saidi’s take – 1/9/2025

Hello everyone,

BOX OFFICE: The first weekend of 2026 started pretty slowly with no major studio releases.  The #1 movie again was “Avatar Fire and Ash” with $41.4 million.  It’s total is now just above $305 million total domestic gross.  #2 again Zootopia 2 with $19.3 million and it’s total is now $365 million.  Last weeks #3 and #4 switched places.  #3 was The Housemaid which made $15.1 million – down less than 2% from the previous weekend.  #4 was “Marty Supreme with $12.5 million which is down 20% although it ADDED about 210 more theaters this past weekend.

Overall, the total domestic box office for the first weekend is $132 million which is down 23.8% from the previous weekend.  Note: the total DOES NOT include the screenings of the “Stranger Things” final episode (see more about that below). 

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: The worldwide box office was pretty slow this past weekend too.  The only notable thing is that “Avatar Fire and Ash” rose past $1 BILLION worldwide gross which makes it the #3 movie of 2025 (if you include the 2026 grosses). 

OTHER NEWS:

The “Stranger Things” final episode made more than $25 million – some say over $30 million – for the theaters that showed it, but it’s not an official box office because “exhibition couldn’t charge for tickets to The Netflix event given the cast’s contractual terms for residuals, hence the streamer and circuits got around this by reserving seats with concession vouchers. At AMC theaters, such concession vouchers cost $20 per seat.” 

More Awards were given out this past weekend. 

Critics’ Choice Award winners:

BEST PICTURE – One Battle After Another

BEST COMEDY – The Naked Gun

BEST ACTOR – Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

BEST ACTRESS – Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

BEST DIRECTOR – Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Ryan Coogler – Sinners

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Amy Madigan – Weapons

BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE – Francine Maisler – Sinners

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – The Secret Agent

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – KPop Demon Hunters

National Board of Review winners:

Best Film – One Battle After Another

Best Director – Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Best Actress – Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Actor – Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress – Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

Best Directorial Debut – Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Breakthrough Performance – Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay – Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams

Best Animated Feature – Arco

Best International Film – It Was Just an Accident

LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR: WAIT!  DID I READ THAT RIGHT?!?!

Despite other comedy movies like “Jay Kelly” and “Is This Thing On?”, “Naked Gun” (2025) won BEST COMEDY at the Critics’ Choice Awards this past weekend.