Sydney Sweeney's new Western crime thriller Americana took two years to get a wide release after its 2023 debut at South by Southwest, but that might have actually worked in the movie's favor. Also starring Paul Walter Hauser, Zahn McClarnon, and Halsey, Americana features Sweeney as an innocent, stammering waitress who entangles herself in a high-stakes heist.
Filming for Americana took place in 2022 at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic (you can even spot a bar patron with a mask on in the movie), and made its formal debut at the 2023 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. It was intended to be sold for distribution after the festival, but unexpected circumstances delayed the sale to a distributor.
The production company responsible for Americana, Bron Studios, filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, citing both the pandemic and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as the reason. However, it was quickly revealed that Bron Productions was involved in a securities fraud case, which involved loans made to Bron Studios' production groups.
With the movie technically tied up for legal reasons, it took much longer to find a distributor than normal. Lionsgate eventually jumped on Americana, leading to the August 15th, 2025 wide release in the United States. However, that delay might have been beneficial to the movie's box office and streaming prospects in the long haul.
Sydney Sweeney Has Become A Much Bigger Star While Waiting For Americana To Release
Gavin Maddox Bergman as Cal Starr and Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin in Americana
She continued to blow up in 2024, starring first in Sony's Spider-Man-adjacent superhero flick Madame Web, which was famously panned by critics and audiences alike, but has lived on in meme culture ever since. Shortly thereafter, Sweeney shined in the low-budget horror hit Immaculate which released in March 2024, proving herself to be a true scream queen just as easily as she did a rom-com lead.
In summer 2025, Sweeney starred opposite Julianne Moore in the Apple TV+ thriller Echo Valley, and she will have a starring role in Ron Howard's survival thriller Eden which releases on August 22nd, 2025. Sweeney has shown a willingness to not only take on roles in a variety of genres, but to succeed in them as well, which is why her star continues to rise in Hollywood.
Americana – Key Review Scores | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
RT Tomatometer | Metacritic Metascore | Metacritic User Score | IMDB Score | Letterboxed Score |
68% | 61/100 | 5.1/10 | 5.8/10 | 3.2/5 |
Since breaking out on HBO's Euphoria in 2019, Sweeney's status in Hollywood has steadily risen, but it's really taken off just in the last two years. Had Americana been released before she really took off as an international star, it almost certainly would have faded into obscurity, even with recognizable faces like Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey involved.
Sydney Sweeney's Growing Popularity Should Only Help Americana
Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter and Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin in Americana
Americana's cast, though talented, is composed mostly of character actors and supporting-level stars, and lacks a true A-lister outside of Sweeney. The movie has so far been met with middling-to-decent reviews, although not nearly high enough to make it on any "must-see" lists despite its low-budget nature.
Sweeney, as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood at the moment, gives the movie some real star power, and gives it a much better chance at being a box office success. The ending of Americana doesn't lend itself to a sequel, but even if there are no franchise prospects, Lionsgate certainly picked the movie up with the intention of turning a modest profit.
The Western style of Americana lends itself to success with that audience, just as many of Taylor Sheridan's shows have in recent years. Shows like Yellowstone, Landman, and Tulsa King have been massively popular in America's heartland, and Americana is dripping with similar neo-Western vibes and vistas.
Ultimately, Sydney Sweeney is just one member of the ensemble cast that drives the narrative in Americana. Her character Penny Jo is charming, but she's of no greater importance than any of the other key players. However, the popularity of Sydney Sweeney herself is what gives Americana a chance of making a real mark at the box office, or at least on streaming plaforms in the future.
