Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ continues to top the box office as Hollywood icons join audiences

Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” maintains the #1 box office slot, with stars like Tom Cruise watching the movie in theaters.

Everyone is still talking about Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” as the horror film completes another victory lap at the box office. In its second weekend in theaters, the movie starring Michael B. Jordan earned $45 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, per Variety.

Marking a minuscule 6% drop in sales compared to the $48 million it made opening weekend, “Sinners” continues to exceed industry expectations. Typically, experts say Hollywood expects to see a significant decline in ticket sales (50% or more) in a movie’s second week in theaters. 

“You can buy a great opening weekend with marketing, but if a movie doesn’t have the goods, it’ll drop off,” Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore, told Associated Press. “There’s no greater barometer of success than a second weekend hold like this.” 

While the industry may be surprised by the film defying the odds, we are not surprised by the film’s groundbreaking debut. In addition to sitting at the top of the box office, “Sinners” is resting in the center of social media comments and discourse across social media platforms. From X to TikTok to Instagram and even Facebook, “Sinners” has taken over the majority of people’s timelines. So much so, that legendary Hollywood actors like Tom Cruise have taken a trip to theaters to see the film. 

When Cruise took to Instagram to encourage his fans to see the film, Jordan was in disbelief. In addition to thanking the star “for the love and support” under the post’s comments, the “Creed” actor reposted Cruise’s picture on his story with a mind-blown emoji and the caption “Nah, this crazy…” per the Hollywood Reporter. 

From the dynamic storytelling to groundbreaking earnings to rare ownership deals, “Sinners” has made its mark. However, as outlets continue to report on the film, Coogler wishes people would stop contextualizing “Sinners’” success around his race.

“A lot of my business success has been put in the context of me being Black,” Coogler told Democracy Now. “And I think that’s a part of the issue when people write about, you know, what my films have done. You know, I’ll say this. The year Panther 1 came out, you know, yes, it was the highest-grossing film ever done by — yes, it was the highest-grossing film ever made by a Black person. It was also the highest-grossing film domestically that year, made by anybody, you know? And for some reason, that was never talked about.”