Den of Thieves 2 gives Lionsgate their first number one in over a year

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, opened in line with the first film, although the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man tanked in its wide expansion.

Lionsgate, which had a disastrous 2024 thanks to duds like Borderlands and The Crow, are having a good start to 2025, with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera opening in first place at the box office. With Deadline reporting a $15.5 million gross, it opened in line with the 2018 original (not adjusted for inflation). It likely would have performed even better were it not for the horrific wildfires currently decimating large parts of Los Angeles. The movie marks Gerard Butler’s strongest opening since Angel Has Fallen back in 2019, proving once again that he’s a consistent draw in these meat-and-potatoes action flicks. 

Mufasa: The Lion King didn’t hold up quite as well post-holidays as we thought it would in our predictions, with it falling 50% to an $11.7 million weekend and a $187 million domestic total. That’s only a fraction of the $600 million plus grossed by its 2019 predecessor. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 came in third with $8.67 million for a $200 million plus total, making it the highest-grossing entry in the series thus far. 

Meanwhile, Focus Features is proving to have a major hit with Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu, which grossed $6.3 million for an $81 million total. It’s currently Focus Features’s third highest-grossing domestic release of all time, behind Downton Abbey and Coraline. Moana 2 was right behind with $5.9 million for a $434 million total, while Wicked continued to pull in impressive numbers, with a $4.55 weekend and a massive $458 million total. 

Searchlight’s A Complete Unknown was in seventh place this weekend, with the $4.5 million gross pushing it past $50 million, making it the studio’s highest-grossing domestic release in many years. While it hasn’t been a massive hit like director James Mangold’s previous biopic, Walk the Line, it will turn a handsome profit for the studio and should play well into award season. A24’s Babygirl has also proven to be a solid success, making $2.9 million for a $21 million domestic gross. While that’s not a huge number, it’s one of the most successful indie releases of the season, with it outgrossing a lot of the year’s more lauded awards fare. Ninth and tenth place is too close to call, with the Indian film Game Changer and the Pamela Anderson comeback film The Last Showgirl both making $1.5 million. Meanwhile, the $100 million Robbie Williams biopic Better Man landed with a thud outside the top 10, grossing $1 million. 

By comparison, The Brutalist, which is only playing on 68 screens compared to Better Man’s wide release, managed to outgross it with $1.35 million, boding well for its gradual expansion over award season. One of the reasons A24’s The Brutalist is having a slow roll-out is the fact that it’s getting a roadshow release in 70mm at elect venues before a conventional release. With it earning multiple Golden Globes, it will likely earn a ton of Oscar nominations this Friday, and should help it turn into a solid hit for the studio despite the grim subject matter. It’s a masterfully made film, so if you can see it in 70mm, I highly recommend it. 

Next weekend sees the release of The Wolf Man, which should easily take the top spot. Let us know in the comments if you plan to check it out!