Superman Maintains Dominance as 2025 Box Office Momentum Builds Towards $5 Billion! | Weekend of July 18th, 2025

Despite a slightly softer weekend for new releases, the box office continues to build impressive momentum! Superman and Jurassic World Rebirth firmly held the top two spots in both admissions and revenue, showcasing their remarkable staying power against fresh competition. Combined, these two powerhouses accounted for a strong 58% of total admissions and 62% of total revenue, clearly demonstrating the enduring appeal of recognized franchises.

Year-to-date, the domestic box office is pacing a healthy +14% ahead of 2024, rapidly closing in on the $5 Billion mark—a powerful signal of strengthening theatrical performance. And even in the early weeks of Q3, performance is already up a positive +9% over last year's third quarter to date.

This past weekend saw the premiere of Smurfs, which, despite a challenging critical reception, managed to secure a solid 3rd place in admissions with 15% of all tickets sold. While its dollar ranking was 4th, this is a common occurrence for family-friendly titles with lower child and matinee ticket pricing, underscoring their ability to draw large audiences. Family-friendly fare collectively made up 20% of all admissions this weekend, with Smurfs leading that segment.

I Know What You Did Last Summer also debuted, landing in 4th place in admissions with just under 10% of all tickets. Its R-rating contributed to higher ticket prices, placing its revenue at $12.7M, securing the #3 spot overall in dollars made. While it faced mixed reviews, the film benefited from considerable press and a wave of nostalgic interest.

Eddington, with its more limited release, delivered modest results. Despite a strong cast, its niche genre and lukewarm reviews likely positioned it as a more specialized offering.

Looking Ahead: Fantastic Four Poised for a Massive Opening!

All eyes are now fixed on this weekend's highly anticipated release: Fantastic Four: First Steps! This film is projected to open north of $100M, which would put it ahead of the two prior MCU releases this year (Thunderbolts at $74M and Captain America at $89M). As the 37th release in Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 3rd this year, it holds significant weight. While previous MCU titles this year saw strong initial performances, we're optimistic that Fantastic Four: First Steps will build on that momentum.

With no other major new titles opening, the stage is set for Fantastic Four to make a significant impact on the box office, potentially extending Superman's strong run and further boosting overall growth compared to last year!

How many tickets will be sold this coming weekend? Find out on our next Cinema Ranker and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the cinema industry and The Marketing Cloud to unlock AI-driven solutions across market research, comms, creative, and media.

To learn more about The People Platform's Audience Measurement, click here.