Filipinos continue to pack cinemas this July, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Sunshine activate various demographics despite the persistent bad weather in the country.
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| (C) Project 8, Marvel |
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, featuring Marvel’s First Family, opened to $2.07 million (est. ₱118 million) in the Philippines. That marks the second-highest opening this year for a comic book film, falling just slightly behind Superman ($2.4–2.5 million) from two weeks ago. The reboot also outperformed fellow Marvel releases this year: Captain America: Brave New World ($1.67 million) and Thunderbolts ($1.5 million).
While the opening lags behind the peak of Marvel films in the country, it should be still seen as a win for Marvel, as momentum is clearly trending upward again for the studio. It may also have helped that, despite negative branding in recent years, the Fantastic Four remains a more well-known property than the likes of Thunderbolts. Pedro Pascal’s presence likely contributed as well, given his popularity from The Mandalorian and The Last of Us.
Marvel proceeded with the local premiere last Tuesday, July 22 which even featured a band to play the film's theme. The film's partnerships with food chains Yellow Cab and Burger King may have also boosted awareness among its target demo. Audience reception will remain a crucial factor here for longevity as several releases are expected week after week. Fortunately, thanks to Disney and the film's solid opening week numbers, First Steps may hold on to its screens until mid-August.
Taking on the role of the counter-programmer is Antoinette Jadaone's R-16 sports drama Sunshine. It’s a bold move by whoever decided to schedule it against a Marvel release, especially given its heavy themes.
Although official figures have yet to be released by its exclusive exhibitor, SM Cinema, or the studio, our independent tracking shows the film performed well in Metro Manila. Provincial cinemas also contributed modestly, with screenings increasing by the weekend, as noted by director Jadaone on her X/Twitter page.
Aware of the challenge ahead, Project 8 and marketing agency Lunchbox began reaching out to their target demographic a month before release. They also announced lower ticket prices (₱275 in Metro Manila, and ₱230 in the provinces) following the confirmation that the film would be an SM Cinema exclusive.
After Sunshine opened the 2025 Taipei Film Festival last June, the team worked to sustain momentum by releasing posters and hosting advance screenings among industry peers. To ensure strong attendance on its first few days in cinemas, the film secured a significant number of block screenings from fans and partners.
Jadaone and lead star Maris Racal also barnstormed across various platforms to promote this film: from Recreate, Kuan on One, and Rolling Stone Philippines to the YouTube channels hosted by Karen Davila, Zeinab Harake, Yani Villarosa, and Bianca Gonzales. Jadaone also activated her podcast Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast to rally her followers, and engaged in conversations with local cinephiles on X/Twitter about her previous and current works.
The film's premiere was cancelled due to inclement weather. Fortunately, they have a good material on their hands, as positive reactions poured in from the likes of drag queen Eva Le Queen, director Quark Henares, journalist Jervis Manahan. Fans of Racal made sure that these reactions were being heard. It also helped that this is the only local film opening, allowing it to dominate conversations among its target base. As Fantastic Four turned into a party for Marvel fans by the weekend, Sunshine was becoming the same too, albeit on a smaller scale.
I came out of the cinema feeling like something shifted. Sobrang galing mo direk @tonetjadaone omg! It was so compelling and gripping hindi ko namalayan tapos na! Also @MissMarisRacal is just sooooo good! The very minute but very impactful expressions she makes lalo na habang… pic.twitter.com/mwLkBB3WlG
— Ms. Eva (@eva_lequeen) July 24, 2025
Unlike First Steps, Sunshine will face a reduced screen count in its second week. However, most of its packed and sold-out shows came from Metro Manila, particularly at key malls such as SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura, and SM Megamall. It may still collect a few more hundred thousand pesos before new releases in August push it out of theaters.
More campaigns are underway as P77 (July), Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (August), 100 Awit Para kay Stella (September), and Quezon (October) also aim to entice Filipinos back to the big screens.
Unsurprisingly, Superman and Jurassic World Rebirth saw major drops in screen count this week. While updated figures have not yet been published, Superman has reportedly grossed over ₱241 million locally. Meanwhile, in just three weeks, Jurassic World Rebirth has collected $3.2 million in the Philippines.
This article will be updated as more data becomes available.
