Weekend box office led by Wuthering Heights with $34.8M debut. New releases show strong demand for original, non-franchise films.
- February 20, 2026
AceShowbiz - The domestic box office saw a powerful infusion of new releases for the weekend of February 13, 2026, led by the commanding debut of Wuthering Heights. The period drama adaptation captured the top spot with a robust $34.8 million opening, setting a strong benchmark for the frame. This performance edged out the weekend's other major newcomer, the sports drama Goat, which posted a solid $26.0 million start.
Analytically, the weekend demonstrates a healthy appetite for original, non-franchise fare. The combined opening gross of the top three films—all new releases—exceeded $75 million. Wuthering Heights's debut, while not record-breaking for the genre, indicates a successful translation of classic literary IP to the modern cinematic landscape. Its performance will be closely watched for holding power in the coming weeks, free from direct competition in its demographic.
The third-place debut of Crime 101 at $15.1 million rounds out a trio of successful launches. In the holdover market, the comedy Send Help showed the best resilience, dropping to fourth place with $9.0 million, bringing its cumulative total to a respectable $47.9 million. This represents a moderate decline, suggesting positive word-of-mouth. Fellow holdover Solo Mio added $6.8 million for a $17.3 million ten-day total.
The lower half of the chart is dominated by long-running blockbusters demonstrating exceptional legs. Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash continue their monumental runs, with domestic totals now at $419.4 million and $396.1 million, respectively. Their weekend takes of $3.8 million and $3.3 million highlight a sustained ancillary revenue stream for theaters. Iron Lung and Dracula fill out the list, with the latter showing a steep decline after its own debut last frame, finishing with $3.0 million for a $9.0 million total.
Overall, the marketplace exhibited robust health, driven by the successful debut of Wuthering Heights and its fresh competitors. The top nine films generated a combined gross exceeding $105 million, a significant uplift from recent weekends dominated by holdovers. This data indicates a strategic win for studios targeting the pre-spring release corridor with compelling new content.