The Boxoffice Podium
Forecasting the Top 3 Movies at the Domestic Box Office | February 27 – March 1, 2026
Week 9 | February 27 – March 1, 2026
1. Scream 7
Paramount Pictures | NEW
Opening Weekend Range: $45M – $55M
Pros
- Paramount Pictures’ Scream 7 is currently tracking for a franchise-best debut. The recent Super Bowl trailer, as well as a marketing campaign centered on Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott return to headline a film in the series, has helped the title after the departure of the two prior stars from the project. Opening weekend should hover around $50M, with a potential to over-perform up to the $60M mark.
Cons
- Production missteps and delays have plagued this project for years. After losing the Radio Silence director team that helmed the last two entries, the film re-tooled with Christopher Landon at the director’s chair. Landon left the project after the departure of former co-stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega. Producers tapped original Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson to come back to the series as co-writer and director, bringing back Neve Campbell (absent from Scream 6 due to a pay dispute) in the process. The creative upheaval may cost Scream 7 some of the momentum and goodwill it’s built up in recent years.
- Bad weather across large swaths of the country, including key DMAs in the northeast, hasn’t helped the box office recently. If difficult conditions remain through the weekend, we may see demand spread out to Weeks 2 and 3.
As for opening weekend, here’s how all the previous entries in the three-decade-old Scream franchise have performed, in order of opening frame…
- Scream VI (2023) – $44.4M opening/$108.39M domestic total
- Scream 3 (2000) – $34.7M opening/$89.1M domestic total
- Scream 2 (1997) – $32.9M opening/$101.36M domestic total
- Scream (2022) – $30M opening/$81.6M domestic total
- Scream 4 (2011) – $18.69M opening/$38.18M domestic total
- Scream (1996) – $6.35M opening/$103M domestic total
Last year saw two storied/long-running horror franchises (The Conjuring, Final Destination) release new entries that became $100M+ domestic grossers. However, this year has already witnessed three such franchises get a stake to the heart (28 Years, Strangers, Silent Hill), so it stands to reason Scream 7 could go the way of Scream 4 if it fails to deliver on the horror community’s expectations.
2. Goat
Sony Pictures | Week 3
Weekend Range: $9M – $12M
Pros
- Sony Pictures’ animated basketballer GOAT pulled a last-minute 3-pointer to upset Wuthering Heights as the #1 movie of the weekend with $16.85M, making that oh-so rare second frame jump from second place. Our prediction panel’s outlook shows that this title should maintain momentum among family audiences as perfect counter-programming to the R-rated Scream.
Cons
- Even if GOAT can leg it out in a big way, at its current $58.96M domestic total it is anyone’s guess if this one can cross the $100M barrier. Right now the movie looks likely to land somewhere between the domestics of Peter Rabbit ($115.2M) and The Emoji Movie ($86M), especially with Pixar’s Hoppers in the hopper for the following frame. Add to that a somewhat anemic overseas take ($44M) and we’re looking at potential red ink on this one for Sony Animation (i.e. no sequels).
3. Wuthering Heights
Warner Bros. | Week 3
Weekend Range: $7M – $10M
Pros
- The post-Valentine’s -57% drop on Wuthering Heights is forcing Warners to reckon with a fall from even steeper heights in the coming weekend. However, foreign grosses alone are nearly at the $100M threshold and will ultimately spell profit for what was a very risky endeavor.
Cons
- Wuthering Heights tumbling down to #3 will not help this title’s stateside momentum, especially with studio resources now re-focusing on the even-bigger marketing challenge of The Bride! next week.
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