Sundance reject "Buddy" opens to $5.36 million, best sub-1,800-screen debut of 2026

"Buddy," rejected by buyers at Sundance's Midnight section, opened at no. 6 domestically — the United States and Canada — with $5.36 million on 1,258 screens, per Deadline (30 August 2026). That more than doubled its $2.5 million tracking. Roadside Attractions and Saban Films, which acquired North American rights after the festival, set the wide release. All figures are Sunday studio estimates.