A24 has established itself as a powerhouse in independent cinema, known for high-quality indie films that stand out and have a unique perspective. But are all their films critical and box office successes?
Opus is the latest A24 film, arriving in United States theaters on March 14, 2025. With a film festival premiere and critics’ reviews already out, the eyes have turned to the box office.
Prediction platforms like Polymarket have launched a market on this film’s opening weekend box office (in the U.S.). With over $25,000 in trading volume, the highest predicted choice is less than $3 million at 71%. Importantly, the market will close once official numbers are released for the March 14-16, 2025 weekend gross.
Before you bet on Opus’ opening weekend box office, here’s what you need to know about the movie.
What is ‘Opus’?
Opus is a thriller directed and written by Mark Anthony Green. This is Green’s feature directorial debut, and it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 27, 2025.
A young writer (Ayo Edebiri) is invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared thirty years ago. Surrounded by the star’s cult of sycophants and intoxicated journalists, she finds herself in the middle of his twisted plan.
In addition to Edebiri and Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Tony Hale, Melissa Chambers, and Young Mazino are in the cast. With a relatively unknown director, the film is likely banking on Edebiri’s star power with younger audiences, especially after her 2023 Emmy win for The Bear.
Critical reception and box office performance of A24 movies
A24 has quickly become one of the best independent film distributors in Hollywood. With Everything Everywhere All at Once, A24 was able to win multiple Oscars, including Best Picture.
But does this translate to box office success?
Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Score | Opening Weekend Box Office |
My Mercury | N/A | Direct to Streaming |
Open Wide | N/A | Direct to Streaming |
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind | 74% | Direct to Streaming |
Problemista | 86% | $131,521 |
Love Lies Bleeding | 94% | $150,765 |
Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces | 90% | Direct to Streaming |
Civil War | 81% | $25,537,368 |
I Saw the TV Glow | 84% | $119,015 |
The Sixth | 100% | Direct to VOD |
Tuesday | 76% | $25,665 |
Janet Planet | 85% | $47,463 |
MaXXXine | 72% | $6,705,038 |
Sing Sing | 97% | $137,119 |
The Front Room | 41% | $1,585,440 |
Look into My Eyes | 91% | N/A |
A Different Man | 93% | $49,466 |
The Last of the Sea Women | 97% | Direct to Streaming |
We Live in Time | 79% | $232,615 |
Heretic | 91% | $10,829,810 |
Queer | 77% | $200,951 |
Y2K | 42% | $2,113,923 |
The Brutalist | 93% | $266,791 |
Babygirl | 76% | $4,490,145 |
These are all 23 films released by A24 in 2024. 16 of these films were released in theaters, and only a quarter of them were able to earn more than $3 million. It isn’t surprising that the most popular range on Polymarket is less than $3 million.
In terms of critical reception, most of these films were able to earn Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Only two received Rotten scores, and the rest were 72 or higher.
With 38 reviews from critics, Opus currently stands at a Rotten score of 36. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says, “John Malkovich is clearly having a ball playing a nefarious pop musician, but unfortunately the rest of Opus is too conceptually confused for the star’s fun to be infectious.”
However, the two 2024 films that received Rotten Tomatoes scores were not the poorest performers at the box office. It may be more likely tied to the marketing and/or interest surrounding the film.
Despite performing badly with the critics, Y2K may have performed well thanks to a cast featuring another actress popular among young audiences, Rachel Zegler. Similarly, The Front Room stars popular singer and actress Brandy.
However, We Live in Time starred two fan-favorites, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, but it still failed to garner an audience.
Just finished an early screening of #Opus.
— Austin Ashburn (@AustinJAshburn) March 12, 2025
Unfortunately, Ayo Edebiri is the only thing saving this film from being an absolute chop.
1.5/5 stars. pic.twitter.com/j3NgYSBAVg
While critical reception and past box office performance can affect a film’s box office success, most of it will likely depend on public perception and marketing tactics. Unfortunately, social media is swirling with talks that the movie isn’t good, but could Edebiri star power win them over?
