After industry estimates had the third weekend of “A Minecraft Movie” topping the critically acclaimed “Sinners” at the Easter box office on Saturday morning, the two Warner Bros. films have swapped places atop the box office charts as Ryan Coogler’s horror film is now estimated for a $45.6 million opening weekend.

Should this result hold, “Sinners” will pass the $44.3 million opening of Jordan Peele’s 2022 film “Nope” for the highest opening of an original film since the pandemic. Not only is that highly likely, it wouldn’t be surprising if the final weekend total for “Sinners” is higher than this current estimate given that it is enjoying some of the most spectacular critical and audience buzz given to any film in recent memory.

It starts with a straight A from opening night audiences on CinemaScore, the first given to a horror film since James Cameron’s “Aliens” in 1986. It then continues with a 5/5 and 84% “definite recommend” rating on PostTrak and unbelievable Rotten Tomatoes scores of 98% critics and 97% audience.

In a jaw-dropping box office surprise that’s dominating headlines and trending across Google, Bing, and entertainment platforms, ‘Sinners’, the highly anticipated psychological thriller directed by Ryan Coogler, stunned industry analysts with a $45.6 million opening weekend. The film, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, outperformed the box office favorite ‘Minecraft: The Movie’, establishing itself as a breakout hit of 2025.

According to PostTrak, nearly 60% of ticket sales for ‘Sinners’ on opening Friday were walk-up purchases, a strong indicator of explosive word-of-mouth marketing, viral traction across TikTok and YouTube, and growing audience engagement.

As expected from the acclaimed Black Panther director, the film drew overwhelming support from Black moviegoers, accounting for 49% of the opening night demographic, with 27% white and 14% Latino audiences. With exceptionally high audience scores across all demographics, Sinners is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon with high audience retention and repeat viewing rates.

Despite its blockbuster debut, Sinners still needs to clear its reported $90 million production budget (excluding marketing spend) to reach profitability. However, with sustained momentum in premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema, coupled with online buzz driven by influencers, film reviewers, and fan theories, the film is well-positioned for strong box office legs. Many fans of Ryan Coogler’s filmography are reportedly waiting to see the film in high-end formats, further extending the movie’s long-term success potential.

The Minecraft Showdown: A Family-Favorite Film Holding Strong

While Sinners captured critical buzz, Warner Bros.’ ‘Minecraft: The Movie’ remains a top contender at the global box office. In its third weekend, the family-friendly video game adaptation earned an additional $41.3 million, pushing its domestic gross to $345 million and global box office total to $720 million. With the $1 billion milestone now within reach, Minecraft has defied early skepticism and succeeded through meme-powered marketing and strong family engagement.

Combined, Sinners and Minecraft accounted for 64% of this weekend’s total domestic box office revenue, marking a pivotal recovery for theaters after a sluggish March. Their joint success is seen as a massive win for Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, especially amid previous media speculation about their leadership under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

A Strategic Win for Filmmaker-Driven Storytelling

Sinners also represents a landmark moment in Warner Bros.’ 2025 content strategy, showcasing the studio’s renewed focus on original, auteur-driven filmmaking. Following the exit of Christopher Nolan, De Luca and Abdy committed to prioritizing creative freedom for visionary directors. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was greenlit with unique terms, including a 25-year reversion of film rights to the director, symbolizing a shift in studio-director relations. “As we continue to strive to bring an array of films to moviegoers, we are thrilled to see how Ryan Coogler’s original movie ‘Sinners,’ and a movie based on the fan-favorite ‘Minecraft’ game, have resonated with audiences in such a stellar way,” said De Luca and Abdy in a statement. “Movies have the power to transport us to worlds only seen on the big screen, and Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing bold, theatrical experiences to fans of both original stories and iconic franchises.”

What’s Ahead: Warner Bros.’ 2025 Slate and Theatrical Comeback

Following the momentum of Sinners and Minecraft, Warner Bros. is doubling down on its diverse 2025 theatrical lineup. The studio is preparing to release Paul Thomas Anderson’s crime epic “One Battle After Another” in September 2025, followed by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s elevated horror reimagining “The Bride!” in March 2026—both backed by IMAX and premium screen rollouts.

Other studios are also making waves. Angel Studios’ animated feature “The King of Kings” grossed $17.2 million in its second weekend, bringing its 10-day total to $45.3 million. The film has seen tremendous success with faith-based audiences, following the momentum of titles like The Chosen: Last Supper.

Meanwhile, Disney’s 20th Century Studios and A24 completed the top 5 with:

“The Amateur”, a spy thriller starring Rami Malek, earning $6.8 million and struggling to recoup its $60 million budget.
“Warfare”, an intense Iraq War drama, added $4.8 million, reaching $17.1 million total—performing modestly due to its niche subject matter.

Thanks to Sinners and Minecraft, the box office crossed $2 billion in domestic earnings as of Easter Sunday. 2025 is now 6.2% ahead of 2024’s pace, and the year-over-year gap with 2023 has narrowed significantly from 17% to 14.4%—a promising sign for the movie industry’s ongoing recovery.