Predator: Badlands did big business this weekend at the box office, while a biographical drama — with a smaller budget and limited marketing — broke through the competition and finished in the top five.
Sarah’s Oil, about a young Black girl who became a millionaire in the early 1900s, opened in fourth place with an estimated $4.5 million, box office tracking company Comscore reported Sunday.
The film played in 2,410 locations across the U.S., with a per theater average of $1,850.
Child actor Naya Desir-Johnson (A Thousand and One and The Equalizer) leads the cast as Sarah. Zachary Levi and Sonequa Martin-Green also star.
Related: 2025 Celebration of Black Cinema and TV Honorees Announced
The drama is inspired by the true story of oil magnate Sarah Rector, a Black girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory. The African American Heritage Trail describes Rector as one of the first Black women millionaires in the U.S.
At age 12, she was given 160 acres of land by the federal government as a freedman and descendant of the Muscogee Nation under U.S. law.
The land was considered barren and unsuitable for farming. Sarah believed there was oil underground. Her hunch proved true, setting off a battle for the oil-rich land, with white prospectors trying to swindle her family.
The film received an “A+” CinemaScore from audiences in exit polling. As of publication time, nine critics had posted reviews to Rotten Tomatoes and seven were positive.
Joe Leydon of Variety described Desir-Johnson’s performance as “perfect-pitch,” and noted that the film is similar to Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, with both movies showing “Oklahoma was a perilous place for people of color with claims to oil-rich land.” Although he said Sarah’s Oil is more uplifting.
The film comes from Amazon MGM Studios and faith-based production company Wonder Project. Executive producers include Russell and Ciara Wilson.
Naya Desir-Johnson is set to receive a Rising Star Award for her performance in December, at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
Also opening this weekend, was the star-studded psychological thriller Nuremberg, which rounded out the top five with $4.1 million, according to Comscore.
Showing in 1,802 locations, the Sony Pictures Classics release averaged $2,302 per theater.
Based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the film follows the true story of the trials held by Allies against defeated Nazi leaders for invading other countries and committing atrocities.
Oscar winner Rami Malek leads the cast as American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, who is tasked with examining 22 Nazis to determine if they’re fit to stand trial. The cast includes Michael Shannon and Oscar winner Russell Crowe as powerful German Nazi politician Hermann Göring.
The film from writer-director James Vanderbilt has a 68 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from 102 reviews.
In terms of the overall box office, 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands was first after taking in $40.0 million. Variety reported the film scored a franchise best opening.
Romantic drama Regretting You was second with $7.1 million in its third weekend in theaters.
Horror sequel Black Phone 2 came in third place with $5.3 million in its fourth weekend.
As mentioned, Sarah’s Oil opened in fourth place and Nuremberg was fifth.
Die My Love starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, and boxing drama Christy starring Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney also opened this weekend. Both films failed to make the top five.
TheWrap jabbed Christy, saying it had one of the worst openings of the year in semi-wide release with $1.3 million and the outlet noted, “There’s more awareness of Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans ad than her new inspirational boxing movie.”
Christy played in 2,011 locations and earned a disastrous $649 per location. It opened in 11th place.
Check out the box office chart below from Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.
With October in the rearview, a fantastic performance by @Predator #PredatorBadlands as the month of November gets off to a great start! @Comscore @csMoviesUS @CSGlobalMovies reports this weekend’s overall total 3-day Domestic box office is at an estimated $83.1M & YTD 2025 (now… pic.twitter.com/LFScvnLfZX
— Paul Dergarabedian (@PDergarabedian) November 9, 2025
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