Thursday witnessed an intense surge in movie previews, significantly bolstered by early screenings. Among the highlights, Warner Bros/Legendary's "A Minecraft Movie" surpassed $200 million following a $7.1 million Thursday performance. In comparison to Illumination/Nintendo/Universal’s "Super Mario Bros Movie," which reached this milestone within five days due to its Wednesday release leading into Easter weekend, Minecraft took one week to achieve this mark. Industry insiders anticipate that Minecraft will experience a -60% decline this weekend, securing a $65 million No. 1 win.

Angel Studios' animated biblical feature, "The King of Kings," garnered $2 million purely from preview money during 11 a.m. showtimes on Thursday. There is considerable excitement about whether this film might outperform 20th Century Studios' $60 million Rami Malek PG-13 spy thriller, "The Amateur," which saw $14.6 million in pre-sales. The actual box office results for the weekend will soon reveal if these projections hold true.

The Amateur achieved $2 million in previews, inclusive of early screenings and 2 p.m. showtimes from the previous day. This aligns with the preview performances of Amazon MGM Studios/Miramax’s "The Beekeeper" ($2.4 million previews with early screenings, resulting in a $16.6 million 3-day) and 20th Century Studios' own "The Creator" ($1.6 million previews and early screenings, leading to a $14 million opening). The film is set to premiere today across 3,400 theaters, including 400 IMAX auditoriums, 300 Premium Large Format screens, and 100 D-Box/Motion screens. Estimates suggest a 3-day revenue exceeding $12 million.

Universal/Blumhouse's date thriller, "Drop," starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar, earned $730,000 in previews from 2,600 theaters commencing at 1:50 p.m. Incorporating Monday and Wednesday previews, this figure climbs to $1.4 million. The PG-13 feature, targeting women aged 17-34, anticipates a 3-day revenue ranging between $6 million and $7 million. Produced for $11 million net before P&A, it benefited from a substantial tax credit from Ireland.

A24's "Warfare," directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, recorded $1.16 million in previews from both early access and Thursday showtimes beginning at 4 p.m. across 2,670 locations. The R-rated NAVY seal troupe perspective film is projected to generate between $7 million and $9 million. With a production cost of $20 million before P&A, the film aims to appeal to a broad audience in the heartland of the country.

This Thursday proved to be a pivotal moment for several films vying for significant openings. The diverse range of genres and target audiences showcased the dynamic nature of the current box office landscape. As the weekend progresses, the success of these films will provide valuable insights into audience preferences and market trends, shaping future cinematic releases.