These New Releases Have Serious Legs

Betty Grable. Mary Hart. Jane Fonda.

Sydney Sweeney?

Yes, the “It” actress makes headlines for her dramatic décolletage. Her latest film has the one thing studio suits crave the most from a movie.

Legs.

Her drama “The Housemaid,” co-starring Amanda Seyfried, dropped less than two percent at the box office last weekend. That’s a stunning development at a time when most new releases fall anywhere from 20 to 60 percent from week to week.

This weekend, the Paul Feig film is looking at a 30 percent drop, another impressive tally. A sequel already is in the works, and the film’s global tally could be as much as $150 million (on a reported $35 million budget) before long.

The film’s success has some company. 

“Marty Supreme” also shows serious staying power at the box office. Last week, the Timothée Chalamet ping pong drama fell just 20 percent from the previous week. This time around, the fall will be about 37 percent.

The movie’s U.S. receipts stand at $70 million, and climbing.

Working in the films’ favor? We haven’t had any major new titles clogging up cineplexes. Last week proved dry of sizable competition. This weekend, audiences have either “Primate” or “Greenland 2: Migration” as theatrical options.

Neither targets the demographics that “The Housemaid” and “Marty Supreme” covet.

RELATED: WE’RE ABOUT TO SEE A LOT OF SYDNEY SWEENEY

What do the two leggy films have in common? On the surface, not much. But Sweeney always generates attention in the press, while Chalamet worked diligently to drum up interest in “Marty Supreme.”

His tactics may have been unorthodox, but they seem to have made a difference. It helps that director Josh Safdie’s film is one of 2025’s very best.

As for “The Housemaid,” it’s a welcome change of pace for Sweeney. Her 2025 indie films “Christy,” “Eden” and “Americana” all tanked at the box office.

Her latest film’s success shows there’s still some interest in seeing her on screen. Just don’t put her in boxing trunks, apparently.