Slumdog Millionaire could be something we've been looking for all year, a limited release hit that will break out into mainstream theaters. It opened with just over $360,000 in 10 theaters over the weekend for an average of $36,002, and it already has $428,000 since Wednesday. Second place on the per theater chart went to the number one release of the week, Quantum of Solace, which earned an average of $19,568. The only holdover in the $10,000 club was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which showed remarkable strength in earning an average of $12,484 this week. That was down just 16% despite its theater count more than doubling.

The best of the rest of the new releases was A Christmas Tale with an average of $9,120 in seven theaters. Dostana was the biggest limited release of the week, pulling in close to $650,000 in 74 theaters for a very healthy per theater average of $8,724. Normally this would suggest room to expand, but with its niche market, that is practically impossible. How About You and Familiar Strangers opened well with $6,022 and $5,777 respectively. Fuel was not that far behind with $5,100. Sadly, neither The Dukes at $1,517 nor Antarctica at $1,213 were able to top the Mendoza Line.

This past week also saw milestones reached for a couple Per Theater Chart alumni:

• Synecdoche, New York reached its first milestone, and even if it has peaked at the box office, it should still reach $2 million before too long.
• As expected, RocknRolla made it to $5 million, but there's almost no chance it will get any further.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2008-11-19