NatGeo’s The Rescue by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) stormed the specialty box off in five runs in NYC, LA and Chicago this weekend with a nearly $14,000 per screen average — the best opening PSA for a documentary playing in more than one market in over two years. (Estimated three-day cume was
Specialty Box Office
This week the specialty box office saw an incredible performance by yet another faith-based movie. This marks the third time this year – the other two: Witnesses and The Girl Who Believes In Miracles – the limited release space was topped by a religious-themed film. The Jesus Music (Lionsgate) is a documentary that chronicles the origins
Bleecker Street’s sci-fi romantic comedy I’m Your Man blasted off – relatively speaking in today’s specialty market – with a per screen average of $2,139 in 16 theaters in North America (12 U.S., four in Canada). Directed by Maria Schrader film with Maren Eggert and Dan Stevens, it was the rare specialty film of late
The Eyes Of Tammy Faye from Searchlight Pictures finished in the top ten domestically (at no. 9) with the highest per screen average of the group after Shang-Chi and Free Guy. Its estimated PTA, $1,500 in 425 theaters, bested newcomers Blue Bayou and wide releases Cry Macho and Copshop on a per screen basis. That’s
A glum arthouse market may be entering a gateway weekend into happier days after months of distributors — with rare exceptions — pulling out their hair at dismal per-screens averages. That’s because festival buzz is mounting for film after film – from Card Counter, Dune and Spencer (debuted in Venice, opening respectively Sept 10, Oct.
Sony Pictures Classics’ The Lost Leonardo had a notable debut on three screens on a quiet weekend for specialty openings. The film about da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi painting opened to $13,209 with a per screen average of $4,403 ahead of a national release. The distributor has been a steadying presence a tough arthouse climate. Its
Sony Picture Classics and Neon fared well in their small releases this week with Nine Days and Ailey respectively, running across 6 total locations in New York, Los Angeles and Irvine – both notching heavy per screen averages with the former leading to its wider release next week. Nine Days hit NYC (Angelika, AMC Lincoln Square)
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain kept its spot in the North American top ten for week two in 954 theaters – up by 27 — with an $830,000 estimated gross for the three days, leading the specialty box office. As per Focus Features, that was a total cume of over $3.7 million for the
Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) will hit a cumulative $1.4 million rising to an estimated $1.47 million Monday with a $375,000 second-week gross in 752 theaters. The best performing documentary so far this year “may possibly get to $2 million, that’s our goal,” said Searchlight Pictures head of
Moviegoers not far removed from the isolating strains of lockdown may find The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 strikes a chord. Distributor Bleecker Street and director Joshua Zeman hope so as the doc, a shift from the helmer’s true crime roots (The Sons of Sam: Descent into Darkness, Cropsey), opens in 75 theaters. Digital release
Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) will report a three-day cum of $650K in 752 theaters in North America for a per screen average of $865, distributor Searchlight said of the Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson doc about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The film, with an A+ CinemaScore, performed best in
Specialty box office is ready for liftoff. With Los Angeles and New York completely peeling back restrictions on theater capacity for the first weekend, we are starting to see rays of hope illuminate the limited release space. Meet The Blacks 2 blasted expectations last week by posting a $1M+ debut (per screen average of $2,533).
