A unique survival thriller starring a Resident Evil actor is struggling to keep its place in cinemas. The film has lost 1,000 theaters during its third week, adding to a disappointing box-office run. Despite positive reviews and an unusual premise, its ticket sales have fallen sharply since opening weekend.
Whalefall officially lost 1,000 theaters for this week
Brian Duffield’s Whalefall opened in 3,065 theaters on Oct. 16, 2026 (via Collider). By its third weekend, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, the theater count had dropped to 2,000, a loss of 1,065 locations. The move came after the film suffered two consecutive weekends of steep box-office declines.
As per the Box Office Mojo, the movie collected $7.8 million during its opening weekend. That figure fell 60.6% to roughly $3.08 million in its second frame, before dropping another 61.9% to $1.17 million in its third. Its domestic total now stands at approximately $16.5 million, while overseas markets have contributed $20.37 million. The worldwide haul has reached $36.87 million.
The film has struggled to make a splash at the box office, with its earnings falling far below the reported $60 million it cost to produce. Whalefall follows a young diver who finds himself trapped inside a sperm whale and faces a desperate fight to make it out alive. Resident Evil star Austin Abrams headlines the thriller alongside Josh Brolin. Duffield directed the film and co-wrote its screenplay with Daniel Kraus, who wrote the novel the film is based on.
Abrams recently added another major release to his résumé with Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot, which has raked in nearly $400 million worldwide. Whalefall hasn’t come close to matching that box office firepower. The movie only earned roughly a tenth of the reboot’s total. Abrams’ recent film The Dog Stars also wrapped its theatrical run with $39 million worldwide.
While Whalefall has struggled to make waves commercially, critics have gone easy on the movie. The film currently holds a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans liked the movie’s underwater sequences but found the frequent flashbacks disrupt the storytelling.
