'Young Washington' Sequel in the Works After Record-Setting Box Office Haul - United States News Beep

Young Washington was the surprise hit of the long holiday weekend, taking in $20.8 million at the domestic box office. The biopic came in third on the box office leaderboard this weekend, behind Toy Story 5 in second place and new arrival Minions & Monsters in first. Supergirl, which already had a rough debut last weekend, sunk to fourth place. On July Fourth itself, Young Washington came in second place.

Set in the 1750s, Young Washington follows a 20-something George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller), the future first president of the United States, when he’s fighting in the French and Indian War. According to Deadline, Young Washington earned more money on its opening weekend than any other movie produced by faith-based media company Angel Studios, including the 2023 hit Sound of Freedom. The only other Angel Studios picture to earn more was the animated film David, which took in $22 million when it debuted in theaters in Dec. 2025.

Young Washington director Jon Erwin hopes to capitalize on this success. In a video message posted from George Washington’s former home of Mount Vernon (now a museum dedicated to Washington’s life), Erwin shared that he and his team are already working on a follow-up movie called 1776. This one will skip forward in time and follow Washington during the thick of the American Revolutionary War. “And if you think Washington’s big, wait for 1776. It’s epic in every way. It’s another incredible chapter in this man’s life and legacy,” Erwin said. “I hope you’re ready for 1776. We’re writing it right now.”

Young Washington played well in the Mountain, Midwest, Southcentral, and South regions of the United States, which together contributed 67% of the weekend take. The highest-grossing theater was the Megaplex Lehi at Thanksgiving Point in Utah, underscoring how well the film did in the American heartland as opposed to the coasts.

The demographics for Young Washington are also interesting, with people over 55 years old accounting for 47% of the movie’s audience. At a time when movie theaters are bouncing back after post-COVID lulls, it’s exciting to see what kinds of movies can draw different sorts of people out of their homes. Obviously, debuting a movie about a major American historical figure over the Fourth of July weekend was a smart move.

As for reviews, critics generally praised Young Washington as exciting and well-made, even if some questioned its lack of nuance or historical authenticity. It earned a 60% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although audience scores were much higher at 92%.

There’s no release date set for 1776 as of yet, but one imagines it will also come out over Fourth of July weekend. And perhaps there could be more adventures with young presidents after that. “My hope is that this is the beginning of many extraordinary American stories told through film and television,” Erwin said in a statement.

In addition to William Franklyn-Miller, Young Washington stars Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary-Louise Parker. It’s worth noting that William Franklyn-Miller is an Englishman, but he wouldn’t be the first actor from the United Kingdom to play an American president; if Daniel Day-Lewis can play Abraham Lincoln in 2012’s Lincoln, there’s room for Franklyn-Miller.