The horror sequel Final Destination Bloodlines opened strong at the box office, earning $51 million in its first weekend. The Warner Bros. and New Line release claimed the top spot, knocking Marvel’s Thunderbolts to second place and easily beating new competitor Hurry Up Tomorrow, which finished sixth.
Powered by strong reviews and word-of-mouth, the R-rated film had the biggest debut in the franchise’s history, topping the $27 million launch of 2009’s The Final Destination. This is the first film in the series since 2011’s Final Destination 5.
Internationally, Bloodlines brought in another $51 million from 74 countries, making its global total $102 million. The movie, directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, cost around $50 million to produce. The story follows a family haunted by a deadly secret linked to a traumatic event from 50 years ago. Audiences gave the film a solid “B+” on CinemaScore, and it holds a 93% average on Rotten Tomatoes.
“This is a sensational opening for a sixth film in a horror franchise,” said analyst David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research. “Critics love it, and audiences are responding well.”
Bloodlines is Warner Bros.’ third box office hit in a row, following April releases A Minecraft Movie and Sinners. The studio had three films in the top five this weekend. Sinners placed third with $15.4 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $240.8 million and global earnings to $316 million.
A Minecraft Movie came in fourth with $5.9 million. Now in its seventh week, the video game adaptation has made $416 million domestically and $501 million overseas, totaling $928 million worldwide.
In contrast, Hurry Up Tomorrow, starring singer Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, opened to just $3.3 million from 2,020 theaters. The film received poor reviews, a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a “C-” grade from CinemaScore. Lionsgate released the $15 million film for a distribution fee.
Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the movie is a fictional tale of a musician battling insomnia and mental collapse. It co-stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan and serves as a companion piece to The Weeknd’s latest album of the same name.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts slipped to second place with $16.5 million in its third weekend. The film has made $155.4 million in North America and $325 million worldwide. Despite decent reviews, the movie may struggle to break even due to its $180 million production cost and $100 million marketing spend.
Box office numbers for May have improved compared to last year but are still behind pre-pandemic levels. According to Comscore, domestic revenue is up 15% from 2024 but remains 32% below 2019 figures.
Upcoming releases like Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning are expected to boost ticket sales over the Memorial Day weekend.
“Projections are huge,” said Gross. “Those films should give the market a strong push.”
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