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Brian Brooks is managing editor of MovieLine.
Cosmopolis launched its run in the U.S. and qualified as a master of the specialty universe – at least this weekend. After a blitz of media coverage worthy of a studio blockbuster, the David Cronenberg-directed, Robert Pattinson-starrer averaged a fairly impressive $24K-plus in three locations Stateside. The Cannes opener somehow failed to impress Canadian audiences when it opened in early summer (distributor Entertainment One reported its North American cume at $268,900, which includes Canada). Next week, eOne will add 20 markets in the U.S. followed by more at the end of the month. Samuel Goldwyn’s Robot & Frank also debuted with promising numbers. It averaged $19,117 in a pair of theaters, while Magnolia Pictures’ opened Compliance in one theater with a solid $16K.
“We’re really pleased with the numbers,” said Magnolia’s head of distribution Neal Block. “In a weekend crowded with specialized openings, people came out to see Craig [Zobel's] thought-provoking movie. It’s impossible not to talk about Compliance once you’ve seen it – to analyze it, to praise or criticize the actions of the characters, to wonder how you’d act in a similar situation. These conversations, along with our strong reviews, will carry the film into its expansion next week.” Compliance will hit Los Angeles and San Francisco and a few other markets next week.
Robot & Frank will add six markets and additional locations in NYC next week. “Exhibitors have been enthusiastic and we’re getting a bit more traction because of the technology elements”, said Peter Goldwyn from Samuel Goldwyn Films. “It’s a comedy that has a lot of heart and soul.”
Tribeca Film’s Keanu Reeves-produced doc Side By Side opened in one theater, grossing $7,200. The distribution label under the Tribeca Film Festival umbrella said “The weekend featured sold-out evening shows and rave reviews hailing it as one of the best documentaries of the year,” noted a Tribeca spokesperson. The doc, directed by Chris Kenneally and featuring Keanu Reeves interviewing a veritable Who’s Who of Hollywood figures discussing the transition from film to digital will hit VOD this week and next open wider in New York on August 31 before rolling out to an additional 10 markets throughout September. Chicken With Plums bowed with less impressive numbers, averaging only $5,604 in a pair of theaters. Filmmaking duo Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi’s follow-up to their lauded 2007 feature Persepolis did not attract similar box office returns that their first film received. Presepolis averaged $12,689 in its 7- theater bow five years ago.
Among holdovers, 2 Days In New York added a dozen locations in its second round, averaging a solid $6K. Sony Classics’ Celeste And Jesse Forever added 49 theaters in its third weekend, holding on with a $3,744 average. The red states turned out for 2016 Obama’s America, which added 108 theaters in its sixth week. The feature scored an impressive $7,393 average vs its $5,249 average last weekend in 61 theaters. And in its sixth week, The Imposter added 6 locations, giving the doc a solid $4,350 average. The figure was a 29% rise from last weekend.
Variance did not release second weekend numbers for Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer.
NEW
The Awakening (Cohen Media Group) NEW [70 Theaters] Weekend $94,377, Average $1,348
Beloved (Sundance Selects) NEW [5 Theaters] Weekend $27,500, Average $5,500
Chickens With Plums (Sony Pictures Classics) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $11,207, Average $5,604, Cume $53,383 (includes numbers from Canada where it was released previously.)
Compliance (Magnolia Pictures) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $16K
Cosmopolis (Entertainment One) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $72,327 Average $24,109, Cume $268,900 (includes numbers from Canada where it was released previously.)
