Ben Stiller, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Joe Russo and More Defend 'Sinners' After Variety Criticizes Film's Box Office Performance (2025)

Variety came under fire over the weekend for a box office report that dinged Ryan Coogler’s hit horror film, “Sinners,” for having an uphill battle to make a profit despite its impressive $63 million global opening.

Ben Stiller and Patrick Schwarzenegger were among the Hollywood figures calling out the trade outlet for its questionable framing, defending “Sinners” for its clear box office win and emphasizing that — even in light of its $90 million price tag before expenses for global marketing — the $63 million haul is accounting for just three days.

“In what universe does a $60 million opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline?” Stiller tweeted Sunday, re-sharing Variety’s post.

That post read: “‘Sinners’ has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It’s a great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away.”

Comedian and actress Kristen Schaal responded to Stiller’s X post, decrying that “no one will write anything without a negative spin anymore,” even when the “Sinners” success should be celebratory moment.

“I guess that’s what gets the clicks, but it’s so gross and tired,” Schaal wrote. “And then people start thinking like that. It’s a disgusting cycle we are in.”

Schwarzenegger, a breakout star of “The White Lotus” Season 3, took to the comments section of Variety’s tweet writing, simply, “It’s opening weekend.”

In a more shady and sarcastic response, filmmaker and producer Joe Russo mocked Variety for raising concerns over what were unrealistic expectations for any film.

“Variety: “WHY DIDN’T THE MOVIE MAKE ALL ITS BUDGET BACK IN THREE DAYS,” Russo responded to the outlet’s original tweet.

The Black List founder Franklin Leonard has also become a major proponent for the film’s success — and began calling out box office coverage from The New York Times and Variety (among others) for what appeared to be a double standard for Black-centered works. He pointed out the differences in Variety’s coverage of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” from Quentin Tarantino, which “made 10% less at the domestic box office on 10% more theaters prepandemic and at the same budget with a similar deal structure.”

Spoiler alert: They didn’t. https://t.co/dL4dVu1L3e

— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) April 20, 2025

Coogler’s original feature film, which tells the story of twin gangsters who return to their hometown to start a juke joint in 1932 Mississippi Delta but are forced to face a gang of thirsty vampires, made the No. 1 spot at the box office over the weekend, earning $48 million domestically and $63 million globally, beating out “Minecraft’s” $41.3 million box office in its third weekend. The film now has the highest domestic opening weekend for an original film of the decade, surpassing Jordan Peele’s “Nope.”

Stiller, Schwarzenegger, Schaal and Russo were hardly alone in calling out what they saw as slanted coverage of the “Sinners” box office. Many online flooded Variety’s tweet responses with clap-backs pointing out biased reporting.

“Luke Cage” showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker wrote, “Basically … ‘Uh uh, n—s. Not yet.’ Which is why we need to see it again. And again. And again. To keep it in theaters. Next two weeks are key, especially on Imax screens. This movie has legs … which is scaring the shit out of the powers that be.”

“Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li, Jack O’Connell and Omar Benson Miller and is now in theaters.

Variety did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

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