Moviegoing accelerated and indies helped in a big way flanking Predator: Badlands in a crowded market that saw an excellent opening and no. 5 landing for Russell Crowe-starring Nuremberg in wide release and a great debut for Cannes Grand Prix winner Sentimental Value, with a top 2025 per-theater average, and the best PTA of a foreign language film since pre-Covid days, on four screens. Holdover Bugonia was at no. 7 in week 3. Indie distributors are calling a terrific weekend for independents generally in an upbeat box office frame.
“It’s a great opportunity for audiences to see a bunch of things right now and moviegoing season is in full swing,” says one executive today.
Nuremberg from Sony Pictures Classics, with a $4.15 million opening at 1,802 locations, was buoyed by a seemingly endless well of interest in World War II and played well across the country, in red states and blue, suburbs and cities, arthouses and multiplexes. ‘It’s a history that people are interested in,” says SPE co-chair Michael Barker, “and an important picture for the times we are in.”
The film also really works on the big screen, he says. “It’s the kind of movie … an historical thriller that’s well made, crafted, with great actors, that studios used to make more often in the past. A real theater-going experience.”
SPC felt pretty good going into the weekend given the response to screenings in LA, San Francisco and other markets that saw audiences break out into applause during the film and pushed strong word of mouth. Indie distributors do need to think carefully about opening wide, Barker said, but “there was no question in our minds that this was a commercial picture. It has movie stars and TV stars, it is a big theatrical experience, and the historical moment [resonates] with a wide swathe of people.”
The film by James Vanderbilt stars Crowe as former Reichsmarschall and Hitler’s no. 2 Herman Göring who is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) as the famous tribunal unfolded in November of 1945. Expands next week.
Neon’s Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier saw $200k on four screens in New York and LA for a PTA of $50k. With an ensemble cast of Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, it was no. 1 at the Angelika Film Center and no. 2 in its three other NY and LA opening locations behind only Predator Badlands (which also happens to starr Elle Fanning).
“Joachim Trier’s emotional storytelling, impeccable craft, and the ensemble’s exceptional performances have truly connected with audiences. We’re excited to see this enthusiasm continue to build as we expand through November,” said Neon’s chief distribution officer Elissa Federoff.
The opening and accompanying strong word of mouth bodes well for a nice box office run as Neon pursues a curated rollout with a national footprint by Thanksgiving.
The distributor released Trier’s Oscar-nominated 2022 breakout The Worst Person In The World, also starring Reinsve, which racked up fans from the older arthouse crowd to younger demos. It’s only the first frame Stateside for Sentimental Value but the trajectory looks similar with strong numbers in France (double the opening of Worst Person) and Sweden (one of the best openings in for a Norwegian film in 25 years).
Neon’s Cannes Palm d’Or winning It Was Just An Accident by Iranian director Jafar Panahi continues to play in week 4 grossing $125k on 119 screens or a cume of $873.6k.
Die My Love from Mubi saw a $2.83 million opening on 1,983 screens. screens for the rather tough film in a crowded market. The Cannes-premiering film rates higher with critics than audiences so far but is the biggest ever box office for director Lynne Ramsey and an awards-season magnet for star Jennifer Lawrence’s career-defining performance. Mubi is also distributing in territories beyond North America including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Latin America, Turkey, India, Australia and New Zealand.
TIFF-premiering biopic Christy starring Sydney Sweeney as boxing legend Christy Martin, opened to $1.3 million from 2,011 theaters. By director David Michôd, it’s the first film by Black Bear under its new distribution division.
“I think [the market] is sort of a particular at this time of year. It’s very crowded with a lot of films. And Wicked is coming up,” says one indie distribution executive.
Competition of all sizes is bracing for the Wicked: For Good out Nov. 21.
“Everybody is vying for audiences and there’s some crossover with all of these movies, so it’s a a little tough from that perspective,” agrees another.
Other indie openings: Janus Films debuted Ira Sachs’s Peter Hujar’s Day on four screens in New York and LA to $47.1k. The film starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall played to sold-out crowds at all locations — Film Forum, Film at Lincoln Center, Laemmle Royal and AMC Burbank. Expands next weekend to fifteen new markets including Chicago, Washington D.C., Austin, Houston, Philadelphia and Seattle as well as additional runs in the NYC and LA markets. The rollout will continue through the Thanksgiving holiday and into December.
Oscilloscope opened Suzannah Herbert’s award-winning documentary Natchez for an Oscar-qualifying run in Atlanta with multiple sold out shows, a $9k gross and the number one spot in complex at the Tara Theatre. Opens theatrically Jan. 30 at New York’s Film Forum and will expand nationally starting February 6.
Faith-based: Sarah’s Oil from Amazon MGM opened to $4.5 million at 2,410 locations. The first film out of a 2024 partnership between Amazon MGM and The Wonder Project, Jon Erwin and Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten’s indie studio, to develops series and films rooted in spirituality. It’s no. 4 at the domestic box office.
Event: The Met: Live in HD transmission of Puccini’s La Bohème passed $1 million in North America at 800 theaters for one live screening Saturday night.
Holdovers: Bugonia from Focus Features continued in 2,043 theaters for an estimated $3.5 million weekend and a cume of $12.3 million for the Yorgos Lanthimos film starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemoms.
Briarcliff Entertainment’s animated release Stitch Head playing in 1,605 locations, grossed a projected $825k in week 2 for a cume of the $3.87 million.