Street Fighter Tops Box Office with $31M, While Holmes Doc Shatters Records

Key points

• 'Street Fighter' grossed $31 million domestically from 3,575 theaters, marking the first release under Paramount's distribution deal with Legendary.
• A24's 'You Can See Everything' earned $12 million from 855 locations, surpassing the previous record for a non-music documentary held by 'Melania'.
• 20th Century's 'Whalefall' opened with $7 million, falling short of the $11 million projection, while Focus Features' 'Sense and Sensibility' debuted with $6.7 million.
• Universal's 'Other Mommy' dropped 72% to $7.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $44.3 million after a No. 1 debut last week.

Background

This weekend marks the first major box office test for the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros. entity, with 'Street Fighter' serving as the flagship title. Earlier previews indicated strong momentum for the Capcom adaptation, despite mixed critical reception, while the Elizabeth Holmes documentary was predicted to potentially break genre records.

How outlets are covering it

The Hollywood Reporter notes that 'Street Fighter' opened below Paramount's mid-$30 million target, with a B- CinemaScore and 42% Rotten Tomatoes approval. Deadline highlights that its $4 million preview was lower than 'Mortal Kombat 2's $5.2 million, despite a similar budget. Rotten Tomatoes reviews describe the film as 'tonally messy' but visually impressive, with critics split on whether it succeeds as fan service or fails as a narrative. Conversely, 'You Can See Everything' is praised across outlets for its 99% approval rating and strong draw with audiences under 35, with Deadline noting its low budget of under $10 million.

Why it matters

The weekend results demonstrate the resilience of video game adaptations and the surprising commercial power of documentary films in the current market. 'Street Fighter's' performance validates Paramount's strategy for its new distribution partnership, while 'You Can See Everything' challenges traditional box office hierarchies by outperforming major studio releases with a fraction of the budget.

What to watch

Next weekend's releases include 'Clayface,' 'Wildwood,' and 'Klara and the Sun.' 'Street Fighter' and 'You Can See Everything' will likely retain top positions, while 'Whalefall' and 'Sense and Sensibility' may see further declines. Netflix's 'La Bola Negra' is also set to release in limited theaters, marking the streamer's first public box office reporting.