US Box Office: Novocaine tops WEAKEST WEEKEND of 2025 With USD 8.7 million debut

Paramount’s Novocaine led the slowest North American box office weekend of 2025 yet, as domestic earnings slumped to USD 54.7 million, shocking the industry.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 17, 2025 | 05:04 PM IST | 7.8K

Picture Courtesy: Paramount Pictures

The North American box office witnessed the weakest weekend box office of 2025, with Paramount’s latest outing Novocaine taking the top spot with a modest USD 8.7 million debut. While enough to claim the crown, the film fell short of the studio’s expectations of a USD 10 million debut. The Jack Quaid-led action comedy follows a protagonist who feels no pain due to a genetic condition. It managed to outpace Bong Joon Ho’s February 7 release Mickey 17, which slipped to second place in its second frame.

In an underwhelming battle for third place, Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller Black Bag and Mickey 17 each raked in around USD 7.5 million. The latter took a steep 60% dive from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic total just past USD 33 million, while its worldwide cume stands at USD 90.4 million. The weekend’s overall domestic revenue peaked at an estimated USD 54.7 million—one of the lowest in the post-pandemic era. Until now, only 2025’s Super Bowl weekend had a worse turnout, with USD 55.8 million.

Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World continued its hold in its fifth weekend, securing fourth place with USD 5.5 million. The film’s domestic total is now closing in on USD 190 million. Meanwhile, Disney became the first studio this year to cross the USD 1 billion mark in worldwide ticket sales, reinforcing its dominance in the struggling market.

A Looney Tunes Movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still rounded out the top five list, earning USD 3.2 million in its debut weekend.

Exhibitors are eagerly awaiting March 21, when Disney’s live-action Snow White, which is anticipating a USD 50 to 60 million domestic debut, arrives. The film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has garnered immense praise from critics following its recent Los Angeles premiere. Shortly after, Warner Bros.' video game adaptation A Minecraft Movie, starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, and more, is expected to drive the business.

Did you catch any of these releases in theaters? Are you gearing up for Disney’s big release this weekend, or are you holding out for A Minecraft Movie on April 4? Let us know!