The four-day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year recorded a total of $101.2 million in box office revenue, marking the second lowest in the past decade, aside from 2021 when theaters were shut down due to the pandemic.

Previously, the lowest recent total was in 2022 with $85 million, led by the movie ‘Scream’ from Paramount/Spyglass, which opened with $33.8 million. This dip was attributed to a limited number of new releases, although ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ still managed a second-place finish with $24.2 million amid lingering COVID-19 concerns.

However, the potential of MLK weekend remains high, evidenced by 2020's record-breaking $205.3 million total led by ‘Bad Boys for Life’ and the all-time high of $250.8 million in 2015, spearheaded by Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper’ which opened to $107.2 million.

This year, the top-grossing film was ‘Mufasa’ with an estimated $16.5 million, the lowest for a number-one film on this weekend since 1997. ‘One of Them Days’ followed with a take of $14 to $15 million and favorable audience feedback, but its performance did not meet expectations despite strong social media engagement and superior reviews compared to similar films like ‘Girls Trip.’

Blumhouse/Universal’s 'Wolf Man’ also underperformed with just $12 million over the four days, attributed to poor audience reception.

‘One of Them Days’ particularly resonated with female and younger audiences, showcasing strong regional performance, especially in Los Angeles. On the other hand, ‘Wolf Man’ saw its best results from IMAX and premium large formats, indicating a lack of broader appeal.

Other films like ‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘September 5’ showed varied performance, with the former enjoying a strong per-theater average in limited release, while the latter expanded moderately in anticipation of potential Oscar nominations.

MORE NEWS