Box Office Buzz: "Fantastic Four" Holds Strong While "The Naked Gun" Aims for a Hilarious Comeback!
Los Angeles, California [US]: As we glide into the first weekend of August, Hollywood’s box office is experiencing that slight, anticipatory calm before a potential storm. Next weekend promises a double dose of excitement with “Freakier Friday” and “Weapons” hitting theaters, but for now, all eyes are on the current contenders. Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is leading the pack, even as it navigates the inevitable second-weekend decline, while a classic comedy reboot and an animated sequel are stirring up some surprising numbers!
After a massive opening, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is looking to pull in an estimated $12 million today (Friday), heading towards a $40-$45 million second weekend. This performance is poised to push the film’s domestic total past the $200 million mark (or a strong $198 million on the lower end).
However, the whispers in the industry suggest a substantial drop – a roughly 66% decline, which puts it in the vicinity of other recent superhero entries like Captain America: Brave New World (-68%). This sharper drop, compared to Thunderbolts* (-56%),* indicates that audiences were eager to see Marvel’s first family on the big screen, leading to a front-loaded rush. The film continues to dominate at 4,125 theaters, holding onto those coveted premium screens.
DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys 2,” playing across 3,852 locations, is proving to be a pleasant surprise. The animated sequel is off to a slightly better start than its 2022 predecessor, raking in an impressive $9 million on its first day (including Thursday previews). This sets it up for an estimated $22 million over its opening three-day weekend, showing that audiences are clearly ready for more of these lovable rogues.
The film’s $2.25 million from Thursday previews already surpassed the first Bad Guys’ $1.15 million, hinting at strong word-of-mouth and a healthy family turnout. With a production cost of $80 million (net), it’s poised to continue DreamWorks’ recent positive trend. Critics are largely on board too, with an 85% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes!
Paramount’s bold attempt to revive the beloved 1980s classic, “The Naked Gun,” starring none other than Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, is looking surprisingly strong! Knock on wood, as they say, it’s eyeing a $6 million Friday and a healthy $16 million over its three-day opening weekend from 3,344 theaters. The buzz from early screenings has been fantastic, with “excellent exits” and a rare thumbs-up from critics, scoring an impressive 90% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes – a near-impossible feat for a comedy!
This film needs to capture the under-40 guy crowd to truly leg out, but if these numbers hold, it would mark Liam Neeson’s biggest opening as a leading star (excluding voice-overs, cameos, or supporting roles) since 2014’s Taken 3 ($39.2 million opening). In a significant win for big-screen comedies, a $16 million debut would also be $1 million higher than Jennifer Lawrence’s R-rated comedy, No Hard Feelings, from 2023 – a film that was seen as Sony’s attempt to reignite the genre. With a net production cost of $42 million, The Naked Gun looks like a smart gamble for Paramount.
Warner Bros/DC Studios’ “James Gunn’s Superman” continues its strong run in its fourth weekend, pulling in an estimated $13.5 million (a 46% drop). By Sunday, its total domestic cume is expected to reach an impressive $315.8 million, pacing just 5% behind Matt Reeves’ 2022 The Batman, which concluded its stateside run at $369.3 million. The DC universe is clearly back in action!
In fifth place, Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” is holding its own. With $2.3 million today from 3,240 locations, it’s looking at an $8.1 million fifth weekend (a 39% drop), bringing its running total by Sunday to $317 million. While a strong number, it remains about 10% behind the running total of its predecessor, Jurassic World: Dominion, which finished at $376.8 million. The year 2025 now proudly boasts four films that have crossed the coveted $300 million mark at the domestic box office, including Superman, Lilo & Stitch, and A Minecraft Movie.
Neon’s wide release of the romantic horror film “Together,” starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, clocked in $2.2 million today, aiming for a $6-$7 million three-day weekend and a $10-$11 million five-day total.
This puts it roughly on par with A24’s 2019 genre hit Midsommar‘s Wednesday-Sunday take of $10.9 million, showcasing its potential in the niche market, especially with higher Rotten Tomatoes scores (91% critics/79% audience) than Midsommar (83% critics/63% audience). Though it received a C+ CinemaScore, similar to Midsommar, indicating it’s perhaps a film for a specific taste.
Finally, an intriguing new entrant: Gowtam Tinnanuri’s “Kingdom” opened on Thursday, making a solid $1.1 million at 360 locations.
This film follows an undercover cop plunged into Sri Lanka on a covert mission, only to discover the mastermind is his estranged brother – a compelling premise that blends family loyalty with the moral complexities of duty.
Here’s a quick look at the estimated top 5 (Friday PM Update):
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