Fantastic Four Passes the Best Harry Potter Movie at the Box Office

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The film titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” experienced some fluctuations at the box office. Initially, it surpassed expectations by grossing $117.6 million in its domestic debut weekend. However, it suffered a significant drop during its second week, struggling against other high-profile summer blockbusters from this year. Despite these ups and downs, “First Steps” has emerged as Marvel’s top commercial success of 2025. Over the past month, it has steadily climbed the all-time box office rankings, surpassing several notable franchise films along the way. With the latest figures in, it has even managed to outperform what is often considered the best Harry Potter movie.

By August 20th, Wednesday, the movie “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has made around $250.4 million within the U.S. This just barely surpasses the $250.1 million that “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” earned in 2004. Soon, it’s expected to overtake films like “Men in Black” ($250.6 million) and “Night at the Museum” ($250.8 million), climbing up the ranks to secure a spot among the top 160 highest-grossing movies of all time.

How Fantastic Four‘s Box Office Run Compares to Prisoner of Azkaban

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until multiple releases that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban managed to surpass $250 million in the U.S. During its initial cinema run, it earned $249.5 million. Additional earnings were generated through special events like the Harry Potter IMAX marathon and subsequent re-releases over the past decade. In contrast, First Steps made all of its money during its first release, reaching $250.4 million after just 27 days in theaters. At that point in its initial run, Prisoner of Azkaban had only grossed $215.8 million, without being adjusted for inflation.

In the opening weekend, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” raked in more money compared to “Prisoner of Azkaban,” but it was “Prisoner of Azkaban” that showed stronger staying power in its third outing within the Wizarding World. Following an impressive domestic debut of $93.6 million, “Prisoner of Azkaban” saw a drop of 62.7% in its second weekend. This retention rate was superior to that of “First Steps,” which experienced a steeper 67.1% decline after its strong initial performance.

Both “First Steps” and “Prisoner of Azkaban” have similar domestic box office rankings, but the global earnings present a stark contrast. Globally, “Harry Potter” outperformed “First Steps,” earning an impressive $795.6 million compared to “First Steps'” $472.6 million worldwide. Consequently, “Prisoner of Azkaban” holds the upper hand in global earnings. This comparison underscores the significant shift in box office trends over the years. Nowadays, film studios can’t solely depend on strong international performances to pad their numbers. Interestingly, “First Steps” has garnered more revenue domestically than in overseas territories. In contrast, “Harry Potter” earned only 30.9% of its total lifetime earnings within the U.S.

The upcoming Harry Potter film is currently ranked below The Fantastic Four: First Steps on the list of highest-grossing domestic movies, with 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets taking the spot just ahead. With only around $12 million separating them, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a good chance to surpass Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as its run continues. Despite a slowdown in business for The Fantastic Four, it managed to bring in $9 million at the box office last weekend, with August not offering many major releases to compete against. Given this weaker competition, The Fantastic Four: First Steps should be able to climb higher up on the charts.

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2025-08-22 17:12