Ghost Stories Leads Subdued Weekend For Limited Releases; Holdover The Rider Gallops: Specialty Box Office
Michael Buckner
UPDATED with more numbers and analysis. New specialty releases had a fairly weak showing overall this weekend despite featuring work from high-profile filmmakers.
Leading the roster of newcomers reporting numbers Sunday was IFC Films thriller Ghost Stories, which grossed $12,646 from an exclusive New York showing, giving it a technical win for the weekends top per-theater average. Cinema Libres multi-lingual bio-romance Lou Andreas-Salomé, Audacity To Be Free placed next with a $5,000 tally from an exclusive weekend run.
The Orchards Venice documentary The Devil And Father Amorth by Exorcist director William Friedkin bowed in eight locations Friday, grossing $10,851. French-language Godard Mon Amour by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) played four runs in its opening frame, taking in $12,646 for Cohen Media Group.
Holdovers were paced by The Rider. Sony Classics added runs for Chloé Zhaos critically lauded film for its second weekend, and the film took in a solid $78,433. Last weekends specialty PTA winner, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami also had a limited expansion, grossing $41,812 from nine theaters.
Ghost Stories, a thriller from the duo of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, has come a long way from its origins on the British stage. “We are excited at the solid performance of Ghost Stories at the box office this weekend,” IFC Films Justin DiPietro told Deadline on Sunday. “Screening to sold out shows in New York, the film benefited from strong reviews and word of mouth. Well continue to roll the film out to the top 10 markets this weekend, with Landmark Theatres and top art house locations coming in.”
The Devil and Father Amorth revisits the terrain Friedkin explored in The Exorcist, only as a documentary about the Vaticans top exorcist. It had a limited response overall in its initial eight-location bow over the three-day period. Though it was not tipped to be a real-life horror in its marketing ahead of its release, the Orchard is looking to pair the doc with a directors-cut version of The Exorcist in select double features, which should bring out fans.
“From a marketing standpoint, the tagline is clear: The director of the most famous movie about an exorcism actually films a real one,” said The Orchards Paul Davidson ahead of the titles release on Friday. “Billy was adamant from the beginning, that were not selling this as a horror movie. Its approached in a grounded way. Theres no jump scares and heads spinning, but when you leave the theater, its unnerving. There are no answers.”
The Devil and Father Amorth will head to L.A. next weekend and then head to about 50 locations over the next coupe weeks. The feature will also be available on digital platforms on April 24.
Legendary Swiss/French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard will be back in Cannes with a new film next month. This weekend, his late-1960s persona anchors Godard Mon Amour. The narrative feature, starring Stacy Martin and Louis Garrel, took in $12,646 in four locations, averaging $3,161. The title had little in the way of foreign-language competition, though its audience was nevertheless limited despite some good word of mouth. The film will expand in both New York and L.A. in addition to adding markets in the coming weeks. Cohen Media Group expects the feature to be at 50 runs by May 11.
Bleecker Streets drama-thriller Beirut with Rosamund Pike and Jon Hamm maintained its 755 theater count in its second frame. The title took in just over $1.05M Friday to Sunday, averaging $1,402 (-46%). In its opening, the title took in over $1.65M, averaging $2,193. It has cumed $3.9M.
The Riders ride has been particularly impressive given its lack of well-known stars. The SPC release grossed $78,433 in nine locations, averaging $8,715, after opening last week with $45,268 in three theaters last week. After two weeks, the films cume is $142,768.
Kino Lorber doc Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami came out of the gate with sizzle last weekend, totaling $60,442 in just three theaters, for an average of $20,147. It grossed $41,812 in nine theaters Friday to Sunday, averaging $4,646, bringing its cume to $124,190. The film heads to L.A with more markets slated for April 27 and additional expansion planned into May.
Amazon Studios added 132 locations for You Were Never Really Here, directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Joaquin Phoenix, in its third frame. The feature grossed $551,745 from 183 runs, averaging $3,015, to push its cume to $1.22M.
A24 added 51 runs over the weekend prior for Andrew Haighs adventure drama Lean on Pete in its third weekend. The title took in $177,400 in the current three-day estimate, averaging $2,571. Lean on Pete grossed $79K last weekend in 18 locations, averaging $4,390. Its three-week cume is $347,988.
And in its seventh weekend, IFC Films hit Armando Ianucci comedy The Death of Stalin is flirting with $7M. The film took in $340,216 from Friday to Sunday, averaging $1,620 and bringing its theatrical cume to $6,862,918.
NEW RELEASES
The Devil And Father Amorth (The Orchard) NEW [8 Theaters] Weekend $10,851, Average $1,356
Godard Mon Amour (Cohen Media Group) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $12,646, Average $3,161
Ghost Stories (IFC Midnight) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $12,563
Lou Andreas-Salomé, Audacity To Be Free (Cinema Libre) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $5,000
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
Beirut(Bleecker Street) Week 2 [755 Theaters] Weekend $1,058,735, Average $1,402, Cume $3,900,194
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (Kino Lorber) Week 2 [9 Theaters] Weekend $41,812, Average $4,646, Cume $124,190
The Rider(Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 [9 Theaters] Weekend $78,433, Average $8,715, Cume $142,768
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKEND
Lean On Pete (A24) Week 3 [69 Theaters] Weekend $177,400, Average $2,571, Cume $347,988
You Were Never Really Here (Amazon Studios) Week 3 [183 Theaters] Weekend $551,745, Average $3,015, Cume $1,228,210
Finding Your Feet(Roadside Attractions/Stage 6) Week 4 [191 Theaters] Weekend $198,870, Average $1,041, Cume $949,267
Gods Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (Pure Flix) Week 4 [111 Theaters] Weekend $67,000, Average $604, Cume $5,557,090
Outside In (The Orchard) Week 4 [6 Theaters] Weekend $3,553, Average $592, Cume $64,639
Back To Burgundy (Music Box Films) Week 5 [16 Theaters] Weekend $15,905, Average $994, Cume $162,338
Final Portrait (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 5 [100 Theaters] Weekend $78,405, Average $784, Cume $299,784
Isle Of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) Week 5 [1,947 Theaters] Weekend $3,400,000, Average $1,746, Cume $24,300,000
Flower(The Orchard) Week 6 [1 Theater] Weekend $643, Cume $327,102
Ramen Heads (Gunpowder & Sky) Week 6 [3 Theaters] Weekend $1,507, Average $502, Cume $55,725
The Death of Stalin (IFC Films) Week 7 [210 Theaters] Weekend $340,216, Average $1,620, Cume $6,862,918
Itzhak(Greenwich Entertainment) Week 7 [33 Theaters] Weekend $28,710, Average $870, Cume $332,572
The Hurricane Heist(Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures) Week [ Theaters] Weekend $, Average $, Cume $
The Leisure Seeker (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 [183 Theaters] Weekend $184,333, Average $1,007, Cume $2,710,970
The Young Karl Marx(The Orchard) Week 9 [1 Theaters] Weekend $620, Cume $121,446
1945(Menemsa Films) Week 25 [10 Theaters] Weekend $24,922, Average $2,492, Cume $561,265
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Deadline
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