Jack Quaid’s Novocaine just crossed a significant box office milestone. Having debuted on March 14, the two-hour thriller sees Quaid as Nathan Caine, a banker with an inability to feel pain. After his partner (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped by bank robbers, Nathan is forced to become an action hero in an attempt to save her. The movie has earned a positive reception from critics, having earned an 83% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside its 86% Popcornmeter score. Most critics have praised Novocaine’s experienced cast, sense of humor, and visual effects.
Per The Numbers, the action-thriller has earned over $21 million worldwide, which means that its overall total officially surpassed the reported $18 million budget. That milestone comes just 10 days after the movie’s initial release, so the overall total should continue to rise. While the movie will likely need significantly more to break even, it is an excellent sign and could bode well in the coming weeks.
What Novocaine’s Box Office Milestone Means

It Could Quickly Become A Success

A general rule of thumb with theatrical releases is that they need 2.5x their budgets just to achieve a profit, thanks to the cost of marketing budgets and theaters taking their cuts off of every ticket. Novocaine’s $18 million budget would mean that it would need approximately $45 million to break even by that rule. With only $21 million in its second weekend, that is still achievable, though it will need to double its overall gross to reach that target. Thankfully, the old box office calculus is starting to break down, due to the rise of the streaming era.

It is only in its second weekend, and it has seen limited competition.

This particular movie has received strong reviews, as ScreenRant’s Rachel Labonte called Novocaine is a “rollicking adventure” that “really is Quaid’s show”. With unending praise and strong marketing, this movie could thrive when it comes to a streaming platform, even if it fails to reach that $45 million mark in theaters. Still, there is time for it to achieve profitability even without the benefit of streaming networks. It is only in its second weekend, and it has seen limited competition, thanks to Snow White’s disappointing weekend.
Our Take On Novocaine’s Box Office Milestone

It’s Good To See An Original Concept Thriving

Novocaine’s success so far is a great sign for the box office. While its total is nowhere near the heights of other action hits, it is still an original and fun movie in a box office environment that rarely rewards originality. Last year, the top 10 highest-grossing movies were all sequels, prequels, or adaptations. Any fully original movie that finds success in today’s landscape is just proof that existing IPs are not the only game in town. If Quaid can continue to see this level of success, it may be evidence that studios can take more risks with their productions.
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Source: The Numbers

Movie

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Novocaine

8/10

Release Date

March 14, 2025

Runtime

24 minutes

Director

Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

Writers

Lars Jacobson