Paramount’s ‘Novocaine’ tops box office amid historic March slump

Despite topping the box office, ‘Novocaine’ earns just $8.7M, marking the weakest March debut in nearly three decades.

Paramount Pictures’ action-comedy Novocaine, starring Jack Quaid, claimed the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with a modest $8.7 million debut.

The film, about a man who feels no physical pain, fell below early projections of $10 million despite earning $1.5 million from Thursday previews.

The weekend marked the slowest March box office opening in 29 years, with overall earnings reflecting a 39% decline compared to 2019.

In the No. 2 spot, Warner Bros.' sci-fi thriller Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson, saw a sharp 60% revenue drop from last weekend, earning $7.6 million. Close behind, Focus Features' Black Bag—a spy thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender—earned $7.5 million domestically and $11.7 million globally.

Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World took fourth place with $5.2 million, bringing its North American total to $186 million. Meanwhile, Columbia Pictures' Paddington in Peru added $3.85 million, pushing its domestic earnings to $41.3 million.

Among lower-budget releases, Studiocanal’s The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie debuted at No. 5 with $3 million, followed by The Last Supper at $2.8 million. A24’s drama Opus, starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, underperformed with just $1 million, less than half of industry expectations.

As Hollywood grapples with declining theatrical revenue, the underwhelming performance of new releases signals continued struggles for the industry.