Down to 104 theaters, Taylor Sheridan star’s John Wayne western remake was removed from 2,000 theaters

Theater count falls sharply

Angel and the Badman opened October 9 in 2,263 theaters. By its third weekend, it remained in 104 locations, a loss of 2,159 theaters. The film dropped from 2,263 locations to 1,270 in its second weekend, then lost another 1,166 on October 23. Across two weeks, it shed 95.4% of its original theaters.

Box office figures disappoint

The remake earned $2.1 million domestically in its opening weekend, averaging about $935 per theater. Its second-weekend earnings fell nearly 80%, to $433,220. By October 21, its domestic total had reached approximately $3.8 million. With the film now playing in barely 100 theaters, further box office gains may be limited.

Story and cast

The film reworks John Wayne’s 1947 Western of the same name. It follows a wounded outlaw who takes Confederate gold from gang leader Laredo, then finds refuge with a religious ranch family and a chance to leave violence behind.

Zachary Levi leads the cast, with Neal McDonough playing Laredo. Tommy Lee Jones, Meg Fraser, Jean Louisa Kelly, Maurice Greene, Sean Bridgers and John Pyper-Ferguson also appear. Julio Quintana directed, and Jaime Hernandez, Kevin M. Townsend and Christopher Tuffin wrote the script.

Reviews split between groups

Critics have given the remake a 23% Rotten Tomatoes score, compared with 71% for the original. Audience ratings are more favorable: the remake has 78%, while the 1947 film has 67%.

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone helped make Westerns popular on television, but theatrical success has proved harder to secure. The remake’s shrinking theater count and modest earnings show that contrast.