Michael Lands Another Box Office Thriller as Disclosure Day Scores Big Extraterrestrial Win

Steven Spielberg’s latest alien-themed film, Disclosure Day, opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office this weekend, taking in $44 million from 3,824 theaters. The result landed in the middle of industry projections that had predicted a debut between $40 million and $55 million. It marks Spielberg’s fifth-best domestic opening and his strongest opening for an original film not based on existing intellectual property. Worldwide, the movie reached $92.9 million after its first weekend, with more than half of that total coming from international markets.

The film’s opening was strong enough to position it as a major summer release, especially with other big titles arriving soon, including Toy Story 5, Supergirl, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Spielberg’s history with alien stories has long resonated with audiences, and the article notes that his earlier sci-fi and extraterrestrial-themed films delivered major box office results over time, including War of the Worlds, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. With a reported production budget of $115 million and an estimated break-even point around $300 million, Disclosure Day appears to be on a solid commercial path.

The weekend’s box office rankings also showed continued strength for holdover titles. Obsession finished second with $19 million, bringing its domestic total to $188.4 million. Scary Movie followed in third with $14.5 million and a domestic total of $84.6 million. Backrooms earned $11.26 million in its third weekend, lifting its domestic total to $160 million, while Masters of the Universe added $8.67 million. The Mandalorian and Grogu, Michael, BTS World Tour Arirang: Live Viewing, The Furious, and Stop! That! Train! rounded out the Top 10.

Critically, Disclosure Day received generally favorable reviews, with a 80% critics’ score and a 73% audience score. The Furious, an English-language Hong Kong action film, performed especially well with both critics and viewers, posting a 97% critics’ score and 95% audience score. Stop! That! Train! also entered the Top 10 despite earning less than expected, though it still attracted enough interest to make the list.

A major milestone was also reached by Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson. The film has now become the highest-grossing music biopic in the world, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody with a global total of $932.2 million. Its success was boosted by its recent debut in Japan, and it now has a realistic shot at crossing the $1 billion mark.

Horror continued its strong summer performance as well, with Obsession and Backrooms both showing staying power. Looking ahead, Toy Story 5 is expected to dominate next weekend’s box office, while Leviticus and other upcoming releases may further extend the season’s strong run for theaters.