Disney-Marvel’s wearying blockbuster hopeful The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach — dropped out of the top five at the domestic box office over the weekend as an underwhelming summer movie season draws to a close.
Directed by Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps got off to a solid start when it opened with $117.6 million in theaters on July 25-27, but took steep dives at North American ticket counters in weekends two and three before halting its skid in its fourth weekend.
After finishing at No. 4 at the domestic box office in its fourth and fifth weekends of release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is projected by Deadline to earn $6 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend ($4.8 million of that from Friday to Sunday) for a No. 7 finish in the domestic box office top 10. If the projection holds, it will up the films’ running domestic tally to $265.8 million.
Along with the film’s international box office of $240.5 million, the latest big-screen iteration of The Fantastic Four, as of Sunday, has earned $505.1 million at the worldwide box office.
The disappointing returns for the $200 million film before marketing costs, per The Numbers, marks the latest blow for Disney and Marvel Studios after the underwhelming global performances of February’s Captain America: Brave New World ($413.6 million) and May’s Thunderbolts* ($382.4 million). A year ago, the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine earned $1.3 billion worldwide.
The Fantastic Four still has some time to eek out a bit more at the box office before the film hits digital streaming, since Disney generally has a 60-day window between the time its films open in theaters and debut on premium video on demand.
The Fantastic Four’s tepid performance at the box office is indicative of the 2025 summer movie box office as a whole. Deadline reported Sunday that the summer movie season will yield about $3.67 billion, just under 0.2% of 2024’s summer box office tally of $3.677 billion.
Deadline noted that before the 2025 summer movie season, there were hopes that the summer box office would reach $4 billion from May through Labor Day.
This summer only produced one $1 billion blockbuster worldwide — Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch — which, through Sunday, has earned $1.033 billion. The summer of 2024 produced two $1 billion earners — Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine.
‘Weapons’ Is Projected To Take No. 1 Spot At Labor Day Weekend Box Office
Warner Bros. horror movie hit Weapons is projected to earn $12.4 million ($10.2 million Friday to Sunday) from 3,416 theaters for the top spot at the domestic box office, which, if the estimate holds, will boost its running tally $134.6 million.
Universal Pictures’ 50th anniversary re-release of its horror movie classic Jaws is projected to earn $9.8 million through Monday ($8.1 million Friday-Sunday) for a No. 2 finish. Should the projection hold, it will up the film’s lifetime earnings up to $283.4 million before adjustments for inflation.
Sony Pictures Entertainment reported that Caught Stealing — a crime comedy starring Austin Butler and Regina King — will earn $9.5 million through Monday ($7.8 million Friday-Sunday) for a No. 3 opening at the domestic box office. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Caught Stealing opened in 3,578 North American theaters.
Disney’s Freaky Friday sequel Freakier Friday is projected by Deadline to earn $8.3 million through Labor Day ($6.5 million) from 3,475 theaters domestically. Should the estimate hold, it will up the Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan film’s running domestic tally to $82.2 million.
Another weekend newcomer, Searchlight Pictures’ Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman dark comedy Roses, is projected by Deadline to earn $8 million through Monday ($6.3 million Friday-Sunday) from 2,700 theaters.
Also opening in theaters this weekend was Troma Entertainment/Legendary Pictures’ remake of its horror comedy movie classic, The Toxic Avenger.
Distributed as an unrated film by Terrifier studio Cineverse, The Toxic Avenger— starring Peter Dinklage as the title character— is projected by Deadline to earn $2.2 million through Monday ($1.75 million Friday-Sunday) from 1,995 North American theaters for a No. 11 debut.
The film, which is directed by Macon Blair and produced by original Toxic Avenger co-director Lloyd Kaufman — also stars Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon.
