An Ultra-Violent WWII Sequel Just Toppled a $225M Sci-Fi Giant

4 weeks ago 14

A soldier is looking up in a tank in Sisu.

Published Mar 2, 2026, 12:20 PM EST

Rohan Naahar is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal of introducing audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

While the Russell Crowe and Rami Malek-led World War II-era courtroom drama Nuremberg has been entertaining older audiences on home video, a movie set in the same historical period is attracting younger crowds. Both films delighted their target audiences in theaters, although neither really broke the bank. Nuremberg grossed almost $50 million worldwide and has been ripping the competition to shreds at home video, thanks mainly to a near-perfect 95% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film's stately charms stand in contrast to the ultra-violent thrills of its counterpart, which was released theatrically mere days after it.

The movie in question serves as a sequel to a word-of-mouth hit from 2022. The original film, directed by Jalmari Helander, featured Jorma Tommila as Aatami Korpi, a former soldier scouting for hidden gold in Lapland in 1944. When Korpi is targeted by surviving Nazis, it sends him headfirst into conflict, resulting in mayhem, mass casualties, and loads of graphic mauling. The movie made a solid $14 million worldwide against a reported budget of under $10 million, but it truly found its audience on PVOD and streaming. Thanks to the original film's success at home, a sequel aimed at a broader audience was set into motion.

Here's the World War II Hit Ripping Competition Apart on Streaming

We're talking, of course, about the films Sisu and Sisu: Road to Revenge. The sequel, also directed by Helander, brought back Tommila as Korpi alongside Avatar franchise star Stephen Lang. The movie replaced the Nazi antagonists of the first installment with Soviets, but it earned equally impressive reviews. Sisu: Road to Revenge holds a "Certified Fresh" 94% critics' score and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie's positive reviews didn't exactly move the needle for it in theaters; it ended its run with just under $10 million worldwide against a reported budget of around $12 million. It seems to be making up for its underwhelming haul on streaming; following an impressive run in the PVOD market, Sisu: Road to Revenge emerged as an instant hit on HBO Max. According to FlixPatrol, the film took the number one spot on the streamer's global leaderboard, replacing the blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth, which made nearly $900 million worldwide against a reported budget of $225 million. You can watch Sisu: Road to Revenge at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.