Ben Stiller defended Michael B. Jordan after “Sinners” opened to a $61 million global debut, which was not impressive to Variety.
Michael B. Jordan dominated the weekend box office as his blood-soaked period thriller Sinners clawed its way to a $61 million global debut.
The hit movie outpaced A Minecraft Movie and marked the strongest opening for an original film since 2019’s Us.
The R-rated horror flick, set in the 1930s Deep South, features Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who open a juke joint only to find their town overrun by vampires.
The film’s mix of Southern gothic and supernatural terror struck a chord with audiences and critics alike, earning a rare A grade from CinemaScore — a feat no horror film has achieved in over three decades, Warner Bros. confirmed.
Despite heavy competition from A Minecraft Movie, which had been expected to lead for a third straight weekend, Sinners surged ahead to claim the top spot.
Not everyone was impressed.
Actor Ben Stiller ripped Variety for panning the impressive box office numbers after the rag wrote: “‘Sinners’ has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It’s a great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away.”
In what universe does a 60 million dollar opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline? https://t.co/rkFQxQNwMp
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 21, 2025
Fans of Jordan, who has built a strong creative partnership with director Ryan Coogler through projects like Creed and Black Panther, praised Stiller for defending Jordan, who added another standout performance to his resume.
Sinners hit theaters worldwide on April 18 and is well on its way to profitability.
Thanks for calling that out Ben. @Variety do better… pic.twitter.com/PWABQclCyY
— Refiloe Ramogase (@refiloer) April 21, 2025
Seeing the difference between coverage on SINNERS and ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is actually wild. @franklinleonard is doing a great breakdown of it.
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) April 21, 2025
“Profitability remains a long way off”
Way too similar wording from the NYT and Variety on something out of place. https://t.co/Nckanfx7tD
— Vinny (@ViajeroMillero) April 21, 2025
This one because the star and director are Black so of course this is the headline. It could have turned a profit in three days and there would have been an “issue” with how MUCH profit.
There’s no actual issue but there was always magically going to be one
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) April 21, 2025
It is
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 21, 2025
