Critical reviews of Nate Parker’s slavery film, The Birth of a Nation, have been all over the board since it’s release. Now, the official numbers are in, so we can take a look at how it performed commercially.
The film, which was screened at 2,105 theaters nationwide, opened with $7.1 million. After becoming a big hit at the Sundance Film Festival, it was sold to Fox Searchlight from $17.5 million. The film and its star/director Nate Parker have been subject to recent scrutiny in the wake of the resurfacing of his 1999 rape allegations.
According to Fortune magazine, Fox Searchlight distribution chief Frank Rodriguez said, “The film stands on its own. What it was before at Sundance, the actual celluloid, the image, is still the same, but the perception may have changed and there’s not too much anyone can do about it.”
Have you seen The Birth of a Nation? If so, what do you think? Do you not plan to watch it? Let us know all about what you’re thinking in the comments!
