Weekend Box Office Recap: Den Of Thieves 2 Tops Charts, Beats Mufasa & Sonic 3, While Better Man Falls Short of Top 10 (January 10-12)

The 2025 box office witnessed a significant shake-up with the premiere of Den of Thieves 2 over the January 10-12 weekend. Released by Lionsgate, the sequel to the original 2018 action crime film featuring Gerard Butler, kicked off its run by seizing the top spot in box office rankings. Despite predictions suggestive of a performance similar to or slightly below its predecessor, Den of Thieves 2 emerged as the weekend’s most anticipated release, overshadowing Universal’s bold move with Better Man and the expansions of The Last Showgirl and Hard Truths.

Last weekend, a box office race unfolded between Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It was widely anticipated that Mufasa would maintain its dominance, effectively hindering the debut of Den of Thieves 2. However, the finalized box office numbers for January 10-12 reveal a new #1 title, signaling a shifting landscape in moviegoer preferences.

Rank	Movie Title	Gross
1	Den of Thieves 2: Pantera	$15.5 million
2	Mufasa: The Lion King	$13.2 million
3	Sonic the Hedgehog 3	$11 million
4	Nosferatu	$6.8 million
5	Ocean 2	$6.5 million
6	Wicked	$5 million
7	A Complete Unknown	$5 million
8	Babygirl	$3 million
9	Game Changer	$2.1 million
10	The Last Showgirl	$1.4 million

Den Of Thieves 2: A Strong Opening Weekend

Den Of Thieves 2 Grossed $15.5 Million

With an opening weekend box office of $15.5 million, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has exceeded initial expectations. This impressive debut has enabled the sequel to prevent Mufasa from claiming the top position for a second consecutive weekend. Released across more than 3,000 theaters, the film has garnered stronger reviews than its predecessor, although it still holds a “Rotten”rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Notably, the $15.5 million opening of Den of Thieves 2 surpassed the $15.2 million earned by the first installment in 2018. While the initial film ranked second during its debut, its sequel has made a more significant impact in terms of earnings and market standing. Lionsgate’s choice of an early January launch aligns with a historical trend of success for mid-budget action films featuring notable stars.

This performance is particularly significant for Lionsgate as Den of Thieves 2 becomes the studio’s first #1 film since the success of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in November 2023. A successful opening for this sequel is a much-needed victory for the studio following a less than stellar 2024 movie slate.

This marks a notable achievement in Gerard Butler’s career as well, landing as the ninth biggest opening of his filmography. While it does not match the figures of his previous successful franchise titles, it is a step above his other recent projects, indicating a promising trajectory as 2025 unfolds with notable releases on his calendar.

Better Man: An Underwhelming Performance

The Robbie Williams CGI-Monkey Biopic Faces Challenges

Conversely, Universal’s ambitious rollout of Better Man faced significant hurdles. Originally experiencing a limited release in six theaters, the film’s broader expansion aimed to generate income against its hefty $110 million budget. Although Universal only invested $25 million in acquiring the film, it only managed to bring in just over $1 million during its opening weekend, landing in 14th place overall.

The disconnect between audience awareness and the film’s premise—featuring Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey—likely hindered its appeal. Most domestic viewers may be unfamiliar with Williams, and the concept may have deterred potential viewers. This strategy may have been misaligned with the film’s target audience.

Universal remains hopeful that Better Man may follow a successful trajectory similar to director Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman, which eventually found much success after an initial lukewarm reception. However, the challenge remains significant, given Better Man’s need for diverse appeal and a less convoluted narrative.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & A Complete Unknown Achieve Major Milestones

Sonic 3 & Bob Dylan’s Biopic Maintain Momentum

Sonic Knuckles and Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 — Image by Brennan Klein

Despite securing third place at the box office, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has crossed a significant threshold, accumulating $204 million domestically. This milestone marks only the second time a video game adaptation has surpassed the $200 million mark, establishing a record for the Sonic franchise. Its success pales in comparison to The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s groundbreaking gross of $574.9 million, yet Sonic 3 is on track to become the most lucrative Sonic film worldwide.

A Complete Unknown also enjoyed success this weekend, generating $5 million in its third week, pushing its domestic total past $50 million. This notable achievement showcases solid viewer interest, especially as award season recognition continues to bolster visibility for Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan.

Key Trends from the January 10-12 Weekend Box Office

Emerging Trends & Developments

Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in The Brutalist

With Mufasa and Sonic 3 dominating the early 2025 box office, both films have recently begun to experience diminishing returns. This change corresponds to the industry standard as new releases overtake previous titles. Notably, this past weekend saw Mufasa drop by 43.7% while Sonic 3 fell by 48.5%. Such declines raise interest given the contrasting audiences these films attract.

Interestingly, Babygirl continues to perform resiliently, registering only a slight drop of 0.5% in its second weekend. Following that, the film saw a more modest decline of 30.6% in its third weekend, surpassing $20 million at the domestic box office. Babygirl could soon become Nicole Kidman’s most successful project since 2008’s Australia.

The expansion of The Last Showgirl yielded positive results; despite a modest $1.4 million, it surpassed initial projections, likely buoyed by Oscar buzz surrounding Pamela Anderson and rising recognition for Jamie Lee Curtis.

In the indie film sphere, A24’s The Brutalist made waves by achieving the highest per-theater average gross at $20,407 after amassing $1.3 million from just 68 theaters. This uptick sets encouraging expectations for future expansions of the film, which is gaining traction in discussions around potential awards. Additionally, Bleecker Street’s Hard Truths also made a commendable mark with strong per-theater performance.

Nosferatu maintained its momentum, securing another $6.8 million and surpassing $80 million in domestic sales, alongside a total of $135 million globally. It has distinguished itself as the highest-earning non-prequel, non-sequel horror film of 2024, outperforming Longlegs. In contrast, The Damned suffered the steepest box office drop of the weekend at 75.8%.

The overall landscape has shaped up with Gladiator II stepping out of the weekend’s top 10 for the first time, earning $1.2 million and coinciding with the digital release. It has fallen short of eclipsing the original Gladiator‘s 2000 box office success, which bodes for an anticipated conclusion in its theatrical run, despite its solid earnings thus far. Game Changer by India’s action cinema also made waves by joining the top 10, underscoring the diverse offerings that capture market interest.

Looking Ahead to Next Weekend

Can Den Of Thieves 2 Maintain Its #1 Status?

Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Den of Thieves 2 — Image by Ana Nieves

Looking forward to the upcoming weekend, Den of Thieves 2 stands in a favorable position to potentially retain its number one status. However, competition arises with Universal’s Wolf Man set to launch, although the horror film’s target demographic may differ from Den of Thieves audiences.

A multitude of films will jockey for lower rankings in the January 17-19 weekend box office, including Mufasa, Sonic 3, Nosferatu, Moana 2, Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Babygirl, Game Changer, and The Last Showgirl. All will hope to maintain their standings, while newcomers such as Wolf Man, One Of Them Days, and Wish You Were Here aim to break into the top 10. Films like The Brutalist and Better Man will also be seeking to gain ground in the competitive market.

Note: Box office data sourced from Box Office Mojo

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