All articles tagged with #specialty box office
Dark comedy Buddy bowed to $5.36 million on 1,258 screens, marking Roadside Attractions' best post-Covid opening and its second-best ever after I Can Only Imagine, while also delivering the year’s largest opening for under-1,800-screen releases and becoming Saban Films’ top opening in 12 years.
Deadline notes a strong indie weekend led by two unexpected indie horror hits at the global box office, with Backrooms and Obsession atop domestic numbers, while traditional indies push forward: Focus Features/StudioCanal’s WWII drama Pressure opened to $5.75 million on 1,829 screens, and Black Bear’s Tuner expanded in its second weekend to 452 theaters for about $1.7 million for a $1.8 million cumulative. Limited releases included Power Ballad and Time and Water, plus ongoing Met Live screenings and other small titles.
'Bugonia,' a sci-fi thriller by Yorgos Lanthimos starring Emma Stone, had a strong opening at the specialty box office with a $690k debut on 17 screens, making it a top per-screen debut for 2025. The film's success is complemented by other specialty releases like 'The Mastermind' and 'It Was Just An Accident,' indicating a robust start to the awards season.
The weekend's indie box office was led by the Jeff Buckley documentary 'It's Never Over,' which debuted strongly across theaters, alongside other notable releases like the animated 'Boys Are From Jupiter' and Kristin Scott Thomas's directorial debut 'My Mother’s Wedding,' reflecting diverse audience interests despite competition from major studio films.
IFC Films' horror film "Late Night With The Devil" has had the distributor's largest opening weekend ever, grossing over $2.8 million on 1,043 screens and ranking sixth at the domestic box office. The film, set on the 1977 late-night talk show broadcast, has garnered attention for its unique concept and strong screenplay. Additionally, other specialty films such as "Carol Doda Topless At The Condor," "Femme," "Rad," and "Free Time" also made notable debuts at the box office.
Toho International's "Godzilla Minus One" is set to exit theaters with a bang after becoming the third highest-grossing foreign-language film in the U.S., while Hindi action thriller "Fighter" from Viva Entertainment makes a strong debut at the North American box office. Meanwhile, Oscar nominees like "Poor Things" and "American Fiction" continue to perform well, and indie films such as "The Zone of Interest" and "Sometimes I Think About Dying" see positive responses. Additionally, several other films, including "The Peasants" and "Tótem," have notable performances in the specialty box office.
Ava DuVernay's film "Origin" makes a strong theatrical debut, grossing $875k on 130 screens with a $7k per-theater average, exceeding expectations. The film, based on Isabel Wilkerson's book "Caste," explores the historical roots of racism and has shown appeal across diverse audiences. Neon plans to expand the film to 500-700 locations next month, accompanied by an impact campaign targeting young people and educators. Additionally, Searchlight Pictures' "Poor Things" and Amazon MGM Studios' "American Fiction" continue their successful runs at the specialty box office.
Indian film "Leo: Bloody Sweet" directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj dominates the specialty box office, debuting at no. 8 domestically with a weekend gross of $2.14 million and a total domestic cume of $4.68 million. The film, released in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu, received strong numbers in various cities across the United States. Other Indian films, "Bhagavanth Kesari" and "Tiger Nageswara Ra," also made their debuts, while Fathom Events' re-release of "Back to the Future" and the Met Opera event "Dead Man Walking" performed well. Additionally, several indie films, including "The Persian Version," "Anatomy Of A Fall," and "Dicks: The Musical," saw solid numbers at the box office.
Wes Anderson's film "Asteroid City" had a successful weekend, grossing $9 million from 1,675 theaters and becoming the highest-grossing weekend for a Wes Anderson film. The movie, which opened last weekend in six locations, has a total gross of $10.2 million. The film attracted a younger audience, with 64% of moviegoers being 35 or younger, and males topping females by 66% to 44%. The top five theaters were located in San Francisco, Brooklyn, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. Focus Features may add some locations next weekend, but nothing major.
Wes Anderson's latest film, "Asteroid City," presented by Focus Features, has set specialty box office records with an estimated $790k three-day gross and $890k estimated for the four-day weekend in just six theaters. The film has achieved the biggest per-theater average of the year and since Covid, and for some years before. Focus Features plans to expand the film to approximately 1,500 theaters next weekend. The film's success is seen as a boost for the indie market.
Ari Aster's "Beau Is Afraid" grossed $2.7 million in its second week, expanding to over 900 screens for a total of $3.14 million. The A24 film starring Joaquin Phoenix has a $2.8k per screen average and the no. 9 spot. The film is a tougher sell than Aster's previous two films, but has already sparked passionate debates and discourse from critics and audiences alike. The specialty box office market is improving, but still hard to read amid the blockbusters.
The Lost King, a historical drama about the discovery of Richard III's remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012, is now playing in over 750 theaters. The film follows amateur historian Philippa Langley's eight-year search for the monarch's remains and her subsequent efforts to have him re-buried with dignity. Langley, played by Sally Hawkins, is pleased with the film's portrayal of her story, including a plot device that inserts King Richard into the film at key moments.