‘Official Secrets’ Screams Highest Opening; Chinese Animated ‘Ne Zha’ & Holdover ‘Miles Davis’ Robust: Specialty Box Office
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IFC Films’ Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes is tracking atop the specialty box office Labor Day weekend with a solid start in four theaters. The Sundance ’19 premiere has a four-day estimate of $80,046 in four New York and Los Angeles theaters, averaging $20,012. Directed by Gavin Hood, the title’s launch is one of a half-dozen specialties reporting numbers Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
Official Secret’s bow is on par with Hood’s previous directorial, Eye In The Sky, which Bleecker Street launched in 5 theaters, grossing $113,803 in its opening frame, averaging $22,761. The feature went on to cume $18.7M.
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Commented IFC Films Sunday: “We are pleased and excited about our opening weekend numbers thus far, as audiences have come out to deliver Official Secrets, the latest from acclaimed and award winning filmmaker Gavin Hood, one of the strongest per screen averages for a specialized film over Labor Day weekend.”
Well Go USA’s Ne Zha is the weekend’s highest-grossing specialty at over $1.19M from 66 runs. The Chinese-animated feature is averaging an impressive $18,061 in the three-day estimate.
The distributor noted Sunday that the title is China’s highest-grossing animated feature, and is the second-best grosser of all-time in the country at $638M to date, behind Wolf Warrior 2 ($854M).
We’re obviously thrilled with the start and eager to expand on September 6th,” said Well Go USA EVP Jason Pfardrescher Sunday. “What really has us excited is many of the theaters we’re in don’t typically play Chinese language films which is a clear indicator that we’re reaching a wider audience beyond Chinese Americans. We’ll continue to expand across the country over the next few weeks.”
Also with a seven-figure bow is Pantelion/Lionsgate Mexican comedy Tod@s Caen, with an estimated $1.08M three-day in 317 theaters ($3,407 per theater average). In a similar pattern, Pantelion launched drama Ya Veremos last Labor Day weekend in 369 locations for a $1.8M start, averaging $4,888. It went on to cume $4.16M.
Tod@s Caen (akaTodos Caen) reunites Mexican stars Omar Chaparro and Martha Higadera, who starred in this past spring’s No Manches Frida 2, which Pantelion released stateside, grossing more than $9.2M.
Magnolia Pictures gave doc Raise Hell: The Life And Times Of Molly Ivins a Texas launch over the holiday weekend. Centered on Texas-raised columnist and author Molly Ivins, the doc is playing 18 locations exclusively in the lone star state. The title has an estimated $93,120 three-day gross, averaging $5,173.
The company hosted a preview screening of the film last Wednesday evening followed by a panel discussion that was live-streamed to twelve additional Texas Drafthouse locations, which Magnolia said were almost all sold-out. Molly Ivins will open in New York and L.A. September 6 with additional cities to follow September 13.
Other holiday weekend openers include 1091’s Sundance comedy Before You Know It with an estimated $27K three-day in three theaters ($9K PTA) and Blue Fox Entertainment’s Killerman, which opened in 322 locations for a three-day $150,214 gross ($466 PTA).
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Music documentary Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool from Abramorama sizzled in its second outing, playing an additional run, continuing a string of similar successful music non-fiction titles this year, including Neon’s Amazing Grace ($4.45M) and Greenwich Entertainment’s Echo In the Canyon ($3.28M). Miles Davis is tracking at $37,106 in the three-day, averaging $18,553 in two theaters. That is an uptick from its opening $18,258 from an exclusive run in its opening last weekend.
Sundance dramedy Brittany Runs a Marathon trotted into 49 locations in its second weekend. The Amazon Studios release starring Jillian Bell is rolling in with a $414,228 three-day estimate, averaging a svelt $8,454. The title had a robust start last weekend in five locations, grossing nearly $181K, averaging $36,142. It has cumed $639,658.
Doc Fiddler: A Miracle Of Miracles from Roadside and Samuel Goldwyn jumped to 28 runs over the holiday weekend, coming in at $74K in the three-day estimate, averaging $2,072. The film about the origin of musical Fiddler On the Roof, opened in 7 locations last weekend, grossing $36,425 ($5,204 PTA).
Music Box’s Give Me Liberty played an additional six runs in its second outing, coming in at $34,181 Friday to Sunday, averaging $3,789. The title bowed in three locations for $33,261 ($11,087 PTA).
Sony Pictures Classics added theaters for two of its releases for Labor Day weekend. Doc Aquarela flowed into 22 additional locations in its third frame, grossing an estimated three-day $42,120, averaging $1,203. That is down just about 35% from last weekend’s $1,845 PTA in 13 theaters.
SPC moved After The Wedding into 347 additional locations in the drama’s 4th weekend for a total of 428 theaters. After The Wedding, starring Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore grossed $445,452, averaging $1,041. Last weekend, it grossed over $154K in 81 theaters, averaging $1,903. It has cumed $862,813.
Neon drama/thriller Luce with Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts and Tim Roth is in 75 additional locations in its fifth weekend. In 235 theaters, Luce is at $277,200 in the three-day, averaging $1,180. That is off just 25% from last weekend’s $1,578 PTA. Luce grossed over $252K, averaging $1,578 in its previous weekend outing. Its estimated four-day cume is over $1.33M.
In its sixth frame, Neon documentary Honeyland has a three-day $53,270 estimate in 42 theaters, averaging a solid $1,245, off only 4% from last weekend’s $1,295 PTA. The foreign-language awards hopeful grossed $46,621 last weekend in 36 theaters last weekend.
And fellow doc Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is estimated at $13,860 in its 10th outing in 17 theaters, averaging $815 in the three-day. The Magnolia Pictures release has cumed $846,804 as of Sunday.
NEW RELEASES
Before You Know It (1091) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $27,000, Average $9,000
Killerman (Blue Fox Entertainment) NEW [322 Theaters] Weekend $150,214; 4-day estimate: $198,215, Average $466; 4-day: $616
Official Secrets (IFC Films) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $80,046, Average $20,012
Ne Zha (Well Go USA) NEW [66 Theaters] Weekend $1,192,032, Average $18,061
Raise Hell: The Life And Times Of Molly Ivins (Magnolia Pictures) NEW [18 Theaters] Weekend $93,120, Average $5,173
Tod@s Caen (Pantelion/Lionsgate) NEW [317 Theaters] Weekend $1,080,000; 4-day estimate: $1,350,000, Average $3,407; 4-day: $4,259
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
Brittany Runs A Marathon (Amazon Studios) Week 2 [49 Theaters] Weekend $414,228, Average $8,454, Cume $639,658
Fiddler: A Miracle Of Miracles (Roadside Attractions/Samuel Goldwyn Films) Week 2 [28 Theaters] Weekend $74,005; 4-day estimate: $97,020, Average $2,072; 4-day: $3,465, Cume $154,656
Give Me Liberty (Music Box Films) Week 2 [9 Theaters] Weekend $34,181; 4-day: $40,628, Average $3,798; 4-day: $4,514, Cume $82,729
Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool (Abramorama) Week 2 [2 Theaters] Weekend $37,106, Average $18,553, Cume $67,553
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Aquarela (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 [35 Theaters] Weekend $42,120, Average $1,203, Cume $122,583
After The Wedding (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [428 Theaters] Weekend $445,452 Average $1,041, Cume $862,813
The Peanut Butter Falcon (Roadside Attractions/Armory Films) Week 4 [1,249 Theaters] Weekend $2,921,448; 4-day estimate: $3,770,353, Average $2,338; 4-day estimate: $3,018, Cume (4-day): $8,756,650
Jay Myself (Oscilloscope) Week 5 [15 Theaters] Weekend $13,100; 4-day estimate: $17,250, Average $873; 4-day estimate $1,150, Cume $108,499
Luce (Neon) Week 5 [235 Theaters] Weekend $277,200; 4-day estimate: $345,240, Average $1,180; 4-day estimate: $1,469, Cume $1,335,132
The Nightingale (IFC Films) Week 5 [75 Theaters] Weekend $57,124, Average $762, Cume $333,301
Tel Aviv On Fire (Cohen Media Group) Week 5 [35 Theaters] Weekend $22,250, Average $636, Cume $376,676
Honeyland (Neon) Week 6 [42 Theaters] Weekend $52,270; 4-day estimate: $65,290, Average $1,245; 4-day estimate: $1,555, Cume $384,812
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 [47 Theaters] Weekend $31,540, Average $671, Cume $509,872
The Farewell (A24) Week 8 [891 Theaters] Weekend $829,165; 4-day estimate: $1,055,145, Average $931; 4-day: $1,184, Cume $15,951,139
Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 10 [180 Theaters] Weekend $134,277, Average $746, Cume $2,749,889
Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire Of Faith (ArtAffects) Week 10 [17 Theaters] Weekend $13,200, Average $776, Cume $1,688,629
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Magnolia Pictures) Week 10 [17 Theaters] Weekend $13,860, Average $815, Cume $846,804
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