James Gunn's 'The End of Oak Street' earns $2M in U.S. previews

Warner Bros/Bad Robot’s thriller “The End of Oak Street” opened in the U.S. on Thursday, pulling an estimated $2 million-plus from preview showings across 3,200 theaters. The film launched at 1 p.m. as the studio’s counter‑program to Marvel’s “Spider‑Man: Brand New Day,” which is slated to dominate the weekend box office.

The movie, directed by James Gunn and starring Tom Hanks, Emily Blunt and a supporting cast of rising actors, is a mid‑budget thriller that blends family drama with a mysterious, almost supernatural twist. It was released at a time when Hollywood is testing the waters for non‑blockbuster titles that can still generate strong international revenue. By opening with modest domestic numbers, Warner Bros is gauging audience appetite before rolling out a wider release overseas.

Industry analysts say the film’s projected global opening of $38 million to $48 million reflects the star power of Hanks and the strong marketing push in key overseas markets like China, the UK, and France. The budget, roughly $70 million, is comfortably below the $200 million mark of a typical blockbuster, so even a modest domestic showing can be profitable if the international numbers hold up. The film’s performance will also feed into the studio’s future scheduling decisions, especially as it looks to balance its slate of action, horror and family titles.

If “The End of Oak Street” holds up over the weekend, Warner Bros will likely expand it to more screens and keep it in theaters for several weeks, while also preparing for a digital and streaming release later in the year. The studio’s strategy shows a shift toward flexible release windows that can accommodate both theatrical and streaming audiences. The outcome of this opening will help shape how Warner Bros and other studios approach mid‑budget thrillers in a crowded market where blockbuster franchises still dominate the headlines.