The Drama's Modest Start Signals Uncertain Future at Box Office
By Published Apr 4, 2026, 11:58 AM EDT Brennan Klein (he/him) is a senior news writer at Screen Rant, host of the podcast, and contributor at and . He has been writing and podcasting about pop culture (especially horror movies) for over a decade at platforms including Blumhouse, Fangoria, Dread Central, The Backlot, and Arrow in the Head. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
has caused some box office turmoil with its debut projections.
, which is a new A24 movie directed by Dream Scenario's Kristoffer Borgli and produced by Hereditary's Ari Aster, stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as engaged couple Emma Harwood and Charlie Thompson, who have the foundation of their relationship shaken when Emma reveals a dark secret. The dark romantic comedy also stars Licorice Pizza's Alana Haim, Elemental's Mamoudou Athie, Marty Supreme's Hailey Gates, and Succession's Zoë Winters.
Per Deadline, as of Saturday morning, The Drama is projected to earn a 3-day debut total of $14 million at the domestic box office by the end of Sunday. This total sees it debuting at No. 3 on the domestic chart over Easter weekend, behind the Ryan Gosling sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary (at No. 2 in its third weekend) and the animated video game sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (which is set for a record-breaking No. 1 debut).
By landing at No. 3 on the chart, The Drama has become the first not to debut at No. 1 since her animated feature Smallfoot debuted at No. 2 (behind the Kevin Hart comedy Night School) in September 2018. Between then and now, all six of her theatrically released movies topped the domestic chart during their respective opening weekends, namely 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, 2026's Space Jam: A New Legacy, Dune, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, and 2026's Dune: Part Two and Challengers.
Ultimately, following this lukewarm debut, it remains to be seen if the movie is able to turn a profit off of its reported budget of $28 million, which could place its estimated break-even point as high as $70 million. However, there are several factors working in its favor. First, have been positive, earning it a Certified Fresh 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Second, its international grosses are projected to push its overall global debut to roughly $25 million, putting it in a stronger starting position. Third, it had a stronger debut than A24's 2026 romance Materialists.
That movie, which featured a similarly star-studded cast led by Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, debuted with just $11.3 million, but eventually grossed $107.9 million worldwide by the end of its run. If The Drama can follow in its footsteps, it will end up in the black and then some, long before its theatrical run concludes.
While The Drama has officially ended Zendaya's streak of No. 1 debuts, she seems set to immediately start that streak up again. All four of her upcoming projects have strong blockbuster potential. Coming up first is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which debuts on July 17 (opposite the much less buzzy Jonah Hill comedy Cut Off).
She will follow The Odyssey with Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31. While Dune: Part Three will probably break her No. 1 streak just like The Drama unless its December 18 date (which sees it debuting opposite Avengers: Doomsday) is moved, her following release is Shrek 5, which seems certain to top the chart when it debuts on June 30, 2027.
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Cast
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Emma Harwood -
Charlie Thompson
An engaged couple believe that they have their future locked in, but a sudden twist detonates their wedding week, forcing them to examine every assumption about their relationship.
Main Genre Executive Producer(s) Chris Stinson, Amy Greene, Elizabeth Niles, Kristoffer Borgli Expand Collapse
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