A sequel to Young Washington is already in the works, and honestly? Well deserved.

The numbers did the talking

This wasn’t supposed to be the July 4th story. Angel Studios projected around $15 million for the opening weekend. 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. That’s not a modest beat — that’s the movie blowing past its own ceiling. It’s the best opening for a live-action feature from the faith-based distributor, beating “Sound of Freedom” at $19.6 million. The only Angel release that’s ever opened bigger is the animated feature David, and that’s it.

Director Jon Erwin didn’t wait long to capitalize. He posted the sequel news from Mount Vernon itself, and the pitch was pure hype-man energy: “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.”

Where it’s headed

1776 is one of the most pivotal years of the American Revolution — the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. So this isn’t a rehash. It’ll skip forward in time and follow Washington during the thick of the Revolutionary War. Whether William Franklyn-Miller comes back to reprise the role is still up in the air — it’s unclear whether Franklyn-Miller will reprise his role in the movie.

And this wasn’t some fluke pocket of the audience showing up either. Young Washington played well in the Mountain, Midwest, Southcentral, and South regions of the United States, which together contributed 67% of the weekend take, with the highest-grossing theater in Utah underscoring how well the film did in the American heartland. It earned a 60% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although audience scores were much higher at 92%.

That gap between critics and audiences tells you everything about who this movie was made for — and it worked. A sequel isn’t a cash grab here. It’s the correct business decision.

What’s next

No release date yet on 1776, but if the pattern holds, don’t be shocked if Angel Studios saves it for another Fourth of July.