Crips and Bloods: Made in America was the only film to reach $10,000 on the per theater chart with $13,978 in one theater during its second weekend of release.

The best new release was well back as Our City Dreams earned just $4,056 over the weekend and $8,361 in five days. Fanboys pulled in a respectable total of $170,000 in 44 theaters for an average of $3,898. This might not be enough to secure expansion, but it is better than it could have been. 2009 Oscar Shorts earned $150,000 in 41 theaters for an average of $3,663, which is in line with previous years. Dev D opened with $11,000 in 4 theaters for an average of $2,738. Chocolate missed the Mendoza Line with an average of just $1,597; however, the movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray today, so there was little incentive to see it in theaters. Absurdistan was right behind with $1,441. The Objective had one of the worst openings, ever, with just $95, but in its defense, it came out on VoD before it was released theatrically.

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

• Waltz with Bashir reached $1 million since last week.
• Synecdoche, New York topped $3 million over the weekend, but that is as far as it will go.
• Frost/Nixon was one of three films to reach $15 million since last weekend; however, of those three, it will have the hardest time reaching $20 million.
• On the other hand, after hitting $15 million over the weekend, The Reader should have no trouble getting to $20 million within a few weeks, at the most.
• The same can be said of The Wrestler.
• Awards Season wins helped Milk earn $25 million, and now an Oscar win could help it reach $30 million
• Slumdog Millionaire topped $75 million over the weekend and is now just ahead of 27 Dresses and just behind The Day the Earth Stood Still.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2009-02-10