‘Destroyer’ Wins the Weekend; ‘On The Basis of Sex’ Solid in Expansion; ‘Beale Street’ & ‘Cold War’ Sizzle: Specialty Box Office
Kudos to Vice, The Favourite, Greenbook, A Star Is Born, BlaKkKlansman, etc. for the many Golden Globe noms. But the specialty box office headlines this weekend go to Destroyer on the specialty side.
The Annapurna’s release, directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Globe nominee Nicole Kidman, grossed $110K in six theaters, averaging $18,335, only slightly below its opening weekend PTA.
Amazon Studios’ Cold WarFocus/Participant’s On The Basis of Sex played 112 theaters in its second frame, grossing $1.67M for a $14,920 per-theater average, while Stan & Ollie, up for one Globe, held OK with a $96K gross, averaging $12K. In its third weekend, Amazon Pictures’ Cold War actually warmed up to $15,500 average in six theaters with a $93K gross, topping its previous $14,777 average.
Globes Best Picture – Musical or Comedy nominee The Favourite is still a favorite with a broad swath of audiences, grossing $1.975M in 771 theaters in the three-day, averaging $2,562. The title, up for five Globes tonight, will cross $20M this coming week.
It was not a destroyer out of its opening frame, but Destroyer appears to have found momentum, only slightly below its opening per-theater average, with added showings in its second weekend. Going from its initial three to six locations, Destroyer grossed an estimated $110K Friday to Sunday, averaging $18,335, which is only slightly below its $18,449 PTA in the final weekend of 2018. The three-day PTA gives Annapurna the highest per-theater average of the Globes weekend — Cheers.
“The fact it’s the number one [PTA] is a big deal,” noted Annapurna’s Erik Lomis Sunday morning. The company noted when giving its numbers Sunday: “Audiences love seeing Kidman as a complicated anti-hero – it’s unlike anything they’ve seen before. We’re very pleased with this weekend’s hold.
Next up for Destroyer is the top 12 markets next weekend. It will double that on January 24, en route to additional locations the following week. Destroyer will need to hold the same momentum, though it has a ways to go. Its cume is just under $260K.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s second big screen outing via the scripted On The Basis of Sex from Participant and Focus Features expanded from 33 locations to 112 in the first full weekend of 2019, showing zest. Starring Felicity Jones as US Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg prior to her High Court appointment, the feature grossed $1.67M, averaging $14,920.
Focus said Sunday audiences “gave it a 99% in the top two boxes, and 95% definite recommend.” The company added that minus previews and group sales, its totals jumped “40% Friday to Saturday,” perhaps setting precedence. Focus noted a list of number one slots around the country, in addition to a second best showing at Lincoln Square in New York behind Aquaman.
Amazon Studios’ Cold War boasted five wins last month at the European Film Awards, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association missed the memo. Cineastes gave it a vote in three additional locations over last weekend. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, who won Best Director in Cannes for the title, Cold War grossed $93K from six three-day runs, averaging $15,500. That is an edge up on the previous three-day average of $14,777 in three theaters. Cold War has cumed $274,354.
Annapurna added 270 theaters over last weekend for Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, now in its
fourth weekend, holding its own. If Beale Street Could Talk grossed just under $1.85M in 335 theaters, averaging $5,521.
“This is the first solid expansion and it played very well,” said Erik Lomis, talking about the film Sunday. “[There has been] a unique cross-section of art house and younger African-American audiences. It’s doing well in commercial and art houses.” Lomis added that the combination of Barry Jenkins and word of mouth has given the film momentum.
Mary Queen of Scots was dethroned at the Globes, but it did take in $2.2M in over a thousand locations in its fifth weekend, averaging just over $2K. It has cumed $13.48M.
If the Golden Globes knew anything about non-scripted, Free Solo would surely be on the list. The Telluride debut by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is climbing toward $11.5M. In its 15th weekend, the title grossed $114,900, averaging $2,198.
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
Destroyer (Annapurna Pictures) Week 2 [6 Theaters] Weekend $110,012, Average $18,335, Cume $259,798
On The Basis Of Sex (Focus Features/Participant) Week 2 [112 Theaters] Weekend $1,671,000, Average $14,920, Cume $3,769,000
Stan & Ollie (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 [8 Theaters] Weekend $96,173, Average $12,022, Cume $243,159
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Cold War (Amazon Studios) Week 3 [6 Theaters] Weekend $93,000, Average $15,500, Cume $274,354
Capernaum (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [10 Theaters] Weekend $33,762, Average $3,376, Cume $173,206
If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures) Week 4 [335 Theaters] Weekend $1,849,429, Average $5,521, Cume $4,415,293
Mary Queen of Scots (Focus Features) Week 5 [1,052 Theaters] Weekend $2,204,000, Average $2,095, Cume $13,482,000
Vox Lux (Neon) Week 5 [25 Theaters] Weekend $11,023, Average $441, Cume $727,415
The Favourite (Fox Searchlight) Week 7 [771 Theaters] Weekend $1,975,000, Average $2,562, Cume $19,369,336
The World Before Your Feet (Greenwich Entertainment) Week 7 [10 Theaters] Weekend $18,300, Average $1,830, Cume $138,447
At Eternity’s Gate (CBS Films) Week 8 [49 Theaters] Weekend $61,000, Average $1,245, Cume $1,966,000
Border (Neon) Week 11 [5 Theaters] Weekend $2,988, Average $598, Cume $771,205
The Great Buster: A Celebration (Cohen Media Group) Week 14 [ Theaters] Weekend $, Average $, Cume $
Free Solo (National Geographic Documentary Film/Greenwich Entertainment) Week 15 [54 Theaters] Weekend $114,900, Average $2,198, Cume $11,442,603
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