The Gospel According To André Tops Slow Holiday Weekend; Pope Francis Crosses $1M: Specialty Box Office
Updated at 12PM PT with more numbers and analysis. Three-day numbers were being reported sporadically in the early part of Sunday ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. Tops among specialty newcomers based on these early returns is Magnolias new documentary, The Gospel According to André, which posted the best per-theater average.
The Kate Novack-directed portrait of André Leon Talley, who is known for his long tenure as a Vogue editor and fashion-world tastemaker, grossed an estimated $44,500 in four New York and LA theaters Friday to Sunday, for an average of $11,125. Well Go USAs Mandarin-language romance How Long Will I Love U followed close behind with a three-day average of $9,130 from a comparatively wider debut in 23 locations, and a total gross of $210K.
IFC Films opened Elle Fanning starrer Mary Shelley, taking in $12,016 from two runs, while Oscilloscope bowed Venice award-winner Summer 1993 in four locations, grossing $21,500 Friday to Sunday. Other openers included FilmRises Who We Are Now, which collected $5,800 in an exclusive run, as well as Cartilage Films The Misandrists from Bruce La Bruce, which tallied $3K.
Bleecker Street expanded On Chesil Beach in its second frame, grossing a three-day $91,132 in over two dozen runs, while A24s First Reformed also added runs in week 2, grossing $282,507. Focus Features doc Pope Francis – A Man Of His Word crossed seven figures, taking in $290K in 385 locations.
Gospel came to life when the filmmaking team behind the successful 2016 Vogue doc The First Monday in May saw audience response to Talley when he moderated opening-weekend Q&As at the Paris Theatre for that film, also a Magnolia release. “One thing undeniable was the response by audiences to André,” recalled producer Andrew Rossi, who directed First Monday. “Many were there to just hear and meet him after the screenings. We instantly made a mental note.” Gospel will add cities through June. Rossi said the film “has been given a good runway in theaters.”
Chinese romance How Long Will I Love U drew a cross-section of audiences this weekend, according to its distributor, Well Go. “We saw a young audience of students and younger adults showing up in droves as we expected, but matinee showings were strong on Saturday, indicating the older audience is responding as well,” noted Well Gos Dylan Marchetti. “With Deadpool and Solo … taking up most of the larger screens, we were severely limited by seating capacity in several key theaters, with a few top locations only having front row and ADA companion seats unsold for the entire day. In a less crowded weekend I think wed have easily done another 30-40%, but thankfully our partners in exhibition have been working with us all weekend to increase seats, letting us turn out a great gross despite the amount of film in the marketplace.”
Mary Shelley, directed by Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour came in with a somewhat slow $12,016 in two locations Friday to Sunday. The title is slated to hit on-demand platforms on June 1. Al-Mansour had a great showing with her 2012 feature debut Wadjda, set in cinema-averse Saudi Arabia, grossing over $1.34M in the U.S. box office.
Oscilloscope reported being pleased with the launch of Spanish title Summer 1993 , the countrys entry for Best Foreign Language Oscar consideration last year. In a statement, the company said the tally “indicates arthouse audiences will be receptive at it rolls out across the country in the coming weeks. This is a true gem and were confident word-of-mouth will be a key component to its ultimate success.” Summer 1993 will expand to the top 25 markets and beyond throughout the month of June.
A24 expanded Paul Schraders dramatic thriller First Reformed from four to 29 runs in week two. In the three-day, the title took home an estimated $282,507, for a $9,742 average. Its noteworthy that the film landed in the top 20 of the overall box office, though it is the only film among that group to count its number of runs in double digits. The Ethan Hawke starrer will continue to expand around the country in the coming weeks.
Focus Features Pope Francis – A Man Of His Words, meanwhile, cracked seven figures in week two. The doc by Wim Wenders bowed in 346 theaters around the country and played an additional 39 locations over the U.S. holiday weekend, grossing $290K from a total of 385 runs. The theater count has very likely peaked with a $748 PTA, though the numbers brought the title to $1,095,000.
On Chesil Beach, Dominic Cookes adaptation of Ian McEwans short, bestselling novel, is playing 26 runs over the holiday weekend following its bow last week in four locations. The Bleecker Street release, starring Saoirse Ronan, has grossed an estimated $91,132 in the three-day estimates, averaging $3,505. The title opened the weekend prior taking in $36,563 ($9,141 average). Bleecker Street is estimating a cume after the four-day weekend of $173,418.
