The Drama Defies Controversy to Become A24’s Third-Best Box Office Opening

A24’s latest release, The Drama, has achieved one of the strongest box office starts in the studio’s history, despite a wave of online backlash and criticism from gun safety advocates regarding its central plot twist.

The film, which stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as an engaged couple, opened in North American theaters on April 4, 2026. According to data from Box Office Mojo, the movie registered the third-biggest opening day ever for an A24 release, collecting $6.4 million on its Friday opening day, a figure that includes $1.7 million from Thursday previews.

Globally, the film opened with $28 million, marking the third-biggest global opening for any A24 production. In the domestic market, The Drama landed at number three in the box office rankings for its opening Friday.

A24 Box Office Performance

The film’s domestic opening day puts it behind only two other A24 releases in terms of opening day collections. The top five biggest opening days for the studio at the domestic box office are:

• Marty Supreme – $12.7 million
• Civil War – $10.8 million
• The Drama – $6.4 million
• Hereditary – $5.14 million
• Materialists – $5 million

Industry reports indicate that The Drama was produced with a significantly lower budget than its primary competitors, suggesting that the film will reach its break-even point quickly. The combined star power of Pattinson and Zendaya, along with positive ratings, is credited with driving these numbers despite the film facing multiple tentpole releases at the cinemas.

Plot Twist and Public Backlash

While marketed as a romance or romantic comedy, the dark comedy follows the relationship of soon-to-be newlyweds Emma, played by Zendaya, and Charlie, played by Robert Pattinson. The narrative focuses on the days leading up to their wedding as their relationship begins to implode.

The controversy centers on a major plot twist in which Emma confesses to Charlie that the worst thing she ever did was plan a school shooting while she was a teenager. Although the character did not carry out the attack and the film contains no actual gun violence, the story includes flashbacks of a young Emma filming a shooter’s confessional video and showing fascination with her father’s rifle.

This narrative choice has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and victims’ families. March for Our Lives, the youth-driven organization founded by survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, expressed concern via Instagram on April 3, 2026, stating that a subject of this seriousness cannot begin and end on screen and must be reflected in how the film is presented.

Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel was killed in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, told TMZ that he believes the plot humanizes shooters and normalizes school shootings. Some viewers and critics have described the film’s marketing as misleading because it initially presented the story as a standard romance.

A24 has not responded to requests for comment regarding the controversy or the criticisms from gun safety advocates.