Box Office: 'The Monkey' Opens Strong, 'Captain America' Faces Big Drop

Neon's horror-comedy "The Monkey" has enjoyed a solid opening weekend, coming in second place at the box office behind Disney's "Captain America: Brave New World."

"The Monkey" grossed an estimated $5.8 million from 3,200 theaters on Friday and preview screenings, putting it on track for Neon's second-largest opening weekend ever. Critical reviews have been positive, although audience reactions have been mixed, with Cinema Score giving it a "C+" rating. However, horror films typically score lower on such polls, and "Longlegs," Perkins' previous horror film for Neon, also received a similar grade but went on to multiply its opening weekend earnings by 3.31x.

"The Monkey," budgeted at around $10 million, is well-positioned to turn a significant profit in theaters. It adapts a Stephen King story about two brothers who witness everyone around them being killed by a demonic toy primate.

'Captain America' Posts Strong Second Weekend

Despite a $100 million opening weekend over President's Day, "Captain America: Brave New World" has struggled to maintain momentum. Negative reviews and a low CinemaScore "B-" grade have raised concerns about the comic book adaptation's long-term success.

The film added $7.2 million on Friday, putting it on track to avoid breaking the MCU record for the steepest second-weekend drop (78%, set by "The Marvels" in 2023). However, it is likely to follow a similar trajectory to 2023's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which also opened on a Presidents' Day weekend and plummeted 70% in its second outing.

Other Box Office Highlights

- Sony's "Paddington in Peru" takes third place, grossing $1.5 million on Friday and projecting $6.5 million for the weekend.
- Universal's "Dog Man" is in fourth place with an estimated $1.3 million for the day, eyeing $5.7 million for the weekend.
- Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" falls to fifth place with a 63% drop, projecting a $2.8 million weekend haul.
- Lionsgate's "The Unbreakable Boy" opens outside the top five, aiming for $2.4 million this weekend.