‘Young Washington’ Achieves Angel Studios’ Second-Biggest Opening Weekend Ever

Independence Day weekend at the movies typically sees a fierce competition among Hollywood’s biggest franchises, all vying for the same crowded multiplex spaces. This year was no exception on the surface, with animated sequels and superhero blockbusters dominating the marketing landscape leading up to the holiday.

However, as the actual box office numbers began to emerge, the weekend’s standout story belonged to a film that operated with a significantly smaller marketing budget than its competitors. Angel Studios, known for grassroots successes like ‘Sound of Freedom’ and ‘The Chosen,’ has turned its George Washington origin story into one of the summer’s biggest surprises.

That film, ‘Young Washington,’ grossed an estimated $20.8 million over its three-day opening weekend from just 2,700 theaters nationwide, according to Variety. This impressive figure is remarkable considering the film lacked major stars typically associated with box office success, making it the second biggest opening weekend in Angel Studios history, following only the studio’s Easter release ‘David.’

To put this achievement into perspective, ‘Young Washington’ surpassed the opening numbers of nearly every other Angel Studios release to date. It outperformed ‘Sketch’ at $2.5 million, ‘Brave the Dark’ at $2.6 million, ‘Sight’ at $2.8 million, ‘Sound of Hope’ at $3.1 million, ‘Animal Farm’ at $3.4 million, and ‘The Shift’ at $4.3 million.

The film also exceeded the openings of ‘Bonhoeffer’ at $5.1 million, ‘The Last Rodeo’ at $5.3 million, ‘Homestead’ at $6.1 million, and both ‘Solo Mio’ and ‘Cabrini’ at $7.2 million each. Even Angel’s more recent successes couldn’t match its pace, with ‘The King of Kings’ landing at $19.4 million and ‘Sound of Freedom’ at $19.7 million, both narrowly edged out by Washington’s holiday weekend earnings.

The film’s per theater average is equally impressive. With approximately $7,700 per screen from a nationwide release of 2,700 locations, ‘Young Washington’ demonstrated that it didn’t require a limited platform release to achieve eye-catching per screen figures, a feat that is uncommon for wide releases competing against major studio blockbusters.

Directed by Jon Erwin, known for faith-based and patriotic films like ‘Jesus Revolution’ and ‘American Underdog,’ ‘Young Washington’ chronicles the early life of George Washington during his time in the Virginia Militia and his experiences in the French and Indian War. The film features William Franklyn-Miller in the lead role, supported by Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley.

The release date was strategically chosen, landing in theaters on July 3 to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary of independence. The film received an A grade on CinemaScore from opening day audiences, contrasting sharply with its 57 percent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience score on the same platform has been reported in the low to mid 90s, highlighting the kind of critic-audience divide that Angel Studios has successfully navigated in the past.

This divide is not new for the studio. Its breakout 2023 release ‘Sound of Freedom’ experienced a similarly mixed critical reception but garnered overwhelming audience enthusiasm, ultimately grossing over $200 million worldwide from a fraction of its budget. Angel Studios has built its business model around appealing to a conservative, faith-oriented, and family-friendly audience that traditional Hollywood marketing often overlooks, and the results from this weekend indicate that strategy continues to yield positive outcomes.

‘Young Washington’ concluded the holiday weekend in third place at the domestic box office, trailing behind the animated sequel ‘Minions & Monsters’ and the ongoing success of ‘Toy Story 5,’ but ahead of DC’s struggling ‘Supergirl’ in its second weekend. For an inspirational historical drama competing against two of Hollywood’s biggest family franchises, this ranking alone underscores the film’s stronger-than-expected word of mouth.

With a strong CinemaScore and the community-driven audience that Angel Studios has cultivated over the years, the film’s performance in its second weekend could prove just as significant as its opening numbers. Historically, Angel’s biggest hits have shown remarkable staying power in the weeks following their debut, often outperforming typical Hollywood drop-off rates.

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