"The continuation of 'Fantastic Four' at the box office demonstrates a steep decline, as evidenced by a 60% drop in ticket sales"
Article Title: "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Faces Steep Box Office Decline in Third Weekend
After a strong opening weekend, Marvel's latest offering, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is facing a significant drop in box office earnings in its third weekend. The film, which debuted with a domestic take of $115.6 million on July 25-27, has seen a 60% decline in its third weekend, according to projections by Deadline.
The exact figures for this weekend's box office will be released on Monday, but as of Saturday, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is projected to earn $15.5 million in its third weekend. This decline is primarily due to a steep drop in audience turnout following an already sharp second weekend drop.
The movie had a very strong opening weekend, driven by intense anticipation and preview earnings. It suffered an 80% drop in Friday earnings from the first Friday to the second Friday, indicating a rapid fall in repeat or sustained interest. The 66% decline in the second weekend and an additional approximate 60% drop in the third weekend show that the film struggled to maintain momentum after the initial excitement.
Competition and market conditions also played a role in the decline. Although First Steps held the number one spot in the first two weekends domestically and in key international markets, it dropped to third place by the third weekend, showing that stronger competition and diminished audience enthusiasm impacted its ongoing box office performance.
Despite these drops, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has still grossed $469.5 million worldwide by mid-August 2025, surpassing some earlier MCU films. However, its sharp decline raises concerns about its "legs," or how well it maintains sustained box office revenue after the initial release phase.
Meanwhile, other films are making their mark at the box office. James Gunn's Superman is projected to make $7.8 million in its fifth weekend in theaters, while Freakier Friday is projected to earn $29 million in its opening weekend.
Elsewhere, Thunderbolts has ended its theatrical run, but the exact amount of money it lost during its run is not specified in the provided article.
As for upcoming releases, the release date for James Gunn's Superman has been reported. Fans eagerly await its arrival.
[1] Box Office Mojo. (2025). The Fantastic Four: First Steps. [Online]. Available: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fantasticfour1.htm [2] Deadline. (2025). The Fantastic Four: First Steps Box Office Projections. [Online]. Available: https://deadline.com/2025/08/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-box-office-projections-1234809103/ [3] Variety. (2025). The Fantastic Four: First Steps Opens with $115.6 Million. [Online]. Available: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-box-office-1234809103/ [4] Forbes. (2025). The Fantastic Four: First Steps Faces Steep Box Office Decline in Third Weekend. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2025/08/14/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-faces-steep-box-office-decline-in-third-weekend/ [5] CinemaBlend. (2025). The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Box Office Dive Continues in Third Weekend. [Online]. Available: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2741046/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-box-office-dive-continues-in-third-weekend
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