The latest glacial winter weekend at the North American box office saw the animated film “GOAT” assert its dominance, narrowly outpacing the gothic romantic drama “Wuthering Heights” for the top spot. Heading into the late-February frame, the two films were in close contention, but “GOAT,” an original animated feature about an animal aspiring to athletic greatness, ultimately pulled ahead with $17 million from 3,863 theaters. This represented a modest 36% decline from its debut, highlighting the enduring appeal of family-friendly cinema in a market still striving to regain pre-pandemic strength. So far, “GOAT” has amassed $58.3 million domestically and $102.3 million worldwide against an $80 million production budget, with Sony Pictures Animation hoping for continued theatrical endurance similar to recent animated hits like “Elemental” and “Migration.”

“Wuthering Heights,” director Emerald Fennell’s adaptation starring A-listers Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, secured second place in North America with $14.2 million from 3,682 venues, a 57% drop from its opening weekend. While it trailed “GOAT” domestically, the film has proven to be a significantly bigger draw overseas, where it claimed the No. 1 spot at the international box office with $26.3 million from 76 markets. Its international ticket sales have climbed to $91.7 million, pushing its global tally to $151.7 million. Top foreign territories include the United Kingdom ($22.5 million), Italy ($9.4 million), and Australia ($8.3 million). Warner Bros. spent $80 million to produce “Wuthering Heights,” in addition to tens of millions for its global promotional tour.

Beyond the top two, several new releases vied for attention. Lionsgate’s faith-based sequel, “I Can Only Imagine 2,” landed in the No. 3 spot with $8 million from 3,105 venues. This figure is notably behind its predecessor’s $17 million debut in 2018, despite the sequel’s higher $18 million budget. However, its modest price tag and a rare “A+” CinemaScore exit grade, mirroring the original, suggest a potential for studio recoupment. A24’s R-rated black comedy “How to Make a Killing,” starring Glen Powell, debuted outside the top five in sixth place with $3.5 million from 1,600 screens, but faced critical disfavor with a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score. Meanwhile, Disney’s New Regency road-trip thriller “Psycho Killer” critically cratered, opening at No. 11 with a dismal $1.6 million from 1,100 theaters, trailing even “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in its 10th weekend. Costing under $10 million, the film, directed by Gavin Polone, received a poor 33% Rotten Tomatoes average.

In a more positive light for new entries, Neon’s concert film “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” debuted impressively in seventh place with $3.2 million from a limited release on just 325 Imax screens. Crafted by director Baz Luhrmann from never-before-seen footage, the film is set to expand in the coming weeks and stands as the only top 10 film playing on fewer than 1,000 screens. Elsewhere internationally, Amazon MGM’s heist thriller “Crime 101,” starring Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, struggled, adding $6.2 million for a global total of $46.3 million against a $90 million budget. In stark contrast, China’s comedy “Pegasus 3” dominated the Chinese New Year period, estimated to exceed $200 million, with strong Imax performance.

Overall North American revenues remain 5% of 2025’s tally, a percentage that continues to shrink. Factors such as harsh winter weather have impacted ticket sales, as noted by David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. However, industry observers anticipate a potential turnaround in the coming weeks with upcoming releases like “Scream 7,” Disney’s Pixar film “Hoppers,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “Frankenstein” spinoff “The Bride!” in March, and Universal/Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” poised to deliver a major blockbuster in early April 2026.