"Armaments Leads Box Office, 'Freaky Friday' Achieves Impressive Second Place"
In the summer of 2023, the horror film "Weapons" has made a significant impact on the box office and Warner Bros. Pictures. Debuting at number one with $43.5 million in its opening weekend, the film has grossed approximately $149 million worldwide as of mid-August 2025, with $89 million from the U.S. and Canada and about $60 million internationally.
"Weapons" has set a new Warner Bros. record, making it the first film from the studio to have six consecutive movies open at number one with over $40 million each. The film ranks as the fourth highest-grossing horror film of the year, close behind "28 Years Later," which earned $150.3 million. With its strong performance, "Weapons" is poised to climb higher in that ranking soon.
The film's success can be attributed to critical acclaim, strong audience reviews, and social media buzz, leading to sustained attendance despite competition from other releases like Freakier Friday and Nobody 2. This strong performance in what was described as a comparatively slow August weekend helped Warner Bros. maintain its box office dominance for this franchise and genre.
Zach Cregger, the director of "Weapons," has followed up his solo directorial debut with the 2022 genre-bending horror, "Barbarian." The film transports audiences to the small town of Maybrook, where 17 kids up and leave their homes at 2:17 a.m., leaving bewildered parents in their wake.
Meanwhile, Disney's "Freakier Friday," a sequel to the 2003 classic, took the second spot during its premiere weekend, earning $29 million in 3,975 North American theaters. Other notable releases include "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," which surrendered its two-week run in the top spot and landed in the third position, bringing in $15.5 million domestically. "The Bad Guys 2" came in fourth place, earning $10.4 million domestically, while "Jurassic World Rebirth" ranks seventh with an estimated $4.7 million in domestic box office earnings.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, attributes the success of both films to viral marketing tactics and strong social media word-of-mouth. As we move into the latter half of 2023, it is clear that both Warner Bros. Pictures and Disney are setting a strong blueprint for future releases, with "Weapons" leading the way in the horror genre.
- The world of entertainment witnessed a stir as "Weapons," the horror film from Warner Bros., topped the box office chart and set a new record for the studio, marking six consecutive movies that opened at number one with over $40 million each.
- In the realm of sports, one might draw a parallel between Zach Cregger's directorial success, as he follows up the record-breaking "Weapons" with another genre-bending horror, "Barbarian."
- Meanwhile, the world of arts, specifically movies and television, saw Disney's "Freakier Friday" and other productions make their mark, with "Freakier Friday" ranking second during its premiere weekend, contributing to a diverse and vibrant global entertainment landscape.
