“The Birth of a Nation,” which Mr. Parker also directed, wrote and produced, received some stellar reviews but lost momentum as Mr. Parker’s handling of questions on the publicity circuit about his past behavior — he was accused and acquitted of rape in 1999 — triggered a negative reaction toward him and his movie.

Over the past week, Mr. Parker generated one damaging headline after another as he appeared on “60 Minutes,” “Good Morning America” and “The Steve Harvey Show” to promote “The Birth of a Nation.” On Friday, The Hollywood Reporter summed it up in blunt terms: “Nate Parker’s Failed Media Tour: Anger, No Remorse and Oprah’s Advice Ignored.”

Fox Searchlight, having paid the highest price in its history, $17.5 million, to acquire “The Birth of a Nation,” which dramatizes the 1831 Nat Turner slave revolt, said it was too early to assess the film’s financial picture. “We thought it could be a little higher, but word of mouth is going to be positive, which will allow us to string out to a good result,” said Frank Rodriguez, Searchlight’s head of distribution.

“I’m not going to say we are disappointed,” he added.

“The Birth of a Nation,” co-starring Aja Naomi King and Armie Hammer, received an A grade in CinemaScore exit polls, Mr. Rodriguez noted. African-Americans made up roughly 60 percent of the opening-weekend audience, he said.

To what degree did the toxicity around Mr. Parker dent ticket sales? Mr. Rodriguez said that he was not sure.[ ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Struggles at the Box Office, By Brooks Barnes, October 9, 2016]