Him Opens Strong on Friday
Universal released Him on Friday and the film earned $6.47 million on its opening day. The total includes $2 million from preview screenings and comes from 3,168 theaters across North America. The movie shares premium large format screens with the anime hit Demon Slayer, which helps boost ticket prices. Director Justin Tipping and Monkeypaw Productions keep the budget low at $27 million, so the early earnings look promising.
Industry analysts expect a $15 million weekend for Him box office opening. That figure is lower than the $18 million forecast, but the film still holds second place behind Demon Slayer. Early audience surveys show a CinemaScore of C‑, indicating mixed reactions. Critics also gave the film a cold review. The mixed response could affect the film’s staying power as other horror titles, such as The Strangers – Chapter 2, prepare to open next week.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Struggles
Sony’s fantasy adventure A Big Bold Beautiful Journey opened to a much weaker start. The film earned $1.4 million on Friday and preview screenings from 3,330 locations. With a production budget of $45 million for global rights, the movie faces a steep climb to break even.
The movie stars Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie, and it began as a Black List script before Kogonada took on directing duties. Despite the talent, the film received largely negative reviews and a CinemaScore of B. The weak opening suggests the movie will not reach the $8 million projection for its first weekend.
Other Releases This Weekend
Anime giant Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle continues to dominate the box office. The film earned $4.56 million on Friday and is projected to bring in $16.3 million for the second weekend, a 77% drop from its debut. It is on track to cross $100 million domestically, becoming the 15th film of 2025 to hit that milestone.
Warner Bros. sees The Conjuring: Last Rites in third place with $3.7 million on Friday, a 56% decline from its previous day. The film now sits at $141.9 million domestic total and may soon overtake Weapons for the 12th‑largest release of the year.
Lionsgate’s The Long Walk holds fourth place with $1.8 million on Friday. The Stephen King adaptation is expected to earn $6.3 million in its second weekend, bringing its ten‑day total to $22.7 million.
Focus Features’ Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale leads the fifth spot with $1.9 million on Friday. The film is projected to add $6 million in its second weekend, aiming for a $31.4 million domestic total.
Angel Studios released The Senior alongside Him. The football drama earned $1.25 million on Friday and preview screenings and received an A grade from CinemaScore, showing strong audience approval.
Overall, the weekend box office reflects a strong start for 2025 movie opening day earnings from horror and anime titles, while original fantasy projects face tougher odds.
Source: Variety