Robot & Frank (Samuel Goldwyn Films) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $38,234, Average $19,117
Side By Side (Tribeca Film) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $7,200
Returning / 2nd Weekend
2 Days In New York (Magnolia Pictures) Week 2 [14 Theaters] Weekend $86K, Average $6,143, Cume $123,928
Holdovers / 3RD+ Weekends
Celeste And Jesse Forever (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [67 Theaters] Weekend $250,874, Average $3,744, Cume $619,435
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (Sundance Selects) Week 4 [31 Theaters] Weekend $46,500, Average $1,500, Cume $320,200
Killer Joe (LD Entertainment) Week 4 [42 Theaters] Weekend $147,350, Average $3,508, Cume $663,007
Klown (Drafthouse Films) Week 4 [5 Theaters] Weekend $2,348, Average $470, Cume $57,932
Ruby Sparks (Fox Searchlight) Week 4 [218 Theaters] Weekend $300K, Average $1,376, Cume $1,795,371
Searching For Sugar Man (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [27 Theaters] Weekend $108,536, Average $4,020, Cume $311,612
The Queen Of Versailles (Magnolia Pictures) Week 5 [77 Theaters] Weekend $190K, Average $2,468, Cume $1,228,191
2016 Obama’s America (Rocky Mountain Pictures) Week 6 [169 Theaters] Weekend $1,249,489, Average $7,393, Cume $2,066,991
Easy Money (The Weinstein Company) Week 6 [5 Theaters] Weekend $13,100, Average $2,620, Cume $165,691
Farewell My Queen (Cohen Media Group) Week 6 [60 Theaters] Weekend $100,175, Average $1,670, Cume $969,315
The Imposter (Indomina, A&E IndieFilms) Week 6 [19 Theaters] Weekend $82,641, Average $4,350, Cume $272,255
Beasts Of The Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight) Week 8 [236 Theaters] Weekend $555K, Average $2,352, Cume $8,102,676
To Rome With Love (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 9 [160 Theaters] Weekend $252,373, Average $1,577, Cume $15,562,045
Your Sister’s Sister (IFC Films) Week 9 [21 Theaters] Weekend $18,900, Average $900, Cume $1,575,000
Safety Not Guaranteed (FilmDistrict) Week 11 [54 Theaters] Weekend $41K, Average $759, Cume $3,683,607
For Greater Glory (Arc Entertainment) Week 12 [ Theaters] Weekend $, Average $, Cume $
Moonrise Kingdom (Focus Features) Week 13 [282 Theaters] Weekend $493,977, Average $1,752, Cume $42,940,857
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Fox Searchlight) Week 16 [128 Theaters] Weekend $104K, Average $812, Cume $45,587,973
Bernie (Millennium Entertainment) Week 17 [71 Theaters] Weekend $59,357, Average $836, Cume $9,044,165
The Intouchables (The Weinstein Company) Week 19 [194 Theaters] Weekend $375K, Average $1,933, Cume $9,893,419
For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here...
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Three words: Video on Demand. When will independent studios learn?
A lot of indies are doing VOD.
But, some of us, still actually like to see movies on the big screen.
These numbers are low and irrelevant. VOD is the way to go for these irrelevant movies.
What forces you to think, that these numbers are low and irrelevant? LOL
These movies are irrelevant? Let me guess, you went to see that thought-provoking work of art The Expendables this weekend.
Films like Cosmopolis and Compliance are brave and unique breaths of fresh air in the dumbed-down, superhero-saturated marketplace. There need to be MORE films like them, not less.
For Cronenberg movies like, A Dangerous Method, Eastern Promises, and A History of Violence Cosmopolis did kind of poorly.
You’ve cited Cronnenberg’s most mainstream films. From all the reviews I’ve read, this film is a return of the strange, complex and allusive Cronnenberg… so a more apt comparison would be Spider or eXistenZ.
well that may be the case but it has Robert P who is quite mainstream. So adding together his fan base and core Cronenberg film fans, this number is good but not great especially with the amount of attention it has received. Sure it will perform decently.
a dangerous method, eastern promises, and a history of violence opened in many more locations. these were also easier to sell to a mainstream market. cosmopolis is like a step back to weird cronenberg.
Actually ADM opened in 4 locations and made 167000 giving it the highest theater avg for Cronenberg. HOV and EP opened in 15 but they made a half million which makes their Theater avg around 3500. It will end up fine but I am a little shocked that it wasn’t higher because of the two different fan bases I though lots of robert P fans would have cushioned it more. He is pretty popular.
A Dangerous Method premiered in 4 locations, probably had less press, and still made more money and had a higher per screen average. You could cite many indie movies that came out this summer, didn’t have a mainstream star and the free press that rivaled a summer studio blockbuster and made more money their opening weekend (Beasts of the Southern Wild comes to mind). Cosmopolis’ subject matter might not be mainstream but it was certainly marketed like one.
“Cosmopolis’ subject matter might not be mainstream but it was certainly marketed like one.”
certainly, no
wait where was this movie marketed like a blockbuster?
Cosmopolis had 100 times more publicity than an indie usually gets, had a mainstream star, and the trailer made it seem like a fast paced, thriller and not a talky bore. But as we all know by now, Twilight fans don’t care about any of the actors outside of the franchise.
