Angel Studios Announces ‘1776’ Sequel to ‘Young Washington’ After Strong Opening Weekend
Angel Studios is already moving forward with a follow-up film titled 1776 after the strong opening of Young Washington in theaters.
Young Washington opened to $20.8 million, which beat early expectations of around $15 million. The film comes from director Jon Erwin, who also worked on I Can Only Imagine. It tells an early story about George Washington and features William Franklyn-Miller in the lead role, along with actors like Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Kelsey Grammer.
The film performed especially well in parts of the United States outside the biggest coastal cities. According to the report, audiences in the Mountain, Midwest, Southcentral, and Southern regions made up a large share of ticket sales. That group accounted for about 67 percent of the weekend total. The movie also did this without relying heavily on premium large format screens, which are usually a big boost for major releases.
One of the more surprising details was where the top-earning theater was located. Instead of a major Hollywood or New York cinema, the highest-grossing location was The Megaplex 18 Thanksgiving Point in Utah. That theater alone brought in around $111,000 so far for the film.
Audience reaction also looked strong. The film received an A CinemaScore, and PostTrak results showed an 81 percent “definite recommend” score. Another notable point was the age breakdown. Viewers over 55 made up about 47 percent of the audience, which is a large share for a modern theatrical release.
After the strong opening, Jon Erwin announced on social media that a sequel called 1776 is already in development. The announcement confirms that Angel Studios is continuing to build on the success of Young Washington and is planning to expand the story into a larger series of historical films.
In a statement included in the Deadline report, Brandon Purdie, EVP of Theatrical at Angel Studios, said, “Seeing audiences across the country embrace Young Washington during our nation’s 250th anniversary celebration has been incredibly meaningful. This milestone is a testament to the power of great storytelling and to our outstanding partners at Wonder Project and 2521 Entertainment, who helped bring this remarkable film to life. We’re grateful to exhibitors nationwide, to every Angel Guild member, and to every moviegoer who chose to experience Young Washington together in theaters this holiday weekend.”
Jon Erwin also spoke about the film’s meaning in another quote included in the same report. He said, “The American experiment is one of the greatest origin stories in history, and George Washington’s journey through failure, perseverance, and sacrifice forged the leader who would help shape a nation. To share that journey with audiences alongside Angel as our nation marks its 250th anniversary has been one of the greatest honors of my career. My hope is that this is the beginning of many extraordinary American stories told through film and television.”
Are you interested in the sequel 1776 after watching Young Washington?
The success of Young Washington places it among Angel Studios’ stronger live-action openings. It is second only to their animated film David, which opened to $22 million last December. The company has been building a track record with audience-driven releases, including Sound of Freedom, which became a major box office success in 2023.
With 1776 now in development, Angel Studios appears to be continuing its focus on historical and inspirational storytelling aimed at broad American audiences, especially in regions where the film performed strongest.
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