Surprising Success: Reagan Movie Earns $9.2M Over Labor Day Weekend

The newly released Ronald Reagan biopic, directed by Sean McNamara, has outperformed initial box office predictions during its opening weekend. Despite receiving largely negative reviews from critics, the film secured the fourth spot on the weekend charts, showcasing its surprising commercial success.

Titled Reagan, the movie stars Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, and Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan. The narrative spans Reagan’s life, from his childhood and early acting career to his political ascent and presidency. The story emphasizes Reagan’s opposition to communism during his time in Hollywood and his role in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union. Jon Voight narrates the film, portraying a fictional retired KGB officer who holds Reagan responsible for the collapse of the Soviet regime.

Released on Friday before Labor Day weekend, Reagan was the only new movie to contend with the major blockbusters still dominating theaters from earlier in the summer. Over the three-day period from Friday to Sunday, Reagan grossed $7.4 million, with projections indicating a total of $9.2 million by the end of Monday.

The film’s box office performance is notable, given its competition. According to Comscore’s estimates, the weekend’s top earner was Deadpool & Wolverine, which brought in $15.2 million. Alien: Romulus followed with $9.3 million, while It Ends With Us matched Reagan‘s $7.4 million, albeit finishing slightly ahead in third place. Twisters rounded out the top five with $7.2 million.

Audiences have responded positively to Reagan, reflected in the film’s impressive 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on over 1,000 reviews. Viewers praised the performances of Quaid, Voight, and Miller, with one review highlighting the film as “action-packed” and a “great film for anyone who lived during the Reagan years.” Another reviewer described the biopic as delivering “Oscar-winning performances” and commended the film for its heartfelt portrayal of Reagan’s life.

Critics, however, have not shared this enthusiasm. Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe criticized the film as “the worst kind of hagiography” and labeled it a “wretched 2½-hour bore.” Nick Schager of The Daily Beast echoed this sentiment, calling Reagan “the worst movie of the year” and expressing disappointment in its execution. Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times commented that while there is potential for a compelling story about Reagan’s life, Reagan is not that film.

The movie also faced challenges before its release, with allegations that Facebook had restricted advertising and promotional efforts for the film. Dennis Quaid claimed that Facebook was “censoring the free flow of ideas” by limiting the reach of ads related to the film. Facebook acknowledged the issue but attributed it to a possible mistake. The incident was highlighted in a letter from the film’s digital marketing director, Eric McClellan, to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, where McClellan detailed various difficulties encountered when attempting to promote Reagan on the platform.

Despite these controversies, Reagan has managed to capture the interest of moviegoers, demonstrating that even in the face of critical skepticism and promotional hurdles, a film can still resonate with its intended audience.