This wasn’t marketed like a blockbuster, what are you reading. One morning news show and one late night show was it. I haven’t even seen one commercial on television. Saw the trailer a few times on the internet. Most people I know don’t even know it’s coming out yet. Any publicity he got was all about the scandal, not too helpful there esp. when that ate up all the time for the few interviews he did.
Ii’ve see both Beasts of the Southern Wild and Cosmopolis. They can not be compared to each other. Comsopolis is a film that you either love or hate it, and it’s not an easy sell no matter who the star was.
After a blitz of media coverage worthy of a studio blockbuster
Meaning, it got TONS of mainstream coverage, certainly nothing compared to #2 Robot and Frank, but only did marginally better.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild comes to mind”
If you must compare, BSW is arguably the most critically heralded movie of the year. Cannes award winner It also enjoyed lots of press coverage (deserved btw) for the filmmakers and the cast of “non actors”. Moonrise Kingdom has many a-list stars and received lots of press, as well. Both of these films are PG13, and have a “broader” appeal. I’m so glad these films have found audiences.
And Cosmopolis did get lots of attention, but maybe not the kind that is necessarily going to drive traffic to a dense, strange film. This is an art house film. That said, very few other indie films have done better in their first week this summer. Ths is also a great thing for the genre.
One of the wonderful thing about specialty films is that they are not formulaic and thus comparisons just ring hollow. Can we please stop trying to make specialty films a horse race and just be glad that each weekend there are these films available to view?
Cosmopolis should have benefited from an increased marketing effort not given to many independent movies-how many get slots on GMA- so the low number is highlighted. Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg’s fans combined only equaled his fourth biggest opening. Additionally movie prices have increased since EP and HOV. This is a blow to the star and the director, but I think it would have done better if it had been released later in the year.
A Dangerous Method was release during Thanksgiving holiday and it had three big stars in it, Fassbender, Knightley and Mortensen. Even then, it was kind of a snooze. Cosmopolis was much better, in my opinion. Won’t be everyone’s cup of tea
A Dangerous Method dropped over a long Thanksgiving weekend. Much better timing. I did see some tv ads too, which to me is the best way to get the word out. I didn’t see any ads for Cosmopolis, unless I’m missing something. And GMA isn’t the demographic for a movie like Cosmopolis, that seemed like an odd choice to me.
I’m thinking matinee for this one, cheapo. But at least I’m paying for it!
Cosmopolis is a very difficult movie, weird, even for a Cronenberg. He has moved back to a previous style of filmmaking (pre Viggo films), one that is not as palatable to even art film crowds. Reviews from Cannes had been mixed, which might have deterred some movie goers. And a large portion of Pattinson’s fan base is not old enough to purchase an R ticket.
So the result is good.
Big majority of critics worldwide have praised Pattinson’s performance, he seems like an appealing actor but I’m not sure that the publicity that he received during his promotions was the type any young actor would be seeking.
Pattinson’s fanbase is not teenagers. His fanbase are women over 20.
The extra kind of push/publicity Cosmopolis got was for a cheating scandal and hardly something that was going to bring in a bigger crowd – especially the kind of crowd this film needed to appeal to. If anything I think it could have impacted the film negatively…And it very well may have. Also, this kind of film released in the summer always seemed strange to me. It should have been a fall release so I’m not sure what the distributor’s game plan was but it felt flawed – especially for a divisive film that is definitely not for any kind of mainstream audience no matter who the star is. Pattinson’s fans may follow him to something more common and commercially palatable but I never thought they would follow to this — only the hard core ones and only the ones of age. As for comparing this film to ADM or Cronenberg’s last three, I don’t think it’s a valid comparison to hold the averages side by side and call this a failure of any kind. I saw Cosmopolis in Paris right after Cannes and there’s just no way you can compare it to really much of anything. It’s like a custom gazillion dollar home with no comps to be found in the neighborhood, essentially. Joe blow America will hate it and the art house crowd will still be divided at least 50/50 with love and hate themselves. It’s strange, it’s intentionally cold and disconnected, it’s an allegorical piece that really doesn’t have any plot or linear structure to speak of and it’s heavy heavy with dialogue that would literally snuff out someone who has no appreciation for words or thoughts or ideas. Personally, I loved it. But it’s not ever, ever going to be a movie for everyone. I was rooting for it to do well but I didn’t think it would so I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s clicking with enough people to get anything respectable. Like Cronenberg said, the achievement with this film was just getting it made. Nothing like it out there and probably won’t be for a long time if ever.
I saw Side by Side last week and thought it was both fun and informative. It’s the best doc I’ve seen in a while.