Movie fans you might want to sit down for this. The box office just had a weekend that was well ... not great. In fact it was the lowest grossing weekend of 2025 so far! And guess which movie managed to claw its way to the top of this rather dismal chart? Paramount's Novocaine a movie you might not have even heard of until now.
'Novocaine' Takes the Crown in a Box Office Desert: But Should Paramount Be Celebrating?
Yep you read that right. Novocaine a R-rated action comedy starring Jack Quaid snagged the number one spot. It pulled in around $8.7 million on its opening weekend. Now in normal times that might be okay but for a weekend in spring break? With kids out of school? Industry folks are scratching their heads. The overall box office for all movie s combined barely hit $55 million. That's lower than even Super Bowl weekend which is usually slow!
Why is this happening? Some experts are saying it is not a "marketplace problem" but a "studio problem." Basically studios might not be making the kind of movies that get people excited to leave their couches. Quality over quantity right?
Paramount however is probably breathing a sigh of relief. Novocaine was a "low-risk opportunity" for them. It only cost $18 million to make and they did put some marketing muscle behind it including a Super Bowl ad. They are hoping it will at least break even or make a little profit after it hits home video. But is theatrical just becoming a giant ad for streaming now? That's a question some are starting to ask.
What is 'Novocaine' Anyway? Jack Quaid's Pain-Free Superpower and Mixed Fan Reactions
So what is this movie that topped the box office in a slow weekend? Novocaine stars Jack Quaid from The Boys as Nathan Cain a guy who can't feel pain due to a rare medical condition. He turns this into a superpower to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Think action movie meets dark comedy.
Reviews are mixed. Some call it "brutal yet weightless". Moviegoers who saw it on opening night seemed to like it giving it solid exits. However online buzz according to RelishMix was pretty weak. Social media reach was low and there is some negative chatter online. Some people think the plot twist is predictable others find the premise of joking about a pain disorder "distasteful."
Still Novocaine did manage to attract an audience mostly male and a good chunk of them in the 18-34 age range. It played best on PLF screens and in the West coast region particularly in places like AMC Burbank.
Beyond 'Novocaine': Other New Releases Struggle and 'Mickey 17' Tumbles
It wasn't just Novocaine that had a less-than-stellar weekend. Focus Features released Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller Black Bag starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. Despite good reviews it only managed around $7.5 million which is about what was expected. Some are hoping it might have legs like other adult-skewing thrillers but the genre might be feeling "oversaturated" with streaming options.
Warner Bros.' Mickey 17 Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi comedy starring Robert Pattinson took a big tumble in its second weekend dropping 60% and also landing around $7.5 million. Even though it is doing better overseas the $118 million production is facing an uphill battle to profitability.
Even A24 the indie darling studio had a tough time. Their horror-comedy Opus with Ayo Edebiri bombed opening outside the top 10 with just $1 million. Despite some positive reviews from some folks moviegoers just were not showing up. Some online comments suggest people feel the premise is "overdone" and too similar to other recent movies.
Is 'Snow White' the Box Office Savior? Disney's Hope for a Spring Rebound
So what is the good news? Well Hollywood is pinning its hopes on next weekend and Disney's live-action Snow White. Yes the one that has had its share of online controversy. But surprisingly that controversy might be helping to build anticipation. Early buzz for Snow White is actually pretty positive. Some who have seen it are calling it "solid" with great songs and strong performances from Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
Some are even saying Snow White could have opened this weekend and done better than anything that actually did. Early projections are estimating a $50 million-plus opening for Snow White which would be a welcome change of pace for the struggling box office. Disney is going to ramp up marketing in the next few weeks to give it a final big push. Could Snow White be the hero the box office desperately needs? We will find out next weekend!
Weekend Box Office Top 5 (Estimated)
- Novocaine (Paramount): $8.7 Million
- Black Bag (Focus Features): $7.5 Million (Tie)
- Mickey 17 (Warner Bros.): $7.5 Million (Tie)
- Captain America: Brave New World (Disney): $5.47 Million
- Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up (Ketchup): $3.17 Million