Hollywood’s box office is serving up twists no one saw coming this Oscar weekend. While Captain America: New World Order continues to dominate, narrowly fending off the thriller Last Breath, theaters nationwide are reporting eerily quiet crowds—and insiders blame the Oscars frenzy for the slump.
Marvel’s latest Captain America installment scored 32.1millioninitssecondweekend, edging out∗LastBreath∗,whichclaweditswayto32.1millioninitssecondweekend, edging out∗LastBreath∗, which claweditswayto28.9 million. But despite the neck-and-neck race, overall ticket sales plummeted 40% compared to last year’s pre-Oscars numbers. Industry experts point to the “stream-at-home” effect: with awards shows like the Oscars dominating screens, moviegoers are opting to binge red carpet coverage instead of hitting cinemas.
“It’s a weird paradox,” says box office analyst Lydia Cruz. “Big films are still drawing crowds, but the Oscars have split attention. People are hosting watch parties or catching nominated films on streaming—why leave the couch?” The trend has left theaters in major cities like L.A. and New York unusually sparse, even as Captain America fans flock to IMAX screenings.
Meanwhile, Last Breath, a dystopian thriller starring Oscar nominee Anya Hart, is struggling to gain momentum. Critics praise its “gripping plot” and Hart’s “career-best performance,” but its dark tone may be clashing with Oscar weekend’s upbeat vibe. Studio head Mark Ellis admits, “We knew releasing near the Oscars was risky, but we’re banking on word-of-mouth post-ceremony.”
Marvel, however, is celebrating. Captain America has now grossed $285 million globally, proving the franchise’s staying power even as superhero fatigue looms. “Fans are invested in Sam Wilson’s journey as the new Cap,” says director Julius Onah. “This isn’t just a win for us—it’s a win for storytelling.”
But the quiet weekend raises bigger questions: Are award shows cannibalizing box office success? With streaming platforms now airing live events, theaters face a new competitor—living rooms. As one studio exec quipped, “Next year, maybe we’ll just nominate Captain America for Best Picture.”
Stay tuned to see if Last Breath stages a comeback post-Oscars—or if theaters’ battle with streaming screens just got a lot tougher.