Glen Powell stars in this A24 thriller about inheritance through murder. Despite a theater expansion, the film's box office is in a steep 55% decline.
- April 4, 2026
AceShowbiz - How to Make a Killing is struggling at the domestic box office despite expanding its theater count in its second weekend. The 2026 A24 thriller stars Glen Powell as a man methodically eliminating his estranged wealthy family to claim their inheritance. It is a loose remake of the 1949 Alec Guinness classic Kind Hearts and Coronets.
The film debuted at No. 6 on the weekend of February 20, with a per-screen average of $2,146, which is notably low for an A24 release. According to Deadline, by the end of its sophomore weekend, How to Make a Killing is projected to earn approximately $1.56 million domestically over three days. This marks a significant 55% drop week-over-week, a steep decline even though it expanded to 1,726 theaters, an increase of 101 venues compared to its opening weekend.
Because the movie is earning less overall despite playing in more theaters, its per-screen average has plummeted from the already modest $2,146 to just $904. This sharp decrease highlights the film’s difficulty in maintaining audience interest beyond its initial release.
Internationally, How to Make a Killing has yet to secure a strong release, making it almost entirely reliant on domestic ticket sales. The film’s cumulative domestic gross is expected to reach around $6.2 million by the end of the weekend. However, this figure falls far short of the reported production budget of $15 million. Industry estimates suggest that the break-even point for the movie is near $37.5 million, indicating it is currently running at a significant loss.
Critically, the film has received mixed to negative reviews. It holds a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it among the lower-rated entries in Glen Powell’s filmography. It ranks as his fourth-worst-reviewed movie, trailing behind The Expendables 3 (32%), Ride Along 2 (15%), and Misconduct (7%).
This performance suggests that How to Make a Killing may become Glen Powell’s second consecutive box office disappointment after The Running Man, a dystopian adaptation of a Stephen King story directed by Edgar Wright. That film grossed just $68.6 million against a massive $110 million budget.
Despite these setbacks, Glen Powell has several promising projects lined up. His upcoming slate includes J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond, which also features Jenna Ortega, Barry Jenkins’ The Natural Order, and untitled films from acclaimed filmmakers Judd Apatow and Ron Howard. These projects may provide opportunities for Powell to rebound from his recent theatrical challenges.
How to Make a Killing is directed and written by John Patton Ford and produced by Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin. The film also stars Margaret Qualley alongside Powell, and runs for 108 minutes. Released on February 20, 2026, it blends thriller, comedy, and drama elements but has failed to find a wide audience so far.
As the box office continues to track the film’s performance, industry observers will be watching closely to see if How to Make a Killing can gain traction or if it will remain a cautionary tale for ambitious remakes tied to classic material.
