The February blues are real, and this past weekend’s box office numbers prove it. While much of the East Coast was hunkered down under a fresh blanket of snow, the few moviegoers who braved the elements were looking for one of two things: a reason to laugh or a reason to swoon. In a surprising—though perhaps predictable—turn of events, the “under-goat” came out on top.
Sony Pictures Animation’s original feature GOAT officially unseated Emerald Fennell’s star-studded Wuthering Heights to claim the #1 spot. In what has been a relatively quiet winter 2026 box office season, the win highlights a shifting tide in how audiences spend their money during the “dump months” of Q1.
The Kid-Friendly King: GOAT Shows Its Horns
Heading into the weekend, the race was neck-and-neck. On one side, you had a high-budget, gothic romance fueled by the massive star power of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. On the other, an $80 million original animated film about an animal with dreams of athletic greatness.
GOAT pulled ahead with $17 million from 3,863 theaters. While that number might look modest compared to summer blockbusters, it represents a staggering hold—dropping only 36% from its debut. This kind of “leggy” performance is exactly what Sony was hoping for. It echoes the endurance we saw in late 2025 with Zootopia 2 and A Minecraft Movie.
For parents looking to escape the winter chill, GOAT provided the perfect 90-minute reprieve. With a global tally now sitting at $102 million, the film is on a healthy path to profitability, proving once again that family films are the backbone of the theater industry when general audiences stay home.
Gothic Romance and the Casting Controversy
On the flip side, Warner Bros.’ Wuthering Heights generated $14.2 million, landing in second place. Despite the presence of Jacob Elordi—currently one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men—the film saw a sharp 57% drop from its opening.
While Fennell’s adaptation has found more love overseas ($91.7 million internationally), the domestic performance has been a bit “chilly.” There is a critical conversation to be had here regarding the film’s reception. Emerald Fennell’s choice to cast Elordi as Heathcliff—a character famously described in Emily Brontë’s novel as a “dark-skinned gipsy”—sparked significant discussion online. Many critics and fans noted that bypassing a Black or person of color (POC) actor for the role missed a vital opportunity to explore the racial themes inherent in the source material.
In a modern landscape, audiences are increasingly sensitive to casting choices that overlook the nuances of a character’s origin. Whether this discourse affected the domestic bottom line or if it was simply a case of “genre fatigue” for gothic drama remains to be seen, but the $59.5 million domestic total suggests it hasn’t quite reached “cultural phenomenon” status yet.
The Struggling Newcomers: Powell, Campbell, and the “February Dump”
The weekend also saw three major newcomers fail to make a significant dent in the top five.
Lionsgate’s I Can Only Imagine 2 took the third spot with $8 million. While it earned a rare A+ CinemaScore, it fell significantly behind the original 2018 film’s $17 million start. Meanwhile, A24’s How to Make a Killing—starring Glen Powell—debuted at #6 with a disappointing $3.5 million.
Perhaps the most discouraging news of the weekend was the performance of Disney’s Psycho Killer. The road-trip thriller, starring the brilliant Georgina Campbell, cratered in 11th place with just $1.6 million. Campbell, a Black actress who has proven her “Scream Queen” bona fides in films like Barbarian, was unfortunately saddled with a film that critics largely panned (33% on Rotten Tomatoes).
It’s disheartening to see a talent like Campbell lead a film that feels “dumped” into a quiet weekend with minimal marketing support. Often, horror films led by Black women are relegated to these quiet windows without the promotional muscle given to their peers, making it harder for these projects to find the audience they deserve.
Elvis Lives (on Imax)
In a brighter spot for cinema purists, Neon’s concert film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert debuted in 7th place with $3.2 million. What makes this impressive is that it played on only 325 Imax screens.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film uses never-before-seen footage found during the production of the 2022 Elvis biopic. It’s a specialized release, but it shows that niche audiences—specifically older demographics and music aficionados—are willing to show up for a high-quality, large-format experience.
Looking Ahead: The March Madness Begins
While the winter 2026 box office has been sluggish due to harsh weather and a lack of four-quadrant hits, help is on the way. Next weekend sees the release of Scream 7, which is expected to reignite the horror fandom. Following that, March brings Pixar’s Hoppers and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s highly anticipated The Bride!.
Everything is currently serving as an opening act for the true titan of the year: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which arrives in early April. Until then, theaters will be relying on the “long legs” of films like GOAT to keep the lights on.
What’s Your Take?
The winter season is always a gamble for studios, but this weekend taught us that family-friendly content is still the safest bet. However, we have to wonder if a more diverse approach to casting in films like Wuthering Heights or better marketing for thrillers like Psycho Killer could have changed the narrative.
Did you make it to the movies this weekend? Did you find yourself charmed by GOAT, or were you swept away by the moors in Wuthering Heights? Let’s talk about your favorite (and least favorite) winter watches in the comments!
