This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, foreground from left, Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in a scene from "Sinners." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Director Ryan Coogler, left, and actor Michael B. Jordan attend the premiere of "Sinners" at AMC Lincoln Square on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Jack Black poses for photographers with a model wolf character from the film, upon arrival at the World premiere of A Minecraft Movie on Sunday, March 30, 2025, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, foreground from left, Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in a scene from "Sinners." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Director Ryan Coogler, left, and actor Michael B. Jordan attend the premiere of "Sinners" at AMC Lincoln Square on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
EA
Jack Black poses for photographers with a model wolf character from the film, upon arrival at the World premiere of A Minecraft Movie on Sunday, March 30, 2025, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Brand names, not filmmakers or stars, are said to rule the box office these days. But Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,†led by twin Michael B. Jordans, proved a bloody exception to modern movie rules, launching with $45.6 million in ticket sales in U.S. and ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.
“Sinners,†a Warner Bros. release that cost about $90 million to produce, was a bold gamble on originality — albeit with genre elements — and one of the most bankable American directors in Coogler. The “Creed†and “Black Panther†director wrote and produced “Sinners,†a 1932-set vampire movie about bootlegging brothers (both played by Jordan) who open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown.
“A Minecraft Movie,†, followed close behind in second, collecting $41.3 million in its third week of release. That gave Warner Bros., after a handful of disappointments, an enviable one-two punch at the box office with one original, director-driven movie and one IP-based property.
“A Minecraft Movie,†which Warner Bros. co-produced with Legendary Pictures, has amassed $720.8 million worldwide in three weeks of release.
Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, celebrated the two films’ resonance with moviegoers. The studio accounted for a remarkable 64% of the domestic box office for the Easter weekend.
“Movies have the power to transport us to worlds only seen on the big screen, and Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing singular in-theater experiences to audiences looking for bold movies, both original and those based on beloved existing properties,†Abdy and De Luca said in a statement Sunday.
But all eyes were on the performance on “Sinners,†which Warner Bros. went to extreme lengths to secure. Abdy and De Luca agreed to give Coogler not just a cut of gross ticket sales but ownership of the film after 25 years — a virtually unheard of concession.
But Coogler and Jordan, whose collaborations stretch back to make up one of the industry’s most potent director-actor duos. (98% “fresh†on Rotten Tomatoes) were stellar for “Sinners†and audiences, too, were enthralled by its supernatural twists. The film earned an “A†CinemaScore from moviegoers.
Overseas, “Sinners†faced a more uphill battle. It collected $15.4 million in 71 international markets. Domestically, “Sinners†attracted a diverse audience: 38% Black, 35% white, 18% Hispanic and 5% Asian.
Before “Sinners,†dual roles had been rough business for Warner Bros. The studio saw flops in both (a period gangster film featuring a doubled Robert De Niro) and (a sci-fi movie with two Robert Pattinsons).
But the strong opening for “Sinners,†which should be sustained in the coming weeks given the strong word of mouth, cements Coogler’s place as one of a handful of filmmakers whose name draws big audiences. Another would be , whose “Nope†(2022) debuted similarly with $44.3 million.
Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings,†an animated tale of Jesus’ life aimed at Christian audiences, capitalized on the Easter weekend, grossing $17.2 million in its second week of release. That was nearly equal to its opening weekend ($19.1 million), and brought “The King of Kings†to a domestic total of $45.3 million.
Bleecker Street’s “The Wedding Banquet,†opened on 1,142 North American screens with $922,906 in ticket sales. “The Wedding Banquet,†a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, stars Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran and newcomer Han Gi-chan.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ theaters, according to Comscore:
