Specialty Box Office: ‘Instructions Not Included’ Shatters Spanish Language Record In Slow Holiday Weekend
Brian Brooks is a Deadline contributor.
UPDATE, 11:50 AM: Lionsgate/Pantelion’s Instructions Not Included scored a Spanish-language first, shattering the Specialty Box Office with a $10 million gross in 347 theaters. The comedy-drama directed by Eugenio Derbez handily won the holiday weekend’s numbers among limited releases, including a spectacular $28,818 average. It placed fifth in the overall box office chart.
Film Arcade‘s Afternoon Delight also proved to have newcomer seduction, grossing just over $37K over the holiday weekend with a four-day PSA of $18,504. Noted Film Arcade this weekend: “We’re thrilled with the opening of Afternoon Delight and are particularly excited about the fantastic reception the film is getting from women. Jill Soloway directed a provocative film and following this strong start we’ll be aggressively expanding the release throughout the country.”
eOne‘s Passion proved limited in its theatrical release, though the title has been available on Ultra-VOD since August 1. The film by Brian De Palma grossed just over $40K from Friday to Monday, with a slight $3,087 average.
TWC‘s The Grandmaster headed into wide release in its second frame grossing over $3.12 million. The feature by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai had bowed exclusively in seven locations, grossing $132K. SPC‘s Blue Jasmine sailed passed the $20 million mark before Monday. By today it had grossed over $5.3 million for a $4,502 average and a cume that is approaching $22 million. Also from SPC, Austenland, had a four-day gross of almost $261K ($5,016 PSA) in a 29 theater expansion over the holiday weekend. Its two week cume is now just over $490K.
PREVIOUS, SUNDAY AM: Summer is going out with a whimper in the Specialty Box Office – at least among the couple of newcomers reporting numbers Sunday, though some holdovers are showing zest. Entertainment One debuted Brian De Palma‘s Passion in 14 theaters but only managed to find limited audiences so far this holiday weekend. The corporate thriller grossed under $34K for a slight $2,579 average.
Still, that’s better than his 2007 opening weekend for Redacted. That film opened in 15 theaters, grossing $25,628 with a $1,708 PSA. Reporting the numbers Sunday, eOne noted that the title has been available on ultra-VOD since August 1. The distributor said it will take the film to the top 25 to 30 markets based on performance. The opening numbers may keep things on the lower end of that expansion.
Documentary Our Nixon has also been available in people’s homes well ahead of this weekend’s release on the big screen. The film which gives new insight in the Nixon Administration through found Super 8 home movies made by Nixon insiders grossed just $5,911 Friday to Sunday for a slow $1,970 average. The film had a good amount of awareness going into its theatrical release because it has played several times on CNN, which bought rights to the title along with Cinedigm out of its SXSW run.
Said filmmaker Penny Lane ahead of this weekend’s bow: “It’s hard to get people into theaters for any doc. And this is completely made independently and to have this recognition out there is insane and a lot of that is CNN.”
As planned, TWC took Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster into wide release in its second weekend with 749 runs and a 3-day gross just under $2.5 million. The martial arts film averaged $3,266. Last weekend it had an exclusive art house debut in seven theaters, grossing over $132K with an $18,894 PSA. Its two week cume is over $2.64 million.
SPC added 29 locations for Austenland in its third week. The pic grossed $215,312 for a $4,141 PSA. Not spectacular, but it did hold its own vs last week when it averaged $5,477 in 23 theaters. It has cumed $444,679.
Sony Classics lost 104 runs in Blue Jasmine‘s sixth weekend. The film grossed over $4 million in 1,179 locations, averaging $3,410. The 3-day total brought the Woody Allen film over the $20 million threshold and placing it 11th for the weekend in the overall box office.
And A24 added 231 theaters for The Spectacular Now in its fifth weekend. It grossed over $1.04 million ($2,713 PSA) and has cumed over $3.38 million in five weeks. A24 said Sunday it will continue to expand the film across the country throughout September.
NEW * indicates 3-day numbers
Afternoon Delight (The Film Arcade) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $37,008, Average $18,504
Instructions Not Included (Lionsgate/Pantelion) NEW [347 Theaters] Weekend $10M, Average $28,818
Our Nixon (Cinedigm) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $5,911, Average $1,970 *
Passion (Entertainment One) NEW [14 Theaters] Weekend $40,133, Average $3,087
Returning / 2nd Weekend
The Grandmaster (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [749 Theaters] Weekend $3,122,000, Average $4,168, Cume $3,318,044
Savannah (Ketchup Entertainment) Week 2 [5 Theaters] Weekend $3,500, Average $700, Cume $25,150
Short Term 12 (Cinedigm) Week 2 [16 Theaters] Weekend $94,345, Average $5,896 *
Thérèse (MPI Media Group) Week 2 [8 Theaters] Weekend $27,198, Average $3,400, Cume $58,552
Una Noche (Sundance Selects) Week 2 [5 Theaters] Weekend $28,000, Average $5,600, Cume $56,100
Holdovers / 3RD+ Weekends
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (IFC Films) Week 3 [41 Theaters] Weekend $94,300, Average $2,300, Cume $234,400
Austenland (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [52 Theaters] Weekend $260,807, Average $5,016, Cume $490,174
In A World (Roadside Attractions) Week 4 [92 Theaters] Weekend $418,750, Average $4,551, Cume $1,282,220
You Will Be My Son (Cohen Media) Week 4 [6 Theaters] Weekend $19,231, Average $3,205, Cume $72,420 *
The Artist And The Model (Cohen Media Group) Week 5 [9 Theaters] Weekend $10,381, Average $1,153, Cume $89,987 *
The Spectacular Now (A24) Week 5 [385 Theaters] Weekend $1,044,630, Average $2,713, Cume $3,386,909 *
Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 6 [1,179 Theaters] Weekend $5,307,597, Average $4,502, Cume $21,774,065
Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company) Week 8 [294 Theaters] Weekend $244K, Average $830, Cume $15,577,172
Still Mine (Samuel Goldwyn) Week 8 [15 Theaters] Weekend $20,955, Average $1,397, Cume $1,017,925
The Way, Way Back (Fox Searchlight) Week 9 [654 Theaters] Weekend $900K, Average $1,376, Cume $19,720,573 *
The Attack (Cohen Media Group) Week 11 [17 Theaters] Weekend $44,098, Average $2,594, Cume $1,551,322 *
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