Young Washington earns $20.8M, sequel in works

A historical drama about the early life of George Washington emerged as a major box office surprise over the July 4 holiday weekend, significantly outperforming expectations and several high-profile studio releases. "Young Washington," produced by the independent studio Angel Studios, earned an estimated $20.8 million in its domestic debut from July 3-5, 2026, finishing third overall for the weekend behind the animated sequels "Minions Monsters" and "Toy Story 5."

The film's opening surpassed industry projections by roughly 40 percent and marked the second-best debut in Angel Studios' history, trailing only the animated film "David" from late 2025. It also set a new record as the studio's highest-grossing live-action opening, eclipsing the 2023 hit "Sound of Freedom." The film performed strongly on July 4 itself, taking second place for the day with $7.65 million and a robust per-screen average.

Directed by Jon Erwin, "Young Washington" stars William Franklyn Miller as a young George Washington navigating military service, alliances, and personal trials during the French and Indian War in the 1750s. The supporting cast includes Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, and...