‘Street Fighter’ Box Office Outlook Dips as Late Press Screenings Raise Questions Days Before Release
Video game adaptations are in vogue, but they’ve also proven that a famous name doesn’t guarantee a big opening. Every new release in the genre arrives with fans’ hopes and a long history of mixed results. Paramount’s live-action ‘Street Fighter‘ is now the latest test, and the latest signals are not all encouraging.
The film, directed by Kitao Sakurai and produced by Legendary, opens on October 16 in IMAX and RealD 3D. It’s set in 1993 and follows estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are recruited by Chun-Li (Callina Liang) for the next World Warrior Tournament. The ensemble cast includes Jason Momoa as Blanka, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Roman Reigns as Akuma and 50 Cent as Balrog.
Now, a new report says general press screenings will only happen late Wednesday afternoon, with the review embargo possibly not lifting until Thursday. The same update lowers the film’s projected domestic debut to $22 million to $29 million, citing weak sales. That’s below earlier forecasts, and it comes just days before release.
STREET FIGHTER general press screenings will only happen late Wednesday afternoon, review embargo may not be lifted until Thursday. We’re now lowering its domestic debut projection to $22-29M Sales are weak, so this may be some kind of OTHER MOMMY trick. https://t.co/qjsYS2RGFU
— Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) October 12, 2026
Studios often hold critics’ screenings close to release when they want to limit the time between early reviews and opening day. Some read that as a sign of nervousness, though it isn’t always the case, and plenty of films have overcome the late embargo concern. In this case, it adds to a picture that was already shaky.
The timing also leaves little room for word of mouth to build. With reviews arriving only a day before the film opens, ticket buyers will have limited guidance. That puts even more weight on the fan event Paramount and Legendary scheduled for Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m., called the “Bonus Round.”
Forecasts have been drifting downward for weeks. In late September, Box Office Pro had a domestic opening range of $30 million to $40 million, and Box Office Theory later eyed $25 million to $35 million. After the first day of presales, one tracker thought the film was headed for about $20 million.
Awareness data has been a concern too. The Quorum’s tracking showed the film falling to 39% awareness and 39% interest, with drops of 7 and 5 points over two weeks. That was reportedly the worst two-week move on its chart, and some outlets compared the situation to ‘Masters of the Universe,’ which opened to $29.3 million.
The benchmarks help show why expectations were once higher. ‘Mortal Kombat II’ opened to $38.5 million in May 2026 and finished with $129.5 million worldwide. The two ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ films opened to $80 million and $64 million.
At $22 million to $29 million, ‘Street Fighter’ would land below those marks but still ahead of some recent genre disappointments. Whether it counts as a bomb depends on its budget and how it performs overseas. Paramount is reportedly counting on the film as a spark for the back half of the year.
PERFECT! Watch the New Trailer for Street Fighter, hitting theaters everywhere October 16. https://t.co/jAAPf1k9jf
— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 1, 2026
The competition isn’t especially heavy, which could help. Other October titles are tracking modestly, with Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ pointing to a likely $20 million debut and DC Studios’ ‘Clayface’ projected near $23.5 million. ‘Street Fighter’ opens against ‘Whalefall,’ which is tracking for $10 million to $15 million, and ‘Sense and Sensibility.’
That means the film doesn’t need a miracle to take the weekend. A good showing in a thin field could still make for a respectable debut. But the decline in projections suggests the margin for error is shrinking.
Fans of the games have responded warmly to the trailers, which have been described as looking like a great deal of fun. The film leans into a playful tone, with costumes and characters straight from the sprites. It also benefits from a loaded cast that spans actors, wrestlers and comedians.
It also has a built-in point of comparison. The 1994 film remains a camp cult classic, though it’s also widely regarded as a poor adaptation. A new version has a chance to win over both nostalgic fans and newcomers.
The coming days will tell whether the numbers firm up. If reviews are strong, the late embargo may be forgotten quickly. If not, the opening could be a tough round.
Will the new Street Fighter movie be a box office knockout?
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