The independent film fall festival love affair with moviegoers continues with A Real Pain posting the year’s third best per screen average. Anora continues its standout run as does Conclave. The Ralph Fiennes-starring Vatican thriller is no. 4 at the box office in week 2. A24’s We Live In Time is no. 6.
Searchlight Pictures’ A Real Pain debuted to $240k at just 4 theaters for a $60k PSA, in the top three for 2024 after Kinds Of Kindness earlier in the year (also from Searchlight) and Anora, from Neon last month. The comedy written and directed by Eisenberg stars The Social Network star with Succession’s Kieran Culkin as cantankerous cousins exploring their family roots on a road trip in Poland. Won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Best Screenplay at its Sundance premiere.
Neon’s Anora by Sean Baker is pushing $1.9 million over the three days on 253 screens in week 3, another strong frame in the rollout of the Cannes Palm d’Or winner, which has an estimated cume close to $3.95 million.
Long-tailed hit The Substance staring Demi Moore is looking at $476k at 339 locations in week 7 for a cume of $15.4 million for the smart horror that’s burnished Mubi’s image in the indie theatrical space. The distributor’s much lauded documentary Dahomey by Mati Diop had a $13.2 weekend for a $52.5k cume in week 2.
Giant Pictures’ release of Dawn Porter’s doc Luther: Never Too Much on 9 screens in NY and LA saw a nice three-day opening estimated gross of $122k.
Claymation Memoir Of A Snail from IFC Films is at $70.2k in week 2 at 24 theaters in week 2. The cume is $145.1k for the Adam Elliot film.
Kino Lorber’s cold war doc Soundtrack To A Coup d’Etat opened at the Film Forum in NYC to $9.1k. The Sundance award-winner by Johan Grimonprez is nominated for a Gotham Award and four Critic’s Choice Doc Awards, is part of DOC NYC and IDA’s shortlists, and is considered one of the frontrunners in the Best Documentary. The story of the U.S. government’s jazz ambassador program in Africa and the CIA’s involvement with the assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba,
Moderate: Lost On A Mountain In Maine from Blue Fox Entertainment, directed by Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger, grossed an estimated $380k at 630 theaters.
Wide releases: Conclave from Focus Features showed held really well, dropping only 20% from last weekend with a $5.3 million gross at 1,796 theaters. The awards contender starring Ralph Fiennes has a cume of $15.2 million. Conclave continues to play well with audiences, especially among older demos. New York remains the film’s top market with over-performance in East Coast markets with Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Boston all above their norms.
The film by Edward Berger notched a B+ CinemaScore and is currently sits with a 92% from Critics on Rotten Tomatoes and at 84% on its Popcornmeter.
A24’s Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh romance We Live In Time is at $3.47 million on 2,964 screens in week 4 with a cume approaching $17.7 million.
Samuel Goldwyn Films’ Liam Neeson-starring Absolution by Hans Petter Moland opened to an estimated $1.42 million on 1,537 screens.
Toho International’s re-release of Godzilla Minus One had a $510k weekend on 1,365 screens. The cume for the phenomenon by Takashi Yamazaki, which started its initial U.S. run last December, is pushing $57 million in North American.
Two Bollywood movies stepped into nos. 8 and 10, respectively, actioner Singham Again from Moviegoers, directed by Rohit Shetty, and comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 by Anees Bazmee, from Shree International. The two were neck and neck with Singham opening to $2.09 million on 749 theaters and Bhool at $2.08 million at 754 locations.