over $20 million in North America.

‘The Housemaid’ (2025)

This weekend, the thriller ‘The Housemaid’ earned $4.2 million at the domestic box office, bringing its total earnings to over $115 million. Based on the popular novel by Freida McFadden, the film stars Sydney Sweeney and tells the story of a live-in maid who uncovers disturbing secrets while working for a rich family. Despite being in theaters for six weeks, the movie continues to perform well with audiences.

‘Zootopia 2’ (2025)

The animated sequel ‘Zootopia 2’ has now earned over $400 million worldwide, adding another $5.7 million to its total this weekend. The film brings back beloved characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde for a new adventure, tackling themes of teamwork and acceptance in a vibrant city populated by animals. After nine weeks in cinemas, it’s still one of the year’s biggest box office hits.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ (2025)

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ earned $7 million last week, pushing its total earnings past $378 million. The third film in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ series introduces a new Na’vi clan called the “Ash People” and explores the conflicts between different cultures on the planet Pandora. The movie uses cutting-edge visual effects and motion capture technology. Despite a significant drop in viewers—over 51%—it remained the second highest-grossing film of the week.

‘Mercy’ (2026)

The new sci-fi action thriller, ‘Mercy’, earned $11.1 million in its opening weekend, taking the number one spot at the box office. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Charles Roven, the film stars Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in a future world struggling with a surge in crime. This marks a strong start for Amazon MGM Studios’ first release of the year. The cast also includes Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers.

Tell us which of these box office hits you are planning to watch in the comments.

2026-01-26 15:46