The next After movie is here, and a lot of fans supported the Wattpad adaptation by checking it out in theaters on opening night. After We Fell, once again starring Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Tessa and Hardin, grossed over $630,000 on its opening night alone, in over 945 locations. As a result, it has surpassed a major milestone in the COVID era along with another weekend win.
Fathom Events and Voltage Pictures hosted the After We Fell screenings in U.S. theaters and have reported that the movie has become their most successful event since March 2020 (the onset of the pandemic). Additionally, the romance had the second highest-ranking per-screen average for the day. Overall, it ranked No. 2 at the box office behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for per-screen average.
After We Fell was not given a typical theatrical release, as Fathom Events hosted screenings in theaters across the country exclusively on September 30 at 7pm and 10pm and will again show the film on Monday, October 4 before it becomes available on demand on October 19. So far, the movie has made over $18 million worldwide, an impressive number for its limited release and small budget.
These numbers are undoubtedly thanks to the After fans who began reading about Tessa and Hardin’s tumultuous romance on Wattpad, before Anna Todd had her series published into best-selling books. Hero Fiennes Tiffin’s character was originally inspired by former One Direction member Harry Styles, but the romance itself has become a major YA property, which includes a total of four installments.
The latest movie picks up where 2019’s After We Collided left off, with Tessa reuniting with her estranged father and getting ready to move to Seattle to pursue her publishing career. However, with Hardin not planning to go with her to Washington, some continued problems between the couple arise. Amid the drama the two experience, there are also some steamy moments and new characters.
The movie is directed by Castille Landon, who follows Roger Kumble (director of After We Collided) and Jenny Gage (who helmed the first movie). Landon shot After We Fell back to back with the final film, After We Happy, which will end the love story and Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin’s tenure in the roles. Due to the success of the films, the After franchise will continue on screen with a planned prequel spin off that follows Hardin, prior to the moment he met Tessa. A sequel is also in the works and will focus on the two leads’ family, over 15 years into the future.
The first film made over $69 million worldwide, and the sequel made $47 million against small production budgets. We’ll have to see how After We Fell does as it continues to play in theaters. The movie came out just as Venom impressed with a massive opening weekend, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings continues to remain one of the biggest success stories of 2021.