Specialty Box Office: Audiences ‘Excited’ To Check Out Almodovar’s Latest (But Not As Much As Usual)

Pedro Almodovar’s “I’m So Excited” led a generally underwhelming sextet of specialty debuts this weekend, grossing $103,000 from just 5 screens. That made for a $20,600 average, the highest of any film in release, including studio chart toppers “Monsters University” and “The Heat.”

Though certainly a decent number, audiences didn’t seem quite as excited as they had for Almodovar’s recent other films.  His latest’s average was down significantly from 2011’s “The Skin I Live In” ($37,187 average in 6 theaters),  2009’s “Broken Embraces” ($53,556 in 2) and 2006’s “Volver” ($39,540 in 5). Its actualy the smallest debut average for an Almodovar film since 1999’s “All About My Mother,” which averaged $12,590 from 4 theaters (though went on to gross $8.3 million and win Almodovar his first Oscar. That film — like “Excited” and everything in between — was released by Sony Pictures Classics.

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In the film’s defense, it is not entirely comparable to Almodovar’s recent films: It notably the
first Pedro film to open in the summer since 1994’s “Kika,” which is not always as lucrative a time for foreign language films as late year bids that come with awards buzz (which has more or less been the case for his last 6 films). It’s also his first flat out comedy in a while, and one that seemed to have no intention in getting awards buzz anyway.

Almodovar has historically done very well in the US. Every film since 1988’s “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” has grossed over $1 million, while six of them (“Breakdown,” “Mother,” “Talk To Her,” “Bad Education,” “Volver” and “Embraces”) have grossed over $5 million.  Surely “I’m So Excited” will join the $1 million club, but its next few weekends of expansion will let us know by just how much.

Beyond “Excited,” the only other indie film to find a respectable debut was Jem Cohen’s “Museum Hours,” which Cinema Guild released in 2 theaters this weekend. It grossed $29,435 as a result, averaging an impressive $14,718.

Continue to the next page for grosses
for reporting debuts and holdovers, including “20 Feet From Stardom,” “The Bling Ring,” “Frances Ha” and “Before Midnight.”

The Debuts:

1. I’m So Excited
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $103,000
Theaters: 5
Average: $20,600
Cumulative Total: $103,000

2. Museum Hours
Distributor: Cinema Guild
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $29,400
Theaters: 2
Average: $14,700
Cumulative Total: $29,400

3. Byzantium
Distributor: IFC
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $18,000
Theaters: 6
Average: $3,000
Cumulative Total: $18,000

4. A Band Called Death
Distributor: Drafthouse
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $28,500
Theaters: 13
Average: $2,192
Cumulative Total: $28,500

5. How To Make Money Selling Drugs
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $10,500
Theaters: 5
Average: $6,071
Cumulative Total: $2,100

6. Redemption
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Weeks in Release: 1
Gross:  $18,200
Theaters: 19
Average: $958
Cumulative Total: $18,200

The Holdovers

1. 20 Feet From Stardom
Distributor: RADiUS-TWC
Weeks in Release: 3
Gross:  $232,517
Theaters: 44 (up from 6)
Average: $5,284
Cumulative Total: $415,396

1. Unfinished Song
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Weeks in Release: 2
Gross:  $95,100
Theaters: 19 (up from 2)
Average: $5,005
Cumulative Total: $134,700

2. The Attack
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Weeks in Release: 2
Gross:  $139,794
Theaters: 36 (up from 3)
Average: $3,883
Cumulative Total: $181,974

2. Fill The Void
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Weeks in Release: 6
Gross:  $184,636
Theaters: 61 (up from 46)
Average: $3,027
Cumulative Total: $912,811

3. Much Ado About Nothing
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Weeks in Release: 4
Gross:  $589,500
Theaters: 217 (up from 206)
Average: $2,717
Cumulative Total: $2,185,617

6. Before Midnight
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Weeks in Release: 6
Gross:  $666,047
Theaters: 290 (down from 441)
Average: $2,297
Cumulative Total: $5,743,338

11. Frances Ha
Distributor: IFC Films
Weeks in Release: 7
Gross:  $160,000
Theaters: 90 (down from 140)
Average: $1,778
Cumulative Total: $3,483,000

12. Stories We Tell
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Weeks in Release: 8
Gross:  $32,000
Theaters: 23 (down from 33)
Average: $1,391
Cumulative Total: $1,389,141

8. The East
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Weeks in Release: 5
Gross:  $255,000
Theaters: 185 (down from 195)
Average: $1,378
Cumulative Total: $1,640,064

4. The Bling Ring
Distributor: A24
Weeks in Release: 3
Gross:  $850,000
Theaters: 630 (down form 650)
Average: $1,349
Cumulative Total: $4,363,305

10. Mud
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Weeks in Release: 10
Gross: $195,500
Theaters: 160 (down from 213)
Average: $1,222
Cumulative Total: $20,488,165

13. What Maisie Knew

Distributor: Millennium
Weeks in Release: 9
Gross:  $16,466
Theaters: 18 (down from 33)
Average: $915
Cumulative Total: $994,212

15. The Iceman
Distributor: Millennium
Weeks in Release: 9
Gross:  $3,982
Theaters: 5 (down from 12)
Average: $795
Cumulative Total: $1,930,401