How a $90M indie film beat Marvel, Disney: Highest-grossing original live-action in years out-earned Mission Impossible

This indie film not just beat Marvel and Disney, but also out-earned Tom Cruise's MI 8 to become the highest-grossing original live-action in 15 years.

Updated on: Jun 11, 2025, 09:33:10 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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There is a common complaint from mainstream Hollywood that it does not make original films anymore. Everything is either a remake, a reboot, an adaptation, or a straight-up sequel. Then you have the ever-growing cinematic universes, where everything is connected. Original films are rare, and their success at the box office is even rarer. So, it is a 'stop press' moment when an original film, not backed by a major studio, beats heavyweights like Disney and Marvel at the ticket window.

A still from the highest-grossing original live-action film of the year.

The indie film that broke the bank

Ryan Coogler showed his versatility in 2025 with the Gothic vampire film Sinners. Produced under his own banner of Proximity Media, Sinners starred Michael B Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, and Jack O'Connell in pivotal roles. The film, made on a $90-million budget, was snapped up for distribution by Warner Bros after an independent production. Ever since its release in April, Sinners has set the box office ablaze, minting $272 million in the domestic (North American) market. This makes Sinners the third-highest-grossing film in the US this year.

Sinners starred Michael B Jordan in a dual role.

But more importantly, it is the highest-grossing original live-action film in the territory in 15 years. To reach this peak, Sinners beat films like Dunkirk ($188 million), Crazy Rich Asians ($174 million), Knives Out ($165 million), 1917 ($157 million), and Nope ($123 million). The last original live-action film to do better was Christopher Nolan's Inception, which grossed $292 million in 2010.

How Sinners beat Marvel, Disney, and Tom Cruise

Sinners has not just topped the charts for original films, but also given several big-studio-backed IP films a run for their money too. In the North American market, Sinners' $272-million gross is higher than blockbusters like John Wick Chapter 4 ($187 million), Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire ($196 million), and Mufasa: The Lion King ($126 million). The film has even done better than Tom Cruise's latest - Mission Impossible The Final Recknoning - which earned $151 million domestically. Both the big Marvel releases of 2025 - Captain America: Brave New World ($200 million) and Thunderbolts ($187 million) also lag behind.

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning has also lagged behind Sinners at the box office.

Sinners worldwide box office

Sinners, however, has not done wonders overseas, which is par for the course for an independent film not backed by an IP. The film has earned under $85 million overseas for a worldwide gross of $357 million. It still puts it above the likes of Dunkirk and Tenet, but the Marvel films soar ahead because of their high overseas gross. Despite that, Sinners remains the sixth-highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year. And it achieved that on a budget of $90 million with no big studio support.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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