Specialty Box Office: ‘Perks’ Soars In Expansion; ‘The Master’ Slows Down
With only one specialty debut reporting estimates this weekend (basketball doc “The Other Dream Team,” which did quite well), the weekend’s big stories belonged to the holdovers. Summit successfully expanded last weekend’s big debut “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” to over 100 screens, while The Weinstein Company saw its Paul Thomas Anderson offering “The Master” start to slow after a big expansion last weekend.
Full rundown below.
The Debuts:
“The Other Dream Team” (The Film Arcade)
Marius A. Markevicius’s doc “The Other Dream Team” follows the story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team, who became symbols of Lithuania’s independence movement, and – with help from the Grateful Dead – triumphed at the Barcelona Olympics.
On 2 screens, the film did quite well, taking in $22,714 for a healthy $11,357 per-theater-average. The sole debut to report estimates, it had the third highest average of any film in release, behind only studio offerings “Hotel Transylvania” and “Pitch Perfect.” It was released by newbie distribution company The Film Arcade.
Per the Partners at The Film Arcade: “Marius Markevicius directed an incredible film and we are proud for ‘The Other Dream Team’ to be the Film Arcade’s first release. The reviews and audience reaction have been amazing and with our strong opening in NY and LA we are going to aggressively expand throughout the country in the coming weeks.”
The Holdovers:
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (Summit)
Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” — adapted from Chboksy’s own 1999 novel — had a very healthy second weekend.
Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller as a trio of teenage misfits in 1990s Pittsburgh, Summit Entertainment expanded the film aggressively from 4 to 102 screens. The result was a $1,137,300 gross, which made for a very strong $11,150 per-theater-average.
Summit’s exit data noted the film managed a “A” CinemaScore, and that 56% of the film’s audience was over the age of 25, verus just 39% last weekend. Summit plans to expand the film significantly again next weekend. Its total so far stands at $1,462,139.
“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel” (Samuel Goldwyn/EPIX)
Also having a strong second weekend was Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s doc “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel,” which looks at the life and work of the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar, Diana Vreeland.
The film expanded from 3 to 14 theaters and earned $95,200, or $6,800 per location. Its total now stands at $198,045.
“How To Survive a Plague” (Sundance Selects)
Another doc in its second weekend was David France’s intensely acclaimed look at AIDS activism on New York, “How To Survive a Plague.” On 8 screens (up from 4), the film took in $17,600 for a $2,200 per-theater-average. Its total now stands at $58,000.
“The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best” (Oscilloscope)
Oscilloscope Laboratories expanded Ryan O’Nan’s “The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best” — about a ainger-songwriter who hits the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary — ever-so-slightly from 2 to 3 screens this weekend. The result was a $3,954 gross and a weak $1,318 per-theater-average. Its total now stands at $8,418.
For more news on holdover releases, including “The Master,” “Arbitrage,” “Detropia,” “For a Good Time, Call…” “Sleepwalk With Me,” “Samsara,” and “Moonrise Kingdom,” continue to the next page.
“The Master” (The Weinstein Company)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s veiled take on Scientology — which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams — expanded from 788 to 856 theaters in its third weekend and took a bit of a hit. This after the huge potential that came with its stunning $147,262 first weekend per-theater-average (a record).
READ MORE: ‘The Master’ Shatters Per-Theater-Average Record; ‘Arbitrage’ Also Very Strong
Falling 37% in grosses despite the new screens, “The Master” took in $2,745,000 to land in 7th place in the overall top 10 (just ahead of the second weekend of “Dredd,” which was on nearly 3 times the screens). Its $3,207 average was respectable, though overall it seems clear “The Master” peaked last weekend. Its total gross so far — $9,633,070 — could still potentially double. But making its way to the $40.2 million Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” grossed seems unlikely.
“Arbitrage” (Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate)
Also in its third weekend was “Arbitrage,” which was coming off the biggest opening ever for a film opening in both movie theaters and On Demand two weeks ago. Going from 244 to 256 screens across North America, the film — which stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon — grossed $923,000. Like “The Master,” that’s a drop-off from last weekend, though overall nothing to be disappointed by (particularly given expectations for “Arbitrage” were much less than “The Master”). It made for a $3,600 average, and helped its total grow to $5,163,579. The film has definitely turned into a major specialty hit.
