The supernatural horror flick marks another box office win for Warner Bros., while The Weeknd’s companion film Hurry Up Tomorrow stumbles with a disappointing nationwide debut.
In its third consecutive box office win, Warner Bros. is proving it can still deliver scares with New Line’s critically acclaimed Final Destination: Bloodlines.
The supernatural horror-thriller led Friday’s chart, grossing $20.8 million from 3,523 theaters, including $5.5 million from Thursday night previews. It’s on track for an estimated franchise-best opening weekend between $46 million and $48 million — easily enough to claim the No. 1 spot and successfully revive a long-dormant series that first terrified audiences over 25 years ago. The previous installment, Final Destination 5, debuted in 2011 with an $18 million opening (not adjusted for inflation).
Final Destination: Bloodlines, embraced by critics and audiences alike, is directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky. The R-rated thriller stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana as a young woman who discovers her grandmother’s ability to cheat death and save lives — though not without terrifying consequences. The cast also includes Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Tony Todd, Gabrielle Rose, Brec Bassinger, and Max Lloyd-Jones.
Warner Bros. isn’t just riding high on Bloodlines — the studio dominates the upper box office tiers this weekend.
Ryan Coogler’s breakout hit Sinners, now in its fifth weekend, trails closely behind Disney-Marvel’s Thunderbolts, which is expected to hold second place in its third weekend with $15 million to $16 million. This would push Thunderbolts past $150 million domestically and over $300 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, Sinners could add as much as $15 million this weekend, pushing its North American total beyond $240 million.
The Minecraft movie, enjoying an enviable hold in its seventh weekend, looks poised for a fourth-place finish with $5.5 million to $6 million. The video game adaptation is currently the top-grossing film of the year, racking up more than $900 million globally.
Rounding out the top five is Amazon MGM Studios’ The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck, expected to pull in $4.6 million this weekend for a solid domestic total nearing $60 million.
However, Lionsgate and Live Nation’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, a musical psychological thriller featuring Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd), faces a rough debut. The film, a companion to Tesfaye’s studio album of the same name, is projected to open sixth with $3 million to $3.6 million.
Co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, Hurry Up Tomorrow has been panned by critics and hasn’t won over audiences either — earning a disappointing C- CinemaScore. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the movie follows a fictionalized version of Tesfaye as a musician on the verge of a mental breakdown, pulled into an existential journey by a mysterious stranger.
In the specialty box office scene, A24’s Friendship is expanding to 62 theaters and is on track to earn $2.5 million, boasting the weekend’s best per-theater average at $23,333.
