Sydney Sweeney's Americana struggles at the box office post-controversial ad campaign

In the United States, Sydney Sweeney's film Americana was released across 1,123 theaters and grossed an estimated $500,000 during its opening weekend. This financial performance is noteworthy given the surrounding controversy related to Sweeney's recent advertisement campaign for American Eagle, which drew both criticism and support. The campaign featured a play on words regarding 'genes' and was marked as one of the most significant controversies in her career. Following this negative attention, the film opened to a modest box office compared to competitors, with Weapons leading with $25 million and Freakier Friday earning $14.5 million during the same weekend. Despite the low opening numbers, the film was not designed for mass-market success and has a 30-day exclusive theatrical window, which differs from the standard distribution timeline. Analysts pointed out that Sweeney is primarily recognized for her television roles, particularly on HBO's Euphoria, and thus the box office results should not solely define her work's value. Further context shows that Americana premiered at the SXSW festival earlier in 2023, receiving positive reviews prior to being acquired for release with a limited marketing budget. The advertising strategy reportedly spent under $3 million, reinforcing the film's niche market approach rather than a wide release model focused on box office hits. Overall, while the film's financial performance may be seen as underwhelming, industry insiders hesitate to frame it purely in terms of commercial success, emphasizing Sweeney's growing but still developing career in film.