‘Ingrid Goes West’ Makes Robust Start; ‘Good Time’ Strong – Specialty Box Office

Neon’s comedy-drama Ingrid Goes West by Matt Spicer opened in three theaters to very solid numbers over the weekend. Starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen, the Sundance debut grossed $141,216. The film was one of a pack of Specialty releases that debuted Friday, including A24’s Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, which also had a strong start at $137,625 in its initial several runs. IFC Films’ The Trip to Spain, the third installment in a series starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, bowed in three theaters grossing $45,306. Well Go USA launched two titles Friday, A Taxi Driver from Korea, grossing $332K in 41 locations as well as Chinese fantasy-drama Once Upon a Time with a 3-day $256,500. The Only Living Boy in New York with Jeff Bridges came in more slowly with $57,619 in 15 theaters. Reliance’s latest Bollywood debut Toilet: Ek Prem Katha had the highest-grossing limited release of the weekend at over $709K from 176 runs, averaging just over $4K. The Weinstein Company expanded Wind River in its second frame, holding strong with a $14,268 per theater average in 45 locations. Fox Searchlight’s Sundance doc Step jumped to 185 theaters taking in $278K, while self-distributed title Columbus held well in its second weekend with more locations, averaging $6,351.

Indications going into Friday were that Sundance premiere Ingrid Goes West by Matt Spicer would do well and it indeed did. The Neon release handily took the weekend’s best PTA and scored one of the best averages of all films released in 2017. In three locations, the title grossed $141,216, averaging $47,072.

Fellow 2017 Sundance Film Festival premiere The Big Sick continues to reign as the best PTA-getter of the year at $84,315 from its initial five theater open in June. Ingrid Goes West moves ahead of Disney’s Beauty And the Beast which had a $41,508 PTA when it opened in March, though that title was in several thousand theaters. TWC’s Wind River opened in early August in four locations with a $40,390 average.

Spicer shared the Waldo Scott Screenwriting Award at Sundance with David Branson Smith for Ingrid Goes West, while Aubrey was a producer of the dark comedy. Neon said that audiences “skewed younger” as was expected for the title. The company had an aggressive social media campaign targeting its core audience in the lead-up to its release. It had also aggressively screened the title, which augmented its word-of-mouth ahead of Friday.

Neon will take Ingrid Goes West to select regional markets next Friday ahead of a nationwide expansion August 25.

Josh and Benny Safdie’s latest, Good Time also had a robust start with its initial run in four theaters. The A24 release starring Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Benny Safdie grossed $137,625, averaging $34,406, making it one of the top tier PTAs of the year and well ahead the filmmaking duo’s previous feature, Heaven Knows What which opened in May, 2015 in two locations averaging $8,431, though that feature did not have the star wattage of Good Time.

A24 said Sunday that the feature skewed younger. The title’s top two locations were the Arclight Hollywood and Union Square in New York, both of which drew both specialized and crossover audiences. Good Time will roll out to several top markets this weekend ahead of a national expansion on August 25.

IFC Films opened The Trip to Spain, directed by Michael Winterbottom in three theaters Friday in a day and date release via cable VOD. Theatrically, the film with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon grossed $45,306, averaging $15,102. The title is the third in a series which features the British actors who sling their banter while traveling.

“We’ve been successful with both. I think it transports you to a different place. It’s fun,” said IFC Films’ Arianna Bocco just ahead of the release earlier this week. “You’re with these guys who don’t take themselves too seriously. The audience has been loyal to this franchise, and that’s been true around the world.” The company said Sunday morning that the film increased “over 60 percent Friday to Saturday, wooing a strong word-of-mouth.”

IFC Films opened The Trip in 2011, which took them through northern England, in six theaters grossing $77,904 ($12,984 average) its first weekend. It went on to cume just over $2M in the domestic box office. The company also distributed The Trip to Italy, opening in August, 2014 in three locations, grossing $71,712 in its initial frame, averaging $23,904. Italy went on to cume $2.88M.

Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions’ The Only Living Boy in New York got off to a slower start in its opening weekend. Starring Callum Turner, Jeff Bridges, Kate Beckinsale, Pierce Brosnan, Cynthia Nixon, the romantic-drama grossed $57,619 in fifteen theaters, averaging $3,841. Director Marc Webb had a comparatively more alluring open with his first romance, (500) Days of Summer back in 2009, averaging $30,907 in 27 theaters in its first weekend. The Searchlight release went on to cume $32.39M.

The Only Living Boy in New York will have more runs next week ahead of going to between three and four hundred locations the following weekend.

Well Go USA took out two titles Friday, while expanding another of its releases. Korean drama A Taxi Driver grossed $332K in its initial 41 runs Friday to Sunday, averaging $8,089, while Chinese fantasy-drama One Upon a Time played 51 theaters for a $256,500 gross, averaging $5,029. Well Go USA said Sunday it was “elated” about the two films’ openings. A Taxi Driver “resonated across ages, with entire families coming to see the film,” according to the company, adding: “Excellent reviews are helping to cross this film over to non-Korean audiences, and we plan to expand the film over the next few weeks to take advantage of the word of mouth.”

Once Upon a Time played to a younger audience, the distributor said, playing exclusively in 3D this weekend. “We will add 2D showings to make sure everyone gets to see this one in the format they prefer,” Well Go USA said Sunday.

Well Go USA’s Wolf Warrior 2 is still drawing crowds in its third weekend of release in America, with 20 added runs over last weekend. The title grossed $420K in 52 theaters, averaging $8,077. It played 32 runs the week prior, grossing $460K, averaging $14,375. It has cumed over $1.93M.

