Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Americana’ to Profit Despite Lackluster Box Office

Sydney Sweeney might have fabulous jeans, but she’s not having a good month. Her newest film, “Americana,” a neo-Western directed by Tony Tost, had a weekend at the box office that left casual viewers wondering if something is seriously off.

The movie earned approximately $500,000 during its first weekend through Lionsgate, placing 19th for the week among local releases. The studio released the film on a relatively wide scale across more than 1,100 screens nationwide (resulting in a per-screen average of $436), as well as spending $3 million to obtain it out ofSXSW back in 2023That’s what we in the industry typically refer to as “not good.”

But Lionsgate isn’t concerned (even though Sweeney is still reconsidering the advertising campaigns she selects). In fact, the studio expects “Americana” to generate a straightforward profit in the end.

We’ve heard the studio’s argument before: the box office opening weekend isn’t as strong as it once was, and these films are created to generate revenue while keeping an eye on the long-term strategy of releasing them on PVOD and licensing them to streaming platforms. This is usually the reasoning used to persuade us that audiences aren’t experiencing superhero fatigue.

While there wasn’t enough rotation in the world to save Lionsgate’s “Borderlands,”Lionsgate finds itself in a distinct position compared to other major studios. Although Sweeney has star appeal, “Americana” isn’t on the same level as one of the studio’s primary blockbuster films, although it does feature another film starring Sweeney.”The Servant,” set to release this Christmas, so we might be having a different discussion then.

One aspect that distinguishes Lionsgate from other studios is that, besides releasing two or three major franchise films and around a dozen other titles, Lionsgate also distributes up to 30 to 40 smaller films annually with minimal promotion and a more focused approach through its Lionsgate Premiere Releasing label. Some of these are released directly on streaming platforms, such as an upcoming Netflix movie titled “War Machine,” while others debut in cinemas and on digital platforms simultaneously or following a 17-day theatrical period.

Some of the more successful recent examples include “Sisu” and “Fall,” both of which earned $7.2 million domestically. There are numerous others that you likely haven’t come across.

“Americana” aligns with that business model, and as the Muara Digital Team has discovered, up to 95 percent of those filmsdoGenerate revenue once the film has completed its run in cinemas, PVOD, and SVOD. For this particular movie, Lionsgate purchased the film for $3 million, but they also granted international rights to “Americana,” meaning the studio is only responsible for roughly half of that amount, approximately $1.5 million. The film’s promotional efforts—partially consisting of theatrical trailers and mostly digital campaigns, including Sweeney sharing content on her Instagram alongside images of herself in full denim—add another $3 million.

It’s time for some rough calculations: The studio anticipates the film will gross approximately $1.5 million at the box office from this point onward (keep in mind that theaters receive half of that revenue), but it also expects to generate several million dollars from home video sales, Pay-1 deals with a streaming service such as Starz (which is now separate from Lionsgate) or Netflix, or through international releases.

Displaying it on up to 1,100 screens also contributes to building recognition over time. Additionally, if a film like this ever appears on Netflix’s Top 10 list, it might receive a minor financial benefit, although Lionsgate’s specific arrangement in this area remains uncertain. By the time everything is settled (at some point in the future), “Americana” could potentially see a profit of around $1.5 million, which was essentially the intended outcome.

But let’s not mistake “Americana” for being ahit. In a perfect scenario, “Americana” would have a closing box office total at least double what it’s currently projected to achieve, and the same goes for its earnings. Similar to “Sisu,” which also had a broader release and received a stronger promotional campaign, the studio felt “Americana” had some potential, given the Sweeney aspect. Additionally, unlike most of their films that are shown for 17 days, “Americana” will be available in theaters for an exclusive period of 30 days.

It’s also definitely not what the film’s investors, Bron, intended when “Americana” was first made for approximately $9 million. One of the reasons the film has remained unreleased for two years since its debut at SXSW in 2023 is because Bron filed for bankruptcy later that year. Honestly, it’s lucky this movie ever came out.

However, Lionsgate is quite effective at generating additional revenue from home entertainment and digital releases, often outperforming other studios in this area. You typically find that action films and genre movies perform exceptionally well following their theatrical release, which is a major reason why Lionsgate continues to produce movies featuring Jason Statham or Gerard Butler.

However, employing this one-for-you/one-for-them approach also maintains Lionsgate’s favorable relationship with someone like Sweeney, which is beneficial when they aim to collaborate with her again on “The Housemaid.” Despite the American Eagle controversy, a single weak box office opening won’t diminish Sweeney’s status as a marketable star.