Music <\/p>\n
\n\tWill a gritty, globe-trotting police officer and an anthropomorphic\u00a0chimpanzee\u00a0pop star be able to kickstart the 2025 box office? <\/p>\n
\n\tThe year\u2019s first two new nationwide releases, Lionsgate\u2019s \u201cDen of Thieves 2: Pantera<\/a>,\u201d a heist thriller starring Gerard Butler as a caper-busting sheriff, and Paramount\u2019s big-budget \u201cBetter Man<\/a>,\u201d a musical biopic in which a CGI monkey portrays the British singer Robbie Williams, are hoping to draw audiences to the big screen amid the post-holiday doldrums. However, wildfires ravaging though parts of Los Angeles<\/a> could affect moviegoing in one of the biggest theatrical markets in the country. Paramount canceled the L.A. premiere of \u201cBetter Man\u201d due to the fires and extreme winds.<\/p>\n \n\tThe sequel to \u201cDen of Thieves\u201d is aiming for $11 million to $13 million from 3,000 North American theaters over the weekend, while \u201cBetter Man\u201d is projected to bring in $2 million from a slimmer screen count of 1,200 venues. Whether \u201cDen of Thieves 2: Pantera\u201d steals the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office will depend on the staying power of Disney\u2019s \u201cMufasa.\u201d The \u201cLion King\u201d prequel topped the charts in North America with $23.4 million over the first weekend of 2025 and looks to add $12 million to $15 million in its fourth frame. \u201cMufasa\u201d has generated $170 million domestically and $478 million worldwide to date.<\/p>\n \n\tUnless \u201cDen of Thieves 2\u201d beats expectations, initial ticket sales won\u2019t improve upon its predecessor, which opened to $15.2 million in late January 2018 and powered to $80 million globally by the end of its theatrical run. Lionsgate believes the caper sequel will endure at the cinema throughout January, which tends to be a lighter month at the box office in terms of new releases. \u201cDen of Thieves 2\u201d cost $40 million, though Lionsgate usually mitigates risk by selling foreign rights to its theatrical titles. <\/p>\n \n\tChristian Gudegast returned to write and direct \u201cPantera,\u201d which also sees the return of Butler as Big Nick, a gritty Los Angeles police officer who is now on the hunt in Europe to track down Donnie (O\u2019Shea Jackson Jr.), an ex-marine-turned-robber who is plotting a massive diamond heist.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBetter Man,\u201d which was acquired by Paramount for $25 million, is an off-kilter take on the recent upswing of musical biopics (films about Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and Bob Dylan have hit theaters in just the past three years, while one on Michael Jackson opens later this year). The story captures the rise of the best-selling local artist through the lens of a chimp because, as Williams puts it, he always felt \u201cless evolved than other people.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t Michael Gracey, who steered \u201cThe Greatest Showman\u201d with Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum to sleeper hit status, directed \u201cBetter Man.\u201d The film launched in limited release (six venues in total) in late December and has grossed a paltry $91,696 to date. Since Williams isn\u2019t as well known in the States as he is across the pond, reviews and word-of-mouth will factor in heavily to the commercial success of \u201cBetter Man.\u201d Critical sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive, with Variety\u2019s <\/a><\/em>chief film critic Peter Debruge writing <\/a>that \u201cagainst all odds, the gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHollywood is banking on 2025 as a rebound year after the pandemic and two union strikes wreaked havoc on the box office. January has only a smattering of newcomers on the calendar, including Universal\u2019s horror thriller \u201cWolf Man\u201d and Sony\u2019s R-rated comedy \u201cOne of Them Days\u201d with Keke Palmer (Jan. 17) and Lionsgate\u2019s \u201cFlight Risk,\u201d starring Mark Wahlberg as a hitman (Jan. 24). The winter season, however, is expected to pick up with Marvel\u2019s \u201cCaptain America: Brave New World\u201d on Feb 14. Paging Sam Wilson!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\tPopular on Variety\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n