“Liberal Arts” (IFC Films)
Another third weekender was Josh Radnor’s “Liberal Arts,” which stars Radnor and Elizabeth Olsen. In 31 locations (up from 20 last weekend), the Sundance pickup managed a $49,500 gross, averaging $1,600 per theater. Its total now stands at $159,600.
“Detropia” (Loki Films Release)
“Detropia” — a doc directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady — held steady with an 11 screen count in its fourth weekend (though did open on new screens in San Francisco, it just ended its run elsewhere).
The film — self-released by Ewing and Grady — grossed $28,050 over the weekend, which made for a $2,550 average and a new total of $178,613. It will open in Los Angeles next weekend.
“Hello I Must Be Going” (Oscilloscope)
Todd Louiso’s “Hello I Must Be Going” — starring Melanie Lynskey in an acclaimed performance as a divorced and depressed woman — went down from 15 to 11 screens in its fourth weekend care of Oscilloscope. It took in $9,945 as a result, a 52% drop as it averaged a weak $904. Its total stands at $84,990.
“For a Good Time, Call…” (Focus Features)
Jamie Travis’ comedy “For a Good Time” — starring Lauren Miller (who also co-wrote) and Ari Graynor — dropped from 105 to 84 screens in its fifth weekend care of Focus Features. Dropping 65%, it took in $52,123 over the weekend, averaging $621. That took the film to a new total of $1,203,709.
“Sleepwalk With Me” (IFC Films)
Mike Birbiglia’s semi-autiobiographical “Sleepwalk With Me” continued to find success in its sixth frame. Dropping from 135 to 127 theaters, the film scored a $165,100 gross, giving it a $1,300 per-theater-average and a new total of $1,890,875. That tops “Your Sister’s Sister” as the distributor’s highest grossing film so far in 2012, and its best since “Pina,” which came out last Christmas.
“Samsara” (Oscilloscope)
Also in its sixth weekend was “Samsara,” the non-narrative film created by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson. The film is a sort of sequel or continuation of the acclaimed 1993 film “Baraka,” which also was directed by Fricke and produced by Magidson. “Samsara” was shot in about 100 locations in 25 countries and took four years to make. As described on the film’s website, it “explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of man’s spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, ‘Samsara’ takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation.”
While that synopsis definitely doesn’t scream “blockbuster,” it has clearly appealed to many folks. Going from 59 to 60 screens, “Samsara” lost just 20% to gross $153,695 and average $2,562. The film’s total now stands at $1,400,317. Back in 1993, “Baraka” grossed $1,254,237.
“Robot and Frank” (IDP / Samuel Goldwyn Films)
In its seventh frame was Sundance Film Festival alum “Robot and Frank,” which dropped from 156 to 111 screens. Grossing $111,000 over the weekend, the film averaged $1,000, which helped it cross the $3 million mark.
Starring Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler and Susan Sarandon (whose a bit of a good luck charm between this and “Arbitrage”), the comedy follows an aging ex-convict (Langella), whose children hire a robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) to care for him. The film’s total now stands at an impressive $3,075,686.
“Searching For Sugar Man“ (Sony Pictures Classics)
Finally, Sony Pictures Classics dropped Malik Bendjelloul’s doc “Searching For Sugar Man” from 38 to 37 screens in its tenth weekend. The film — which won the Audience Award at Sundance earlier this year — follows two South Africans who set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock’n’roller Rodriguez. It took in $96,649 over the weekend, jumping 4% despite losing a screen and averaging a strong $2,612. Its total now stands at $1,320,049.
Peter Knegt is Indiewire’s Senior Editor and box office analyst. Follow him on Twitter and on his blog.
Indiewire tracks independent/specialty releases compiled from Rentrak Theatrical, which collects studio-reported data as well as box-office figures from North American theatre locations. To be included in the Indiewire Box Office Chart, distributors must submit information about their films to Rentrak at studiogrosses@rentrak.com by the end of the day each Monday.
