Mark Wahlberg’s star power and the true-story premise of a mafia hitman partnering with an FBI agent in 1960s Mississippi provide the main commercial hook for Paramount’s “By Any Means,” yet the R-rated historical crime thriller faces typical Labor Day weekend softness and limited broad-audience appeal. With no reviews or major awards buzz available ahead of its September 4 release, trader sentiment clusters tightly around a 4–7 million opening because comparable mid-budget adult dramas often open in that range when marketing leans on cast names rather than franchise familiarity or event-level awareness. Key swing factors include final pre-sale momentum, regional strength in Southern markets tied to the civil-rights setting, and any last-minute competition from holdovers or counter-programming.