A dozen new specialty titles packed theaters this weekend. Sony Classics’ The Seagulland Roadside Attractions/30WEST’s Beast edged out the competition, grossing $80,607 in six locations ($13,434 average) and $52,078 in four theaters ($13,020 average) respectively.
The big screen version of Russian dramatist Anton Checkhov’s The Seagull opened in six New York and Los Angeles locations Friday, scoring the best per theater average of the specialty newcomers. Directed by Michael Mayer and starring Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll and Elisabeth Moss, the feature grossed $80,607, averaging $13,434. SPC picked up the title in 2017, but held off releasing while it opened Bening starrer Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. The producers showed an early version of The Seagull to SPC co-president Michael Barker, who gave notes.
Sony Pictures Classics
“We addressed those notes in the final edit,” said producer Leslie Urdang in a conversation earlier this week about the film. “We give real kudos to him for helping us. We [later] showed the film to a handful of distributors in private screenings, but Sony Classics was where we really wanted to go.”
The Seagull will head to additional cities next weekend.
Close behind with a PTA of just over $13K was the Michael Pearce-directed drama Beast. Starring jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn, the title grossed $52,078 in four locations.
Roadside touted the title’s Friday to Saturday jump and the film’s talent. “We are really excited about the reaction to Beast with its 92% RT and a 34% jump from Friday to Saturday,” commented Roadside co-president Howard Cohen on Sunday. “Jessie Buckley is getting star-making notices and Michael Pearce is getting discovered as stylish new filmmaker.” Beast will head to the top ten markets May 18 and will be in the top 25 Memorial weekend.
Brazilian bio-drama Nothing To Lose bowed in 69 locations, the widest of the packed weekend’s slate of specialty debuts. Directed by Alexandre Avancini, the title took in $646,421, averaging $9,368. Nothing To Lose is the true story of Universal Church of the Kingdom of God founder Edir Macedo. Distributor Swen Releasing noted the religious community came out to see the film. “Church group members came out in full force to see the film, with sold out shows across the country and we couldn’t be happier with the results,” commented Swen Releasing’s Murray Lipnik Sunday.
A slew of documentaries opened over the weekend, with Magnolia’s Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiattopping the non-fiction field. Directed by Sara Driver, Boom For Real grossed $22,500, averaging $11,250. Said Magnolia Sunday: “A solid opening for Sara Driver’s first feature film in over twenty years. Basquiat as a subject has an inexhaustible allure, as does the Lower Manhattan that Sara evocatively documents in her film. We look forward to expanding it in the coming weeks.” Boom For Realwill open six new markets Friday.
Oscilloscope
Oscilloscope opened drama Sollers Point at home in Baltimore with an exclusive run. Starring McCaul Lombardi, Jim Belushi and Tom Guiry, the feature grossed $10,850. Noted O-scope Sunday: “We are very pleased with this initial result and believe it indicates the film’s ability to perform in major cities.” Sollers Point opens New York City Friday, May 18 and Los Angeles on May 25 with the rest of the top 20 markets to follow in the coming weeks.
RBG went to 134 additional locations in its second frame, holding court to solid numbers. In 180 theaters, the Sundance debut by Julie Cohen and Betsy West took in $1.165M, averaging $6,472. The doc opened last weekend in 34 locations, grossing $560K ($16,471 average).
“We’re really, really pleased with this first expansion,” commented Magnolia about RBG Sunday. “We opened 35 new markets and the response was great in nearly all of them. We’re honored to be bringing Justice Ginsburg’s story to audiences; that the audiences have been this enthusiastic is wonderful. We expand to 350 screens this coming Friday.”
Also in its second frame, The Guardians played two additional runs, grossing $8,781 in three locations, averaging $2,927. The title has cumed over $20K.
Bleecker Street added 69 theaters for Disobedience in its third outing in theaters. The title grossed $437,859 from a total of 100 locations, averaging $4,379. Last weekend, it took in over $310K, averaging just over $10K. Disobedience has cumed over $1.2M.
Sundance Selects
Claire Denis’ Let The Sun Shine In climbed to 34 runs in its third frame, grossing $109,507 in the three-day, averaging $3,220. The Juliette Binoche starrer played seven theaters last weekend, grossing $66,754 ($9,536 average). It has cumed $253,306.
The Rider galloped to 85 locations in its fifth weekend. The film directed by Chloé Zhao took in $225,737, averaging $2,656 bringing its cumulative total to just over $852K.
And A24’s Lean On Pete by Andrew Haigh went over a million dollars in its sixth weekend in theaters. The title took in $64,750 in 129 locations, averaging $502 bringing its cume to $1,052,966.
NEW RELEASES
Always At the Carlyle (Good Deed Entertainment) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $9,209
Beast (Roadside Attractions/30WEST) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $52,078, Average $13,020
Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat (Magnolia Pictures) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $22,500, Average $11,250
Champion (Well Go USA) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $18,200, Average $9,100
Filmworker (Kino Lorber) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $9,109
Goodland(Parade Deck Films) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $16,545, Average $8,272
Lu Over the Wall (GKIDS) NEW [97 Theaters] Weekend $66,067, Average $681
Mountain (Greenwich Entertainment) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $6,064
Nothing To Lose (Eammon Films) NEW [69 Theaters] Weekend $646,421, Average $9,368
Revenge (Neon) NEW [36 Theaters] Weekend $46,023, Average $1,278
The Seagull (Sony Pictures Classics) NEW [6 Theaters] Weekend $80,607, Average $13,434
Sollers Point (Oscilloscope) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $10,850
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
The Guardians (Music Box Films) Week 2 [3 Theater] Weekend $8,781, Average $2,927, Cume $20,382
