‘Street Fighter’ Packs a Punch With Thursday Previews and Could Land the Franchise’s Biggest Opening Ever
Video game adaptations have become one of Hollywood’s most reliable box office genres, and fighting games are the latest to step into the ring. Paramount and Legendary’s ‘Street Fighter’, directed by Kitao Sakurai, opened in theaters on October 16 as the studio’s first major release since the Skydance merger.
The road to opening day wasn’t smooth. Critics have been tough on the reboot, which sits around the mid-40s on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences have been far kinder, with a Popcornmeter score above 80%.
Despite those reviews, early ticket sales suggest fans are showing up. ‘Street Fighter’ earned about $4 million from Thursday previews in the US, according to Deadline, putting it on track for what could be the biggest opening in the franchise’s history.
The $4 million preview haul is a solid start for the PG-13 action film, though it trails some recent comparisons. ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ earned $5.2 million from its preview night before opening to $38 million.
Despite tough reviews, #StreetFighter is poised to score the biggest opening of the franchise & #2 BIGGEST ever for fighting video game adaptations, as PG-13 #StreetFighterMovie grossed solid 4M on THU Previews at US #BoxOffice (only below #MortalKombat2’s 5.2M). If not frontloaded by hardcore fanboys like most videogame adaptations recently, a 30M-35M 3-day opening weekend could be in the cards in the U.S. what would be the #2 biggest opening ever for a fighting game adaptation domestically & by far the biggest for #StreetFighter films, crushing 1994 #StreetFighter’s 6.9M & 2009 #TheLegendofChunLi’s 4.7M opening weekends.
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 16, 2026
It also falls short of the $8.8 million in Thursday previews ‘Resident Evil’ earned in September. Still, analysts see plenty of room for ‘Street Fighter’ to put up strong weekend numbers.
Box office analyst Luiz Fernando noted that, if the film isn’t heavily front-loaded by hardcore fans, a $30 million to $35 million 3-day opening could be possible. That would make it the second-biggest domestic debut ever for a fighting game adaptation.
An opening in that range would easily be the biggest for any ‘Street Fighter’ movie. Fernando pointed out that the 1994 ‘Street Fighter’ opened to $6.9 million, while 2009’s ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li’ debuted with $4.7 million.
Other projections vary. Some estimates put the domestic opening between $25 million and $35 million, while JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray expects a figure around $30 million but cautioned that the film could be front-loaded.
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
A global opening of around $70 million has also been floated. Asia remains a key unknown, since the franchise has historically been bigger there than in North America. The gap between critics and moviegoers could play to the film’s advantage. Critics have pointed to an abrupt ending, heavy sequel setup, and uneven humor, but many acknowledged the film’s affection for fans and its colorful style.
If word of mouth stays positive, strong audience scores could help ‘Street Fighter’ hold up beyond its opening weekend. That’s a familiar pattern for video game movies, which often perform well with fans even when critics are lukewarm.
The film carries a reported budget of $82 million, not including marketing. A big opening would go a long way toward justifying that investment, though sustaining momentum in later weeks will matter just as much.
The film follows estranged street fighters Ryu and Ken Masters, played by Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo, who are pulled back into combat. Callina Liang plays Chun-Li, alongside a roster that includes Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, and David Dastmalchian.
That eclectic cast has been one of the film’s biggest selling points. Combined with IMAX and RealD 3D screenings, it gives fans plenty of reasons to see it on the big screen. ‘Street Fighter’ faces a crowded weekend at the multiplex.
A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary ‘You Can See Everything’ earned around $2 million in previews, an unusually strong number for a documentary. ‘Whalefall’ and Focus Features’ ‘Sense and Sensibility’ each earned around $1 million from previews. Even so, ‘Street Fighter’ is expected to lead the weekend comfortably.
Do you think the new Street Fighter movie can overcome mixed critic reviews and become the franchise’s biggest box office hit?
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