This weekend’s box office featured a tight race at the top and a crowded middle, with several holdovers refusing to budge. While one familiar blockbuster technically took first place, the real story was how narrow the margin ended up being.

Avatar: Fire & Ash Refuses to Slow Down

Avatar: Fire & Ash brought in $13.3 million in its fifth weekend.

At this stage, most blockbusters would be in free fall. Instead, Cameron’s sequel is still cruising, powered by premium screens and repeat viewers who clearly are not done with Pandora yet. It is no longer sprinting, but it does not need to.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Opens Just a Hair Behind

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple debuted with $13.0 million, finishing only $300,000 behind Avatar: Fire & Ash.

That is about as close as a second-place finish can get, especially when one film is brand new and the other is already in its fifth frame. For an R-rated horror sequel, this is an excellent start and a strong signal that interest in the franchise is still very real. Whether it has legs will depend on word of mouth, but the opening punch definitely landed.

Zootopia 2 Keeps Chugging Along

Zootopia 2 collected $8.8 million in its eighth weekend.

This is what a true family movie run looks like. No fireworks, no sudden spikes, just dependable business every weekend as parents continue to default to the safest option in the multiplex.

The Housemaid Holds Steady

The Housemaid earned $8.5 million in its fifth weekend.

For a mid-budget thriller, this is a healthy hold. It is not dominating the conversation, but it is doing exactly what it needs to do: staying visible and staying profitable.

Marty Supreme Rounds Out the Top Five

Marty Supreme added $5.5 million in weekend five.

It is modest compared to the heavy hitters above it, but lasting five weeks in a competitive market is nothing to sneeze at. Sometimes staying power beats a flashy debut.

Next Weekend’s Predictions

Next weekend, MGM’s Mercy debuts. It’s tracking for a $15 million to $25 million opening weekend. I think it’ll land closer to $16 million.

As always, we’ll find out next week.

For more Movie news, stay tuned to That Hashtag Show.

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