‘Fantastic Four’ wins big with $40 million, while ‘Bad Guys 2’ steals second from ‘Naked Gun’ in box-office shake-up
Denton Davidson
Update Aug. 3, 2025: Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps is running circles around its competition at the box office. The superhero reboot continued its box-office dominance in its second weekend, bringing in $40 million for a solid hold at number one. Directed by Matt Shakman, the film has now amassed nearly $200 million domestically and further cements Marvel’s ability to pull audiences into its deep roster of characters. While industry insiders had initially projected $45 million over the Aug. 1–3 weekend, the actual figure remains impressive, showcasing robust audience engagement even in its sophomore frame.
It was a different story in the battle for second place. Universal’s The Bad Guys 2 lived up to expectations and managed to leap over Paramount’s The Naked Gun, settling into the number two spot with a solid $22 million. Early projections suggested the animated caper might trail slightly behind Liam Neeson’s slapstick reboot, but family audiences appear to be driving strong returns thanks to positive word-of-mouth. While $22 million is slightly lower than its predecessor’s opening weekend in 2022, the sequel shows potential to enjoy steady legs in the quieter weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, The Naked Gun stumbled out of the gate, debuting in third place with $17 million — below its $25 million projection and well short of its franchise-best aspirations. Despite promising reviews (including a 92 percent Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences seemed less enthused about revisiting Police Squad’s antics. Whether this underperformance reflects a disconnect between nostalgia-driven marketing and modern audience expectations remains to be seen. Paramount will be banking on overseas markets to help bolster its global total.
Elsewhere, longtime holdovers Superman and Jurassic World Rebirth rounded out the top five with $13.9 million and $8.7 million, respectively. For Superman, that figure pushes its domestic tally past $300 million, making it one of the biggest hits of the summer. Meanwhile, Universal’s dinosaur epic continues to claw its way upward, but its fifth-weekend drop suggests its theatrical run may be entering its twilight.
In limited release, Neon’s Together, starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie, delivered a solid debut with $6.8 million. The supernatural body-horror film achieved this figure while screening in limited markets nationwide, indicating strong audience interest and setting it up for wider expansion in the weeks ahead.
Original story published Aug. 1, 2025: The Marvel universe is still flexing its muscles this weekend as Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps powers through its second weekend at the box office. Directed by Matt Shakman, the reboot of Marvel’s First Family is projected to earn $45 million over the Aug. 1–3 weekend — securing the top spot and extending the studio's box-office reign.
But the real showdown this weekend isn’t for first place — it’s for second.
Paramount’s slapstick reboot The Naked Gun and Universal’s animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 are neck-and-neck in what’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive matchups of the summer. According to the latest projections, The Naked Gun is currently edging out its animated rival with a projected $25 million debut, marking the best opening ever for the franchise. For comparison, the original 1988 movie brought in $9 million during its opening weekend, while The Naked Gun 2 1/2 debuted with $20 million in 1991, and Naked Gun 33 1/3 opened to $13 million in 1994.
Directed by Akiva Schaffer, The Naked Gun stars Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., the bumbling son of the original franchise's iconic lead, Leslie Nielsen. He’s joined by a supporting cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston. With a certified fresh 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the reboot has impressed critics and looks set to win over fans as well.
Meanwhile, The Bad Guys 2, the follow-up to 2022’s sleeper hit, is projected to bring in around $22 million, landing it in third place for the weekend. While still a solid showing, this number falls short of earlier tracking, which had the film opening in the $26 million to $35 million range. The original Bad Guys debuted with $23.95 million before going on to earn a strong $97.5 million domestically. While the sequel’s lower-than-expected start may raise eyebrows, strong word-of-mouth and limited competition for family audiences could fuel its legs in the weeks ahead.
Rounding out the top five are two summer holdovers: Superman, which is expected to bring in about $15 million over the weekend and cross the $300 million domestic milestone, and Jurassic World Rebirth, projected to earn around $8 million in its fifth weekend of release.
Outside the top five, Together — a supernatural body-horror thriller starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie — will debut in limited theaters this weekend. Distributed by Neon and backed by Sundance buzz — including a 91 percent Rotten Tomatoes score — the film is expected to open in higher single digits over the weekend. The debut positions Together as a low‑key counter-programming alternative to the summer’s big tentpoles.
NEW RELEASES
The Naked Gun
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Only one man has the particular set of skills - to lead Police Squad and save the world. The action-comedy has a running time of one hour, 25 minutes, and is rated PG-13. The Naked Gun is certified "fresh" with a 92 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorable" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 78 percent.
The Bad Guys 2
Director: Pierre Perifel and JP Sans
Distributor: Universal Pictures
The Bad Guys are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys, when they are pulled out of retirement and forced to do "one last job" by an all-female squad of criminals. The animated family flick has a running time of one hour, 44 minutes, and is rated PG. The Bad Guys 2 is certified "fresh" with an 87 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorable" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 64 percent.
Together
Director: Michael Shanks
Distributor: Neon
Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country. With tensions already flaring, an encounter with an unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh. The horror movie has a running time of one hour, 42 minutes, and is rated R. Together is certified "fresh" with a 91 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorable" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 76 percent.
Here are Gold Derby's predicted box-office rankings for the top five:
1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
2. The Naked Gun
3. The Bad Guys 2
4. Superman
5. Jurassic World Rebirth
Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it's fun and easy!
