Families showed up, romance stayed strong and a few newcomers stumbled in a weekend full of big wins and tough losses.
It was a tale of two crowds at the weekend box office: families filled seats for GOAT, while date-night audiences kept Wuthering Heights burning bright.
And not every newcomer was so lucky.
Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT raced to No. 1 in North America with $17.2 million from 3,842 theaters, lifting its domestic total to $58.3 million. The animated hit has now crossed $100 million globally, with $44 million coming from overseas markets as it continues a slower international rollout.
The strong family turnout gave the film a boost after a competitive Presidents Day frame, proving once again that parents and kids remain a powerful box office force.
Meanwhile, director Emerald Fennell’s bold reimagining of Emily Brontë’s classic kept its momentum. Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, earned $14.2 million domestically in its latest weekend.
But the real love story is overseas: the film added $26.3 million internationally, pushing its global total to a striking $152 million. Of that, $91.7 million comes from foreign markets.
The sweeping romance clearly connects with audiences worldwide.
Last weekend, Wuthering Heights had the upper hand during the Valentine’s Day/Presidents Day stretch. This time, families tipped the balance toward GOAT.
Still, both films are clear winners in a marketplace that has been craving steady hits.
In third place, faith-based sequel I Can Only Imagine 2 opened with $8 million from 3,105 theaters. Distributed by Lionsgate and Kingdom Story, the film earned an A+ CinemaScore — a rare and meaningful audience grade.
While that debut is about half the opening of the 2018 original, the strong audience reaction suggests it could have staying power in the weeks ahead.
Music fans also had something to cheer about. Baz Luhrmann’s concert documentary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert launched in 325 Imax locations and delivered $3.3 million domestically, plus another $1.1 million overseas.
Built from 59 hours of restored footage, the film offers a fresh look at Elvis Presley and is already generating strong word of mouth before its nationwide expansion.
Not every debut found an audience. A24’s How to Make a Killing, starring Glen Powell, opened to $3.5 million from 1,625 theaters. Despite its recognizable cast, reviews were mixed, and the film struggled to stand out in a crowded field.
Even tougher was the launch of Psycho Killer, which brought in just $1.6 million from 1,100 theaters. The horror film failed to crack the top 10 and has been hurt by poor reviews and weak audience scores.
Among holdovers, Crime 101 added $6.2 million in its second weekend, while the R-rated thriller Send Help continued to show steady legs with $4.5 million in its fourth outing.
Two Disney titles remain major forces. Zootopia 2 has now reached $423.9 million domestically, becoming one of the year’s top performers. And Avatar: Fire and Ash is closing in on $400 million in North America, with a massive $1.47 billion worldwide total.
At the specialty box office, Focus Features’ Oscar hopeful Hamnet continues its steady climb, nearing $100 million globally.
For now, the message is clear: when audiences connect — whether through animated fun, sweeping romance or music nostalgia — they show up.
And when they don’t, the numbers tell that story just as loudly.
