A24/DirecTV’s ‘The Exception’ & IFC Films’ ‘Band Aid’ Top Busy If Unremarkable Weekend – Specialty Box Office

In a busy weekend of new Specialty releases, A24 and DirecTV’s The Exception and IFC Films’ Band Aid topped out with the highest per theater averages, while documentary Letters From Baghdad followed fairly closely behind. Nothing proved spectacular, even though about a dozen new limited release titles gave audiences who weren’t seeing Wonder Woman plenty of options. Period drama The Exception starring Christopher Plummer grossed $23,337 in two locations, while Band Aid by Zoe Lister-Jones took in $31,500 from three theaters Friday to Sunday. Pantelion/Lionsgate’s comedy 3 Idiots bowed in 349 theaters Friday, grossing $600K over the weekend, while Cohen Media Group’s bio-drama Churchill with Brian Cox grossed $426,616 from 215 runs.

CBS Films’ Dean directed by and starring Demetri Martin cleared over $60K from 15 runs, while Samuel Goldwyn Films’ Past Life grossed over $16K from several locations. China Lion’s fantasy The Beautiful Accident played 15 locations in its initial frame grossing $25K. Abramorama added runs for doc Restless Creature – Wendy Whelan in its second weekend, grossing over $12K. Sony Classics’ Paris Can Wait jumped by over eight theaters in its fourth weekend, racking up nearly $551K. And Roadside Attractions’ The Wedding Plan is inching closer to $1M in its fourth frame.

Director David Leveaux’s The Exception came out with the highest PTA of the weekend among limited release titles. The release starring Christopher Plummer, Lily James, Jai Courtney and Janet McTeer grossed $23,337 from two theaters, averaging $11,669. A24 noted Sunday that the title “got off to a strong start” this weekend, with a 114% increase at the box office from Friday to Saturday. The World War II thriller is being released through the exclusive partnership between DirectTV and A24. The film will continue to expand nationwide over the coming weeks.

IFC Films rolled out Zoe Lister-Jones’ directorial debut Band Aid in three locations in New York and L.A. Friday. Lister-Jones also stars in the feature, which premiered at Sundance. Band Aid grossed $31,500, averaging $10,500, the second-best PTA among this week’s crowded lineup of newcomers. IFC Films noted Sunday the title “sold-out shows in L.A. at the Arclight and The Landmark.” Said the company Sunday: “We will expand to 20 plus runs this weekend including top markets and an expansion to the suburbs of New York and L.A.”

Vitagraph Films’ Letters From Baghdad featuring the voice of Tilda Swinton as British historical figure Gertrude Bell had a decent start in two locations Friday. Directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum, the film grossed $18,250, averaging $9,125. Vitagraph will add locations in L.A., Washington, D.C. and other cities June 9.

Cohen Media Group’s bio-drama Churchill bowed in 215 theaters over the weekend. Starring Brian Cox as the WWII-era British Prime Minister, the title grossed over $426K, averaging $1,984.

“We are thrilled with the reception for Churchill, given the domination of Wonder Woman at this week’s multiplexes,” commented Cohen Media Group chief Charles S. Cohen Sunday. We believe that audiences have found Churchill as a welcome alternative for mature audiences seeking out great performances in an historical setting. Churchill is receiving great word of mouth, and films like this need air and light to grow, We fully expect Churchill to perform well over the next several weeks around the United States.”

Lionsgate/Pantelion bowed Mexican family-comedy 3 Idiots in 349 U.S. locations. Directed by Carlos Bolado, the Spanish-language feature grossed $600K, averaging $1,719.

CBS Films’ Dean, which took the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, bowed in 15 locations over the weekend. Written and directed by Demetri Martin, who also stars alongside Kevin Kline, Gillian Jacobs and Mary Steenburgen, the feature grossed over $60K Friday to Sunday, averaging $4,024. Both its Friday and Saturday grosses were nearly the same.

Among other specialty openers over the weekend, Purdie Entertainment launched Love, Kennedy in 19 locations grossing $49,300 ($2,595 average), while Samuel Goldwyn Films bowed Past Life in four theaters taking in $16,215 ($4,054 average). Goldwyn noted Sunday its Friday to Saturday increase was “almost 100%. It will go to ten additional markets next week.

China Lion opened Mandarin-language The Beautiful Accident in 15 locations, grossing $25K ($1,667 average), and Matson Films’ Radio Dreams grossed just over $2K from an exclusive engagement.

Abramorama added 2 runs for doc Restless Creature – Wendy Whelan in its second frame. The feature grossed $12,256 in four locations Friday to Sunday, averaging just over $3K. In its first weekend, it grossed $21,127 in two theaters, averaging $10,564. It has cumed nearly $56K.

