Ryan Coogler’s original horror film Sinners opened strong over Easter weekend, earning $48 million at the North American box office from Thursday afternoon to Sunday. Globally, it collected $63.5 million. This made Sinners the number one movie for the weekend, ahead of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie, which earned $41 million domestically.
However, the success comes with challenges. Sinners cost Warner Bros. more than $90 million to produce, without including marketing costs. Some estimates say the movie must make at least $170 million worldwide to break even, whereas others suggest it could be higher than $200 million. Warner Bros. made a rare deal with Coogler, giving him first-dollar gross payments and full ownership of the movie after 25 years.
According to Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, the studio was “thrilled” by the turnout and remains committed to making theatrical films.
Key Takeaways
- Sinners made $48 million in North America and $63.5 million worldwide, but needed at least $170 million to break even.
- The film cost over $90 million to make, and Warner Bros. gave Ryan Coogler first-dollar gross and future ownership rights.
- Sinners earned an A CinemaScore, set IMAX horror records, and performed strongest in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
A Horror Film Set in 1930s Mississippi
Sinners is set in October 1932, during the Jim Crow era in Mississippi. Michael B. Jordan stars as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. After serving in World War I and working for Al Capone in Chicago, the brothers return home to open a juke joint. They buy an old sawmill from a white man named Hogwood, who claims the KKK is no longer active.
The twins recruit their cousin Sammie, played by newcomer Miles Caton, to provide entertainment. They also hire Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Grace (Li Jun Li), Bo Chow (Yao), Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), and Pearline (Jayme Lawson). Stack’s former lover, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who can pass as white, arrives as well.
Then, the night takes a dark turn. A group of vampires led by Remmick is drawn to Sammie’s music. One by one, partygoers, including Mary and Stack, are turned into vampires. Smoke, Sammie, Annie, Delta Slim, Grace, and Pearline manage to survive the night. They use garlic, wooden stakes, and other tools to fight the vampires.
As the sun rises, the local KKK, led by Hogwood, attacks the sawmill. Smoke fights them off using hidden weapons, but is fatally wounded. Before he dies, he imagines reuniting with Annie and their child. Sammie survives and returns to his father’s church, choosing to continue his dream of playing music.
Mid-Credits and Post-Credits Scenes
In the mid-credits scene, Stack and Mary visit an elderly Sammie, now played by Blues musician Buddy Guy. They offer Sammie eternal life. Sammie declines, saying he is satisfied with his life. Before they leave, Stack asks Sammie to play one more song.
The post-credits scene shows a young Sammie singing “This Little Light of Mine,” symbolizing his innocence before the night of horror.
Ryan Coogler said in an interview that the final scenes were inspired by his late Uncle James and the importance of family and music.
Audience Response and Future Possibilities
Sinners received strong audience reactions. It earned an ‘A’ grade from CinemaScore, the highest for any horror movie in more than 35 years. In comparison, Get Out and A Quiet Place Part II received A- grades.
PostTrak exit polls reported that 84% of viewers would definitely recommend the film. IMAX theaters played a major role, contributing 20% of the weekend’s total ticket sales. Sinners became the highest-grossing horror film in IMAX history. Cities like Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, and Chicago overperformed expectations, with Atlanta showing a 96% increase over normal.
Top theaters included AMC Lincoln Square in New York, AMC Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, and Regal Atlantic Station in Atlanta.
On social media, Sinners reached 222.5 million users across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. This reach was larger than similar movies such as Us (123 million) and Nope (179.8 million).
AMC CEO Adam Aron praised the success of Sinners, saying it showed that original movies still have strong appeal alongside movies based on existing franchises.
The Deal Behind Sinners and Its Future at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. made an unusual deal with Ryan Coogler to secure Sinners. After Christopher Nolan left the studio and with Clint Eastwood nearing retirement, Warner Bros. needed to rebuild relationships with top directors.
To win Sinners, Warner Bros. agreed to first-dollar gross payments, meaning Coogler receives earnings immediately from box office receipts. They also agreed to give him full ownership of the movie after 25 years. Some other studios were surprised by these terms, calling them too generous.
Coogler agreed to cover any production cost overruns himself. Warner Bros. also used Louisiana tax credits to lower the overall cost. Even though the movie was expensive, the studio expects to make money through premium video-on-demand sales, streaming on Max, and licensing deals with Prime Video and Netflix.
Financial analysts estimate that if Sinners follows a pattern like A Quiet Place (with a 3.7x multiplier from its opening), it could earn about $178 million domestically. If it performs like Get Out (with a 5.3x multiplier), it could reach over $250 million in North America.
