Mickey 17 Tops Box Office, But Disappointing Numbers Raise Eyebrows

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Last March was a bustling time for franchise releases, with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, Mike Mitchell’s Kung Fu Panda 4, Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire all premiering. However, March 2025 looks quite different, as it will not feature any sequels. Instead, it starts with the highly anticipated film Mickey 17, a follow-up to Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning movie Parasite.

How did events unfold, then? Regrettably, the outcome wasn’t as expected considering the substantial funding allocated to the science fiction journey. Feel free to review the complete Top 10 from the recent weekend in the chart provided, and let’s discuss further insights afterwards.

Mickey 17 Has The Third Best Opening Weekend Of 2025

Producing a film that clinches the Best Picture award significantly boosts a director’s influence in the industry for their subsequent projects, as demonstrated by Bong Joon Ho. In this case, the movie titled Mickey 17 is an ambitious science fiction extravaganza featuring themes like cloning, space travel, and colossal, insectoid aliens. Warner Bros. has reportedly invested a substantial sum of $118 million in its production (as per Variety).

It seems like it could be a while before box office earnings from the movie compensate for the initial investment, given its opening weekend performance.

Based on initial box office figures from The Numbers, the movie “Mickey 17” managed to gross $19.1 million in its first three days of domestic release. Considering the year is 2025, this isn’t insignificant, as it ranks third among films released this year, behind “Captain America: Brave New World” which earned $99.8 million and “Dog Man” with $36 million. However, it’s clear that the studio had anticipated a more impressive start.

It seems like the initial response to the movie “Mickey 17” might not have significantly boosted its performance at the box office. I found the film quite engaging, as expressed in my spoiler-free, four-star review for TopMob, but it’s important to note that it has its flaws. Some critics were more critical of these flaws than I was. It’s intriguing to consider whether a more enthusiastic initial response could have led to greater box office success, especially considering the timing around the Academy Awards (which I’ll discuss further soon).

It would have been quite unexpected for Mickey 17 to earn over $50 million in its first three domestic release days, given that Parasite, Bong Joon Ho’s highest-grossing film so far, managed just $53.9 million throughout its entire domestic run. Similarly, Robert Pattinson’s top films, excluding The Batman and the Twilight series, are Christopher Nolan’s Tenet ($59.5 million domestically) and Francis Lawrence’s Water For Elephants ($58.7 million).

As we count down the weeks to the much-anticipated release of Marc Webb’s Snow White in March 2025, eyes are already on Mickey 17. With a current worldwide gross of $53.3 million, it will be intriguing to observe how its box office performance grows by this same time next week, revealing whether it can sustain its momentum.

Anora Gets A Box Office Bump As Best Picture Win Results In A Theatrical Release Expansion

First premiered in October, Sean Baker’s movie “Anora” reached its maximum theater count in November when it was screened in 1,500 theaters… however, that was prior to its recognition as the winner of multiple Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. Now, with the film generating more buzz than ever before, distributor Neon increased the number of screens it’s playing on this past Friday, which was a smart move.

This weekend, Anora was screened in 1,938 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, marking its first entry into the Top 10 box office list since mid-November 2024. The movie grossed an extra $1.9 million, pushing its domestic earnings to a total of $18.4 million so far. With foreign sales added in, it has now made a grand total of $46.2 million worldwide. This makes Anora the fourth highest-grossing film for Neon, after Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs, and Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya.

It’s plausible that since Anora can be rented or bought from all significant digital platforms, this might explain why its Oscar boost wasn’t larger. However, the fact that it still ignited curiosity in movie theaters is an encouraging trend.

As a devoted cinephile, I can confidently say that next Sunday is shaping up to be an exciting day at the movies. The reason being, there’s a bountiful harvest of diverse releases catering to various movie-goer tastes. If you’re in the market for a sleek, suspenseful spy tale, Steven Soderberg’s Black Bag is just what you need. For those craving some raw, R-rated action, Robert Olsen and Dan Berk’s Novocaine promises to deliver a punch. For a dose of humor with a cartoon twist, Peter Browngardt’s The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie should hit the spot. And if you’re in the mood for some indie horror, Mark Anthony Green’s Opus will be there to satisfy your cinematic cravings.

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2025-03-10 00:07