Labor Day weekends at the box office have always felt like a graveyard shift for Hollywood—studios dumping films they half-believe in, hoping the holiday crowds might bite. But this year, on August 31, 2025, it was Zach Cregger's Weapons that did the devouring, clawing back to number one after a brief detour last week. I remember summers in the '90s when horror like this would fizzle out fast; here, it's thriving, a reminder that original chills can still pack theaters in an IP-saturated world.
Diving into the numbers—courtesy of the usual suspects like The Numbers—Weapons pulled in $10.21 million over the weekend, pushing its domestic total to $132.4 million. That's impressive for an R-rated horror flick that cost under $40 million to make and market. It edged out the surprise runner-up: a 50th-anniversary reissue of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, which swam to $8.1 million across 3,200 theaters. Who saw that coming? Not me, but it speaks volumes about nostalgia's pull—especially when new blood like Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing stumbled to third with just $7.825 million on its opening weekend. Aronofsky's been hit-or-miss since Noah in 2014, and this Austin Butler-led crime thriller, despite solid reviews (a B from audiences), feels like Sony's Netflix feeder more than a theatrical powerhouse. One wonders if the Labor Day slot was a strategic shrug.
Further down, the chart gets grim for Disney. Freakier Friday, in its fourth week, grabbed $6.524 million for an $80.5 million total—decent, but late-sequel fatigue is real, adding to the studio's bumpy summer. Searchlight's The Roses, a remake of the 1989 Danny DeVito classic, debuted weakly at fifth with $6.35 million. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman headline, but a B+ CinemaScore and mixed buzz suggest it'll stream on Hulu sooner than later. Then there's Fantastic Four: First Steps wrapping its run at sixth ($4.8 million, $264.6 million domestic)—underwhelming for Marvel standards, though it held steady in 2,785 theaters.
Universal fares a tad better: The Bad Guys 2 in seventh ($4.74 million, $73 million total), showing legs for animated fare. James Gunn's Superman adds $2.585 million to hit $351 million—solid, if not earth-shattering. Bob Odenkirk's Nobody 2 disappoints at ninth ($1.83 million, $20 million total), a far cry from the original's kick. And The Naked Gun rounds out the top ten at $1.8 million, crossing $50 million before going digital on September 2, 2025.
Off the chart, Cineverse's The Toxic Avenger remake bombed hard—$1.7 million, with a per-screen average under $900. Fans of the Troma original might love it, but the marketplace didn't. Contrast that with Weapons' global haul now over $232 million, including a fresh $100 million international milestone. It's the third-biggest original Hollywood release of 2025, behind F1 ($613 million) and Sinners ($365.7 million). In a summer that kicked off with Thunderbolts* in May and rolled through hits like Jurassic World Rebirth and How To Train Your Dragon, Weapons closing strong feels poetic—horror as the underdog champ.
Looking ahead, Michael Chaves' The Conjuring: Last Rites hits theaters on September 5, 2025, billed as the franchise finale. Will it spark spooky season early? Weapons might get a bump too, but competition's brewing. I've seen enough cycles to know: originals like this don't always sustain, but when they do, it's a jolt to the system.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross | Domestic Gross | LW | Theaters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapons | $10,210,000 | $132,397,687 | 1 | 3,600 |
| 2 | Jaws | $8,800,000 | $280,357,035 | N/A | 3,200 |
| 3 | Caught Stealing* | $7,825,000 | $7,825,000 | N/A | 3,578 |
| 4 | Freakier Friday | $6,524,000 | $60,473,885 | 3 | 2,475 |
| 5 | The Roses* | $6,350,000 | $6,350,000 | N/A | 3,400 |
| 6 | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | $4,800,000 | $264,626,180 | 4 | 3,000 |
| 7 | The Bad Guys 2 | $4,740,000 | $73,049,680 | 5 | 3,024 |
| 8 | Superman | $2,585,000 | $351,048,615 | 6 | 2,800 |
| 9 | Nobody 2 | $2,060,000 | $26,061,765 | 7 | 1,952 |
| 10 | The Naked Gun | $1,800,000 | $80,116,169 | 9 | 1,774 |
Key Bites from This Weekend's Box Office Carnage
Horror's Unexpected Crown: Weapons' return to #1 with $10.2 million underscores how original R-rated scares can dominate late summer, outpacing pricier franchises and marking Zach Cregger as a rising force.
Nostalgia's Sharp Teeth: The Jaws reissue hauling $8.1 million proves classic re-releases can surprise, especially on anniversaries, stealing thunder from fresh titles amid a slow holiday frame.
New Releases' Stumble: Caught Stealing and The Roses opened soft at $7.8 million and $6.4 million, highlighting Labor Day's dumping-ground rep and hinting at quick streams over sustained runs.
Disney's Lingering Woes: With Freakier Friday, The Roses, and Fantastic Four: First Steps all lagging, the studio's summer slate reflects sequel fatigue and uneven buzz in a crowded market.
Bombs and Milestones: The Toxic Avenger's dismal $1.7 million flop contrasts Weapons' $232 million global win, showing risk in remakes versus originals that hit the zeitgeist.
What do you make of Weapons' staying power—or is The Conjuring: Last Rites the real game-changer next week? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and swing back to Filmofilia for the latest breakdowns.
Source: The Numbers
