April 23, 2025
The media outlet chose to focus on saying that the “profitability remains a question mark,” instead of celebrating the $60M worldwide opening weekend total of the movie
Sinners, the latest Michael B. Jordan/Ryan Coogler collaboration, drew in $45.6 million nationally over the Easter weekend ($60 million worldwide), beating A Minecraft Movie for the top spot, yet Variety instead insisted that “profitability remains a question mark,” drawing critics like Ben Stiller to blast the media outlet for not recognizing the achievement of topping the box office.
In what universe does a 60 million dollar opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline? https://t.co/rkFQxQNwMp
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 21, 2025
Negating the news that the movie brought in the most money in an opening weekend for an original movie since Jordan Peele’s Us took in $71 million in 2019, the media outlet chose to focus on the movie not meeting the “staggering $90 million” that it took to produce the movie.
The suspicion of racial politics took root right away since, out of all people to bring it to our attention, was the likes of a Ben Stiller, a white actor who may have seen the irony of the media outlet’s reporting. Yet, he wasn’t the only person to notice that Variety seemingly played that card, as most folks in and out of Hollywood would speculate that most movies that are released, depending on the budget, will not immediately turn a profit after merely three days of release. Knowing that this wasn’t a Black film, per se, but a Black director with a Black lead feature, and the difficulties it presents, made the questioning of mentioning the “profitability” suspect at the least.
Stiller wasn’t the only notable person chastising Variety for doing so.
Patrick Schwarzenegger also chimed in that it’s just the opening weekend, reminding the media outlet that more will be made in the future.
It’s opening weekend …
— Patrick Schwarzenegger (@PSchwarzenegger) April 20, 2025
Someone else commented that Variety saw that a Black director pulled in a box office hit and had to somehow deflate the achievement.
variety saw a black director doing well and said not on my watch https://t.co/kcdjSCOEdj
— oatmeal influencer (@acechhh) April 20, 2025
Joe Russo also chimed in with his thoughts, stating the obvious that Hollywood movies may not make back the complete budget in the opening weekend.
Variety: “WHY DIDN’T THE MOVIE MAKE ALL ITS BUDGET BACK IN THREE DAYS”
— Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) April 20, 2025
Sean Fennessey reminds Variety that there are other factors that help studios make back their money, as it doesn’t always result in a movie turning a profit with just opening weekend totals.
There is a zero percent chance SINNERS will be unprofitable over time. PVOD numbers — which are not made publicly available — alone will push it past break even. Studios are incentivized to make the final tally opaque, especially when participation is a factor. There’s a massive… https://t.co/5sIRf3DMLd
— Sean Fennessey (@SeanFennessey) April 20, 2025
Franklin Leonard “wondered” out loud if Variety had the same energy and smoke for a Quentin Tarantino movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, that didn’t make back its budget in the opening weekend when it was released.
I wonder if @variety covered Once Upon A Time in Hollywood – which made 10% less at the domestic box office on 10% more theaters prepandemic and at the same budget with a similar deal structure – in the same way. https://t.co/ejQx6EMSAv
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) April 20, 2025
Sinners, which stars Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers, was directed by Coogler, with whom Jordan has collaborated since 2013, when they worked together on the critically acclaimed drama, Fruitvale Station.
The two have collaborated on seven movies: all three Rocky spinoff films, Creed, Creed II, and Creed III, as well as the Marvel movies Black Pantherand Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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