For its third frame, Roadside Attractions/30WEST added 62 locations for drama Beast by Michael Pearce, grossing a three-day $175,120 in a total of 93 runs ($1,883 average). The title averaged $3,298 last weekend from a $102K gross in 31 locations. It has cumed $407,195.
SPC added 16 theaters for the third weekend release of The Seagull, grossing $116,065 (a $4,002 average) in 29 theaters, which is down only 21% from last weekends $5,073 PTA in 13 locations. It has cumed $216,981.
And, Magnolia Pictures/Participant continues to cash in with Supreme Court Justice doc RBG, now in its fourth weekend. The title took in $1.15M Friday to Sunday, averaging $2,771 in 415 locations. The film grossed $1.28M in 375 theaters the weekend prior ($3,413 average). Its cume now stands at $5.66M.
(All grosses are Friday to Sunday 3-day estimates unless otherwise noted.)
NEW RELEASES
The Gospel According To André (Magnolia Pictures) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $44,500, Average $11,125
How Long Will I Love U (Well Go USA) NEW [23 Theaters] Weekend $210,000; 4-day: $271,000, Average $9,130; 4-day: $11,783
How To Talk To Girls At Parties (A24) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $13,179; 4-day: $16,688, Average $6,589; 4-day: $8,344, Cume $16,688
Mary Shelley (IFC Films) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $12,016, Average $6,008
The Misandrists (Cartilage Films) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $3,000
Summer 1993 (Oscilloscope) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $21,500; 4-day: $27,500, Average $5,375; 4-day: $6,875
Who We Are Now (FilmRise) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $5,800
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
On Chesil Beach (Bleecker Street) Week 2 [26 Theaters] Weekend $91,132; 4-day: $118,471, Average $3,505; 4-day: $4,557, Cume $146,079; 4-day: $173,418
First Reformed (A24) Week 2 [29 Theaters] Weekend $282,507; 4-day: $372,644, Average $9,742; 4-day: $12,850, Cume $515,606
Pope Francis – A Man Of His Word (Focus Features) Week 2 [385 Theaters] Weekend $290,000, Average $748, Cume $1,095,000
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Always At the Carlyle (Good Deed Entertainment) Week 3 [13 Theaters] Weekend $15,562, Average $1,197, Cume $52,317
Beast (Roadside Attractions/30 West) Week 3 [93 Theaters] Weekend $175,120, Average $1,883, Cume $407,195
Revenge (Neon) Week 3 [9 Theaters] Weekend $5,008; 4-day: $5,716, Average $556; 4-day: $635, Cume $100,066
The Seagull (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [29 Theaters] Weekend $116,065, Average $4,002, Cume $216,981
The Guardians (Music Box Films) Week 4 [10 Theaters] Weekend $7,834; 4-day: $9,433, Average $783; 4-day: $943, Cume $53,101
RBG (Magnolia Pictures/Participant Media) Week 4 [415 Theaters] Weekend $1,150,000, Average $2,771, Cume $5,666,638 (3-day)
Disobedience (Bleecker Street) Week 5 [224 Theaters] Weekend $368,554, Average $1,645, Cume $2,527,486
Let The Sunshine In (Sundance Selects) Week 5 [69 Theaters] Weekend $104,263, Average $1,511, Cume $540,506
The Rider (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 [107 Theaters] Weekend $184,578, Average $1,725, Cume $1,371,161
Finding Your Feet (Roadside Attractions/Stage 6) Week 9 [20 Theaters] Weekend $12,200, Average $610, Cume $1,396,249
Outside In (The Orchard) Week 9 [1 Theater] Weekend $248, Cume $68,492
Isle Of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) Week 10 [162 Theaters] Weekend $196,000; 4-day: $245,000, Average $1,210; 4-day: $1,512, Cume $31,147,975
Flower (The Orchard) Week 11 [1 Theater] Weekend $560, Cume $328,188
The Death of Stalin (IFC Films) Week 12 [35 Theaters] Weekend $38,742, Average $1,107, Cume $7,880,110
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