‘Jackie’ Bows With Year’s 5th Best PTA – Specialty Box Office
Fox Searchlight’s Jackie launched with a solid start over the weekend, claiming the fifth best per theater average of the year. The Oscar-hopeful starring Natalie Portman as the iconic First Lady in the waning days of her reign in the White House grossed $275K in five locations in New York and Los Angeles. Sundance Selects had a decent start with French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve’s Things To Come, opening in three cities grossing over $30K. TWC’s Lion added some runs and held OK grossing over $120K, while Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions’ Manchester By the Sea added runs and held well, grossing over $2.36M. And, Gotham Award winner Moonlight edged toward $10M grossing $915,750, after shedding some locations in its seventh weekend.
Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín’s latest film Jackie had a robust start after debuting at festivals in Venice, Toronto and New York earlier this fall. Jackie bowed in five New York and Los Angeles locations grossing $275K for a per theater average of $55K, the year’s sixth best weekend PTA behind Moonlight ($100,519 average), Don’t Think Twice ($92,835 average) and Café Society ($71,858 average) and Manchester By the Sea ($60,308 average).
“We are very happy this morning, I think it’s very encouraging,” said Fox Searchlight’s Frank Rodriguez Sunday. “Pablo Larraín captures [Jacqueline Kennedy] in a way that has never been done. I think our timing was perfect this weekend. There wasn’t a lot opening. We’re grabbing people of all ages and based on the audience during the Q&As, we were attracting a mixed crowd.” Pablo Larraín participated in post-screening Q&As at the Arclight and Landmark in L.A. this weekend, while Billy Crudup, who plays a journalist in the feature, did the same at the Sunshine in New York.
“We’re going to go tight in the next couple of weeks and then be in around 200 theaters over the Christmas holidays,” added Rodriguez. “I expect exhibitors to come to us this week and knock on wood, I think she will get nominations for Golden Globes this week [and later] for Oscar.”
Sundance Selects opened Mia Hansen-Løve’s drama-sci-fi Things To Come with Isabelle Huppert (who took a Gotham this past week for her role in Elle). With three runs, Things To Come grossed $33,090, averaging $11,030 Friday to Sunday. Huppert also shared a Best Actress win for her role in the title from the New York Film Critics Circle this week. Said IFC Films Sunday: “We will platform the release throughout December as we open five out of the top fifteen markets this coming weekend.”
TWC’s Lion played an additional three runs in its second frame and held well. In seven theaters, the feature took in $120,234 for a solid $17,176 PTA. Last weekend, the film by Garth Davis grossed $128,368, averaging just over $32K. TWC picked up Lion in the script stage at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and will be in 600 to 650 locations by Christmas.
EuropaCorp added a run for Miss Sloane in its second weekend, grossing $44K in four locations ($11K average). Last week, the title starring Jessica Chastain grossed $63K, averaging $21K. Its two-week cume is now just over $123K.
Music Box added 7 theaters for Seasons for week two. The French feature grossed $17,560 in 20 locations, averaging just $878. Last week, the title grossed $26,723, averaging $2,056. Seasons will add approximately 15 engagements this Friday, including screens in Seattle and Portland.
Manchester By the Sea continues to be an audience draw. Star Casey Affleck picked up a Best Actor win at the Gothams Monday night. Released by Amazon and Roadside, the title by Kenneth Lonergan played an additional 108 theaters in its third weekend, grossing over $2.36 million. The gross landed it with a $15,150 PTA in a total of 156 locations. Last weekend, the feature grossed over $1.25 million, averaging just north of $26K.. Its three-week cume is now over $4.42 million.
Focus Features kept Nocturnal Animals with 127 runs in its third frame. The feature grossed $686,095 over the weekend, for a $5,402 PTA. The title by Tom Ford and starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal grossed $816K, averaging $6,425 last week Friday to Sunday. Nocturnal Animals has cumed over $2.7 million.
SPC’s Elle by Paul Verhoeven and starring Gotham winner Isabelle Huppert grossed $93,795 in 32 locations, four fewer than last weekend. The title averaged $2,931 against last weekend’s $3,563 average Friday to Sunday. Elle has cumed $548,604.
Loving from Focus Features played an additional 25 runs in its fifth outing. In 446 theaters, starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga grossed $997K, averaging $2,235. Last weekend’s three-day was $123,256 in 36 theaters, averaging $3,563. The feature has now cumed nearly $5.6 million.
And Moonlight will hit ten million this coming week. The feature, which also won a Gotham for screenplay, grossed $915,750 in 574 theaters, averaging $1,595. Last week, it took in $1.3 million in 618 theaters Friday to Sunday, averaging $2,104. Moonlight’s cume is $9,896,107 as of Sunday.
NEW RELEASES
Jackie (Fox Searchlight) NEW [5 Theaters] Weekend $275K, Average $55K
Things To Come (Sundance Selects) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $33.090, Average $11,030
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
Lion (The Weinstein Company) Week 2 [7 Theaters] Weekend $120,234, Average $17,176, Cume $279,382
Miss Sloane (EuropaCorp) Week 2 [4 Theaters] Weekend $44K, Average $11K, Cume $123,036
Seasons (Music Box Films) Week 2 [20 Theaters] Weekend $17,560, Average $878, Cume $58,697
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (Abramorama) Week 3 [3 Theaters] Weekend $8,086, Average $2,696, Cume $70,890
Daughters Of the Dust (Cohen Media Group, 2016 re-release) Week 3 [4 Theaters] Weekend $7,232, Average $1,808, Cume $40,465
Manchester By The Sea (Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions) Week 3 [156 Theaters] Weekend $2,363,500, Average $15,150, Cume $4,423,443
Nocturnal Animals (Focus Features) Week 3 [127 Theaters] Weekend $686,095, Average $5,402, Cume $2,705,383
Elle (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [32 Theaters] Weekend $93,795, Average $2,931, Cume $548,604
Shut In (EuropaCorp) Week 4 [121 Theaters] Weekend $65K, Average $537, Cume $6,803,233
Loving (Focus Features) Week 5 [446 Theaters] Weekend $997K, Average $2,235, Cume $5,592,166
Moonlight (A24) Week 7 [574 Theaters] Weekend $915,750, Average $1,595, Cume $9,896,107
Christine (The Orchard) Week 8 [28 Theaters] Weekend $9,737, Average $216, Cume $285,005
Harry & Snowman (FilmRise) Week 10 [7 Theaters] Weekend $5K, Average $714, Cume $514,252
A Man Called Ove (Music Box Films) Week 10 [73 Theaters] Weekend $57,819, Average $792, Cume $3,141,717
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