The most recent Gerard Butler box office report highlights a surprising shift in January’s movie rankings, as Primate outperformed Butler’s sequel, Greenland 2: Migration, during a cold and competitive weekend. The race between big-budget spectacles and genre favorites unfolded in cinemas across multiple locations, offering moviegoers a diverse slate to begin the year.
While audiences faced the chill of January, major studios delivered both high-stakes action and unconventional stories. Avatar: Fire and Ash remained unchallenged in its fourth weekend, adding to its immense haul with a current domestic gross of over $342.5 million. As the third highest-grossing release of 2025, it joins a trio of Disney titles that have captured moviegoers’ attention and are still climbing the all-time charts, with Zootopia 2 and its $1.65 billion total still in theaters. Surpassing this figure is possible but will require continued strong turnout in coming weeks.
Monkey Feature Surpasses Gerard Butler Sequel in Earnings
Among key challengers, Primate pulled in $11.3 million, narrowly beating Greenland 2: Migration, which debuted with $8.5 million despite being shown in a similar number of venues. Gerard Butler’s return as the lead in his action-packed sequel was expected to draw sizable ticket sales, but audiences ultimately favored the unique appeal of an “evil monkey” storyline over the familiar formula of the Butler franchise. This places Greenland 2 at number five for the weekend.
Indie Films Make Modest Advances Amid Blockbuster Dominance
Outside the leading contenders, several independent and limited release films contributed to the weekend’s variety. I Was a Stranger, a drama playing in 1,400 cinemas, launched at number 13, bringing in $1,214,826. The Gus Van Sant-directed Dead Man’s Wire opened at number 20 with collections of $154,131 across just 14 theatres, illustrating the continued presence of smaller-scale projects in the cinematic landscape. Notably, All That’s Left of You, which chronicles three generations of a Palestinian family, grossed $56,074 from a single location.
International cinema also made an appearance as Lav Diaz premiered Magellan, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, earning $28,300 from two screening sites. These figures point to a strong commitment by audiences to explore unique narratives, even as large-scale blockbusters dominate the charts.
Upcoming Releases Poised to Shake Up Rankings
The coming week is expected to see further volatility in box office results, with the highly anticipated wide release of Hamnet and the buzzworthy zombie sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, entering the fray. With such varied offerings, cinema attendance is likely to remain robust, continuing January’s trend of competitive performance between established franchises and fresh genre films.
As major studios and auteurs introduce new works, the Gerard Butler box office report illustrates just how diverse and unpredictable audience preferences can be, especially when pitted against creative newcomers and ongoing blockbuster powerhouses.
