After a few years of limited theatrical releases, the box office is finally bouncing back, and there are currently five movies that are leading the way in terms of revenue. The year 2023 has already witnessed some major records being broken, with Avatar: The Way of Water and the re-release of Titanic constantly vying for the title of the highest-grossing movie of all time. Surprisingly, smaller-budget films have also been quite successful lately, with horror movies, in particular, challenging conventional expectations and attracting a large audience. Over the weekend, there has been a range of movies that have been consistently performing well at the box office.
Typically, low-budget movies that would be overshadowed during the summer months are released during the early months of the year. However, this year, several 2023 movies have managed to overcome this trend. Despite negative reviews from critics, horror films such as Knock at the Cabin and Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey have surprisingly been doing quite well at the box office. The latest blockbuster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, has also been warmly received by audiences. Currently, the top 5 movies in the world are quite diverse in terms of genre and theme.
5. Knock At The Cabin
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie, “Knock at the Cabin”, has secured the fifth position in the list of top-grossing movies in the world this weekend. This horror film revolves around a family’s struggle to prevent an apocalypse after being taken hostage by four strangers while on vacation. The movie has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, with many considering it as a significant comeback in Shyamalan’s career.
According to Box Office Mojo, “Knock at the Cabin” has earned a total of $47,879,270 in global box office revenue. In the latest weekend, the movie grossed $4,590,000 domestically. Starring Dave Bautista as Leonard, the leader of the four strangers, “Knock at the Cabin” has maintained its popularity at the box office, and it is not expected to release on streaming platforms anytime soon. However, it may shift to streaming once it completes its theatrical run, but not before it adds more to its box office collection.
4. Plane
Gerard Butler’s recent action film, “Plane”, has grabbed the fourth position in the list of top-grossing movies worldwide, surpassing “Knock at the Cabin”. The movie features Butler as a pilot who teams up with a suspected murderer, Louis Gaspare (played by Mike Colter), to save a group of hostages following a plane crash on a war-torn island. Despite being released a week earlier than “Knock at the Cabin”, “Plane” earned only $450,000 in the latest weekend at the domestic box office, dropping much more than its competitor. However, the movie has earned a total of $47,887,022 worldwide and has successfully exceeded its production budget of $25 million.
“Plane” has not only been well-received by audiences, but it has also achieved a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Gerard Butler’s highest-rated action films. The film’s success has already prompted the development of a sequel titled “Ship”, which will continue the story of Louis Gaspare, who remains a fugitive on the island to avoid being extradited to Canada. “Ship” will follow Gaspare’s efforts to ensure the safety of Brodie Torrence (Butler) and his passengers as they escape the rebels who are holding them captive.
3. Titanic 25-Year Anniversary
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of its original release, “Titanic” has been re-released in theaters and has captured the attention of audiences worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing movie currently. Although the movie earned only $2,900,000 at the domestic box office in the latest weekend, its global box office collection for the anniversary edition has reached $48,443,135, surpassing “Plane” by a narrow margin. “Titanic” is one of the few movies that have crossed the $2 billion mark, making its high ranking unsurprising.
The re-release of “Titanic” has been so successful that it prevented James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” from overtaking it as the third highest-grossing movie of all time. However, “Avatar: The Way of Water” has now secured the third spot, but the success of “Titanic” re-release has briefly reclaimed and increased its records. With both movies directed by James Cameron, whichever holds the lead position means Cameron continues to dominate the top spots in the list of highest-grossing movies.
2. Pathaan
Securing the second spot in the top 5 biggest movies of the weekend, “Pathaan” is the only non-US movie on the list. The Indian-Hindi-language action thriller, directed by Siddharth Anand, follows a spy fighting a gang leader’s sinister plan for their homeland. The movie was released worldwide on January 25 and has consistently performed well, following the trend of foreign movie success in the US since 2019.
With a worldwide box office collection almost twice that of “Titanic,” “Pathaan” dominates the top 2 movies of the weekend, leaving the other three far behind. The movie has earned $95,938,107 worldwide and has received positive critical reviews, scoring 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its success, “Pathaan” still has a long way to go before it can claim the top spot, which is not surprising, given the recent release of an MCU movie.
1. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
At the top of the list of the world’s biggest movies currently is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was released on February 17 and has already surpassed its $200 million budget. It is the third installment in the Ant-Man series and features Scott and Hope venturing into the Quantum realm and encountering Kang, who is expected to be the next Thanos. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has earned $357.3 million worldwide, with a massive $120 million from the domestic box office in its opening weekend. As the first movie in MCU’s Phase 5, it is a crucial part of the next story in the Avengers universe, which will introduce new teams like The Thunderbolts and The Marvels. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s box office success is expected to continue, making it the undisputed top movie among the five biggest movies in the world right now.
