‘Birth of a Nation’ flops in opening weekend at box office

“The Birth of a Nation” flopped at the box office in its opening weekend, cementing its place among the steepest falls from grace in recent Hollywood history. The biopic about slave rebellion leader Nat Turner was thought to have the makings of a commercial and critical hit when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016. Ten months later, it opened to an estimated $7.1 million in sixth place with its awards prospects severely hampered, even though it opened in more than 2,100 locations, an unusually wide rollout for a low-budget film. Renewed scrutiny of rape allegations leveled against its director and star, Nate Parker, have completely overwhelmed the movie’s rollout and sparked public debates about whether seeing the movie was a tacit endorsement of its creator.