Paramount's "Novocaine" is off to a good start at the box office with an estimated $8.5 million opening weekend from 3,365 theaters, but the bigger problem for exhibitors is that the marketplace is in such a terrible slump that this is enough for the gory action comedy to take No.

Movie theaters haven’t exactly been bustling since the start of 2025 and the calendar year is about to turn in one of its most meagre frames yet. Even with two new wide releases - Paramount’s slapstick actioner “Novocaine” and Focus Features’ spy film “Black Bag” - exhibitors are in danger of a particularly beleaguered weekend,

Brave New World, which grossed $1.5 million on its fifth Friday, pushing its running domestic total past the $180 million mark. This past week, the superhero film passed the series' first installment — Captain America: The First Avenger — both domestically and worldwide.

Thank, God, for Snow White next weekend, right? Who knew with that movie’s controversy we’d be saying that!? However, the industry should be thankful. If Snow White pulls off a $50M+ opening, that’s a respectable bump for what is a barren desert of a business right now.

Paramount’s Novocaine made $1.75M in previews — but that’s not just from last night, rather advance screenings from last weekend as well. The R-rated action comedy, which cost a net $18M before P&A, is expected to lead the box office with anywhere from $8M-$12M,

Though Novocaine, Quaid’s new superhero-ish film, is currently leading the weekend box office, that's not as impressive an achievement as it might sound. According to Deadline, the film has only managed to take in a rather unimpressive $8.