Stephen Curry’s GOAT dethrones Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights for domestic top spot

Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT has officially claimed the number one position at the North American box office, earning $17 million in its second weekend. The movie is produced by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, and ascended to the top spot during the second-weekend and successfully dethroned Warner Bros.’ Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. As of its tenth day in release, GOAT has amassed a total of $58.3 million domestically and has crossed the $100 million milestone globally. By doing so, the movie has become the fastest original production in Sony Pictures Animation's history to reach that mark.According to studio data, Stephen Curry’s GOAT maintained its momentum with high audience engagement and positive word-of-mouth due to its family-friendly themes. Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is his take on Emily Brontë's classic 1847 novel by the same name, and initially led the charts during the Valentine’s and Presidents' Day holiday. But saw a sharper 57% decline and finished the weekend with $14.2 million, bringing the cumulative domestic total to $60 million.Though GOAT also saw a 38% dip during the second weekend, the film’s per-theater average remained healthy at $4,401 across 3,863 screens, according to Comscore. The film follows Will (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin), an underdog goat navigating the high-stakes world of roarball, where his size poses a massive disadvantage. This sports-centric narrative, combined with Curry’s promotional reach, helped the film outperform other movies like the faith-based sequel I Can Only Imagine 2, which debuted in third place with $8 million. Following at 4th with $5.8 million was Amazon MGM’s heist thriller Crime 101, starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo.On the international stage, GOAT has mirrored its domestic success and crossed the $102.3 million threshold. The film added $17 million from 51 international markets this weekend, with the United Kingdom leading with $14.5 million to the total.The movie was produced with a $80 million budget, and currently seems to be marching towards significant profitability. As the film prepares to widen its global trajectory by getting released in China, Australia, and South Korea, it is expected to receive a further boost. Given Stephen Curry’s global appeal, the market experts believe the film’s basketball themes will likely resonate strongly in China, where the sport maintains a massive cultural footprint.