The buddy comedy One of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and SZA, claimed the top spot at the North American box office during an unusually quiet Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The Sony-produced R-rated film earned $11.6 million across 2,675 theaters, narrowly edging out Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King. One of Them Days is projected to surpass its production costs by Monday.
The film, praised for its humor and chemistry, follows two friends and roommates, played by Palmer and SZA, as they race against time to scrape together rent money before facing eviction. Its success is notable, as it marks the first Black female-led theatrical comedy since Girls Trip in 2017. Critics have embraced the film, which boasts a stellar 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
"One Of Them Days," Starring SZA & Keke Palmer, Could Debut At #1
While One of Them Days thrived, the overall box office struggled, with total weekend grosses expected to fall below $80 million. According to Comscore data, this ranks as one of the weakest MLK holiday weekends since 1997. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, highlighted the film’s achievement despite the sluggish market, stating, “For an individual film like One of Them Days, this was a great weekend.” SZA has received tremendous praise for her acting debut. The film also features Katt Williams and Lil Rel. The film follows SZA's release of her SOS: LANA, the deluxe version of her sophomore album. Keke Palmer is excited to work with SZA again on future projects. Issa Rae calls "One Of Them Days" a full-length version of "Insecure."
Historically, the MLK weekend has hosted blockbusters like Bad Boys for Life, which opened to $62.5 million in 2020, and American Sniper, which grossed $89.3 million in its 2016 debut. Analysts expect the box office to rebound in February with the release of Captain America: Brave New World and Paddington in Peru.
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