In a standout late-summer weekend, two wildly different films—Weapons and Freakier Friday—delivered major wins at the box office. Warner Bros.’ horror-thriller Weapons dominated with a commanding $42.5 million domestic opening, while Disney’s body-swap comedy Freakier Friday followed with a solid $29 million debut. Here’s what made this weekend a memorable one for theaters—and why audiences are responding to both horror and comedy with equal enthusiasm.
1. Weapons Stuns with a Horrific Opening
Released by Warner Bros. on August 8 across 3,202 theaters, Weapons surged past expectations to earn $42.5 million domestically and $70 million globally in its opening weekend AP NewsEW.com. This marks Warner Bros.’ seventh No. 1 film of 2025, and notably, their sixth consecutive opening surpassing the $40 million mark AP NewsBarron’s.
The film’s combination of high-concept horror, sharp pacing, and strong word of mouth played key roles. With a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A- CinemaScore, it exceeded even strong tracking projections of $25–40 million WikipediaAmazon Web Services, Inc.. Opening-day earnings of $18.2 million, including Thursday previews, created early momentum New York PostWikipedia.
Directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian) and bolstered by strong reviews, Weapons pulled off what few horror films achieve: a massive, profitable theatrical debut WikipediaEW.com.
2. Freakier Friday Delivers Family-Friendly Success
Disney’s Freakier Friday, the sequel to their 2003 hit Freaky Friday, debuted in 3,975 theaters and claimed second place with $29 million in domestic box office AP NewsWikipedia. It also reached an estimated $44.5 million globally VultureAmazon Web Services, Inc..
The film’s nostalgic appeal—reuniting Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis—alongside viral marketing and comedic timing, resonated with both families and older fans AP NewsVulture. While it didn’t match Weapons in overall revenue, its strong performance reflects that smart comedy can still thrive theatrically.
3. A Tale of Two Genres
This weekend’s top two films couldn’t be more different, yet both underscore trends strengthening theatrical storytelling in 2025:
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Horror’s Revival: With Weapons joining titles like Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines, horror continues delivering big theatrical returns this year EW.comWikipedia.
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Comedy’s Cultural Clout: Freakier Friday demonstrates that feel-good, live-action comedies still attract eager audiences—especially with the right cast and timing AP NewsVulture.
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian called this blend “a perfect recipe for success” in a traditionally slow box office month AP NewsBarron’s.
4. Weekend Snapshot: The Numbers That Define the Weekend
Overall, the weekend delivered a $131 million domestic gross, bumping 2025’s total to $5.6 billion—up 7.6% year-over-year, though the gap has narrowed in recent weeks Barron’s.
Here’s the box office leaderboard:
| Rank | Movie | Domestic Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapons | $42.5 million |
| 2 | Freakier Friday | $29 million |
| 3 | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | $15.5 million |
| 4 | The Bad Guys 2 | $10.4 million |
| 5 | The Naked Gun | $8.4 million |
5. What It All Means
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Strong Previews Paid Off: Weapons turned early buzz and strong weekday performance into a breakout weekend.
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Diversified Slate Wins: The contrasting successes of horror and comedy underscore how studios benefit from diversifying offerings through August.
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Warner Bros.’ Strategy Succeeds: The studio’s string of genre hits cements its reputation for savvy summer programming Barron’sEW.com.
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Audiences Want Events: The mutual success of these films signals that, when executed well, theatrical releases—regardless of genre—still hold cultural power.
Looking Ahead
With Weapons setting the tone and Freakier Friday proving there’s still life in theatrical comedy, the second half of the summer season looks promising. Upcoming releases like Nobody 2, Caught Stealing, and Red Sonja will need to navigate this energized landscape.
Stay tuned to bomaz for ongoing analysis, release updates, and weekend box office breakdowns. This summer isn’t over yet—and it’s shaping up to be one of the most dynamic of recent memory.