Specialty Box Office: ‘The Iceman’ Scores Cool Opening, ‘What Maisie Knew’ Solid
Brian Brooks is a Deadline contributor.
Millennium Entertainment’s The Iceman warmed over the specialty box office this weekend despite the Iron Man 3 juggernaut. The film averaged a cool $23,287 from four runs and that wasn’t the only good news for the distributor. Millennium also bowed What Maisie Knew in one location, grossing $23,268. The duo were among a large number of specialty newcomers this weekend, though they did by far the best among titles reporting. Pantelion’s Cinco De Mayo: La Batalla averaged $3,500 from 20 runs, while SPC’s Love Is All You Need averaged $9,739 from its initial four theaters opening. Cannes 2012 debut Post Tenebras Lux took in $5,525 in one theater, while the weekend’s new doc Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf’s grossed $38,294 for a $9,574 average in four theaters. Meanwhile IFC Films’ French-language Something In The Air bowed in three theaters, averaging a slight $5K.
“[The Iceman] plays well with a festival audience, but there’s a thriller element that works across the spectrum”, said Mark Gill, president of the distributor’s sister entity Millennium Films. Noting a parallel between the release of The Iceman – on a weekend sure to be dominated by one huge blockbuster – and Good Will Hunting, Gill recalled he had debuted the eventual Oscar-winner back in ’97 against Titanic, but the film, nevertheless found its footing. The film will expand to 15 – 20 theaters next weekend. Millennium’s other opener, What Maisie Knew, placed second in the averages contest among the specialties. It will next hit L.A. on May 17th followed by a May 24 expansion.
Among other openers, SPC’s Love Is All You Need will open in San Francisco, San Diego and Chicago, while doc Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf’s will eventually hit 30 – 40 markets. And, IFC Films’ Olivier Assayas-directed French period feature Something In The Air will hit the next 10 markets next weekend.
Among holdovers, Roadside Attractions’ Matthew McConaughey/Reese Witherspoon starter Mud added 213 runs in its second weekend, easily topping out the specialties with the weekend’s highest gross. It took in just over $2.15 million, averaging $3,733. Said Roadside’s Howard Cohen Sunday: “Mud held on extremely well in its expanded 2nd weekend in the face of the stiff competition from Iron Man 3… The total estimated cume to date is $5,158,148. We plan to continue expanding next weekend to a total screen count of between 700 and 800 screens”. Mud placed seventh in the overall box office chart, just below The Big Wedding and one above holdover Oz The Great And Powerful.
Also this weekend, several releases passed cumulative milestones. LD Entertainment’s Disconnect passed the $1 million mark in its fourth weekend with a $210,744 three-day gross. Samuel Goldwyn’s Renoir also surpassed the seven-figure mark in its sixth weekend, taking in $152,440 in 74 runs. A24′s Spring Breakers hit $14 million, grossing $26K, while TWC’s long-running Quartet surmounted $18 million, grossing $46K in its 17th weekend in release.
NEW
Cinco De Mayo: La Batalla (Pantelion) [20 Theaters] Weekend $70K, Average $3,500
Dead Man’s Burden (Cinedigm) [1 Theater] Weekend $7,500
The Iceman (Millennium Entertainment) [4 Theaters] Weekend $93,149, Average $23,287
Love Is All You Need (Sony Pictures Classics) [4 Theaters] Weekend $38,954, Average $9,739
Post Tenebras Lux (Strand Releasing) [1 Theater] Weekend $5,525
Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf’s (Entertainment One) [4 Theaters] Weekend $38,294, Average $9,574
Something In The Air (IFC Films) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $15K, Average $5K
What Maisie Knew (Millennium Entertainment) [1 Theater] Weekend $23,268
Returning / 2nd Weekend
At Any Price (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 [18 Theaters] Weekend $32,272, Average $1,739, Cume $61,458
Kon-Tiki (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [14 Theaters] Weekend $78,324, Average $5,595, Cume $111,500
Midnight’s Children (Paladin/108 Media) Week 2 [10 Theaters] Weekend $22,832, Average $2,283, Cume $37,098
Mud (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions) Week 2 [576 Theaters] Weekend $2,150,250, Average $3,733, Cume $5,158,148
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (IFC Films) Week 2 [35 Theaters] Weekend $87,500, Average $2,500, Cume $131,200
Holdovers / 3RD+ Weekends
Deceptive Practices: The Mentors And Mysteries Of Ricky Jay (Kino Lorber) Week 3 [4 Theaters] Weekend $9K, Cume $48,761
Filly Brown (Pantelion/Indomina) Week 3 [204 Theaters] Weekend $164K, Average $804, Cume $2,598,424
Home Run (Samuel Goldwyn Films) Week 3 [160 Theaters] Weekend $125,920, Average $787, Cume $2,546,759
In The House (Cohen Media Group) Week 3 [22 Theaters] Weekend $49,401, Average $2,245, Cume $140,178
The Lords Of Salem (Anchor Bay Films) Week 3 [50 Theaters] Weekend $22,668, Average $453, Cume $1,141,997
Disconnect (LD Entertainment) Week 4 [161 Theaters] Weekend $210,744, Average $1,309, Cume $1,054,974
The Company You Keep (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 5 [541 Theaters] Weekend $777,240, Average $1,437, Cume $3,506,411
Upstream Color (erbp Film – Self Distributed) Week 5 [32 Theaters] Weekend $32,180, Average $1,006, Cume $352,376
Blancanieves (Cohen Media Group) Week 6 [15 Theaters] Weekend $17,062, Average $1,137, Cume $218,845
The Place Beyond The Pines (Focus Features) Week 6 [1,162 Theaters] Weekend $1,297,934, Average $1,117, Cume $18,678,347
Renoir (IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films) Week 6 [74 Theaters] Weekend $152,440, Average $2,060, Cume $1,079,425
The Sapphires (The Weinstein Company) Week 7 [123 Theaters] Weekend $148K, Average $1,203, Cume $1,637,482
From Up On Poppy Hill (GKids) Week 8 [34 Theaters] Weekend $29,498, Average $868, Cume $850,238
Spring Breakers (A24) Week 8 [43 Theaters] Weekend $26K, Average $604, Cume $14,000,328
Quartet (The Weinstein Company) Week 17 [86 Theaters] Weekend $46K, Average $535, Cume $18,098,578
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