2025 has been another year dominated by franchise films, but original films are proving they can command serious attention at the box office. Leading the charge is Sinners, a horror film that has become one of the year’s highest-grossing original releases.
Before we dive in, let’s clarify:
- Existing IP refers to any film based on pre-existing material—like a book, video game, previous film, comic, or toy line. These films come with built-in recognition and audience expectations.
- Original films are brand-new stories, characters, or concepts created for the screen. They carry more risk but offer fresh voices and perspectives.
Top 10 Domestic Box Office | 2025
- A Minecraft Movie – $423.9M (Existing IP – Video game adaptation)
- Lilo & Stitch – $423.8M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel/reboot)
- Superman – $354.2M (Existing IP – Comic book character)
- Jurassic World Rebirth – $339.6M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- Wicked: For Good – $331.6M (Existing IP – Musical adaptation)
- Zootopia 2 – $321.3M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- Sinners – $279.6M (Original – Horror)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – $274.3M (Existing IP – Comic book franchise)
- How to Train Your Dragon – $262.9M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash – $217.7M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
Top 10 Original Films (Domestic Box Office) | 2025
- Sinners – $279,653,537 (Horror)
- Weapons – $151,550,044 (Horror)
- One Battle After Another – $71,468,736 (Action)
- The King of Kings – $60,270,106 (Drama)
- One of Them Days – $50,054,690 (Comedy/Drama)
- Mickey 17 – $46,047,147 (Black Comedy)
- David – $41,804,413 (Musical/Drama)
- The Monkey – $39,724,912 (Black Comedy)
- A Working Man – $37,000,711 (Action/Thriller)
- Materialists – $36,503,614 (Romantic Comedy/Drama)
Why the Domestic Numbers Matter
Original films are often seen as riskier theatrical bets. Yet Sinners didn’t just lead original films—it cracked the overall Top 10, outperforming most franchise titles released this year. The strong showings of Weapons and One Battle After Another further underline that audiences will turn out for originality when studios position it as an event rather than an afterthought.
Top 10 Worldwide Box Office | 2025
- Ne Zha 2 – $2.0B (Existing IP – Sequel)
- Zootopia 2 – $1.3B (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- Lilo & Stitch – $1.0B (Existing IP – Franchise sequel/reboot)
- A Minecraft Movie – $958M (Existing IP – Video game adaptation)
- Jurassic World Rebirth – $869M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Train – $779.8M (Existing IP – Anime adaptation)
- How to Train Your Dragon – $636.2M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
- F1: The Movie – $630.5M (Original/IP hybrid – Licensed real-world brand)
- Superman – $616.7M (Existing IP – Comic book character)
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – $591.3M (Existing IP – Franchise sequel)
Top 10 Original Films (Worldwide Box Office) | 2025
- F1: The Movie – $630,594,487 (Original IP – Brand-based)
- Sinners – $367,953,537 (Horror)
- Weapons – $269,050,044 (Action/Thriller)
- One Battle After Another – $205,142,681 (War/Action)
- A Working Man – $98,011,278 (Drama)
- The King of Kings – $79,875,499 (Historical/Drama)
- The Monkey – $63,683,002 (Horror/Thriller)
- One of Them Days – $51,416,122 (Drama)
- Until Dawn – $50,174,192 (Thriller/Horror)
- Taylor Swift | The Official Release Party of a … – $50,062,774 (Documentary/Concert Film)
Why the Worldwide Numbers Matter
Globally, original films face stiff competition not only from Hollywood franchises but from entrenched international IP. That makes the performance of Sinners, Weapons, and One Battle After Another especially notable—they crossed major box office thresholds without built-in cinematic universes attached.
The Sinners Moment
Sinners is one of the only original films to compete near the very top of the box office in 2025, both domestically and worldwide. In a year dominated by pre-sold IP, it proves that a filmmaker-driven, culturally specific story can still break through at scale when audiences feel urgency and ownership.
Where F1 Fits
F1: The Movie occupies a gray area. While it tells an original story with original characters, it’s built around a globally recognized real-world brand. This brand awareness helped it travel internationally in a way most original films struggle to achieve. Including it highlights how audiences will show up for originality when paired with spectacle, scale, and smart positioning, even if the entry point isn’t completely blank-slate.
The Bigger Picture
Original films aren’t failing—they’re outnumbered. When studios truly back them, whether through cultural urgency (Sinners) or global spectacle (F1), audiences respond. 2025 proves that originality, when positioned correctly, still thrives in a franchise-heavy market.