With its $18 million budget, its rather discreet promotion, and no affiliation with any iconic license, Novocaine was not destined to establish itself as a leader at the American box office. While the production distributed by Paramount Pictures France is benefiting from good reviews as much as the newfound fame of its lead actor to make itself known, it is above all an extremely quiet release schedule that has allowed it to achieve the best figures at its launch in Uncle Sam's country. It has an opening box office of $8 million.
This is not particularly reassuring, especially when we know that this second weekend in March is emerging as the worst of 2025. For all films, revenue peaked at $54.7 million. This is less than Super Bowl weekend, which is known to be one of the slower periods for movie theaters as viewers rush to their televisions to follow the end of the sporting competition.
What is even more surprising is that in the United States, this mid-March corresponds to spring break and therefore to a traditionally rather busy period for movie theaters. According to figures shared by Comscore, US box office revenues so far are 5% lower than those of 2024 and 38% of those of 2019. Theater exhibitors are tirelessly demanding more films, only five films were shown on screens this second weekend of March.
More broadly, the year 2025 is marked by a series of disappointments. Captain America: Brave New World did not have the success its reputation promised, while Mickey Mouse 17 recorded a 60% drop in attendance between its first and second weekend. Bong Joon Ho's film is expected to reach $33 million after its first ten days of operation, for a budget of around $120 million. According to Variety's estimates, it will need to bring in between "$275 million and $300 million worldwide" to reach a form of profitability. For now, it has grossed $90 million.
Snow White to save American theaters?
If Disney wants to limit the damage after the numerous controversies surrounding its reinterpretation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, by reducing promotion to a minimum, the live-action adventures of the first princess are eagerly awaited. According to projections shared by The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action film should begin its career with $53 million its launch in Uncle Sam's country. In recent weeks, analysts have revised their ambitions downwards. If Snow White achieves around these launch figures, it would be one of the worst starts for a live-action remake since Dumbo by Tim Burton and its $45.9 million.
However, Marc Webb's film is not one of those cheap productions. It would have cost between 269 and 300 million dollars without its advertising campaign. As a reminder, Snow White is due to hit theaters this Wednesday, March 19. The film is directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot as the princess and her enemy. It is a live-action adaptation of the studio's first feature film, founded in 1923.
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