Reliance opened Bollywood comedy-drama Toilet Ek Prem Katha in 176 theaters in top North American markets Friday. Directed by Shree Narayan Singh and starring Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Divyendu Sharma and Sudhir Pande, the film based on a real-life love story grossed $709,420, averaging $4,031.

In its second weekend, Wind River from The Weinstein Company played 41 additional runs over its debut weekend, holding string. Directed by Taylor Sheridan, the title grossed $642,067, averaging a solid $14,268 in 45 theaters. The film launched last weekend in four locations, grossing over $164K, averaging $41,042, giving it a cume of $870,285. TWC said the title had a 39% increase Friday to Saturday. Wind River will expand to between 600 – 700 theaters next weekend.

Fox Searchlight’s Sundance documentary Step bounced to 185 runs in its second weekend from 29 in its initial frame. Step grossed $278K, averaging $1,503 Friday to Saturday. The title opened with a $145K gross last weekend, averaging $5K. Directed by Amanda Lipitz, telling the story of a girl step dance team set in inner-city Baltimore, Searchlight said it is hoping good word of mouth as well as an ‘A’ CinemaScore and 97% RT rating will propel the title as it continues its roll out.

“We have seen the film perform best in Art and Specialty theaters and are hoping that good word of mouth will spread to mainstream moviegoers so everyone can partake in this emotional and inspirational story,” the company noted Sunday. Step will head to 70 markets and between 200 – 250 theaters next weekend.

Self-released Columbus added five runs in its second weekend. Released under the banners of Superlative Films/Depth of Field, the Sundance debut grossed $44,460 in seven locations, averaging a nice $6,351. Starring John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson and released with the support of the Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Fellowship, the title launched in two theaters taking in $28,800 last week, averaging $14,400. It has cumed $86,537.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power jumped to 556 theaters in its third weekend vs. last weekend’s 180 runs. The Al Gore documentary grossed $800K, averaging $1,439, giving it a cume of over $2.29M. It will likely overtake Kedi, which cumed just over $2.8M, as the year’s second highest-grossing documentary this week. Magnolia’s I Am Not Your Negro grossed over $7.1M.

NEW RELEASES

A Taxi Driver (Well Go USA) NEW [41 Theaters] Weekend $332,000, Average $8,089

Good Time (A24) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $137,625, Average $34,406

Ingrid Goes West (Neon) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $141,216, Average $47,072

Once Upon a Time (Well Go USA) NEW [51 Theaters] Weekend $256,500, Average $5,029

The Only Living Boy In New York (Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions) NEW [15 Theaters] Weekend $57,619, Average $3,841

The Trip to Spain (IFC Films) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $45,306, Average $15,102

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (Reliance) NEW [176 Theaters] Weekend $709,420, Average $4,031

RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND

Columbus (Superlative Films/Depth of Field) Week 2 [7 Theaters] Weekend $44,460, Average $6,351, Cume $86,537

Step (Fox Searchlight) Week 2 [185 Theaters] Weekend $278,000, Average $1,503, Cume $478,366

Wind River (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [45 Theaters] Weekend $642,067, Average $14,268, Cume $870,285

HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS

Brigsby Bear (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [37 Theaters] Weekend $55,621, Average $1,503, Cume $172,677

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power (Paramount Pictures/Participant Media) Week 3 [556 Theaters] Weekend $800,000, Average $1,439, Cume $2,296,000

Menashe (A24) Week 3 [47 Theaters] Weekend $197,963, Average $4,212, Cume $421,708

Wolf Warrior 2 (Well Go USA) Week 3 [52 Theaters] Weekend $420,000, Average $8,077, Cume $1,933,327

Landline (Amazon Studios/Magnolia Pictures) Week 4 [135 Theaters] Weekend $130,000, Average $963, Cume $731,201

The Midwife (Music Box Films) Week 4 [40 Theaters] Weekend $48,500, Average $1,213, Cume $333,568

Lady Macbeth (Roadside Attractions) Week 5 [119 Theaters] Weekend $91,585, Average $770, Cume $932,697

City of Ghosts (Amazon Studios/IFC Films/A&E Indie Films) Week 6 [11 Theaters] Weekend $10,230, Average $930, Cume $127,468

A Ghost Story (A24) Week 6 [57 Theaters] Weekend $49,415, Average $867, Cume $1,463,760

The Little Hours (Gunpowder & Sky) Week 7 [60 Theaters] Weekend $61,165, Average $1,019, Cume $1,442,979

The Big Sick (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate) Week 8 [709 Theaters] Weekend $1,525,000, Average $2,151, Cume $36,468,848

My Journey Through French Cinema (Cohen Media Group) Week 8 [4 Theaters] Weekend $778, Average $389, Cume $52,058

Lost In Paris (Oscilloscope) Week 9 [23 Theaters] Weekend $33,000, Average $1,435, Cume $471,762

Maudie (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 9 [162 Theaters] Weekend $171,251, Average $1,057, Cume $2,740,510

Beatriz At Dinner (Roadside Attractions/FilmNation) Week 10 [40 Theaters] Weekend $25,500, Average $637, Cume $6,986,008

The Hero (The Orchard) Week 10 [42 Theaters] Weekend $24,769, Average $590, Cume $3,968,009

Churchill (Cohen Media Group) Week 11 [4 Theaters] Weekend $2,127, Average $1,063, Cume $1,279,681

Manifesto (FilmRise) Week 14 [1 Theater] Weekend $1,100, Cume $159,870