After debuting at the top of the U.S. specialty box office over Memorial Day weekend, family comedy/drama Dad, I’m Sorry (Bo Gia) has now surpassed the $1M mark, becoming the first Vietnamese-produced title to reach that milestone. Starring, written and co-directed by Tran Thanh, the movie added $116K in its third frame to bring its
Hidden Empire Film Group’s comedy/horror romp The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 scared up a $1.064M opening weekend (per screen average of $2,533) with writer-director Deon Taylor and his team huddling right now over where and how much to expand the run — but expand it they will. Taylor’s thrilled with the $$
With more theaters reopening and film-goers slowly returning, life is being resuscitated into the specialty box office. This week we see a faith-based movie premiere banking serious dinero. Witnesses is a film recounting the early days of the Church of Latter-Day Saints and the translation of the Book of Mormon. The movie is directed and
We might finally see some light returning to the specialty box office this Memorial Day weekend. Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) is a comedy-family drama directed by comedian and Vietnam television host Trấn Thành and Vũ Ngọc Đãng. The movie is an adaptation of a hit web drama that was originally released on YouTube, where it
(Interactive chart with estimates below) Three different premieres led the specialty box office this weekend with each film breaking a 100K weekend gross. First, Focus Features’ Final Account splashed in at $150K this opening weekend. Over a decade in the making, the timely documentary offers a portrait of the last living generation of everyday people
Oscar nominee Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, and Owen Teale star in horse racing drama, Dream Horse, from Bleecker Street and Topic Studio. Directed by Euros Lyn, the film tells the true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender, Jan Vokes (Collette). With very little money and no experience,
(Interactive chart with estimates below) Though the country might be inching towards normalcy, the specialty box office has yet to make steps towards a total recovery. This weekend we failed to see a single film break a 100K gross. Opening at 41 screens this week was IFC Midnight horror flick The Djinn. Co-directed by David
(Interactive chart with estimates below) Vertical Entertainment’s Four Good Days claimed the highest total over Mother’s Day weekend. It was a remarkably slow three-day stretch at the specialty box office with the Glenn Close and Mila Kunis-starring drama being the only film to break the $200K mark. Though Four Good Days grossed almost $100K less
(Interactive chart with estimates below) Together Together topped the specialty box office for a second week in a row. The Bleecker Street comedy starring Ed Helms broke the million-dollar cume mark this week, hauling a modest $313,000 over the weekend. Vertical Entertainment’s debut of Four Good Days, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, wasn’t too
(Interactive chart with estimates below) As Hollywood buckled up for the Oscar showdown at Union Station, the specialty box office saw a new release sweep the floors in its theatrical debut. This week, Bleecker Street released the comedy Together, Together, starring Ed Helms and comic Patti Harrison. The pic follows a young loner Anna (Harrison)
Ed Helms is looking forward to fatherhood in the Bleecker Street comedy Together Together, which hits select theaters today. Also starring Patti Harrison, Tig Notaro and Julio Torres, the film was written and directed by Nikole Beckwith. In the pic, a young loner Anna (Harrison) is hired as the surrogate for Matt (Helms), a single
(Interactive chart with estimates below) This week, Neon released its COVID-inspired horror film In The Earth, directed by Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace, Kill List). Written across 15 days last August, the movie follows a scientist and a park scout in the midst of a pandemic. Their journey into a forest becomes imperiled as they find
Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough set off on a whirlwind weekend romance in Monday, a romantic drama that IFC Films released in theaters and on-demand Friday. It’s the fourth feature from director Argyris Papadimitropoulos, who also wrote and produced the film. Here is the plot: When Mickey (Stan) is dragged away from his DJ set
(Interactive chart with estimates below) This week, Atlas Entertainment’s The Girl Who Believes in Miracles grew to 900 runs in 175 markets (up from 640 runs in 154 markets) as it tallies its weekend best at $604,000 with its cumulative box office total doubling to $1,326,000. In its second weekend, the Rich Correll-directed drama posts
Lionsgate’s Voyagers isn’t your ordinary “the human race is in danger” sci fi romp. Written and directed by Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist) Voyagers follows a group of young men and women bred specifically to have a great level of intelligence and obedience as they embark on an expedition to colonize a distant planet. Sounds like good, safe
The Vaughn Stein-directed psychological thriller Every Breath You Take made its theatrical premiere this weekend on 106 screens and added some coins to the specialty box office piggy bank. The film, which also landed on VOD this weekend, is on track to earn an estimated $35K with its debut. Written by David K. Murray and starring Casey
Writer-director Emma Seligman brings her feature Shiva Baby to theaters and TVOD starting today — and it is quite a comedic ride. Released by Utopia, Shiva Baby follows a young woman who is trying to keep the different versions of herself in order when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva with her parents.
The Justin P. Lange-directed exorcism horror pic The Seventh Day possessed the specialty box office this weekend. Released by Vertical Entertainment on March 26 in select theaters and on digital platforms, the movie stars Guy Pearce, Vadhir Derbez and Stephen Lang, and scared up an estimated three-day gross of $67K on the specialty box office front.