The weekend saw a number of impressive debuts in the world of cinema. A24’s drama Sing Sing, starring Colman Domingo, made waves with the third highest limited opening and per screen average of the year so far. The film, set against the backdrop of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, grossed $137,119 on just four screens, boasting a $34.3k per screen average. This true story, which sits at an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, even had multiple sold-out Q&As in both New York and Los Angeles. A24 reported that the film’s exit scores are the highest the distributor has ever recorded.
Indian Cinema Success
Indian cinema also had a strong showing over the weekend, with Indian 2 marking the third straight week with one or more Indian films in the top ten. Director S. Shankar’s Tamil-language political action thriller and sequel to Indian from 1996 is projected to earn around $1.97 million on 1,065 screens. Notably, Imax reported that the film delivered $190k in North America in one night of previews on 44 big screens. This success follows in the footsteps of other popular Indian titles in recent weeks, such as the sci-fi epic Kalki 2899 AD and romantic comedy Jat & Juliet 3.
Touch, a film from Focus Features directed by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur, made a favorable impression with its opening weekend performance. The romantic thriller, spanning decades and continents, follows one man’s emotional journey to find his lost love. It debuted at 315 theaters in North America and has garnered a 95% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Touch is off to a solid start, having grossed $470k in its opening weekend.
The weekend also saw a diverse array of indie films hitting the screens. Neon’s upscale horror film Longlegs cleaned up with a $22 million opening, showcasing the audience’s penchant for thrilling experiences. Searchlight Pictures’ Kinds of Kindness, in week four, continued to perform well with $324k in 730 theaters, accumulating a total of close to $4.7 million for the Yorgos Lanthimos film starring Emma Stone. Dandelion by Nicole Riegel from IFC Films saw a respectable $65.5k on 446 screens, while LD Entertainment and Variance Films’ release of Luke Gilford’s National Anthem grossed an estimated $42.4k on four screens, boasting a per screen average of $10.6k.
As the weekend wraps up, there is anticipation for the nationwide expansions of these films in the coming weeks. Films like Sing Sing, Indian 2, Touch, and many others are poised to captivate audiences across the country. With positive reviews and strong box office performances, these cinematic achievements serve as a testament to the power of storytelling through the medium of film. As audiences continue to seek out diverse and engaging content, the future looks bright for the world of cinema.
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