A new weekend at the box office has arrived, and with it, a familiar feeling – another underwhelming performance from moviegoers. According to Comscore, only three weekends in 2025 have seen all movies grossing under $57 million, highlighting a bleak industry outlook.
Paramount’s Novocaine is leading the box office with an estimated $8-12 million, potentially unseating Warner Bros’ Mickey 17, which could fall 55-60% to $9M-$10M. The R-rated action comedy has received positive post-track audiences, scoring 4.5 stars and a 59% definite recommend.
Focus Features’ spy movie Black Bag, starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, is also on the marquee. Despite critical acclaim at 97% certified fresh, it’s expected to perform in high-single digits due to its targeted audience of older adults.
Other releases include Captain America: Brave New World, Paddington in Peru, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, and The Last Supper, with Opus from A24 also making a limited appearance.
Industry experts point to a lack of awareness and interest in new films, citing low tracking numbers for Novocaine and Black Bag. The poor box office performance serves as a reminder that the market is struggling, and it’s not just individual movies that are the issue – it’s the American audience as a whole.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/03/box-office-novocaine-1236326472