“Bad Guys 2” Outpaces “The Naked Gun” in Thursday Previews as August Box Office Heats Up

The first weekend of August kicked off with a strong showing for DreamWorks Animation and Universal’s “Bad Guys 2,” pulling in $2.25 million from Thursday previews beginning at 2 PM. That’s nearly double the original “Bad Guys” film’s $1.15 million Thursday in 2022, which went on to a $23.9 million opening weekend in a then-recovering post-pandemic market. The new installment, made at a production cost of $80 million (up from $70M), is tracking for a $20 million debut.

The critical reception is also positive: “Bad Guys 2” boasts an 85% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly below the 88% Certified Fresh rating of its predecessor. Despite the slight dip, early numbers suggest strong audience interest in the animated sequel.

Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures is working to revive big-screen comedy with their reboot of the 1980s classic “The Naked Gun.” Starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, the film earned $1.6 million from its 7 PM Thursday previews. Though lower than its animated competitor, the film is tracking closely to Sony’s “No Hard Feelings” (2023), which brought in $2.15 million in Thursday previews and opened to $15 million across 3,344 locations.

Directed by Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth MacFarlane, “The Naked Gun” was made on a modest $42 million budget and is positioned as a potential comedy breakout. The movie is enjoying positive buzz: it holds a 90% Certified Fresh critic score and an 87% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a 4.5-star PostTrak score and a 73% definite recommend rate. In the current comedy landscape, where hits are rare, these numbers are notable.

Elsewhere at the box office, NEON’s horror-romance “Together” starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie brought in $1.35 million in its second day, reaching a $4 million total. Acquired for $16 million out of Sundance, the film is expected to make $8M–$10M over its five-day launch. Comparisons to A24’s “Midsommar” are inevitable — but “Together” currently holds higher scores (91% critics, 79% audience) versus Midsommar’s 83% and 63%, respectively. Both films share a C+ CinemaScore, showing a divide between critical acclaim and general audience appeal.

The superhero juggernaut “Fantastic Four: First Steps” continues to dominate. The film added $7.4 million on Thursday, a 14% drop from Wednesday, bringing its first-week total to $158.3 million. The projected second-weekend gross is around $45–$47 million, a 61% drop from its opening frame — typical for Marvel blockbusters, especially with a $200 million budget at stake. Premium screens continue to boost the movie’s hold.

Top 5 Box Office (Thursday Totals)

1. Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney)

   • Theaters: 4,125

   • Thursday: $7.4M

   • Week Total: $158.3M

2. Superman (Warner Bros.)

   • Theaters: 3,930

   • Thursday: $2.66M

   • Total Gross: $302.3M

3. Jurassic World Rebirth (Universal)

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   • Theaters: 3,550

   • Thursday: $1.54M

   • Total Gross: $308.9M

4. F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.)

   • Theaters: 2,615

   • Thursday: $750K

   • Total Gross: $169.1M

5. Smurfs (Paramount)

   • Theaters: 3,504

   • Thursday: $715K

   • Total Gross: $26.7M

With four movies now crossing the $300 million mark domestically in 2025—Superman, Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie, and now Jurassic World Rebirth—the summer box office is officially in high gear.