Specialty Box Office: 'Metallica' Master Of Newcomers; Gandolfini's 'Enough Said' Expands Strong
Brian Brooks is a Deadline contributor.
Picturehouse re-opened shop with its first title, Metallica Through The Never, opening exclusively in 305 IMAX theaters over the weekend. The action/concert feature grossed over $1.67 million, easily the weekend's highest grossing specialty newcomer, averaging $5,482. The weekend's gross is already more than the cume of the previous film centered on the popular heavy metal band. Docu Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster cumed over $1.22 million domestically in 2004. It opened in three theaters in July of that year, averaging $15,453.
"It's our first film and it's going to be totally different as a release because it's going to be in all IMAX theaters – a first time for an indie," said Picturehouse chief Bob Berney this week. "It will be in IMAX for a one week exclusive. We think IMAX and Metallica is such a perfect match." Predators helmer Nimród Antal directed the pic. Picturehouse will expand Metallica Through The Never to 650 runs next Friday.
The weekend's biggest grosser, however, was a second week holdover. Fox Searchlight's Enough Said held strong with a significant expansion. The film directed by Nicole Holofcener added 223 theaters in 67 markets in week 2, grossing $2.1 million for a solid $9,317 PSA. Noted Searchlight Sunday: "It is a very well written film which appeals primarily to the underserved adult audience, however we are beginning to see that a wider and somewhat younger demo of moviegoers are becoming fans of the film. This is evidenced by the strong showing in suburban theaters and upscale multiplexes nationwide." The film also placed 11th in the overall box office.
Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini, will expand to 400 – 450 theaters next week, moving into most regional and smaller markets as well as expanding in cities where the title is currently playing.
Music-centered doc Muscle Shoals opened exclusively at IFC Center in New York, grossing a solid $14K. The Sundance debut by Greg Camalier will next head to Chicago Friday followed by L.A. and an additional six markets October 11 ahead of its expansion across the South October 18. The film is centered on Muscle Shoals, AL and the signature sound that came out of its FAME Studios. "It is a complex story with a lot of characters and history. [But] I knew we had a film and felt confident early on," Camalier told me this week. The film is the number one doc on iTunes.
Sundance Special Jury Prize winner Inequality For All by Jacob Kornbluth opened in a relatively large 28 theaters this weekend, grossing $140K for a respectable $5K average giving the issue-oriented documentary momentum in its initial theatrical release in a crowded specialty market. Noted RADiUS' co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego Sunday morning: "It's been a difficult marketplace for the issue driven doc over the last 3 years. So it was definitely a gamble to open this wide, but tremendous reviews and a defining film tackling the issue of our time – income inequality – has delivered one of the biggest doc openings in years."
By comparison, fellow docu A Place At The Table, spotlighting the scourge of hunger in America, opened in 35 theaters in March averaging $2,636 its first weekend. Quinn said Sunday that Inequality For All, which follows Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he raises awareness of the country's widening wealth disparity, will likely hit 150 engagements within three weeks. It will hit VOD/DVD in January.
Though it may be argued it has transcended "Specialty Release" status, it is noteworthy that Pantelion's Instructions Not Included has become the biggest grossing Spanish-language film in its fifth weekend. The film grossed $3.38 million ($3,565 PSA in 948 runs) and has cumed over $38.5 million.
Related: 'Instructions Not Included' Sets Spanish Language Box Office Record For U.S.
Entertainment One's We Are What We Are bowed in two runs in NYC and LA, grossing over $15K for a $7,540 average. It will expand to additional markets October 11. Among other holdovers, Vladar added 30 runs for its doc Generation Iron, grossing $240K in 85 theaters. The film averaged $2,823. It opened in 55 locations last week, also grossing about $240K for a $4,364 PSA. Roadside/Lionsgate's Thanks For Sharing dropped 18 runs in its second round, grossing over $162K for a slight $647 average.
Metallica Through The Never (Picturehouse) NEW [305 IMAX Theaters] Weekend $1,672,075, Average $5,482
Inequality For All (RADiUS-TWC) NEW [28 Theaters] Weekend $140K, Average $5K
Muscle Shoals (Magnolia Pictures) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $14K
We Are What We Are (Entertainment One) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $15,081, Average $7,540
Returning / 2nd Weekend
Enough Said (Fox Searchlight) Week 2 [227 Theaters] Weekend $2.1M, Average $9,317, Cume $2.5M
Generation Iron (Vladar) Week 2 [85 Theaters] Weekend $240K, Average $2,823
Haute Cuisine (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [2 Theaters] Weekend $31,458, Average $2,247, Cume $54,561
Thanks For Sharing (Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate) Week 2 [251 Theaters] Weekend $162,500, Average $647, Cume $901,091
Holdovers / 3RD+ Weekends
GMO OMG (Submarine Deluxe) Week 3 [8 Theaters] Weekend $10,030, Average $1,254, Cume $39,901
Mademoiselle C (Cohen Media Group) Week 3 [3 Theaters] Weekend $4,104, Average $1,368, Cume $44,477
Mother Of George (Oscilloscope) Week 3 [7 Theaters] Weekend $17,531, Average $2,504, Cume $82,370
Wadjda (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [16 Theaters] Weekend $78,670, Average $4,917, Cume $313,306
Populaire (The Weinstein Company) Week 4 [24 Theaters] Weekend $13,100, Average $546, Cume $130,203
Salinger (The Weinstein Company) Week 4 [134 Theaters] Weekend $60K, Average $448, Cume $499,992
Instructions Not Included (Pantelion/Lionsgate) Week 5 [948 Theaters] Weekend $3.38M, Average $3,565, Cume $38,567,488
The Grandmaster (The Weinstein Company) Week 6 [143 Theaters] Weekend $107K, Average $748, Cume $6,507,526
Short Term 12 (Cinedigm) Week 6 [55 Theaters] Weekend $59K, Average $1,073, Cume $812,205
Austenland (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 [107 Theaters] Weekend $117,775, Average $1,101, Cume $1,754,409
You Will Be My Son (Cohen Media Group) Week 7 [17 Theaters] Weekend $12,531, Average $737, Cume $187,596
In A World (Roadside Attractions) Week 8 [121 Theaters] Weekend $122,600, Average $1,012, Cume $2,607,257
Snake And Mongoose (Rocky Mountain Pictures) Week 8 [14 Theaters] Weekend $18,386, Average $1,313, Cume $152,223
The Spectacular Now (A24) Week 9 [142 Theaters] Weekend $115,461, Average $813, Cume $6,657,240
Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 10 [528 Theaters] Weekend $708,003, Average $1,341, Cume $30,771,994
The Attack (Cohen Media Group) Week 15 [9 Theaters] Weekend $6,310, Average $701, Cume $1,714,644
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