Masters of the Universe lands at number two as Paramount’s Scary Movie reboot and A24’s Backrooms surge through the weekend. Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man reboot brings a solid start, but the box office is being dictated by horror momentum.
For a weekend that was supposed to be steadied by other franchises, the domestic box office is running on horror gasoline.
Backrooms and Obsession keep dominating the conversation at the top. and they’re doing it with enough force that a new release from Amazon MGM has to win while swimming upstream. Masters of the Universe is officially in theaters now. and it arrives with an opening-day performance of $11.7 million—built on a $4.4 million Thursday preview haul.
That start gives the He-Man reboot its spot at number two. even as Paramount’s Scary Movie reboot leans into the week with Wayans-led swagger. Scary Movie comes out swinging with a $24 million opening-day haul. and it’s projected to gross around $55 million for the weekend—numbers that virtually guarantee a first-place finish.
In that same projected landscape. Backrooms drops to the number three spot with around $26 million. while Obsession eyes the number four position with around $25 million. The A24 horror movie has already grossed more than $115 million domestically and is closing in on Obsession. as the two begin to trade momentum in real time.
By Sunday, Curry Barker’s breakout hit is expected to pass the $150 million mark domestically. Its reported budget is under $1 million—an impressive mismatch that only adds fuel to why these horror titles keep pulling audiences back in.
The fifth spot, though, goes to a surprise: Fathom Events’ The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act. The release is tied to the eighth and ninth episodes of a cult adult animated web series. the kind of niche property that’s still finding room to grow—especially after Backrooms proved there’s real demand for it.
Masters of the Universe’s numbers also arrive with expectations attached. The film is aiming for an opening weekend haul of more than $30 million. which would place it under the $37 million opening weekend haul of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. That earlier movie ultimately underperformed. grossing $205 million worldwide against a reported budget of $150 million and failing to crack the $100 million mark domestically.
Still, Masters of the Universe has landed on the good side of critics’ chatter. It has a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus for the movie reads: “By the power of Grayskull and with a little help from its self-deprecating script and spirited cast. Masters of the Universe is a delightful adventure that finds the humanity in He-Man.”.
Directed by Travis Knight, the film continues a pattern that’s both promising and frustrating at the same time: he’s never missed critically, but he has also struggled commercially. The movie stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, and Jared Leto as Skeletor.
If the weekend’s early numbers have a single message. it’s that horror—specifically. horror with proven traction—is setting the terms. And for Masters of the Universe. the task now is clear: turn a strong entrance into staying power while Backrooms. Obsession. and the Scary Movie reboot keep charging forward.
Masters of the Universe Nicholas Galitzine Scary Movie reboot Backrooms Obsession Rotten Tomatoes 66% Travis Knight box office weekend projections He-Man Skeletor The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act