The new A24 thriller starring Glen Powell is having a hard time finding an audience. How to Make a Killing opened softly last week, and things have gotten worse in its second weekend. The numbers show a steep drop even though the movie is now playing in more theaters across the country. This makes it the second box office disappointment in a row for the Twisters and Anyone But You star.
The movie, which takes loose inspiration from a 1949 British classic, arrived with some buzz but could not turn that into ticket sales. Critics were not kind, and while regular moviegoers seem to like it a bit more, that positive word of mouth has not translated into bigger crowds. Here is a breakdown of what happened and what the numbers mean for the film and its lead actor.
A 55% Drop in Weekend Number Two
How to Make a Killing had a rough opening weekend, debuting at number six with just $3.56 million from 1,625 locations . But the real trouble showed up in its second weekend. According to industry reports, the film is projected to earn only $1.56 million by the end of its sophomore frame. That represents a massive 55% drop from its debut .
What makes this drop sting more is that the movie actually expanded its theater count. It added 101 screens, bringing its total to 1,726 theaters . Usually, adding theaters helps soften a second-weekend decline or can even lead to a small bump. That is not what happened here. The expansion backfired, spreading the film even thinner across a larger footprint and crushing its per-screen average.
The per-theater average tells the real story. In its opening weekend, the average was already low for an A24 release at $2,146 per screen . After expanding, that number collapsed to just $904 per screen . That means on average, each theater showing the movie made less than one thousand dollars across the entire weekend. For a specialty distributor like A24, which relies on strong per-screen averages to build momentum, this number is a clear warning sign.
The Budget Problem and International Release
The financial picture for How to Make a Killing is not pretty. Reports place the film’s production budget at $15 million . While that is modest by Hollywood standards, it is a significant investment for A24. With marketing costs added in, industry experts estimate the movie needs to gross around $37.5 million worldwide just to break even .
Right now, that number feels far away. The film’s cumulative domestic total is expected to hit just $6.2 million by the end of its second weekend . To make matters worse, the movie has not yet launched in most international markets. It is currently relying almost entirely on domestic box office returns .
International audiences will get their chance soon. The film is scheduled to release in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2026, through StudioCanal. It will then open in France on March 25, 2026 . These later releases could help recoup some of the budget, but the weak reception and poor reviews in the US do not bode well for its overseas performance.
Critics vs. Audiences: A Familiar Divide
One of the most talked-about aspects of this release is the gap between what critics think and what audiences feel. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film sits at a disappointing 46% critics score, making it one of Glen Powell’s worst-reviewed movies ever . Only The Expendables 3 (32%), Ride Along 2 (15%), and Misconduct (7%) rank lower in his filmography .
But the audience score tells a different story. Moviegoers gave it a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, creating a 28-point gap . This split is the largest for a Powell film since Anyone But You in 2023 . Over on Metacritic, the trend continues. The film has a “mixed or average” critic score of 52, but users rate it much higher at 7.7 .
Reviews from critics acknowledge Powell’s performance, with some comparing his character to Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. The film’s visual style also earned some praise . However, many critics pointed to pacing issues, a lack of humor, and a forced take on the “eat the rich” theme as major problems . Audiences, it seems, are more forgiving and are enjoying it as a straightforward popcorn thriller.
The Story Behind the Remake
How to Make a Killing is not an original idea. It is loosely based on a very old and respected film. The original is the 1949 British black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets, directed by Robert Hamer . That classic starred Alec Guinness, who famously played eight different members of the same family. The 1949 film itself was adapted from Roy Horniman’s 1907 novel, Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal .
In this new version, Glen Powell plays Becket Redfellow, a blue-collar worker who was disowned by his wealthy family at birth . He decides to murder his way back into the inheritance line, taking out his relatives one by one. The supporting cast includes Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Ed Harris, and Topher Grace . John Patton Ford wrote and directed the film .
A Second Straight Miss for Glen Powell
This box office stumble comes right on the heels of another expensive disappointment. Last November, Powell starred in The Running Man, a dystopian action film directed by Edgar Wright based on the Stephen King story . That film carried a massive $110 million budget but grossed only $68.6 million worldwide . While The Running Man was a bigger financial risk due to its budget, the back-to-back misses raise questions about Powell’s box office consistency outside of franchise or ensemble hits.
Powell became a major star after the success of Top Gun: Maverick, and he solidified his leading man status with the rom-com Anyone But You and the disaster movie Twisters. Both were clear hits. But these two 2025-2026 releases show that his name alone cannot guarantee a win, especially with darker, more adult-skewing material.
Looking ahead, Powell has a packed schedule that could quickly erase this rough patch. He has J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond coming in November 2026, which also stars Jenna Ortega and Samuel L. Jackson . He is also attached to projects from Barry Jenkins (The Natural Order), Judd Apatow, and Ron Howard . These high-profile collaborations could easily put him back on top.
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Streaming Could Be the Lifeline
While theaters are proving tough, the film might find a second life at home. A24 titles often perform well on streaming and digital rental platforms. The strong audience score and word of mouth could drive people to check it out once it leaves theaters . There is no official date yet for a digital release, but given the box office performance, it will likely hit PVOD (Premium Video on Demand) sooner rather than later . That is where How to Make a Killing might finally find the audience it has been missing.
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