'Sinners' Drops Only 6% In Its Second Box Office Weekend - What Should Hollywood Learn?

I made a joke on X, but Hollywood should write Ryan Coogler a 'Thank You' note for having a massive hit. We needed it. This is an original horror movie that's rated R and now has a drop off of only 6% in its second weekend in theaters. People everywhere are talking about this movie's controversial ending, fun villain design, and this amazing juke joint scene. And its deal, which sends the rights back to Coogler. Sinners made another $45 this past weekend, shooting its domestic total to around $120 million. While it's not doing as well overseas, you could argue Warner should not have been so worried and opened it wider with more money behind it there, but that's the case. With domestic totals doing so well, you're going to see this movie do well over $200 million.So, what should Hollywood learn from all this? Do we need more vampire movies? More movies about the blues? Honestly, I think what you're seeing is people excited to go to the theaters for a movie that packs passion and spectacle. It is a BIG movie that costs a lot of money and looks good. It was shot with IMAX cameras, and it rolled out in that film format with an aggressive marketing campaign. They also had a star director with proven hits. Coogler was coming off box office success and had a built-in audience who they knew would show up, Another big thing Hollywood should note is that diverse audiences show up when you program for them. There's something else I want to point out. Look at this last weekend: Sinners$45.0MStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - 20th anniversary$25.2MThe Accountant 2$24.5MA Minecraft Movie$22.7MUntil Dawn$8.0MWe have an original movie, a sequel, a kids movie based on a new IP, a rerelease of a popular title, and a horror movie based on a popular video game. The selections there are plentiful, and it truly has something for almost everyone. It's a diverse look at what the box office can look like when all the studios are programming hits. That led to a huge weekend, and it's marking what we hope will be a huge rebound year for theatrical. Hollywood is watching the box office and figuring out what movies they're going to shoot to release next year. Mixing in some older titles hitting anniversaries isn't a bad idea to make sure you have something in theaters every week. But also making some bets on original ideas that are in genres proven to bring people is smart as well. Especially if those ideas are piloted by directors who have ap roven track record. I go back to the speech Cord Jefferson gave when he accepted his Oscar, about Hollywood making noe one $200 million movie, but 20 $10 million movies and seeing what sticks. When I look at the box office this weekend, I see a lot of stuff that covers a plethora of budget ranges and genres. People want reasons to go to the movies, all these titles gave them those solid reasons to go. We were seeing sequels, we had Coogler's original idea that hit a genre we liked or a film format or stars, we had a family movie that's fun for everyone, and a reliable horor based on a popular video game. Everyone should be examining their slates right now to make sure the movies they're taking to theaters have direct reasoning as to why we're putting them there and should have marketing surrounding why we need to see them. Take the upcoming final Mission: Impossible movie. We are going because of the insane stunts and the end of a series. We have a trailer built around the crazy things we're going to see, only in theaters.Not everything had to be that extreme, but that's a movie that understands why people are going to see it. I hope Hollywood sees that and applies it to what they're releasing in the future, Let me know what you think in the comments.

Apr 28, 2025 - 18:28

'Sinners' Drops Only 6% In Its Second Box Office Weekend - What Should Hollywood Learn?

I made a joke on X, but Hollywood should write Ryan Coogler a 'Thank You' note for having a massive hit. We needed it. This is an original horror movie that's rated R and now has a drop off of only 6% in its second weekend in theaters.

People everywhere are talking about this movie's controversial ending, fun villain design, and this amazing juke joint scene. And its deal, which sends the rights back to Coogler.

Sinners made another $45 this past weekend, shooting its domestic total to around $120 million. While it's not doing as well overseas, you could argue Warner should not have been so worried and opened it wider with more money behind it there, but that's the case. With domestic totals doing so well, you're going to see this movie do well over $200 million.

So, what should Hollywood learn from all this?

Do we need more vampire movies? More movies about the blues?

Honestly, I think what you're seeing is people excited to go to the theaters for a movie that packs passion and spectacle. It is a BIG movie that costs a lot of money and looks good. It was shot with IMAX cameras, and it rolled out in that film format with an aggressive marketing campaign.

They also had a star director with proven hits. Coogler was coming off box office success and had a built-in audience who they knew would show up,

Another big thing Hollywood should note is that diverse audiences show up when you program for them.

There's something else I want to point out. Look at this last weekend:

Sinners	$45.0M
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - 20th anniversary	$25.2M
The Accountant 2	$24.5M
A Minecraft Movie	$22.7M
Until Dawn	$8.0M

We have an original movie, a sequel, a kids movie based on a new IP, a rerelease of a popular title, and a horror movie based on a popular video game.

The selections there are plentiful, and it truly has something for almost everyone. It's a diverse look at what the box office can look like when all the studios are programming hits.

That led to a huge weekend, and it's marking what we hope will be a huge rebound year for theatrical.

Hollywood is watching the box office and figuring out what movies they're going to shoot to release next year. Mixing in some older titles hitting anniversaries isn't a bad idea to make sure you have something in theaters every week.

But also making some bets on original ideas that are in genres proven to bring people is smart as well. Especially if those ideas are piloted by directors who have ap roven track record.

I go back to the speech Cord Jefferson gave when he accepted his Oscar, about Hollywood making noe one $200 million movie, but 20 $10 million movies and seeing what sticks.

When I look at the box office this weekend, I see a lot of stuff that covers a plethora of budget ranges and genres.

People want reasons to go to the movies, all these titles gave them those solid reasons to go.

We were seeing sequels, we had Coogler's original idea that hit a genre we liked or a film format or stars, we had a family movie that's fun for everyone, and a reliable horor based on a popular video game.

Everyone should be examining their slates right now to make sure the movies they're taking to theaters have direct reasoning as to why we're putting them there and should have marketing surrounding why we need to see them.

Take the upcoming final Mission: Impossible movie. We are going because of the insane stunts and the end of a series. We have a trailer built around the crazy things we're going to see, only in theaters.

Not everything had to be that extreme, but that's a movie that understands why people are going to see it.

I hope Hollywood sees that and applies it to what they're releasing in the future,

Let me know what you think in the comments.