A24’s Tony landed at no. 7 in a big expansion to 1,642 runs (from just under 40). It’s cooking with a $5 million weekend and $6.6 million cume in week 3 for the Matt Johnson film starring Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain and Antonio Banderas as an early mentor.
The coming-of-age story imagines a Cape Cod summer working at a lobster restaurant that helped shape the beloved late chef and TV host into the icon he ultimately became. The film is Certified Fresh at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92% audience score, excellent exits and great word of mouth across age demos.
Black Bear’s ensemble company Spa Weekend, at no. 9, opened to an estimated $3 million on just over 2,00 screens. Three childhood besties embark on a much-needed spa getaway that descends into chaos when their trainwreck friend joins. Stars Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau and Anna Faris.
With a B+ CinemaScore, it played strongest in the South, Midwest, and West Coast and reached an older audience who often continue to turn out for films later in their theatrical run.
Mubi’s Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma by Jane Schoenbrun starring Gillian Anderson and Hanna Einbinder rounds out the top ten with $1.9 million on 1,036 screens in a nationwide week 3 expansion. A stellar opening puts the edgy horror at a cume of $3.7 million.
One of the best reviewed horror films of the year and with strong word of mouth, it’s building on momentum established during its limited release in New York, LA and other major markets and continuing to find an audience among moviegoers drawn to unconventional horror and indie cinema.
Vertical’s first family film The Magic Faraway Tree based on a beloved U.K. book series and starring Andrew Garfield debuted to $1.4 million at 1,611 theaters. Played well on the coasts with top performers NYC’s AMC Lincoln Square and Alamo Brooklyn, LA’s AMC Century City and Cinemark’s Bella Terra in Huntington Beach, and Sacramento’s Cinemark Blue Oaks.
The distributor also noted strength across the country from Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, Providence and Portland to Oregon, Honolulu and Anchorage. Cinemark’s heartland-based theaters were particularly strong, speaking to the family audience.
Moderate releases: Prathyangira Cinemas’ family actioner Irumudi, a Telugu film by Shiva Nirvana, opened to a cool $1 million from 345 locations, as per Rentrak.
Sci-fi drama Hot Spot from Focus Features debuted to $250k at 268 locations. Will continue its limited theatrical run in coming weeks.
Never Stop Chasing, Abramorama’s storm chasing documentary with Reed Timmer and his crew, opened to $164k at 126 theaters.
Limited releases: Neon horror It Ends opened on 5 screens to $60k.
Watermelon Pictures’ documentary American Doctor took in $32k at 2 theaters in NY and LA for an $82k week 2 cume. Expands to Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle next week.
Greenwich opened French hit The Marching Band in NYC at the Angelika Film Center for an estimated 3-day weekend gross of $12.2k.