A24 Buys Jordan Firstman's Club Kid for $17M
The distributor's purchase of the debut feature followed a bidding war, and the film is now expanding in theaters.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Film — General
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A24 bought Jordan Firstman's feature directorial debut, "Club Kid," for $17 million after a bidding war. The film grossed $756,060 across 27 screens in its limited expansion weekend, an average of $28,002 per screen.
Why it matters
The purchase price sets a high bar, and the film will need to more than double its $17 million cost to be a financial success. Its performance will be watched as a test of how a debut feature with strong critical attention and a young audience can perform in theaters.
The film's weekend gross of $756,060 across 27 screens, or $28,002 per screen, is set against a $17 million purchase price. Its long-term commercial results after wide release remain unknown.
The players
Jordan Firstman
Jordan Firstman is a writer, comedian and performer who made his feature directorial debut with "Club Kid."
A24
A24 is an independent film distributor and production company known for its theatrical releases and marketing of acclaimed films.
The details
"Club Kid" opened on six screens on Nov. 6 and has since expanded to 27 screens. Theaters keep half of ticket sales, and the film has played mostly in major cities and liberal areas, with 80% of ticket buyers under 35.
Timeline
Nov. 6: "Club Kid" opens on six screens.
Weekend before Nov. 15, 2026: The film grosses $756,060 across 27 screens.
Next weekend: The film expands to 200 screens across the top 50 markets.
Thanksgiving 2026: The film goes wide nationally.
Industry Dynamics
The purchase and staged rollout of "Club Kid" follows A24's established model of acquiring festival-acclaimed independent films and expanding them gradually. Whether this model can turn a $17 million acquisition into a profit depends on sustained audience demand beyond the limited-release phase.
Moviegoers in the top 50 U.S. markets will be able to see "Club Kid" in theaters as it expands to 200 screens next weekend, and nationwide on Thanksgiving. Viewers outside major cities may have fewer chances to see it in theaters during the initial rollout.
The takeaway
A film's commercial success is judged by how well its box office earnings cover its acquisition cost, and early results give only a partial picture. Readers following the film should watch its wide-release numbers on Thanksgiving and the weekend after.
What happens next
"Club Kid" goes wide on Thanksgiving 2026 and expands to 200 screens across the top 50 markets next weekend, which will be the first major test of its commercial potential.
Further reading
For more on how independent films reach audiences, explore Film — General coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IndieWire.
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