Brian Brooks is Managing Editor of MovieLine.
The specialty universe was focused on Sundance this weekend, catching first glimpses of some of the newest content likely to make its way to theaters or other platforms this year, but newcomers in limited theatrical release were scarce. Friday-to-Sunday limited box office was dominated by expansions. The Weinstein Company‘s Quartet added 30 locations for a 579% jump in gross with a $10K average. Sony Pictures Classics’ multiple Oscar-nominee Amour moved into 21 additional theaters in its 5th frame, increasing its weekend take by just over 60% vs. the week prior. And TWC took its Oscar hopeful Silver Linings Playbook into wide release after spending two months-plus in relatively limited release. It added 1,713 locations, grossing more than $11.35 million.
Indomina’s LUV headlined the weekend’s sparse newcomers, although the niche distributor had a fairly ambitious opening for the feature that screened in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Starring Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert and Danny Glover, the film grossed $90K in 45 theaters for a slim $2K average. The feature is being released theatrically in conjunction with AMC Independent and will remain exclusively in theaters in a narrow window before it debuts on BET as well as on DVD/VOD. Also reporting numbers in a single location is the independently released Greenwich Village: Music That Defined A Generation, which bowed with $6K. New Yorker Films has not reported numbers for Hors Satan, which opened in New York.
Along with Amour, Sony Classics expanded Rust And Bone and its Best Documentary Oscar-nominated Searching For Sugar Man over the weekend. French-language Rust And Bone opened in 89 additional locations grossing $246,835 for a $1,469 average. Last weekend it grossed $197,871 ($2,277 average) in 79 theaters. In its 26th weekend in release, Searching For Sugar Man is one of the longest-running specialties still in theatrical release. Hoping to capitalize on its Oscar-nomination and solid run since opening in late July, SPC added five theaters for a $32,029 in 27 runs and a $1,189 average for a come of over $3.1 million.
Submarine Deluxe’s documentary Chasing Ice, meanwhile, reached the $1 million cume milestone in its 11th weekend. It grossed $29,746 in 39 theaters. New Yorker Films did not report figures for Hors Satan.
NEW
Greenwich Village: Music That Defined A Generation (Independent) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $6K
LUV (Indomina) NEW [45 Theaters] Weekend $90K, Average $2K
RETURNING / 2ND WEEKEND
Quartet (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [32 Theaters] Weekend $320K, Average $10K, Cume $392,077
HOLOVERS / 3RD+ WEEKEND
Promised Land (Focus Features) Week 4 [134 Theaters] Weekend $129,146, Average $964, Cume $7,531,962
West Of Memphis (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [9 Theaters] Weekend $8,340, Average $927, Cume $56,184
Amour (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 5 [36 Theaters] Weekend $413,261, Average $11,479, Cume $1,184,956
The Impossible (Lionsgate-Summit) Week 5 [886 Theaters] Weekend $2.53M, Average $2,856, Cume $10,246,565
Not Fade Away (Paramount Vantage) Week 5 [56 Theaters] Weekend $6K, Average $107, Cume $606,000
Hyde Park On Hudson (Focus Features) Week 7 [194 Theaters] Weekend $428,452, Average $2,208, Cume $4,727,154
Rust And Bone (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 9 [168 Theaters] Weekend $246,835, Average $1,469, Cume $1,484,377
Anna Karenina (Focus Features) Week 10 [117 Theaters] Weekend $156,795, Average $1,340, Cume $12,164,470
Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company) Week 10 [2,523 Theaters] Weekend $11,351,000, Average $4,499, Cume $55,310,270
Chasing Ice (Submarine Deluxe) Week 11 [39 Theaters] Weekend $29,746, Average $762, Cume $1,000,467
Holy Motors (Indomina) Week 14 [6 Theaters] Weekend $11,394, Average $1,882, Cume $612,168
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (Lionsgate-Summit) Week 18 [73 Theaters] Weekend $47K, Average $644, Cume $17,654,939
Searching For Sugar Man (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 26 [27 Theaters] Weekend $32,029, Average $1,186, Cume $3,138,421
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