Hugh Jackman’s The Sheep Detectives surprises at the box office as The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Mortal Kombat II contend for the top spot.
A new twist in the theatrical lineup is sending moviegoers scrambling back into theaters: Hugh Jackman’s The Sheep Detectives is emerging as a surprise box office hit this weekend, slipping into the top five while bigger names fought for the No. 1 spot.
The weekend started with a familiar kind of headline pressure, with two sequels trading chances at the top.. The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Mortal Kombat II went head-to-head for the number one position. but their momentum signaled very different kinds of audience appeal.. The Devil Wears Prada 2 posted only a negligible second-weekend drop after an opening that exceeded expectations. and its cumulative domestic total is now nearing the $150 million milestone.
Mortal Kombat II, meanwhile, arrived with a different trajectory.. It came in slightly behind pre-release projections, landing at roughly $40 million in its debut weekend.. Together. the two titles painted a picture of competing tastes—one built for legacy fan momentum and the other driven by the franchise’s established action audience.
As the new weekend figures settled, holdovers that had been generating attention earlier in their runs slipped out of the top five. Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie both fell away from the chart’s top tier, making space for fresh releases to grab attention.
In that opening created by the shake-up. The Sheep Detectives—described as a mystery comedy and starring Hugh Jackman alongside multiple A-list performers—moved into the top five.. It landed behind the Michael Jackson biopic and Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard & Soft. continuing a trend of audiences showing up for big-name stories with clear star power.
The Michael Jackson biopic remained a strong performer. grossing around $35 million in its third weekend and pushing its domestic running total to nearly $240 million.. Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard & Soft followed in the chart’s lower position. taking the number five spot with about $8 million after receiving excellent reviews.. The concert film is co-directed by Eilish and James Cameron.
While Billie Eilish’s film relied on rave reception to sustain interest. The Sheep Detectives opened to critical acclaim of its own.. That combination—positive early feedback paired with a recognizable lead—has become a key formula for movies hoping to convert casual viewers into ticket buyers. particularly when competition is tight.
Domestically, The Sheep Detectives grossed around $15 million this weekend.. The movie’s production cost is reported at $80 million. which sets a clear financial target: it would need to reach $200 million worldwide to break even.. The report also points to how studio strategy may affect expectations. noting that Amazon has not positioned the film as a big-screen event in the same way Project Hail Mary was.
Even with those marketing differences, the early critical response is a selling point.. The film holds a “Certified Fresh” 93% critics’ score and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.. Its consensus describes it as drolly funny and sweet as a lamb. presenting family entertainment with disarmingly profound themes wrapped in a cozy package.
It’s also worth noting that comparisons are already being drawn to the wider release environment.. The report references the most recent Paddington movie. which grossed nearly $200 million worldwide after opening with $12 million domestically. highlighting how theatrical legs can vary from film to film even when opening numbers differ.
The Sheep Detectives adds another layer to the year’s evolving theater mix: a star-driven mystery comedy with a performance-led hook. arriving during a weekend where sequels and legacy titles were fighting hard.. If word-of-mouth continues to match the strength of the reviews. it could give this underdog run the extra runway it needs.
For fans tracking release momentum, key details also point to how the movie fits the calendar. The Sheep Detectives releases May 8, 2026, runs 109 minutes, and is directed by Kyle Balda.
Hugh Jackman The Sheep Detectives box office Rotten Tomatoes Kyle Balda Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard & Soft The Devil Wears Prada 2