Update April 20, 2025: There’s a new box-office champion for the April 18-20 weekend. Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, dominated the competition with a $45.6 million debut, securing the top spot. The vampire film not only exceeded projections but achieved something no other horror film has done before. As noted by Deadline, Sinners received an A grade from CinemaScore, the first time in the tracking firm’s nearly 50-year history that a horror film has earned that rating from exit audiences. Lauded film and genre classics like A Quiet Place, The Lost Boys, and The Conjuring all managed A-minus scores. Not even the Oscar-winning Get Out could get higher than that. But Sinners, one of the best-reviewed films of the year and already drawing Oscar buzz, managed to make the grade, notching a new milestone.

Meanwhile, A Minecraft Movie — widely expected to win its third consecutive weekend — settled for second place with $41.3 million. The video-game adaptation’s domestic total now stands at an impressive $344 million, solidifying its status as the most successful film of 2025. The Sinners-Minecraft combo delivered a one-two knockout punch for Warner Bros., reinforcing the studio’s dominance in movie theaters this year.

Rounding out the top five moneymakers for the April 18-20 weekend were Angel Studios’ The King of Kings with $17.3 million, 20th Century’s The Amateur with $7.2 million, and A24’s Warfare with $4.9 million.

Original story published April 18, 2025: Sinners is set to heat up the box office this Easter weekend, aiming for a $45 million opening, while A Minecraft Movie is expected to hold steady in its third week with $46 million. No matter which film takes the top spot, it’s a double victory for Warner Bros., cementing the studio as this year’s shining beacon for movie theaters.

Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Ryan Coogler, Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers who encounter bloodthirsty vampires on the night they open their first juke joint. As the most high-profile new release of the weekend, it faces competition from Briarcliff’s animated movie Sneaks and Bleecker Street’s rom-com The Wedding Banquet. They’ll take on last week’s top money-makers: A Minecraft Movie, The King of Kings, The Amateur, Warfare, and Drop. 

Gold Derby readers predict that Sinners will win the April 18-20 weekend with between $25 million and $50 million domestically. A Minecraft Movie is the runner-up selection of our oddsmakers.

NEW RELEASES

Sinners
Director: Ryan Coogler
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. The horror movie, starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, and Miles Caton, has a running time of two hours, 17 minutes, and is rated R. Sinners is certified “fresh” with a 97 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; similarly, the “universally acclaimed” reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 85 percent.

SEE ‘Sinners’ reviews: Ryan Coogler’s ‘best movie so far’ wins raves from critics

Sneaks
Director: Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
When a designer sneaker unwittingly finds himself lost in New York City, he must dig deep into his sole in order to rescue his sister and return to his rightful owner. The animated family comedy, featuring the voices of Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, and Chloe Bailey, has a running time of one hour, 32 minutes, and is rated PG. As of this writing, there have not been enough published reviews to generate a score on either Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic.

The Wedding Banquet
Director: Andrew Ahn
Distributor: Bleecker Street
A gay man makes a deal with his lesbian friend: a green-card marriage for him, in exchange for in vitro fertilization treatments for her. Plans evolve as Min’s grandmother surprises them with a Korean wedding banquet. The romantic comedy, starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, and Kelly Marie Tran, has a running time of one hour, 42 minutes, and is rated R. The Wedding Banquet is certified “fresh” with an 88 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; “generally favorable” reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 68 percent.

BOX-OFFICE PREDICTIONS

A Minecraft Movie is expected to hold onto the top spot with an estimated $46 million, but Sinners is hot on its heels with projections climbing as high as $45 million. Backed by glowing reviews and the powerhouse pairing of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, the horror flick is in prime position to pull off an upset. The dynamic duo, renowned for their work on the Creed and Black Panther franchises, have proven box office magic, with those series grossing an impressive $381 million and $1.1 billion, respectively, in North America alone.

Meanwhile, newcomers Sneaks and The Wedding Banquet are struggling to gain traction. Instead, the top five is expected to round out with The King of Kings earning $12 million, The Amateur pulling in $8 million, and Warfare closing with $5 million.

Here are Gold Derby’s current box-office rankings for the top five:

1. Sinners

2. A Minecraft Movie

3. The King of Kings

4. The Amateur

5. Warfare

Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it’s fun and easy! Join the box-office discussion in our forums.

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