Box Office Showdown: GOAT vs. Wuthering Heights in Close Race for Top Spot
Sony Pictures Animation's GOAT and Warner Bros.' Wuthering Heights are in a close race for the top spot at the domestic box office. Both films are projected to earn around $14M in their second weekend, with GOAT expected to drop by 50% and Wuthering Heights by 55% to 60%. Last weekend, Wuthering Heights debuted at No. 1 with $32.8M, surpassing GOAT's $27.2M opening. The Presidents Day weekend saw a total box office of $144.4M, the second-best post-Covid holiday weekend after last year's $155.3M. Wuthering Heights has earned $41M domestically, while GOAT has reached $38M as of Tuesday.
The competition between GOAT and Wuthering Heights may be influenced by school holidays, as 16% of K-12 schools are still on winter break on Friday. GOAT performed better than Wuthering Heights on the most recent Sunday and Monday, narrowing the gap between the two films. While Warner Bros.' title led in the previous frame, projections suggest a closer contest in their second weekends. Lionsgate is set to release I Can Only Imagine 2 in 3,000 theaters with projected earnings between $8M and $10M. The original film opened to $17.1M on a $7M production cost and grossed over $83M domestically. Previews for the sequel will begin on Thursday afternoon.
Amazon MGM Studios anticipates a 50% drop for Crime 101 in its second weekend, with expected earnings of $7.3M, bringing its five-day total to $17.4M. A24 will open How to Make a Killing in 1,600 theaters, expecting a low single-digit debut, while 20th Century Studios aims for a $2M opening from 1,100 locations with Psycho Killer.
In conclusion, the box office competition between GOAT and Wuthering Heights remains tight as they head into their second weekends, with both films projected to earn around $14M. The outcome may be influenced by school holidays and the performance of other new releases in theaters.