Cohen Media Group’s re-release of late ‘80s Merchant Ivory title Maurice grossed over $6K in two locations in its third frame, averaging just over $3K. It has cumed $28,167 to date.

Lowriders shed 155 runs from the last weekend in its fourth weekend of release, though the BH Tilt release is getting closer to $6M. The feature grossed over $193K in 179 locations this weekend, averaging $1,081. The previous weekend, it grossed nearly $540K in 334 theaters, averaging $1,616.

Sony Pictures Classics’ Paris Can Wait starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin continues its solid run in its fourth weekend. SPC added 81 runs over last weekend, grossing nearly $551K in a total of 151 theaters, averaging $3,649. Last weekend, it grossed over $456K, averaging $6,524. Its one-month cume is now over $1.62M.

Roadside Attractions added 28 runs for The Wedding Plan in its fourth weekend. The feature grossed $209,700 in 123 locations, averaging $1,705. In the first three days of Memorial weekend, the title grossed over $311K, averaging $3,275. It is now closed to the million dollar mark with a cume of just under $984K.

And, A24’s The Lovers is closing in on $2M. In its fifth weekend, it grossed over $273K in 348 locations, averaging $785, putting it at over $1.94M.

NEW RELEASES

3 Idiots (Lionsgate/Pantelion) NEW [349 Theaters] Weekend $600,000, Average $1,719

Band Aid (IFC Films) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $31,500, Average $10,500

The Beautiful Accident (China Lion) NEW [15 Theaters] Weekend $25,000, Average $1,667

Churchill (Cohen Media Group) NEW [215 Theaters] Weekend $426,616, Average $1,984

Dean (CBS Films) NEW [15 Theaters] Weekend $60,366, Average $4,024

The Exception (A24/DirecTV) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $23,337, Average $11,669

Letters From Baghdad (Vitagraph Films) NEW [2 Theaters] Weekend $18,250, Average $9,125

Love, Kennedy (Purdie Entertainment) NEW [19 Theaters] Weekend $49,300, Average $2,595

Past Life (Samuel Goldwyn Films) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $16,215, Average $4,054

Radio Dreams (Matson Films) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $2,053

RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND

Restless Creature – Wendy Whelan (Abramorama) Week 2 [4 Theaters] Weekend $12,256, Average $3,064, Cume $55,907

The Women’s Balcony (Menemsha Films) Week 2 [3 Theaters] Weekend $22,288, Average $7,429, Cume $338,858

HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS

Maurice re-release (Cohen Media Group) Week 3 [2 Theaters] Weekend $6,068, Average $3,034, Cume $28,167

Wakefield (IFC Films) Week 3 [28 Theaters] Weekend $42,000, Average $1,500, Cume $163,242

Lowriders (BH Tilt) Week 4 [179 Theaters] Weekend $193,410, Average $1,081, Cume $5,746,415

Manifesto (FilmRise) Week 4 [8 Theater] Weekend $9,000, Average $1,125, Cume $63,556

Paris Can Wait (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 [151 Theaters] Weekend $550,979, Average $3,649, Cume $1,627,586

The Wedding Plan (Roadside Attractions) Week 4 [123 Theaters] Weekend $209,700, Average $1,705, Cume $983,842

The Dinner (The Orchard) Week 5 [10 Theaters] Weekend $3,634, Average $363, Cume $1,318,468

The Lovers (A24) Week 5 [348 Theaters] Weekend $273,180, Average $785, Cume $1,940,548

Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait (Cohen Media Group) Week 5 [1 Theater] Weekend $309, Cume $859

Risk (Neon) Week 5 [6 Theaters] Weekend $2,414, Average $402, Cume $193,594

Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent (The Orchard) Week 7 [30 Theaters] Weekend $10,533, Average $351, Cume $198,619

The Lost City of Z (Bleecker Street) Week 8 [77 Theaters] Weekend $44,600, Average $577, Cume $8,350,978

Norman: The Moderate Rise & Tragic Fall Of a New York Fixer (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8 [232 Theaters] Weekend $213,378, Average $920, Cume $3,469,261

Colossal (Neon) Week 9 [53 Theaters] Weekend $17,102, Average $323, Cume $2,981,481

Truman (FilmRise Releasing) Week 9 [3 Theaters] Weekend $2,500, Average $833, Cume $205,299

The Zookeeper’s Wife (Focus Features) Week 10 [115 Theaters] Weekend $75,660, Average $658, Cume $17,304,056

Kedi (Oscilloscope) Week 17 [9 Theaters] Weekend $9,500, Average $1,056, Cume $2,684,998

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