‘Novocaine’ Tops Historically Weak Box Office Weekend With $8.7 Million

The action-comedy leads a March weekend with the lowest domestic ticket sales since 1996, reflecting ongoing struggles for the theater industry.

‘Novocaine,’ starring Jack Quaid, debuted at $8.7 million domestically, falling slightly below projections but securing the top spot.
The total domestic box office for the weekend is estimated at $54-$55 million, marking the lowest March weekend since 1996 outside of the pandemic era.
Theater revenues in 2025 are trailing 2024 by 5% and remain 38% behind 2019 pre-pandemic levels, according to Comscore data.
Other new releases, including Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Black Bag’ and Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17,’ saw modest performances with $7.5 million each, while A24’s ‘Opus’ flopped with just $1 million.
Upcoming releases, such as Disney’s ‘Snow White’ and Warner Bros.’ ‘Minecraft,’ are expected to provide some relief for the struggling box office in the coming weeks.