Spring break moviegoers boost Pixar’s “Hoppers,” while Colleen Hoover’s “Reminders of Him” and indie horror “Undertone” enter the box office race.
Spring break isn’t just filling beaches and airports — it’s also driving crowds into movie theaters.
With many schools and colleges on break, families and young audiences are helping Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers stay strong at the box office heading into its second weekend.
The animated film is expected to bring in about $27 million, a roughly 40% drop from its opening but still a healthy hold for an original animated feature.
The Daniel Chong–directed movie already holds a notable milestone: it delivered the biggest opening for a Pixar original film since Coco debuted in 2017. After just over a week in theaters, Hoppers has collected about $48 million domestically, according to early estimates.
For theater owners, the timing couldn’t be better. Data from Comscore shows that roughly 27% of colleges and 20% of K-12 schools are currently on spring break, helping sustain mid-March ticket sales.
The film’s appeal to families and younger viewers has also secured it the majority of premium large-format screens, including additional IMAX showtimes this weekend.
Industry watchers are comparing Hoppers to last year’s talking-animal comedy GOAT, which slipped only 38% in its second frame after debuting during a holiday period.
But animation won’t be the only story at the multiplex this weekend.
Hollywood is also testing the box office strength of author Colleen Hoover once again. Her novel Reminders of Him arrives in theaters with expectations of a $10 million to $15 million opening across about 3,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
The romantic drama follows a woman recently released from prison who tries to rebuild a relationship with her daughter while confronting the consequences of her past.
The film stars Maika Monroe alongside Tyriq Withers, Lauren Graham, and Bradley Whitford, and is directed by Vanessa Caswill.
Universal’s adaptation enters theaters with strong built-in awareness. Hoover’s novel has sold more than 6 million copies in the United States and has been translated into 45 languages.
Studio analysts say the audience could resemble that of Regretting You, another Hoover adaptation that opened to $13.6 million and ultimately multiplied its earnings thanks largely to women ages 18–34.
The weekend’s third notable debut comes from indie distributor A24, which is releasing low-budget horror film Undertone. The supernatural thriller — reportedly produced for around $500,000 — could scare up about $7 million from 2,500 theaters.
Written and directed by Ian Tuason, the movie follows a paranormal podcast host who begins receiving disturbing audio recordings that seem tied to a haunting. The film, starring Nina Kiri, generated buzz after playing the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival, where critics pushed its Rotten Tomatoes score to 85% fresh.
For the industry overall, the early-year box office is showing encouraging signs. Domestic ticket sales from January 1 through last weekend have reached about $1.3 billion, running 13% ahead of the same period in 2025.
As spring break crowds continue to show up, studios are hoping the momentum — led by animated animals, romance adaptations, and indie scares — keeps theaters hopping.
