Sydney Sweeney Scores Career-Best Box Office Win After Three Flops
The actress rebounds from a string of disappointing releases with Paul Feig's psychological thriller, which has already surpassed her previous domestic record and secured a sequel deal.
Paul Feig's psychological thriller has delivered Sydney Sweeney the career comeback she desperately needed. After watching three consecutive films crash and burn at theaters, the actress found redemption starring alongside Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar in this adaptation of Frieda McFadden's bestselling novel.
Breaking Box Office Records
The film has now officially topped Sweeney's previous domestic champion, the 2023 romantic comedy featuring Glen Powell that earned $88 mn stateside. That earlier success seemed to guarantee Sweeney's star power, but subsequent releases told a different story entirely.
Currently approaching $90 mn during its fourth weekend run, the thriller appears destined for a $150 mn worldwide total. These numbers have already triggered sequel discussions, marking a dramatic turnaround for an actress whose recent track record looked increasingly shaky.
A Year of Disappointments Reversed
Sweeney's 2025 slate should have cemented her A-list status. Three major releases dropped within months of each other before the thriller's late-year debut. All three bombed spectacularly in theaters, though streaming platforms later embraced two of them.
The psychological drama's theatrical success will likely boost its upcoming video-on-demand and streaming performance even further. Sometimes timing makes all the difference.
Sequel Confirmed Despite Director's History
McFadden's source material includes two follow-up novels, but film adaptations remained uncertain until box office numbers started rolling in. Feig typically avoids franchise filmmaking, though he might reconsider given the project's financial performance.
Speaking about his approach, Feig explained his attraction to the material: "Getting to mess with an audience this much? How can you turn that down? Usually, my movies have some kind of twist in them. Some are bigger than others, but I like to fool an audience and entertain them at the same time. And I like how extreme this movie gets. I'm a maximalist; I like things to be playing at 11."
The director praised both the built-in fanbase and McFadden's storytelling foundation, plus the opportunity to work with exceptional performers. Whatever direction the sequel takes, Sweeney can finally exhale after ending her streak of commercial disasters.