Minecraft Movie Breaks Box Office Records with $157 Million Opening

LOS ANGELES, CA — Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Minecraft Movie” achieved an astounding $157 million in its opening weekend, marking the biggest domestic debut of 2025 and a historic achievement for video game adaptations.

Originally projected for modest earnings between $60 million and $100 million, projections were dramatically revised as audience interest surged. The film outperformed Disney‘s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which previously held the year’s top opener at $88.5 million.

“This is the first major over-performance,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “A Minecraft Movie” has now set the standard for video game films, boasting the largest opening weekend revenue in this genre, surpassing Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which debuted at $146 million in April 2023.

Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango, noted that the film’s timing coincided with spring break for many students, which significantly boosted its ticket sales. “Pre-sales and interest accelerated remarkably during the run-up to opening night,” Robbins explained.

Despite earlier skepticism regarding its trailers, the movie was marketed to appeal to a broad audience rather than just critics. Box office analyst David A. Gross highlighted, “When a release catches fire like this, it generates its own momentum.”

The opening weekend was a boon for an industry grappling with a 5% decline in earnings for 2025 and a staggering 13% drop prior to the film’s launch. Dergarabedian described the first quarter of 2025 as “historically slow,” with a lack of major releases that typically drive ticket sales.

“There is a treasure trove of storytelling in video games, making it a sweet spot for young moviegoers,” Robbins stated.

Industry experts are optimistic about upcoming films, including Disney’s “Thunderbolts” on May 2 and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” on May 23, which may help sustain box office momentum.

Post-release audience ratings have been promising, with an 87% score from viewers and a grade of “B+” on CinemaScore. Younger audiences, particularly those under 25, rated the film “A,” indicating strong engagement with the movie.

In addition to its domestic performance, “A Minecraft Movie” garnered $144 million internationally, bringing its global total to $301 million. The film showed strong performances in markets such as the UK, China, and Mexico.

Analysts assert that during challenging economic times for theaters, such box office success is critical. Gross commented, “The domestic box office has been asleep in 2025, and this is an overdue wake-up.”

As the film surged, competitors like Jason Statham’s “A Working Man” and Fathom Entertainment’s “The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 2” lagged significantly behind, each earning $7.2 million and $6.7 million respectively. Meanwhile, Disney’s live-action “Snow White” continued to struggle with $6 million in its third week.

With the remarkable success of “A Minecraft Movie,” Warner Bros. is poised for future projects, including an upcoming R-rated vampire thriller, “Sinners,” in collaboration with Ryan Coogler. “When we make films, we all hope they will connect with the culture,” said Mary Parent, chair of Legendary Entertainment, “But when they do, they take on a life of their own.”

This weekend’s performance is a hopeful sign for the film industry, suggesting that engaging family-friendly content can reignite audience interest amidst fluctuating box office fortunes.