An overlooked Bill Skarsgård thriller is climbing the streaming charts months after its quiet theatrical run. The younger brother of True Blood star Alexander Skarsgård and the son of Emmy nominee Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Skarsgård is best known for portraying the antagonist Pennywise in the 2017 Stephen King horror movie It, in addition to its sequel and an upcoming spinoff.
While the It movies were financially successful, as were his later movies John Wick: Chapter 4 and Nosferatu, several recent Bill Skarsgård movies have had underwhelming performances at the box office.
This includes the 2023 action-comedy Boy Kills World, which only grossed $3.3 million by the end of its theatrical run in 2024. That movie was followed by the 2024 adaptation of The Crow, which grossed just $24.1 million against its reported $50 million budget after debuting at No. 8 at the domestic box office.
Streaming Has Been Kind To Locked
It Only Recently Arrived On Hulu
In spite of being another underwhelming theatrical release for Bill Skarsgård, Locked has now found a sizable at-home audience. The movie, which is a remake of the Argentinian thriller 4×4, follows petty thief Eddie (Skarsgård) being trapped in a souped-up SUV by the mysterious William (Anthony Hopkins), who can control the car remotely.
Locked, which was directed by David Yarovesky (Brightburn), debuted in theaters on March 21, 2025. It had a relatively small release, only playing in a maximum of 971 theaters, and eventually earned $1.6 million at the domestic box office and $4.1 million worldwide.
After debuting on Hulu, Locked first appeared on the platform’s daily chart of the most-watched movies when it landed at No. 4 in the U.S. on July 26. It claimed No. 1 the following day before dropping to No. 2 behind the Rami Malek revenge thriller The Amateur. It has now held the No. 2 position for four consecutive days.
The Amateur was No. 2 on the day when Locked was No. 1 in the United States.
Additionally, on July 31, Locked nabbed the No. 6 position on Hulu’s U.S. chart of the most-watched тιтles across film and television. The same day, it was Hulu’s No. 2 movie worldwide, also behind The Amateur.
What This Means For Locked
It Could Be Good For Bill Skarsgård’s Future Prospects
If Locked continues to thrive on streaming, it could become a major feather in Bill Skarsgård’s cap, helping him get further projects along similar lines. While his 2022 horror movie Barbarian was a financial success, grossing $45.4 million against its reported $4.5 million budget, the majority of his highest-grossing movies feature him in monster makeup.
In addition to It and Nosferatu, this includes, to an extent, the Marvel movie Eternals, in which he voices the CGI villain Kro. However, the streaming success of Locked could help buoy the success of movies in which Bill Skarsgård shows his face, encouraging producers to allow him to topline even more movies in the future without playing a monster.
Source: Hulu
