AceShowbiz - The domestic box office is facing contrasting fortunes this weekend as Pixar and Warner Bros. experience very different outcomes. Pixar’s latest original film, Hoppers, is set to deliver its strongest opening in nearly a decade, while Warner Bros. braces for a significant setback with the release of The Bride!.

Pixar’s Hoppers is projected to earn approximately $40 million in its opening weekend, marking the studio’s biggest debut for an original title since 2017’s Coco. The film has garnered near-universal critical acclaim and is expected to outperform recent Pixar originals such as Elio, Elemental, and Onward. This success is particularly notable given Pixar’s struggles over the past five years, which have included several underperforming releases and company layoffs.

In contrast, Warner Bros. has enjoyed a remarkable run with nine consecutive hits over the past year, but that streak appears poised to end with the launch of The Bride! Inspired by the 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein, the film was directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and stars acclaimed actress Jessie Buckley. The movie also features a robust supporting cast including Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Annette Bening.

The Bride! was produced on a reported budget of $90 million and has opened to divisive reviews. Critics have praised Gyllenhaal’s daring vision, but others have criticized the film’s uneven tone and exaggerated performances. Currently, the movie holds a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s critics’ consensus states, "Concocted with all the restraint of a mad scientist's experiment, THE BRIDE! lurches in so many different creative directions that the overall effect is both sloppy and inspired."

Despite the star-studded cast and intriguing premise, the film is expected to gross less than $10 million domestically during its opening weekend, having earned just $3 million on its first day from over 3,000 theaters nationwide. Worldwide, the total is anticipated to reach around $20 million or less by Sunday. Given typical revenue splits between theaters and studios, The Bride! will need to generate about $200 million globally to break even, a challenging prospect at this early stage.

Warner Bros.' recent success has included backing original films such as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, and Zach Cregger’s Weapons. These three films have become major Oscar contenders, with Sinners notably breaking records for the most Oscar nominations ever received by a single film. The studio also released big-budget blockbusters like A Minecraft Movie, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination Bloodlines, and Superman last year.

Warner Bros. continued its run in 2026 with Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell. Despite being controversial, the film has grossed over $200 million worldwide so far, against an $80 million budget. This makes the disappointing early box office projections for The Bride! even more notable, as it threatens to halt the studio’s winning momentum.

As the weekend unfolds, industry watchers will be closely monitoring the performance of both Hoppers and The Bride!, reflecting wider trends in the theatrical market. While Pixar’s resurgence with beloved original content offers hope for the animation powerhouse, Warner Bros. faces pressure to recover from the mixed reception and lackluster box office of its latest period crime drama.

For more updates on box office performance and industry analysis, stay tuned to Collider.