‘Den of Thieves 2’ Quietly Tops Box Office the Weekend

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In a relatively quiet weekend at the box office, Lionsgate's Den of Thieves 2: Pantera took the top spot with an estimated $15.5 million, as reported by studio estimates on Sunday. While much of Hollywood's attention was diverted to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, the film’s debut managed to hold its own. Mid-January typically sees a slowdown in moviegoing, and the situation was slightly worsened by the closure of approximately 10 theaters in Los Angeles, one of the country’s largest box-office markets.

A sequel to the 2018 heist thriller Den of Thieves, which starred Gerard Butler, the second installment performed similarly to its predecessor. The first film opened to $15.2 million seven years ago. Co-starring O’Shea Jackson Jr., Den of Thieves 2 debuted in 3,008 theaters across North America. Butler, known for his action-packed roles, has increasingly become a fixture in January releases. Last year, his film Plane brought in $32.1 million after its release in mid-January 2023.

Produced with a budget of around $40 million, Den of Thieves 2 received a mixed reception. While it earned a “B+” CinemaScore from audiences, signaling moderate enjoyment, the film’s reviews were lukewarm, with only 58% positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the film marked Lionsgate’s first No. 1 opening since The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in November 2023.

Also making its debut this weekend was Better Man, a bold take on the music biopic genre that imagines British pop star Robbie Williams as a CGI chimpanzee. Directed by Michael Gracey, the film faced significant challenges at the box office, earning just $1.1 million from 1,291 locations. Produced for $110 million and acquired by Paramount Pictures for $25 million, Better Man struggled to replicate the success of Gracey’s 2017 hit The Greatest Showman. Despite its box-office failure, the film garnered positive reviews.

The weekend also saw other new releases surpass Better Man in ticket sales. The Last Showgirl, a Las Vegas drama starring Pamela Anderson, expanded to 870 theaters and grossed $1.5 million. Meanwhile, The Brutalist, a postwar epic directed by Brady Corbet, earned $1.4 million from just 68 locations following its recent win for Best Drama at the Golden Globes.

Meanwhile, holiday holdovers continued to dominate the weekend's box-office charts. Mufasa: The Lion King, now in its fourth week of release, earned $13.2 million, bringing its global total to $539.7 million. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, also in its fourth week, added $11 million to its $384.8 million global haul. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, a surprise hit of the holiday season, brought in $6.8 million, pushing its domestic total to $81.1 million. Moana 2, now in its seventh week of release, earned $6.5 million, bringing its total to a nearly $1 billion worldwide.

The coming days are expected to see Moana 2 join the ranks of 2024’s billion-dollar films, alongside Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine.

Final domestic figures will be released on Monday. Here’s a look at the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera – $15.5 million
2. Mufasa: The Lion King – $13.2 million
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – $11 million
4. Nosferatu – $6.8 million
5. Moana 2 – $6.5 million
6. A Complete Unknown – $5 million
7. Wicked – $5 million
8. Babygirl – $3.1 million
9. Game Changer – $1.9 million
10. The Last Showgirl – $1.5 million