The box office landscape for 2025 is revitalized with the debut of two new contenders: Wolf Man and One of Them Days. Both films aim to dethrone Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which recently stunned audiences by surpassing established hits like Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. lead the charge in this action heist, which topped the previous weekend’s box office, positioning itself strongly for ongoing success, while the new releases are keen to overtake it.
Wolf Man, helmed by Leigh Whannell—known for the successful The Invisible Man—offers a modern retelling of the Universal monster classic. Meanwhile, Keke Palmer stars in the studio comedy One of Them Days, hoping to attract audiences in movie theaters. This weekend will see these two fresh titles vie for attention amidst the January 2025 cinematic offerings, including an action franchise sequel and other films that have garnered healthy box office returns.
Wolf Man Expected to Claim Top Box Office Spot
The Monster Movie Targets $17 Million Plus
Industry analysts speculate that Wolf Man will emerge as the top earner this weekend. With a widespread release and an R rating, the horror reboot is anticipated to attract significant audience turnout, despite mixed reviews from critics. According to Variety, the movie is projected to earn between $17 million and $21 million over its opening weekend, positioning it as a potential #1 film in America.
Although this estimated opening may fall short of expectations set by Whannell’s previous film, The Invisible Man, which opened with $28 million and had a production budget of $7 million, Wolf Man has a larger budget of approximately $25 million. Given these opening projections, the film remains poised to turn a profit, particularly if audience turnout exceeds expectations. Should the film perform beyond initial forecasts, it may recover its budget quickly.
Previously, Universal attempted to launch a franchise with The Wolfman in 2010, which opened to $31 million. Despite not reaching that same benchmark, Wolf Man is likely to replicate the success of The Invisible Man, ensuring it takes home the title of the weekend’s top movie. The film’s performance is particularly noteworthy given its lack of A-list stars, indicating a promising future for the project.
One Of Them Days’ Opening Weekend Box Office Predictions
Keke Palmer’s Comedy Aims for $8 Million Plus
Keke Palmer returns to the big screen with One of Them Days, following her acclaimed role in Jordan Peele’s Nope. Partnering with Grammy winner SZA and produced by Issa Rae, the comedy looks to secure a robust opening. Projections suggest the film will earn between $8 million and $13 million, an admirable outcome given its $14 million production budget.
While this anticipated opening is considerably lower than Palmer’s previous success with Nope, which opened to $44 million, it’s essential to recognize the changing landscape of comedy films. Recently, comedies have struggled to achieve box office success compared to their earlier dominance. Acknowledging this trend, Sony has experienced similar challenges, with the release of No Hard Feelings capturing only $15 million in its opening weekend. A performance slightly below this threshold would still reflect positively for Palmer.
Despite the lower forecasts, One of Them Days could outperform several recent comedies that have struggled at the box office in the past two years, including Joy Ride ($5.8 million) and Strays ($8.2 million). Achieving a strong opening in line with these projections would signify a victory for both Sony and Keke Palmer.
Den Of Thieves 2 Set for a Moderate Second Weekend Drop
The Sequel Aims to Align Closely with Original’s Performance
Following a successful opening weekend, Den of Thieves 2 faces the challenge of maintaining its box office position during the January 17-19, 2025 weekend. The action sequel has garnered favorable responses, earning a B+ on CinemaScore and maintaining a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s initial opening of $15 million exceeded projections; however, it still lags behind its predecessor from 2018.
In its second weekend, the original film experienced a modest dip of 43.2%, generating $8.6 million after an opening weekend of $15.2 million. With Den of Thieves 2 opening similarly at $15 million, a comparable decrease may yield around $8.5 million this weekend. It’s noteworthy that, compared to the original, this sequel struggled slightly on its first Monday ($1 million versus $1.3 million), indicating the potential for a steeper drop. Despite this, Butler’s star power positions the sequel as the top action movie in theaters, which may help mitigate losses.
Projected Top 10 Box Office for January 17-19, 2025
Wolf Man Expected to Rule the Weekend Box Office
This weekend, Wolf Man is anticipated to claim victory at the box office, also during the extended Martin Luther King Day 4-day weekend. Despite the mixed reviews, industry analysts are comfortable projecting an opening of approximately $18.2 million for Wolf Man. This estimate is on the lower side of predictions but suffices for the film to be recognized as the top movie in America by January 20.
| Movie | Predicted Weekend Box Office | Weekend to Weekend Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolf Man | $18.2 million | N/A |
| 2 | One of Them Days | $9.8 million | N/A |
| 3 | Den of Thieves 2 | $8.3 million | -45.7% |
| 4 | Mufasa: The Lion King | $7.5 million | -47.2% |
| 5 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | $5.6 million | -50.5% |
| 6 | Nosferatu | $3.7 million | -46.4% |
| 7 | Ocean 2 | $3.5 million | -46.2% |
| 8 | A Complete Unknown | $3 million | -41.2% |
| 9 | Wicked | $2.5 million | -51% |
| 10 | Babygirl | $1.8 million | -41.1% |
Looking at the overall box office landscape, Den of Thieves 2 is positioned to maintain a solid third-place finish but may experience a larger drop than its predecessor. Expected to round out the top five are Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, despite both films showing signs of slowing down. Other titles predicted to feature in the weekend’s top ten include Nosferatu, Moana 2, A Complete Unknown, Wicked, and Babygirl.
Should any new contenders emerge in the top ten, The Brutalist and The Last Showgirl could potentially move up, following satisfactory openings on limited screens. Additionally, Julia Stiles’ directorial debut, Wish You Were Here, may enter the mix, although its limited release by Lionsgate could affect its chances at box office success. Overall, barring unexpected shifts in performance, the above listing is expected to guide the top box office standings for the weekend.
Source: Variety, Box Office Mojo
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