January’s domestic box office started steady, with a solid increase over the same period last year, largely due to late-2025 holdovers and some modest genre performers. Horror and mid-budget thrillers have proved reliable January draws, with over-performances from original genre films like Primate ($11.1M opening) and Markiplier’s Iron Lung ($17.8M opening). The month proved a somewhat unpredictable mixed bag, especially given the underwhelming returns for Bone Temple, the middle entry in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later trilogy, which opened over $17M under its predecessor. The January holding pattern reflects a marketplace that’s stable but hungry for fresh product—which leaves February’s offerings the burden of energizing the calendar before heavier-hitters start to arrive, such as April 1st’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Crime 101 | Amazon MGM
February 13
Written and directed by Bart Layton and adapted from Don Winslow’s novella of the same name, Crime 101 stars Chris Hemsworth as Mike Davis, a clever jewel thief whose string of high-stakes heists along Los Angeles’ 101 Freeway has baffled police and made him a legend in criminal circles. When Mike aims for the ultimate score, his path intersects with Sharon (Halle Berry), an insurance broker at a personal crossroads. Meanwhile, determined detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) believes he’s uncovered Mike’s pattern and relentlessly closes in, creating a tense cat-and-mouse dynamic that drives the plot. Mercy kicked off Amazon MGM Studios’ 2026 slate with a $10.8M opening weekend and a domestic cume of $20.1M (as of 2/3/26). Crime 101 is expected to follow a similar trajectory but boasts a large starry cast and a more action-oriented storyline.
GOAT | Sony
February 13
GOAT, an animated sports comedy from Sony Pictures Animation, puts a whimsical spin on the classic underdog story. Set in a vibrant world of anthropomorphic animals, the plot centers on Will Harris, a small goat with outsized dreams of playing ‘roarball’ (a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport). When Will unexpectedly earns a chance to join a professional team, he faces skepticism and outright ridicule from his larger, more experienced teammates. He’s determined to shake up the sport and prove that he came to play. Directly inspired by the life of NBA superstar Stephen Curry (who serves as producer and voices a role), GOAT’s animation is crafted by the artists behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and KPop Demon Hunters.
Wuthering Heights | Warner Bros.
February 13
Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights’ is anticipated to be a bold, provocative reinvention of Emily Brontë’s classic gothic romance that grounded in the emotional intensity of the story’s central relationship. Rather than offering a conventional period drama, Fennell’s version is expected to lean into the tumultuous bond between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw—played by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie. Fennell’s sophomore feature, Saltburn, garnered $11.4M domestically and went viral for a certain bathtub scene. With her third feature, Fennell has been vocal about her desire to evoke the visceral impact the novel had on her when she first read it as a teenager, aiming for a film that feels intensely emotional and erotic. The adaptation is expected to focus on the formative years and tragic unraveling of Cathy and Heathcliff’s love, rather than the full multi-generation saga of the novel. It’s our pick for the biggest movie of the month.
I Can Only Imagine 2 | Lionsgate
February 20
I Can Only Imagine 2 is the upcoming sequel to the 2018 faith-based biopic I Can Only Imagine ($17.1M opening, $83.4M domestic), continuing the true story of Christian rock band MercyMe frontman Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) as he navigates life after the breakthrough success of the band’s iconic song (aka the film’s title). The sequel is expected to explore his journey through new personal and spiritual challenges within his family and career. Directed by Kingdom Story Company’s Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle, with a script by McCorkle, the film will highlight the creation of MercyMe’s song “Even If,” born from Millard’s real-life experiences of struggle and hope.
Scream 7 | Paramount
February 27
Scream 7 continues the iconic horror saga with a fresh Ghostface-centric mystery that ties back to the series’ origins in more ways than one. Directed by Kevin Williamson, who served as the original Scream franchise co-creator (from a story by him and Guy Busick), the film brings back legacy characters while introducing new terrors. Scream 7 follows the 2022 ‘rebootquel’ Scream ($30M opening, $81.6M domestic) and 2023’s Scream VI ($44.4M opening, $108.3M domestic), which took Ghostface to NYC. The narrative realigns with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell, who returns to the franchise after a salary dispute) as she tries to live a quieter life in a small town, only for a new Ghostface killer to return and begin stalking her teenage daughter. Alongside Campbell, familiar faces like Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) return, along with Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown as the twins that survived the last two Ghostface killing sprees.
Share this post