Box Office: As A Minecraft Movie approaches, here are the biggest opening weekends for video game adaptations in North America

As A Minecraft Movie nears release, we look at the biggest opening weekends for video game films in North America and how the upcoming adaptation could stack up against them.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 20, 2025 | 05:22 PM IST | 5.1K

Picture Courtesy: Warner Bros

Video game adaptations have emerged as a profitable box office genre over the years, but their success is contingent on how closely the narrative of the screen offering aligns with the computerized version.

Earlier video game adaptations like Super Mario Bros. (1993) and Street Fighter (1994) failed due to weak storytelling and excessive deviation from the source material. On the other hand, recent hits like Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie were screaming box office successes thanks to their striking similarity to their game origins. The latter production, for the record, shattered records in 2023, becoming the highest-grossing video game adaptation with a massive USD 146.36 million opening in North America.

While the upcoming Jason Momoa and Jack Black movie is not looking to replicate its banger debut, here are four other tentpoles it is aiming to surpass or even trail by a minimal margin.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) — USD 80 million
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) — USD 72.10 million
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) — USD 60.10 million
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) — USD 58.01 million

Industry pundits are forecasting A Minecraft Movie to register a domestic opening in the range of USD 55 million to USD 75 million. Globally, the film will look to gross USD 120 million to USD 150 million over the first three days.

Given Minecraft’s vast fanbase and the favorable reception of video game adaptations recently, A Minecraft Movie has the potential to continue the genre’s winning streak.

The fantasy adventure film is directed by Jared Hess. Besides Momoa and Black, it stars Emma Myers, Jennifer Coolidge, Danielle Brooks, Kate McKinnon, and more. It follows four misfits who get pulled into a cubic world where they must master their surroundings with the help of an expert crafter.

Principal photography for the film took place between January and April 2024 in New Zealand after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its schedule. Visual effects for the film are provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, WETA FX, and Digital Domain, with Dan Lemmon leading the department and James Thomas serving as the film’s editor.

A Minecraft Movie arrives on April 4.