\u201cGOAT,\u201d an original animated film about an animal who dreams of athletic greatness, trounced the box office competition in yet another glacial winter weekend.<\/p>\n
Heading into the late-February frame, \u201cGOAT\u201d and \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d were closely contending for the No. 1 spot in North America. However, \u201cGOAT\u201d pulled ahead with $17 million from 3,863 theaters, declining just 36% from its debut. \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d wasn\u2019t far behind with $14.2 million from 3,682 venues, dropping 57% from its opening weekend. A first-place finish for \u201cGOAT\u201d (especially over a starry gothic romantic drama, featuring A-listers Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi) underscores the importance of family films for cinema operators at a time when the box office hasn\u2019t yet regained its pre-pandemic strength. In 2025, PG offerings like \u201cLilo & Stitch,\u201d \u201cZootopia 2\u201d and \u201cA Minecraft Movie\u201d showed impressive endurance and ranked among the year\u2019s highest-grossing releases.<\/p>\n
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So far, \u201cGOAT\u201d has earned $58.3 million domestically and $102 million worldwide. Since \u201cGOAT\u201d carries an $80 million production budget (and theater owners keep half of ticket sales), Sony Pictures Animation is hoping the kid-friendly film\u00a0enjoys a similar endurance to recent original animated films like \u201cElemental,\u201d \u201cThe Wild Robot\u201d and \u201cMigration,\u201d all of which managed to stick around in theaters for weeks after their debuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWuthering Heights\u201d has generated $59.5 million in North America. Director Emerald Fennel\u2019s adaptation has been a bigger draw overseas with $91.7 million for a global tally of $151.7 million. Warner Bros. spent $80 million to produce \u201cWuthering Heights,\u201d not including the tens of millions for the global promotional tour.<\/p>\n
Those films towered over three newcomers, including Lionsgate\u2019s faith-based \u201cI Can Only Imagine 2,\u201d Disney\u2019s New Regency road-trip thriller \u201cPsycho Killer\u201d and A24\u2019s black comedy \u201cHow to Make a Killing\u201d with Glen Powell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI Can Only Imagine 2\u201d captured the No. 3 spot with $8 million from 3,105 venues. Those ticket sales are dramatically behind its predecessor, 2018\u2019s surprise hit \u201cI Can Only Imagine,\u201d which ignited to $17 million in North America. Although the sequel was twice as expensive at $18 million, it\u2019s still a modest price tag that shouldn\u2019t be too difficult for the studio to recoup during its big-screen run. Plus, audiences awarded the film, a sequel to the story about the musical artist who wrote the best-selling Christian song of all time, a rare \u201cA+\u201d grade on CinemaScore exit polls. The original movie, which also scored an \u201cA+\u201d grade, became a breakout for Lionsgate with $86 million worldwide against a $7 million budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow to Make a Killing\u201d debuted outside the top five \u2014 in sixth place with $3.5 million \u2014 however, the R-rated comedic thriller is playing on just 1,600 screens. Directed by John Patton Ford (\u201cEmily the Criminal\u201d), the film stars Powell as a man who is disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family and will stop at nothing to reclaim his $28 billion inheritance. There\u2019s no audience score, but critics did not like \u201cHow to Make a Killing,\u201d which holds a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.<\/p>\n
At No. 11, \u201cPsycho Killer\u201d cratered with $1.6 million from 1,100 theaters in its first weekend of release. The film, which hails from Disney\u2019s 20th Century and New Regency labels, landed behind \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash,\u201d which earned $1.7 million in its 10th weekend on the big screen. \u201cPsycho Killer,\u201d which doesn\u2019t have an audience score either but was saddled with a 33% Rotten Tomatoes average, cost under $10 million to produce. Directed by Gavin Polone in his feature debut, the movie follows a police officer (Georgina Campbell) on her mission to take down the serial killer known as the Satanic Slasher after he brutally murdered her state trooper husband.<\/p>\n
Neon\u2019s concert film \u201cEPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert\u201d debuted well above \u201cPsycho Killer,\u201d in seventh place with $3.2 million, during its limited release on 325 Imax screens. Director Baz Luhrmann crafted the film from never-before-seen footage of the King of Rock and Roll that he discovered while making the 2022 Austin Butler-led \u201cElvis\u201d biopic. \u201cEPiC,\u201d which will expand in the coming weeks, is the only film in the top 10 that\u2019s playing on less than 1,000 screens.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited to see audiences connecting with \u2018EPiC.\u2019 It\u2019s a powerful testament to the enduring impact of the King,\u201d said Neon\u2019s chief distribution officer Elissa Federoff. She pointed to the studio\u2019s partners, including Sony Music Vision and Imax, who \u201chelped deliver something deeply personal and undeniably cinematic \u2014 Elvis at his best, on the biggest screens possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall revenues in North America are 5% of 2025\u2019s tally, according to Comscore \u2014 percentage that keeps shrinking as winter wears on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe domestic box office would be a point or two higher if it weren\u2019t for the harsh weather during the last month, and another blizzard is arriving on the East Coast right now,\u201d says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. However, \u201cthere\u2019s a good opportunity to build momentum over the next six weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moviegoing should heat up next weekend with \u201cScream 7,\u201d followed by Disney\u2019s Pixar film \u201cHoppers\u201d and director Maggie Gyllenhaal\u2019s \u201cFrankenstein\u201d spinoff \u201cThe Bride!\u201d in March. That\u2019s before Universal and Illumination\u2019s \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d is poised to deliver 2026\u2019s first major blockbuster in early April. Mario and Luigi to the rescue!<\/p>\n
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