Beatriz At Dinner dished up the best numbers on the Specialty side this weekend. Released by Roadside Attractions and FilmNation, Beatriz, starring Salma Hayek and John Lithgow, grossed over $150K in five New York and L.A. theaters.
The second weekend in June had a pared down number of new Specialty releases compared to recent weeks, though three newcomers – Beatriz, The Hero and My Cousin Rachel – were fairly anticipated roll-outs. Fox Searchlight’s My Cousin Rachel with Rachel Weisz and Sam Caflin had the widest bow among the group at 523 locations, though its sizable reach tallied only $954K. The Hero starring Sam Elliott opened with four runs, grossing a decent $48,414.
Among second weekend holdovers, Lionsgate/Pantelion’s Mexican comedy 3 Idiotas crossed $1M. IFC Films’ Band Aid from Zoe Lister-Jones continued to hold strong following a small expansion, taking more than $30K. Cohen Media Group’s Churchill grossed nearly $201K in 187 theaters, while CBS Films added runs for Dean in Week 2, taking $40K Friday to Sunday. Five weeks into its release, Paris Can Wait from Sony Pictures Classics is still showing zest, playing additional theaters and grossing over $457K. And the longest-running Specialty film still reporting grosses, documentary Kedi from Oscilloscope, topped $2.7M this weekend.
Director Miguel Arteta’s satirical comedy Beatriz At Dinner is distributor Roadside Attractions’ highest-grossing debut of the year. Released with FilmNation, the title grossed $150,160 in five New York and Los Angeles theaters, giving it a robust $30,032 per theater average, easily the highest among the Specialties this weekend.
Roadside said Sunday that Beatriz At Dinner even overtook Wonder Woman at The Landmark in L.A. to place first at the theater: “Beatriz garnered fantastic reviews since its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, including career-best accolades for star Salma Hayek in the title role. The film is drawing a mix of audiences, both younger and older, and both Latino and non-Latino.”
In addition to promoting the film to the Latino press, both Hayek and Arteta appeared on news shows targeting the Latino audience where “the story of Beatriz as an immigrant in L.A. had particular resonance.” The company added that “Mike White’s script and Miguel Arteta’s acute direction have captured the current cultural moment and audiences are responding.” In the film, Hayek’s character meets John Lithgow’s Doug, a cutthroat, self-satisfied billionaire.
Roadside co-president Howard Cohen noted earlier this week that the trailer launched ahead of its release had quickly been viewed 15 million times, so there was early indication the feature would be a hit with moviegoers.
Beatriz At Dinner will expand with exclusive runs in the top 25 markets starting June 16 and will head out nationwide June 23.
Fox Searchlight’s My Cousin Rachel by writer-director Roger Michell reached 523 runs over the weekend, by far the widest open among the Specialty newcomers. The title just missed the top 10 this weekend, placing 11th as of Sunday morning, though its PTA was lower than all but three titles in the top 10. My Cousin Rachel grossed $954K, averaging $1,824. Fox, which owns the rights to the 1952 original film starring Richard Burton based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier, financed the feature.
Sundance debut The Hero starring Sam Elliott opened to a fairly solid start in four locations Friday. Released by The Orchard, the film grossed $48,414 in four locations, averaging $12,104. The Orchard had planned a fall release, but the company decided to move up the date after the title played a number of festivals following Sundance.
“We still believe it’s a performance that will generate tons of excitement,” said The Orchard’s Davidson last week. “Once we saw audience reaction, we thought this was a good opportunity for a long run in the summer, and then hit an awards run in the fall.”
The company said Sunday that response to The Hero has been “fantastic,” and that its diverse audience indicates the title is “resonating beyond its core older demographic.”
The Orchard will jump The Hero to thirty runs next week, and up to around 450 locations by June 30.
Also opening Friday was Oscilloscope documentary Night School, which played an exclusive run at IFC Center in New York, where it grossed $1,600. The distributor noted Sunday that it played a 40-seat house with limited runs over the weekend, though it had “multiple” sold-out shows. The feature, directed by Andrew Cohn, will open in select markets throughout June.
Lionsgate/Pantelion’s 3 Idiotas remained in 349 theaters in its second weekend of release. The Mexican comedy grossed $250,000 Friday to Sunday, averaging just $716 (-58%) vs. last weekend’s opening average of $1,719. The weekend gross pushed the feature over seven figures, landing it at $1.06M.
IFC Films added nine runs for Band Aid, the directorial debut from Zoe Lister-Jones who also stars. In 12 locations, it grossed $30,252, averaging $2,571 (-75%) giving it a two-week cume of $70,636. Band Aid grossed $31,500 its first weekend in three theaters ($10,500 PTA).
Cohen Media Group shed 28 runs from Churchill in its second frame. The title grossed nearly $201K from 187 runs, averaging $1,074 (-46%). Churchill charged into 215 theaters in its roll-out last week, grossing over $426K ($1,984 average). Its two-week cume is $798K.
