## Hollywood Reeling as 2025 Summer Box Office Branded a 'Flop' **Report Provider:** Mail Online **Author:** Alesia Stanford **Date Covered:** Summer 2025 (concluding with Labor Day weekend) **News Type:** Movies / Entertainment ### Main Findings and Conclusions The 2025 summer box office has been officially branded a "flop" by analysts, leaving Hollywood in a state of concern. Despite a few bright spots, the overall performance was weak, particularly in the latter half of the summer. While the total box office earnings for the summer period (May-August) were on par with 2024, they fell short of projections and significantly lagged behind the success of Summer 2023. ### Key Statistics and Metrics * **Overall Summer Box Office (2025):** $3.76 billion * **Comparison to 2024:** On par with 2024's summer earnings. * **Projected Summer Box Office:** Fell short of the projected $4 billion. * **Comparison to 2023:** Significantly lower than Summer 2023's $4.09 billion gross. * **"Weapons" Performance:** * Earned $10.2 million through Sunday of Labor Day weekend. * Expected to earn an additional $3 million on Monday. * Opened with over $43 million in ticket sales. * Has grossed over $234 million worldwide to date. * **"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Performance:** * Massive budget: $240 million. * Marketing campaign: $200 million. * Global box office earnings: $490 million. * **"Superman" Performance:** * Worldwide earnings: Over $611 million. * Considered the "last good box office of the summer." * **"Jaws" (50th Anniversary Re-release) Performance:** * Earned an estimated $8.1 million over the Labor Day weekend. * Earned an additional $1.7 million internationally. * **"Caught Stealing" Performance:** * Debut weekend earnings: More than $7.8 million. * Ranked third over the weekend. * **"The Roses" Performance:** * Opening weekend earnings: $6.35 million. * Ranked fifth over the weekend. * **"The Naked Gun" Performance:** * Worldwide earnings: More than $95 million. * **Year-to-Date (2025) Box Office:** Up by 4%. * **Consumer Price Increase:** 2.7% in June compared to last year. * **Average Movie Ticket Cost (US):** Estimated around $16. * **"Barbie" (Summer 2023):** Grossed $1,447,038,421 to date. * **"Wicked" (released November 2024):** Earned over $756 million worldwide. ### Significant Trends or Changes * **Weekend Performance Decline:** Since the opening of "Superman" on July 11-13, there has been only one up weekend. From July 18 onwards, the domestic box office has been down for six consecutive weekends. * **Underperformance of Major Franchises:** Marvel's "Thunderbolts" and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" both underperformed, with "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" being a particularly costly flop. * **Resilience of Older Films:** The 50th-anniversary re-release of "Jaws" performed well, outperforming newer films. * **Impact of "Superman":** The film "Superman" is credited with kicking off the last positive box office weekend of the summer. ### Notable Risks or Concerns * **Hollywood's Future:** A top studio executive expressed significant nervousness about the future, citing concerns about overproduction of films and a potential lack of audience. * **Economic Factors:** Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on foreign goods are suggested as a potential factor affecting consumer spending on movie tickets, alongside a general increase in consumer prices. ### Material Financial Data * The 2025 summer box office generated **$3.76 billion**. * "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" had a combined budget and marketing cost of **$440 million** ($240 million budget + $200 million marketing) but only grossed **$490 million** globally. * "Superman" has achieved over **$611 million** worldwide. * "Barbie" from Summer 2023 has grossed **$1,447,038,421** to date. * The year-to-date 2025 box office is up by **4%**. ### Upcoming Releases and Future Outlook Several highly anticipated films are scheduled for release in the coming months, which are expected to boost the box office. These include: * **Wicked: For Good** (debuting November 21) - The second part of the successful "Wicked" franchise. * **The Smashing Machine** (starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) * **Kiss of The Spider Woman** (starring Jennifer Lopez) * **Marty Supreme** (starring Timothée Chalamet) * **One Battle After Another** (by Paul Thomas Anderson) These films are seen as potential contributors to increasing the bottom line and improving the box office performance leading into the 2026 awards season.
Hollywood reeling as 2025 summer box office branded a ‘flop’
Read original at Mail Online →After a weak Labor Day finish, the 2025 summer box office has been branded a 'flop,' leaving Hollywood reeling.On Sunday, Weapons lead the way on a lackluster weekend at the box office ahead of the US Labor Day holiday. The supernatural horror film about classroom of children being lured away in the night starring Josh Brolin and Julia Garner, remained at the top of the heap its fourth week in theaters earning only $10.
