‘Ballerina’ Opens Soft at Box Office Despite Strong Reviews, Trails Behind ‘Lilo & Stitch’

The first John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas collects $10.65 million on opening day, below projections, while Disney’s Lilo & Stitch continues to dominate.

Lionsgate’s Ballerina, the much-anticipated John Wick spin-off led by Ana de Armas, debuted with $10.65 million across Friday and Thursday previews from 3,409 locations — a figure slightly below industry expectations. Initially projected to open between $28–30 million, the R-rated actioner now looks poised for a $25.5 to $27.5 million weekend.

While strong word-of-mouth and an “A-” CinemaScore may give Ballerina legs in the coming weeks, its first-day earnings rank as the second-lowest in the franchise — just behind 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, which opened at $10.96 million. The film’s sizable $90 million production budget adds further pressure, though Lionsgate has offset some risk through international pre-sales.

Keanu Reeves returns in a supporting role, with Ballerina serving as a franchise reset of sorts. The studio is also planning a John Wick 5, a Donnie Yen-led spin-off, and even an animated prequel to expand the universe.

Still, Ballerina was no match for Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, which is enjoying its third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office. The live-action remake brought in $9.3 million on Friday alone and is expected to cross $335 million domestic by Sunday. By Saturday, it will enter the top 100 all-time domestic box office list.

Other notable weekend performances include:

• 3rd Place: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning earned $4 million on Friday and targets a $14.8 million third weekend. Despite outperforming Dead Reckoning domestically, it still faces challenges due to its $400 million budget.
• 4th Place: Karate Kid: Legends grabbed $2.4 million on Friday and is projected to land at $8.7 million for its second frame, bringing its 10-day total to around $35 million.
• 5th Place: Final Destination: Bloodlines added $1.9 million on Friday, inching past $120 million domestic by Saturday.
• 6th Place: The Phoenician Scheme, directed by Wes Anderson, expanded nationwide to 1,678 theaters, earning $2.55 million Friday and heading toward a $5.8 million weekend. Despite critical praise, general audience reception was lukewarm with a B- CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners continued its historic run, surpassing $270 million domestic and on track to overtake Gravity as the highest-grossing original film in North America in 15 years.

In contrast, IFC’s shark thriller Dangerous Animals opened to a modest $760,000 and is unlikely to break into the top 10.

Despite mixed financial performances, the weekend’s variety — from action to horror to family fare — shows Hollywood’s continued commitment to cinematic storytelling across genres.