‘The Dead Don’t Die’ Rests; ‘The Last Black Man In San Francisco’ Strong in 2nd Frame: Specialty Box Office
Cannes opener The Dead Don’t Die from Jim Jarmusch bowed in fairly wide 613 theaters Fathers Day weekend, featuring a pack of big named stars turned zombie. The title sauntered to a $2.35M gross in 613 theaters for a $3,827 per theater average.
This is a back to back Cannes opening release for Focus. The company launched the festival’s 2018 starter, Everybody Knows starring Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, which had a comparatively higher PTA in its first weekend, albeit in far fewer theaters. The drama grossed over $71K in just four locations, averaging $17,802. Everybody Knows was in fewer than half of The Dead Don’t Die’s location count at its peak. Everybody Knows eventually cumed $2.66M domestically.
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The Dead Don’t Die is Jarmusch’s widest opener. Noted Focus president of Distribution when reporting numbers Sunday: “We’re thrilled to see Jim’s biggest opening and his top grossing weekend ever with this film. His unique take on the zombie genre delivers his signature brand of humor, style and substance for moviegoers.”
A very different film, Bleecker Street released Jarmusch’s previous film, Paterson with Adam Driver with a very different release, bowing in just four theaters in late 2016, grossing $69,335 ($17,334 PTA), going on to cume $2.15M.
Focus released the director’s 2014 film, The Limits Of Control, which also featured The Dead Don’t Die stars Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton along with Gael Garcia Bernal in 2009. The title had a traditional specialty 3 theater launch, grossing nearly $56K in its opener, averaging $18,607 ($426K cume).
Focus release Broken Flowers remains Jarmusch’s highest grosser at over $13.74M. Also with The Dead Don’t Dieactors Murray, Swinton and Chloë Sevigny, the film bowed in 27 theaters in August, 2005 grossing over $780K in its opening frame, averaging $28,904.
The weekend’s best opening PTA goes to an early ‘90s doc hit. Jennie Livingston’s seminal Paris Is Burning began its re-release exclusively at New York’s Film Forum, grossing $11K. Paris Is Burning became one of the pioneering non-fiction films to break seven figures in the box office, topping $3.77M.
Sienna Miller starrer American Woman went for 117 runs starting Friday. The title had slow traction, grossing just under $103K, averaging $878.
There were a fairly sizable group of specialties opening given that it’s decidedly studio season. RYOT Films opened doc 5B in 127 theaters for $40K and a slight $315 PTA.
The Film Arcade opened comedy Being Frank with Jim Gaffigan in three locations, grossing an estimated $15,409 and a $5,136 PTA, while IFC Films went for a dozen runs for dramedy-romance, Hampstead with Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson, grossing $24,144 ($2,012 PTA).
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The weekend’s best average goes to a second frame title. A24’s The Last Black Man In San Francisco had the highest opening PTA in its debut and it carried it over to its second weekend, grossing an estimated $361,120 in 36 locations, averaging $10,031. The Sundance debut by first-time feature writer-director Joe Talbot grossed over $235K in its opening frame, averaging $33,610. It has cumed over $713K.
IFC Films added 9 theaters for Framing John DeLorean in its second outing, grossing $23,527 in ten locations, averaging $2,353. The title starring Alec Baldwin as the industrialist who created the iconic Back To The Future auto opened with a single run last weekend, grossing $6,991.
Doc Pavarotti upped its location count to 48 in its second frame, grossing $200K for a $4,168 PTA.
Greenwich Entertainment jumped L.A. music doc Echo In The Canyon to 68 runs in its fourth frame, still holding solid. The title grossed $197,200, averaging $2,900. Last weekend, it grossed over $202K in 43 locations, averaging $4,705. Echo should handily join the seven-figure club, standing at over $795K as of Sunday
1091’s Halston added 11 runs in its fourth outing with slow results, grossing $18,428 in 30 theaters, averaging $614 and a cume of $97K.
Neon’s The Biggest Little Farm is closing in on $3M. The Telluride/Toronto doc by John Chester eased to 176 theaters following its peak at 285 last weekend. Farm grossed an estimated $194K in the three-day, averaging $1,102, bringing its cume as of Sunday to $2.93M.
NEW RELEASES
5B (RYOT Films) NEW [127 Theaters] Weekend $40,000, Average $315
American Woman (Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment) NEW [117 Theaters] Weekend $102,825, Average $878
Being Frank (The Film Arcade) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $15,409, Average $5,136
The Dead Don’t Die (Focus Features) NEW [613 Theaters] Weekend $2,350,000, Average $3,827
Hampstead (IFC Films) NEW [12 Theaters] Weekend $24,144, Average $2,012
Our Time (Monument Releasing) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $3,000
Paris Is Burning (Janus Films) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $11,000
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
Framing John DeLorean (IFC Films) Week 2 [10 Theater] Weekend $23,527, Average $2,353, Cume $32,633
The Last Black Man In San Francisco (A24) Week 2 [36 Theaters] Weekend $361,120, Average $10,031, Cume $713,286
Late Night (Amazon Studios) Week 2 [2,220 Theaters] Weekend $5,136,734, Average $2,314, Cume $5,449,552
Papi Chulo (Blue Fox Entertainment) Week 2 [12 Theaters] Weekend $7,217, Average $601, Cume $17,763
Pavarotti (CBS Films) Week 2 [48 Theaters] Weekend $200,000, Average $4,168, Cume $429,000
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
The Fall Of The American Empire (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [8 Theaters] Weekend $4,798, Average $600, Cume $2,785,923 (total includes French-Canada opening last year)
Echo In The Canyon (Greenwich Entertainment) Week 4 [68 Theaters] Weekend $197,200, Average $2,900, Cume $795,488
Halston (1091) Week 4 [30 Theater] Weekend $18,428, Average 614$, Cume $97,331
The Tomorrow Man (Bleecker Street) Week 4 [78 Theaters] Weekend $30,353, Average $389, Cume $335,210
The Spy Behind Home Plate (The Ciesla Foundation) Week 4 [25 Theaters] Weekend $26,015, Average $1,041, Cume $127,056
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (PBS Distribution) Week 4 [9 Theaters] Weekend $9,150, Average $1,017, Cume $57,431
The Souvenir (A24) Week 5 [83 Theaters] Weekend $60,000, Average $723, Cume $845,580
All Is True (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 6 [190 Theaters] Weekend $87,184, Average $458, Cume $968,513
The Biggest Little Farm (Neon) Week 6 [176 Theaters] Weekend $194,000, Average $1,102, Cume $2,933,866
Meeting Gorbachev (1091) Week 7 [7 Theaters] Weekend $2,649, Average $378, Cume $223,493
Non-Fiction (IFC Films) Week 7 [42 Theaters] Weekend $28,478, Average $678, Cume $618,904
The White Crow (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8 [34 Theaters] Weekend $26,960, Average $793, Cume $1,718,063
Amazing Grace (Neon) Week 12 [5 Theaters] Weekend $11,295, Average $2,259, Cume $8,811,301
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