Kid you not: GOAT herds audiences to another weekend victory | Movie Releases & Trends – Weekend of February 20, 2026
With a relatively quiet slate of new wide releases, family audiences once again carried the weekend. GOAT’s tale of teamwork and sports intrigue led the box office in admissions and revenue, proving that when fresh options are limited, broadly appealing, family-friendly fare can dominate.
And in a marketplace hungry for new content, holdovers with strong word-of-mouth and four-quadrant appeal continue to outperform.
Faith-based franchise ‘I Can Only Imagine’ finds its voice
In 2018 the American Christian biographical drama film I Can Only Imagine debuted at $17M. This weekend, I Can Only Imagine 2 opened wide in 3,100 theaters and cracked the top ten for admissions and box office with a $7M start. Following MercyMe frontman Bart Millard, the sequel follows the next chapter in his life as he balances fame and fatherhood.
Reviews have been notably polarized: Warmly embraced by core faith-based audiences but met with skepticism from mainstream critics. The Hollywood Reporter called it “an unnecessary sequel that smacks of a cash grab,” while still singling out Milo Ventimiglia for a “terrific” performance. While faith-based audiences remain loyal, sequels in this space aren’t immune to franchise fatigue.
Jailhouse rock solid: 'EPiC' breaks out of limited release with style
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert launched in just over 300 theaters yet delivered an impressive $3.2M — a standout per-theater average. Baz Luhrmann’s high-tech "resurrection" of the King uses long-lost archival footage from the 1970s Vegas era and contemporary AI technology to craft a concert doc worth shelling out IMAX prices for.
Concert films and music-driven event programming continue to prove they can mobilize passionate fan bases in concentrated bursts. If EPiC expands successfully into non-IMAX theaters, it could become a meaningful mid-range performer. Event cinema remains one of the most reliable ways to drive incremental attendance in an otherwise light marketplace.
Rounding out the new releases, How to Make a Killing opened as a limited release in just over 1,600 theaters. Directed by John Patton Ford, it's a darkly comedic reimagining of the 1949 classic Kind Hearts and Coronets. Glen Powell stars as Beckert, who attempts to murder his way through his family tree and into a massive inheritance. Reviews have been somewhat lukewarm, though critics from The Wrap and Variety praised the "effortlessly charming" Glen Powell and the "unhinged" supporting turns by Topher Grace and Zach Woods.
BAFTAs sound the starting gun for awards season's final sprint
Awards season is heating up. At the 2026 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), One Battle After Another dominated with six wins including Best Film, Director (for Paul Thomas Anderson) and Supporting Actor (for Sean Penn).
Other major winners included Jessie Buckley (Leading Actress for Hamnet), Robert Aramayo (Leading Actor/Rising Star for I Swear), and Wunmi Mosaku (Supporting Actress for Sinners).
Historically, the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards align more often in acting categories but diverge on Best Picture (splitting roughly 10 of the last 24 years). That difference reflects voting body composition: BAFTA voters often lean toward British productions and auteur-driven filmmaking, while the Oscars tend to reflect broader industry and American Academy tastes. Still, BAFTA momentum can meaningfully influence final Oscar campaigning and audience awareness heading into March.
Ghostface returns
Looking ahead, horror is poised to once again take center stage. Scream 7 opens this weekend and is tracking to debut at #1, with estimates reaching as high as $50M+. The most recent installment, Scream VI, opened to $44M — then a franchise best.
Early reviews for Scream 7 are generally positive, with particular buzz around the returns of original franchise writer Kevin Williamson — this time directing — and Neve Campbell, in the role of Sidney Prescott.
If projections hold, Scream 7 would mark a sharp tonal shift from this past weekend’s family dominance and reinforce a broader trend: when a recognizable franchise delivers freshness (legacy cast, creative shifts, strong reviews), audiences show up in force.
While the box office continues to do well, up 1% from last year and closing in on $1B year to date, the market is always ready for a jolt — or a jump scare.
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