In case you missed it, a Sydney Sweeney movie was recently released, and it bombed at the box office. Weeks after her American Eagle jeans ads stirred controversy, her film Americana failed to impress.
Americana opened nationwide this weekend with an estimated $500,000 from 1,123 theaters, ranking 16th in the domestic box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. By comparison, Sweeney’s 2023 rom-com Anyone But You opened to $6 million and went on to gross more than $88 million domestically, per The Numbers.
The crime thriller follows Penny Jo (Sydney Sweeney), a shy small-town waitress with big dreams, and Lefty (Paul Walter Hauser), a lonely local veteran. The two team up to steal a prized Lakota ghost shirt, hoping the artifact will change their fortunes. Their plan backfires when they attract the wrath of a ruthless criminal (Eric Dane) and his boss (Simon Rex), an Indigenous gang leader (Zahn McClarnon), and a fugitive on the run (Halsey).
Americana was written and directed by Tony Tost. It is also his feature directorial debut.
Also Read: Sydney Sweeney Launches Lingerie Label with Massive $1B Backing Tied to Jeff Bezos
Late Release
The film took a long path to theaters. Sweeney and her costars joined the project in February 2022; it premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival; and Lionsgate acquired global distribution rights in March 2024.
Despite the weak box-office numbers, Lionsgate insists it has a multi-platform strategy for Americana, including premium video-on-demand, and claims the $500k opening is “in no way a disappointment, financial or otherwise,” according to THR.
On the upside, Americana did earn moderately positive reviews. It holds a 61 Metascore on Metacritic and a 68% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. Rolling Stone’s Marlow Stern praised it as “an admirably weird and engaging odyssey” reminiscent of “Tarantino meets The Sugarland Express.”
American Eagle to Americana
Americana opened under the shadow of Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign, which played on the homophones “jeans” and “genes.” The ads claimed her “blue” genes/jeans were “great.” Critics attacked the campaign as evoking Nazi eugenics and white supremacy, while defenders dismissed the backlash as another case of “woke” overreach.
President Donald Trump took time off from his presidential duties to praise Sydney Sweeney, stating that she has the “HOTTEST ad out there” and the jeans are “flying off the shelves”. Trump Jr. proceeded to make it weirder when he shared an AI-generated image of his father wearing Sweeney’s denim outfit. Yikes.
