Can ‘The End of Oak Street’ Break Warner Bros.’ Box Office Slump?

Warner Bros. experienced a drastic change in their box office performance this past year, as they had previously been the sixth studio to open a film with a $40 million domestic opening weekend. Now, all of their 2026 releases have failed to break that mark, with the highest grossing being the worldwide successful "Wuthering Heights" at $241 million.

Despite a few R-rated New Line films turning a modest profit, high-profile bombs like "The Bride!" and "Supergirl" led to a 46% drop in Warner's theatrical revenue year-over-year. In contrast to past hits "A Minecraft Movie" and "Sinners," Warner Bros. currently has a guaranteed hit on the horizon with "Dune: Part Three," but it may not be enough to revive the year's box office performance.

"The End of Oak Street," directed by David Robert Mitchell and starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, is a thriller about a couple who must protect their children from prehistoric dinosaurs that invade their neighborhood. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%, critics have praised the film for its balance of action, humor, and heart.

The film's potential success lies in its target audience of families with teens and preteens, as well as adult moviegoers intrigued by the 80s Amblin influence of Mitchell's filmmaking. If "Oak Street" garners strong word-of-mouth from its adult audience, it could turn out to be a sleeper hit, despite joining other 2026 releases in the sub-$40 million opening range.

Warner Bros. hopes that the final third of 2026 will bring better numbers with films such as "Practical Magic 2," "Digger," and "Cat in the Hat" before concluding with the potential billion-dollar blockbuster "Dune: Part Three." As a more family-friendly dinosaur film, "Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie" will also arrive this weekend, projected to open with $15-18 million, but its real earning potential lies in merchandise sales.