Warner Bros.’ “An A Battle” took $8.8 million on Friday and previewed it from 3,634 locations in North America. That haul includes gross from a pre-fan-first screening on Tuesday.
The studio didn’t pinch Penny because of the ultra-temporary action epic of Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio. To the director’s achievements, Anderson delivered the item. “One Battle Afferluse” already has a modern classic stature among critics and has instantly established itself as the award-winning season heavyweight. Plus, film fan research firm Cinemascore plays like a crowd by voting for the fantastic “A” grade. The “C” grade, which Anderson’s beloved “Boogie Night” was handled in 1997, is also the highest score from DiCaprio’s services since “Titanic” landed “A+” in the same year.
That all of its fame hype coincides with the unique ornate theatre rollout of films, including IMAX and other premium large-scale films. It will also be on display at four venues at 70mm, IMAX 70mm and even at Vistavision, a long-term format in which Anderson filmed the film. Each of these options comes with a luxurious ticket price, which increases gloss.
For now, “One Battle” is at a pace that lands within the weekly pre-track of the opening between $20 million and $25 million. The best cases are big reviews and fuss about sparkling reviews and the film’s relevance one after another among film fans. But in its light debut, “One Battle” has to tie the word-of-mouth phenomenon with a significant overseas draw in order to make money in the theatre.
At least, it won’t take long for the film to end as the biggest theatrical release ever for Anderson, who showed recognition in a crack about “box-office” in an August interview with Esquire. The screenwriter’s top hit was his 2007 critical darling “Will Will Blood,” which ended with $40 million domestically and $76 million worldwide. For Warner Bros., the studio has opened seven consecutive films in Hollywood that have surpassed its historic first $40 million. “One Battle” comes at the box office at a significant cost.
In a true contrast to counter programming, Universal has opened G-rated Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie at 3,500 locations, focusing on its second-place debut after winning $4.3 million on Friday and preview. The forecast currently opens at $13.6 million, with landing between $12 million and $15 million during the pre-weekend pursuit. DreamWorks Animation productions are looking for a theatrical hit when adapting the popular animated Pre-K Netflix series “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” which has been winning 11 seasons since its debut in 2021. It’s a “A+” grade from Cinemascore, and it plays great for the audience, but you’ll want to stick to the theatre.
Lionsgate, which opened this weekend, is also bowing to “The Strangers: Chapter II.” The continuation of the home invasion won $2.4 million on Friday, and previews from 2,690 locations, with a three-day opening forecast currently at around $5.6 million. This was less than half of the $11.8 million debut that The Strangers: Chapter I won in May 2024.
The first article was not a hit with critics, and even after the producer told ScreenRant that a “enhanced” reshoot was made after the release of “Chapter I”, the review is just as bad for follow-up. The audience wasn’t impressed, and the film scores roughly “C-” grade. Still, the film is light at $8.5 million to produce. Lionsgate plans to release “Chapter 3” one day.
After topping domestic charts over two weekends, Sony and Crunchroll’s “Demon Slayer: Kimett No Yaiba Infinity Castle” will slip into third place after earning another $1.8 million on Friday. We are seeing $6.8 million in the third weekend, a 61% decline. These gross are the cherry on top, mainly for “Infinity Castle” after a historic fan-driven weekend. The epic length film aims to hit a total of $117.8 million from Sunday through Sunday. It currently ranks as the 15th highest North American release of 2025.
Warner Bros. is also competing for bronze in “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The sequel to New Line Horror appears to hit $161 million throughout the fourth weekend of its release. This is a great result for the $55 million price tag. “Last Rites” was sold as the final chapter of Paranormal Investigator’s Ed and Lorraine Warren, but it’s hard to imagine the fortune being over after offering the biggest theatrical hit of all time.
Also, Universal’s football horror film “Him” lost many positions in sophomore outings and has plummeted sharply with a 71% drop after bad reviews. It appears to be reaching a domestic total of $20 million by the second weekend. This is not an estimate for a $27 million production budget. Sony’s “big bold, beautiful journey” has also faded quickly, with a crater at the opening, focusing on the $1.2 million sophomore outing. The projected 10-day domestic transport is $5.9 million for a $45 million project.