CBS Films’ Dean played an additional 17 theaters in its second weekend. Directed by and starring Demetri Martin as well as Kevin Kline, Gillian Jacobs and Mary Steenburgen, Dean grossed $40K in 32 theaters, averaging $1,250 (-69%), placing its cume at $121,123. The company said the film will continue to expand in the weeks ahead.
Purdue Entertainment left Love, Kennedy in 19 theaters for week 2 of its release. Love, Kennedy grossed $27,425, averaging $1,443. Last weekend, the title grossed $49,300, averaging $2,595. It has cumed $116,604.
Also in its second weekend, Radio Dreams played five locations Friday to Sunday. The title released by Matson Films grossed $6,687, averaging $1,337. It bowed with an exclusive run the previous Friday, grossing just over $2K for the three-day.
For week 3 of its release, Abramorama added two runs for doc Restless Creature – Wendy Whelan. In six theaters, the feature grossed $14,982, averaging $2,497. Restless Creature grossed $12,256 in four locations last weekend, averaging $3,064, with a cume now just above $83K.
Sony Pictures Classics’ Paris Can Wait is still holding strong in its fifth weekend and another expansion. Starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin, the film grossed $457,207 in 176 theaters, averaging $2,598. Last weekend the title grossed almost $551K in 151 locations, averaging $3,649. Paris Can Wait’s cume is now $2,292,482.
Roadside Attractions’ The Wedding Plan crossed $1M ahead of the weekend. Now in its fifth frame, the title grossed $106,700 in 105 theaters, averaging $1,006 Friday to Sunday, giving it a total of just over $1.18M.
Neon’s Colossal went over $3M. Now in its tenth weekend of release, the film grossed $13,823 in 31 locations , averaging $446, with a cume at $3M.
And now in its 18th weekend of release, Oscilloscope’s feline doc Kedi topped $2.7M. The title grossed $7,500 in eight theaters over the three days, averaging $938.
NEW RELEASES
Beatriz At Dinner (Roadside Attractions/FilmNation) NEW [5 Theaters] Weekend $150,160, Average $30,032
My Cousin Rachel (Fox Searchlight) NEW [523 Theaters] Weekend $954,000, Average $1,824
The Hero (The Orchard) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $48,414, Average $12,104
Night School (Oscilloscope) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $1,600
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
3 Idiotas (Lionsgate/Pantelion) Week 2 [349 Theaters] Weekend $250,000, Average $716, Cume $1,060,630
Band Aid (IFC Films) Week 2 [12 Theaters] Weekend $30,252, Average $2,571, Cume $70,636
Churchill (Cohen Media Group) Week 2 [187 Theaters] Weekend $200,918, Average $1,074, Cume $798,083
Dean (CBS Films) Week 2 [32 Theaters] Weekend $40,000, Average $1,250, Cume $121,123
Love, Kennedy (Purdie Entertainment) Week 2 [19 Theaters] Weekend $27,425, Average $1,443, Cume $116,604
Radio Dreams (Matson Films) Week 2 [5 Theaters] Weekend $6,687, Average $1,337, Cume $15,096
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Restless Creature – Wendy Whelan (Abramorama) Week 3 [6 Theaters] Weekend $14,982, Average $2,497, Cume $83,062
Maurice (Cohen Media Group, re-release) Week 4 [1 Theater] Weekend $1,287, Cume $35,306
Wakefield (IFC Films) Week 4 [30 Theaters] Weekend $21,300, Average $710, Cume $195,832
Manifesto (FilmRise) Week 5 [9 Theater] Weekend $7,000, Average $778, Cume $77,436
Paris Can Wait (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 5 [176 Theaters] Weekend $457,207, Average $2,598, Cume $2,292,482
The Wedding Plan (Roadside Attractions) Week 5 [105 Theaters] Weekend $106,700, Average $1,006, Cume $1,180,689
The Dinner (The Orchard) Week 6 [5 Theaters] Weekend $1,898, Average $380, Cume $1,322,923
Risk (Neon) Week 6 [5 Theaters] Weekend $1,011, Average $202, Cume $196,480
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent (The Orchard) Week 8 [19 Theaters] Weekend $6,742, Average $355, Cume $212,810
The Lost City of Z (Bleecker Street) Week 9 [50 Theaters] Weekend $27,515, Average $550, Cume $8,424,204
Norman: The Moderate Rise & Tragic Fall Of a New York Fixer (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 9 [160 Theaters] Weekend $114,161, Average $714, Cume $3,660,826
Colossal (Neon) Week 10 [31 Theaters] Weekend $13,823, Average $446, Cume $3,011,408
The Zookeeper’s Wife (Focus Features) Week 11 [92 Theaters] Weekend $63,754, Average $693, Cume $17,409,111
Kedi (Oscilloscope) Week 18 [8 Theaters] Weekend $7,500, Average $938, Cume $2,704,707
Source deadline.com