The summer box office season drew to a close this Labor Day weekend with a mix of nostalgia, surprise, and a dash of disappointment. While many studios had hoped for a blockbuster finish, the numbers told a more subdued story. Warner Bros.' horror hit "Weapons" clawed its way back to the top spot, earning $12.78 million over the four-day holiday, according to industry estimates reported by Comscore and echoed by multiple news outlets including Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and CNN. The film, starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, has now amassed $135 million domestically and $235.2 million globally, a remarkable feat for a movie with a modest $38 million production budget.
"Weapons" had previously spent its first two weeks at number one before briefly being dethroned by Netflix’s animated musical, "KPop Demon Hunters," which had a limited two-day theatrical run and took the top spot last weekend with $18 million. But as the streaming sensation faded, "Weapons" reclaimed its crown, demonstrating the staying power of well-crafted horror at the box office. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, noted, "‘Weapons’ found itself in a position to take most of the oxygen and run with it," and credited director Zach Cregger for building off the momentum of his 2022 breakout film, "Barbarian."
While "Weapons" led the pack, the real surprise came from a familiar fin. Universal Pictures’ re-release of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic "Jaws" took a hearty bite out of the competition, grossing $9.9 million from 3,200 theaters. As CNN and Hollywood Reporter both observed, the fact that a 50-year-old film could outperform brand-new studio releases speaks volumes about the enduring appeal of certain cinematic landmarks. Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, told CNN, "It just speaks to the fact that ‘Jaws’ remains an incredibly popular film. It’s more of a compliment to ‘Jaws’ than an insult to anything else." The reissue brought "Jaws"’s domestic total to $283.6 million, a testament to its cultural staying power.
Third place went to Sony’s "Caught Stealing," a crime thriller helmed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz. The film opened with $9.6 million across 3,578 theaters—a lukewarm start for a movie with a $40 million production cost. Despite strong reviews, "Caught Stealing" faced the uphill battle that adult-oriented, R-rated films often encounter in a marketplace increasingly dominated by franchises and family fare. Overseas, it debuted with $5.4 million from 49 markets, adding up to a global launch of $15 million.
Disney’s "Freakier Friday," a sequel to the beloved 2003 body-switch comedy "Freaky Friday," landed in fourth place with $8.3 million over the four-day stretch. Its domestic gross now stands at $83.2 million, while its global tally has reached $132.6 million, according to Hollywood Reporter. The film’s continued success highlights the enduring popularity of family-friendly comedies, even in a climate where superhero fatigue is palpable.
Rounding out the top five was Searchlight Pictures’ "The Roses," a modern satire directed by Jay Roach and loosely based on the 1981 novel "The War of the Roses" and its 1989 film adaptation. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, the film earned $8 million domestically and $9.2 million overseas in its opening weekend, for a worldwide launch of $17.2 million. The ensemble cast, which also features Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, and Kate McKinnon, wasn’t enough to push the film higher up the charts, but the international reception suggests a broader appeal outside North America.
The rest of the domestic top ten included "Fantastic Four: First Steps" ($6.3 million), "The Bad Guys 2" ($6.2 million), "Superman" ($3.2 million), "Nobody 2" ($2.4 million), and "The Naked Gun" ($2.3 million). Notably, "Fantastic Four: First Steps" crossed the $500 million mark globally, making it the year’s best-performing Marvel superhero film, as reported by Hollywood Reporter. In comparison, DC’s "Superman" reached $611 million worldwide, highlighting the ongoing tug-of-war between the two comic book giants.
Despite these individual successes, the overall mood in Hollywood was one of muted celebration. The four-day Labor Day weekend box office haul was estimated at $82.9 million, a sharp 26% decline from the previous year’s holiday total and well below the $100 million marks achieved in 2023 and 2024, according to Variety and CNN. The summer movie season, which stretches from the first Friday in May through Labor Day, closed with an estimated $3.7 billion in ticket sales—slightly behind 2024’s $3.67 billion and significantly down from 2023’s $4 billion. Year-to-date box office revenue, however, is still up by 4.3% compared to last year, suggesting a slow but steady recovery for the industry.
Analysts point to several factors behind the sluggish numbers. Labor Day is traditionally a soft period for moviegoing, as families wrap up summer vacations and prepare for the school year. Shawn Robbins told CNN that the end-of-summer lull is often a time for audiences to "catch up" on missed movies rather than flock to new releases. The absence of a major tentpole release also contributed to the downturn; the next big film, "Tron: Ares," won’t hit theaters until October 10. In the meantime, horror fans can look forward to Warner Bros. Pictures’ "The Conjuring: Last Rites," which is expected to give the September box office a much-needed jolt as spooky season kicks off.
Looking back, the summer box office delivered a broad slate of genres—horror, comedy, family animation, and action—that kept moviegoers engaged, even if the season ended with more of a whimper than a bang. Disney’s "Lilo & Stitch" was the summer’s top earner, opening Memorial Day weekend and helping boost May’s box office by 76% over the prior year. "Superman" and "Jurassic World Rebirth" also contributed strong numbers, but the absence of a runaway cultural phenomenon like 2023’s "Barbenheimer" meant overall revenue fell short of the hoped-for $4 billion milestone.
For Warner Bros., the success of "Weapons" caps off a tumultuous year. Studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy faced intense scrutiny after earlier misfires like "Mickey 17" and "Joker: Folie à Deux," but recent hits—including "A Minecraft Movie," "Sinners," "Final Destination Bloodlines," and "F1: The Movie"—have helped restore confidence in the studio’s direction. As Variety noted, "It’s a remarkable comeback for the studio’s chiefs."
As the curtains close on the summer season, Hollywood finds itself at a crossroads—buoyed by a handful of standout performers but still searching for the next big thing to reignite the box office. With the promise of horror on the horizon and a slate of highly anticipated fall releases, the industry is hoping that moviegoers’ appetite for the big screen will remain undiminished in the months ahead.