2 million through Sunday.It's expected to make another $3 million or so as folks try to beat the heat on Monday. The thriller opened at the beginning of the month with more the $43 million in ticket sales and has scared up more than $234 million worldwide so far.Weapons' low weekly numbers and the poor earnings of other offerings at the box office are indicative of what analysts say is a summer flop.
After a weak Labor Day finish, the 2025 summer box office has been branded a 'flop. On Sunday, Weapons lead the way on a lackluster weekend earning only $10.2 million; Josh Brolin seen in a still from WeaponsSuperheroes couldn't save the day either. Marvel's highly-anticipated films, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, both underperformed over the summer, with the latter being a particularly costly flop.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a massive budget of $240 million and a $200 million marketing campaign, but only brought in $490 million at the global box office.However, Superman — starring David Corenswet — often criticized as being 'woke' has earned more than $611 million worldwide and kicked off the last good box office of the summer.'
Since June 13, we’ve had just one up weekend, which was July 11-13 when Superman opened,' Comscore chief box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian told The Hollywood Reporter.'And beginning July 18, the domestic box office has been down every weekend for six weekends in a row.' Case in point, the number two film over the weekend was the 50th anniversary re-release of Jaws, which reeled in an estimated $8.
1 million. The Steven Spielberg directed horror film which is still keeping people out of the water since its 1975 release, earned another $1.7 million internationally. Jaws ended up beating newcomers Caught Stealing and The Roses, which came in third and fifth respectively. Final numbers from this weekend's box office were expected on Monday.
In spite of the tepid end of summer earnings, the 2025 May through August numbers were on par with 2024. Weapons' low weekly numbers and the poor earnings of other offerings at the box office are indicative of what analysts say is a summer flop The 50th anniversary re-release of Jaws came in second, earning and estimated $8.
1 million and beat two newcomers at the box office with A-list stars helming them Jaws beat Caught Stealing, starring Austin Butler as a burned out former baseball player who turns to crime. The thriller debuted in third place with more than $7.8 million The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as warring spouses rounded out the top five its debut weekend.
The screwball comedy earned only $6.35 million it's opening weekend, in spite of the A-list cast The comedy The Naked Gun with Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson did relatively well, earning more than $95 million worldwide, but the summer box office was down from last year Superheroes couldn't save the day either.
Marvel's highly-anticipated films, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, both underperformed over the summer, with the latter being a particularly costly flop; Pedro Pascal seen in a still from The Fantastic Four: First StepsHighly anticipated films such as The Fantastic Four and The Naked Gun contributed to a box office total of $3.
76 billion during that time period.Those earnings are only .02-percent less than the previous year's $3.766 billion, according to ComScore, as reported by Deadline, but still fell short of the projected $4 billion summer ticket sales.However, both the 2025 and 2024 summer numbers came in far below the $4.
09 billion grossed in summer 2023, thanks in part to the massive appeal of Barbie. The Margot Robbie vehicle written and directed by Greta Gerwig was a box office champ and has made $1,447,038,421 to date. 'I’m very, very nervous for the future,' a top studio executive told THR. 'There are all these studios and companies making movies.
I don’t think there is enough of an audience for them.'The tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on foreign goods may be affecting the ability of consumers to purchase movie tickets. Consumer prices went up 2.7% in June compared to last year, according to Labor Department numbers released in July.
Figures vary by state, but the average cost of a movie ticket in the US is estimated at around $16. Still, year-to-date, the 2025 box office is up by four-percent, according to Deadline. However, Superman — starring David Corenswet — has earned more than $611 million worldwide and kicked off the last good box office of the summer So far 2025 box office earnings are up by 4% to date, and films such as Wicked: For Good, debuting in November are expected to add to that totalOther highly anticipated films leading up to the 2026 awards season include The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Marty Supreme starring Timothée ChalametSeveral highly anticipated films scheduled for release over the next few months could increase the bottom line.
Wicked: For Good, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo was scheduled to open on November 21. Wicked, which was released last November, has earned more than $756 million worldwide and the second part of the story is expected to do as well or better. Other box office high anticipated box office offerings include: The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; Kiss of The Spider Woman with Jennifer Lopez; Marty Supreme starring Timothée Chalamet; and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another.
