The horror film “Weapons,” directed by Zach Cregger, has dominated the domestic box office in its opening weekend, securing the number one spot with an impressive $42.5 million. The film’s strong debut surpassed Disney’s comedy sequel, “Freakier Friday,” which opened in second place with $29 million.
According to box office analysts, the success of “Weapons” is a testament to the audience’s appetite for high-quality, original horror films. The movie’s opening weekend performance has already exceeded the entire domestic run of Cregger’s 2022 hit, “Barbarian,” and marks the second time this year that an original horror film has topped the box office charts for distributor Warner Bros. Pictures. The film’s strong critical reception, with a 95% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is cited as a key factor in its success.
“Freakier Friday,” a sequel to the 2003 hit “Freaky Friday,” also had a solid opening. The film, which sees the return of stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, debuted to an enthusiastic audience response, receiving an “A” CinemaScore. Despite being outpaced by “Weapons,” the performance of both films contributed to a positive weekend for the overall box office, which is up from the same period last year.
In other box office news, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” dropped to third place in its third week, earning $15.5 million, bringing its domestic total to over $230 million. The animated film “The Bad Guys 2” and the comedy “The Naked Gun” rounded out the top five, earning $10.4 million and $8.37 million, respectively.