Welcome to the Weekend POURcast
The Weekend POURcast – your weekly guide to what’s opening in theaters, what’s new on streaming, what happened at the box office last weekend, and how the next few days might shake out. Whether you’re planning a night out at the movies or a couch-and-cocktail viewing session, we’ve got the lay of the cinematic land.
Spring may finally be waking up at the box office. This weekend should be the espresso martini hit to propel it forward.
After a solid hold from Hoppers last weekend and a decent debut for Reminders of Him, this frame looks like the first real “pick your poison” weekend in some time. You’ve got a big-swing original sci-fi movie trying to become an event, a family counterprogrammer, a horror sequel for the bloodthirsty crowd, and a few streaming titles for anyone who’d rather stay home and drink in sweatpants. Box Office Mojo lists Project Hail Mary and The Pout-Pout Fish as the major wide theatrical launches this weekend, with Whitney Springs also opening wide and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come arriving on March 20.
Last Weekend in Review: Hoppers Kept Hopping
Last weekend belonged to Hoppers, which held the top spot with about $28.7 million, followed by Reminders of Him at roughly $18.0 million and Undertone with about $9.3 million. Scream 7 and GOAT rounded out the Top 5.
That’s a healthy little snapshot of what audiences are buying right now. Family titles still have real staying power, romance adaptations can open if they bring a built-in readership, and horror continues to overperform whenever the hook feels nasty enough. AP also noted that year-to-date domestic box office was running 15.2% ahead of last year after the March 13th to 15th frame, which is not nothing. It suggests the marketplace has a pulse again instead of just blinking occasionally.
New in Theaters This Weekend
Project Hail Mary
This is the big one. Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, an Andy Weir (The Martian adaptation, a deep-space survival setup, and enough scale to make it feel like an actual theatrical event. Reuters says the film follows Ryland Grace, a former science teacher who wakes up alone in space and slowly remembers he’s trying to save humanity. Early reactions have been strong, and the box office tracking has gotten more bullish as the week went on.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
OUR PICK! The weekend’s bloodier option. Samara Weaving is back, the Radio Silence team is back, and the pitch is basically: survive another rich-people murder game,
now with a bigger playground and more bodies to stack. Kathryn Newton joins which should bring some fun to the film. Search results and trade coverage point to a March 20 release, with recent tracking suggesting a domestic opening somewhere around the high single digits to low teens.
The Pout-Pout Fish
For parents, kids, and anyone who wants something that does not involve screaming, trauma, or existential space dread. Box Office Mojo lists it as a wide release from Viva Pictures this weekend. It is based on the bestselling children’s book and looks positioned as gentle family counterprogramming against much louder competition.
Whitney Springs
Also opening wide, though it feels more like the wildcard. Paramount Pictures International is handling the release, and while it may not command the same oxygen as Project Hail Mary, it could steal some attention if audiences want something off the beaten studio path.
Box Office Forecast: March 20 to 22
Here’s how this weekend could/might/may shake out.
1. Project Hail Mary
$63M to $78M
This thing has real momentum. One report, citing Variety, says it is tracking for $63 million to $65 million domestic, while Boxoffice Pro’s weekend preview puts the range even higher at $70 million to $78 million. Either way, that screams first place unless audiences collectively lose their minds.
2. Hoppers
$10M to $12M
Coming off a very sturdy second weekend, Pixar’s original still looks like the safest all-ages choice in the market. Unless Project Hail Mary completely vacuums up every premium screen and every adult ticket buyer alive, Hoppersshould hold nicely. Last weekend’s $28.7 million gives it a strong base for another healthy frame.
3. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
$8.5M to $13.5M
The horror crowd tends to show up opening weekend, and the original film built a loyal following. Recent tracking floating around the trades and pickup coverage suggests about a $10 million domestic start is very plausible, with room to land a little lower or higher depending on how front-loaded the fandom is.
4. Reminders of Him
$7M to $10M
It opened stronger than some expected last weekend at around $18 million, so the question is whether it settles respectably or falls off a cliff. Given the audience, a decent hold feels more likely than a total collapse.
5. The Pout-Pout Fish
$5M to $8M
This feels like the under-the-radar family play. It probably won’t dominate, but it could carve out a nice lane with parents who don’t want space peril or weaponized aristocrats. Box Office Mojo has it listed as one of the weekend’s wide releases, which already gives it more room than most of the limited newcomers.
New Movies on Streaming This Weekend
If you’re staying in, there are actually a few legit movie options this week.
The Immortal Man on Netflix
The Peaky Blinders film lands Friday, March 20, with Cillian Murphy returning as Tommy Shelby. AP flagged it as one of the week’s major film streaming titles, and Decider notes it hits Netflix at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET on Friday.
Is This Thing On? on Hulu
AP highlights Bradley Cooper’s divorce drama as one of Hulu’s notable film arrivals for the week. This is the “I want something adult, sharp, and probably a little emotionally messy” option.
Wicked: For Good on Peacock
Also arriving Friday, March 20. AP calls it out as Peacock’s big movie addition this week, and Peacock’s own site is promoting it as streaming there starting March 20. That’s your full-tilt couch spectacle if you want something bigger than a chamber drama but less risky than outer-space doom.
Final Pour
This weekend looks like the first real test of whether March can stop being a warm-up month and start acting like blockbuster season’s unhinged little cousin. Project Hail Mary has the profile, the reviews, and the tracking to own the frame. Hoppers should remain sturdy. Ready or Not 2 could do exactly what a horror sequel is supposed to do, which is make money fast and leave a few bodies on the floor. And if none of that works for you, streaming has enough fresh movie blood to keep your couch occupied.
Something for everyone this weekend! 🍸🍿
