The Street Fighter movie box office story is taking shape: Paramount, Legendary and Capcom’s PG-13 adaptation of the classic video game opened with about $4 million in Thursday-night US previews, according to Deadline. Tracking suggests the film could open north of $30 million domestically, though those are expectations rather than final studio-reported numbers. The same weekend brought a very different release in A24’s three-hour Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, which filed roughly $1.75 million in previews and drew notably strong audience exits.
What the $4M in Previews Actually Means
Preview grosses are the money a film earns from Thursday-evening showtimes before its official Friday opening. They are an early signal, not a verdict. A big preview number can point to a strong opening weekend, but it can also mean fans rushed out early and the broader audience stayed home.
For Street Fighter, Deadline reported that previews began at 2 p.m. and were boosted by a 7 p.m. fan showtime. The film cost a net $82 million, co-financed by Legendary and Capcom, so its opening weekend will be watched closely by both studios.
Two comparisons help put the $4 million figure in context, according to Deadline:
- Mortal Kombat 2 made $5.2 million in Thursday previews earlier this year, leading to a $16.8 million first Friday and a $38.5 million three-day opening.
- Sonic the Hedgehog, Paramount’s 2020 pre-Covid release, made $3 million in previews, leading to a $20.9 million first Friday and $58 million three-day opening — though it played over the Presidents Day holiday and was rated PG.
In other words, Street Fighter’s previews sit between those two films. Whether it lands closer to Sonic’s holiday-boosted total or Mortal Kombat 2’s mid-May run will depend on word of mouth through the weekend.
Critics vs. Opening-Weekend Reality
Reviews for Street Fighter have been rough: Deadline notes the film sits at 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. That is a weak critical score for a big-budget video game adaptation, but video game movies have historically shown they can outperform reviews when fans turn out.
One factor that could help is the calendar. Deadline reports a mid-fall school break is underway, with 21% of K-12 schools and 7% of colleges off, according to Rentrak. That can drive weekday traffic, especially for a PG-13 action film aimed at younger audiences.
Historically, video game adaptations have been a mixed bag at the box office — some have opened strongly on fan nostalgia and faded fast, while others have built momentum through repeat viewings. Street Fighter’s 1987 arcade origins give it a deep well of nostalgia to draw on, but the film still has to convince casual moviegoers, not just longtime players.
The Contrasting A24 Release: You Can See Everything
The weekend’s other notable opener is A24’s You Can See Everything, co-directed by Lance Oppenheim and hosted by Nathan Fielder. The documentary follows fallen Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes before her federal prison stint and runs three hours.
Deadline reported the film filed about $2 million in previews in an earlier estimate, later updated to $1.75 million. Its audience exits were described as “awesome,” with a 92% definite-recommend score and a 100% positive score. The audience split 50/50 male-female, and 75% of attendees in Los Angeles and New York were under 35.
Conservative estimates had the documentary opening in the high single digits, but Deadline reports confidence is growing that it could open north of $10 million. That would beat the previous domestic opening record for a documentary, held by Amazon MGM Studios’ Melania, which opened to $7.1 million without previews.
You Can See Everything was shot over four years and cost less than $10 million, with a marketing budget also under $10 million. On Letterboxd, Deadline notes the film has reached a 4.7 rating and is ranking among the site’s top 50 movies of all time — an unusually strong reception for a documentary in wide release.
Other New Releases This Weekend
Two more films held previews on Thursday, both beginning at 2 p.m., with sources estimating around $1 million each, according to Deadline:
| Film | Studio | Preview estimate | Expected opening | Rotten Tomatoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whalefall | 20th Century Studios | $900K | North of $11M | 70% fresh |
| Sense & Sensibility | Focus Features | $1.15M (all previews) | Around $8M | 76% fresh |
Whalefall is based on Daniel Kraus’s thriller novel and follows Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams), who goes diving off California’s central coast after his father’s death (played by Josh Brolin) and is swallowed by a sperm whale. The film was shot in California for a net $60 million and is booked at 3,065 theatres, including 500 Premium Large Format screens and 250 D-Box/Motion screens.
Deadline notes Whalefall’s previews came in below the $2 million made by the recent fall thriller Heart of the Beast, which went on to open to $20 million — though that film starred Brad Pitt.
How Preview Numbers Fit Into the Wider Box Office Picture
Preview grosses are one data point in a weekend that also includes holdover films. According to Deadline, the previous weekend’s chart included:
- Verity (Amazon): $17.5M weekend, down 59%, $59.9M total in week two
- Resident Evil (Sony): $12.8M weekend, down 28%, $142.9M total in week four
- Heart of the Beast (Paramount): $10.9M weekend, down 28%, $53.4M total in week three
- Forgotten Island (Universal): $7.09M weekend, down 24%, $32.8M total in week three
For readers tracking how release strategies shape a film’s run, the contrast between a wide studio action release like Street Fighter and a limited-budget documentary like You Can See Everything shows how differently success can be defined. A $4 million preview for an $82 million action film is a solid start; a $1.75 million preview for a sub-$10 million documentary with 92% definite-recommend exits is arguably a bigger win.
For a broader look at how viewing habits are shifting across theatrical and streaming releases, see our coverage of the streaming wars in 2026. And for context on how practical filmmaking choices affect audience reception, our piece on why practical effects are making a comeback is worth a read.
What to Watch For Next
Official studio-reported figures are expected Friday morning, according to Deadline. Until then, the $4 million preview figure for Street Fighter is an estimate. The key questions for the weekend are whether the film can convert its fan-driven previews into a broad opening north of $30 million, and whether You Can See Everything can ride its strong exits and Letterboxd buzz past the $10 million mark.
For now, the Street Fighter movie box office story is a reminder that previews are a starting gun, not a finish line. The weekend’s actual performance — and the word of mouth that follows — will tell the fuller story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Street Fighter movie make in previews?
According to Deadline, Paramount, Legendary and Capcom's Street Fighter made about $4 million in Thursday-night US previews. Showtimes began at 2 p.m. and were boosted by a 7 p.m. fan showtime.
What opening weekend is expected for Street Fighter?
Deadline reports the expectation is for Street Fighter to open north of $30 million domestically. Those are projections, not final studio-reported numbers, and could change based on weekend turnout.
How does Street Fighter's preview compare to other video game movies?
Street Fighter's $4 million preview sits below Mortal Kombat 2's $5.2 million Thursday previews but above Sonic the Hedgehog's $3 million in 2020, according to Deadline. Mortal Kombat 2 went on to a $38.5 million three-day opening, while Sonic opened to $58 million over the Presidents Day holiday.
What is You Can See Everything about?
You Can See Everything is an A24 documentary co-directed by Lance Oppenheim and hosted by Nathan Fielder. It follows fallen Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes before her federal prison stint and runs three hours.
Did You Can See Everything break any records?
Deadline reports the documentary could open north of $10 million, which would beat the previous domestic opening record for a documentary held by Amazon MGM Studios' Melania at $7.1 million. The film also reached a 4.7 rating on Letterboxd and is ranking among the site's top 50 movies of all time.