“One of Them Days” Tops MLK Weekend Box Office in Slow Theatrical Frame

The buddy comedy “One of Them Days,” starring Keke Palmer and SZA, debuted at the top of the North American box office charts during a subdued Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

The Sony-produced film, which earned $11.6 million from 2,675 theaters, narrowly edged out Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King.” However, projections indicate “Mufasa” may reclaim the lead by Monday’s holiday totals.

The R-rated comedy follows Palmer and SZA as friends and roommates racing against time to gather rent money before their landlord evicts them. Praised by critics, the film holds an impressive 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With a modest $14 million production budget, “One of Them Days” is expected to break even by the end of the holiday weekend. The film also marks a milestone as the first Black female-led theatrical comedy since “Girls Trip” in 2017.

A Challenging Weekend for Theaters

While “One of Them Days” shines as a success story, overall box office performance for the weekend was underwhelming. According to Comscore, the total revenue for Friday through Sunday will fall below $80 million—making it one of the weakest MLK holiday weekends since 1997.

“For ‘One of Them Days,’ this was an excellent opening,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “But in the context of the broader theatrical market, the weekend’s numbers were sluggish.”

Close Competition and New Debuts

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” directed by Barry Jenkins, brought in $11.5 million in its fifth weekend, pushing its global total to $588 million. The film narrowly beat “Wolf Man,” a new Blumhouse horror entry directed by Leigh Whannell. Starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, “Wolf Man” earned $10.6 million but faced tepid reviews (53% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a poor audience CinemaScore of C-.

Other top performers included “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which earned $8.6 million, and “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” rounding out the top five with $6.6 million.

Specialty Releases Find Niche Success

In limited release, Brady Corbet’s post-war epic “The Brutalist” expanded to 388 screens, earning nearly $2 million. The 215-minute feature received additional interest from sold-out 70mm and IMAX showings. Meanwhile, A24 re-released its Colman Domingo-led drama “Sing Sing,” with unique screenings in prisons, allowing over 1 million incarcerated individuals to view the film.

Past Holiday Hits and Future Outlook

Historically, the MLK holiday weekend has delivered standout box office hits, including “Bad Boys for Life” in 2020 ($62.5 million) and “American Sniper” in 2016 ($89.3 million in wide release). Analysts predict a significant boost to this year’s theatrical market with anticipated February releases such as “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Paddington in Peru.”

Weekend Box Office Top 10 (Friday-Sunday Estimates)

1. “One of Them Days” – $11.6 million
2. “Mufasa: The Lion King” – $11.5 million
3. “Wolf Man” – $10.6 million
4. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” – $8.6 million
5. “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” – $6.6 million
6. “Moana 2” – $6.1 million
7. “Nosferatu” – $4.3 million
8. “A Complete Unknown” – $3.8 million
9. “Wicked” – $3.6 million
10. “Babygirl” – $2 million