Wonder Project and Angel Studios’ historical drama “Young Washington” has exceeded box office expectations and sparked plans for a sequel, with director Jon Erwin announcing that a new Revolutionary War epic titled “1776” is already in development.
Erwin revealed the news in a video posted on Instagram from George Washington’s Mount Vernon on July 4, America’s 250th birthday.
“I’m going to answer the number one question we’re getting about the movie right now,” Erwin said. “When people see it all over the nation, they love it, they cheer. We’ve shown it all over, and this one question keeps coming up: Are you going to make another movie? Is there a follow-up on the life of George Washington?”
“We are working on another right now,” he continued. “We have just begun writing another Revolutionary War epic on the year 1776. And if you think Washington’s big wait for 1776 — it’s epic in every way. It’s another incredible chapter in this man’s life and legacy.”
While details about “1776” weren’t disclosed, Erwin indicated the sequel will focus on Washington’s role during the pivotal year of the American Revolution: “We’re writing right now,” Erwin said. “I hope you’re ready for ‘1776.’”
The announcement comes after “Young Washington” delivered one of the strongest openings in the history of faith-based distributor Angel Studios. The historical drama debuted to an estimated $20.8 million over the July Fourth holiday weekend, surpassing industry projections of approximately $15 million and becoming Angel’s largest opening weekend for a live-action feature.
The film ranks as the studio’s second-biggest opening overall, trailing only the animated biblical feature David, which opened to $22 million last December.
According to box office data released by the studio and industry analysts, “Young Washington” claimed the No. 2 spot at the domestic box office on July 4 with $7.6 million in ticket sales, behind the animated film “Minions & Monsters.” The movie performed especially well in the Mountain West, Midwest, South Central and Southern regions of the U.S., which collectively accounted for 67% of its opening weekend revenue.
Audience response has also been strong. The film earned an A CinemaScore from moviegoers and an 81% “definite recommend” rating from PostTrak surveys.
Directed, co-written and produced by Erwin, whose previous films include “Jesus Revolution” and the series “House of David,” “Young Washington” chronicles the formative experiences of George Washington before the American Revolution. The film stars William Franklyn-Miller as the future president alongside Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker and Kelsey Grammer.
The film also received an endorsement from Chris Pratt, who urged his social media followers to see the movie after attending a screening.
“Get off your [expletive] and run to the movie theater,” Pratt said in a video posted online. “I’ve just seen ‘Young Washington’ … it’s like ‘The Revenant,’ it’s like ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ it’s like ‘Braveheart.'”
Erwin previously told The Christian Post he intended for “Young Washington” to be a “love letter to the country itself and its first founder,” adding: “I hope that we can all put away our arms for a minute and celebrate the story of America together.”
According to the director, the film’s emphasis on Washington’s struggles rather than his accomplishments is one reason Erwin said audiences will connect with the story. While historical figures are far too often viewed through a political lens, the “House of David” creator said he wants audiences to see Washington as a young man learning through mistakes.
“I think failure is the great teacher, and it’s the courage to endure that counts,” Erwin said, quoting Winston Churchill.
“I became so enamored with the American Revolution, and then with Washington himself, and he’s just such a carved-in-stone mythic figure that I began to ask, ‘Who’s the person underneath the myth, and where was that legend born?'”
“You get to this season of his life and this hero’s journey that so very few people know about,” Erwin said. “What was so relatable about it to me was that he was forged in things that we all relate to — loss, failure, hardship, the adventure, the risk, the frontier, trying something you don’t know how to do.”
“It was his endurance through that that made him the leader that he became, and that was very revelatory to me and personal to me, and I wanted the audience to have that same experience.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
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