Per Theater Chart: Cars 2 Wins in a Photo Finish

June 29, 2011

Not only did Cars 2 win the overall box office race, but it also won the race on the per theater chart with an average of $16,072. A Better Life and PASSIONE: A Musical Adventure were right behind with $15,522 and $15,377 respectively. The final film in the $10,000 club was Bad Teacher, which was a surprise entrant with $10,365.

None of the other new limited releases really came close to the $10,000 mark with The Names of Love managing just over $30,000 in five theaters for an average of $6,074. That's not a bad start, but it doesn't suggest a large potential to expand. Double Dhamaal opened with just over $300,000 in 54 theaters for an average of $5,589. Bollywood films almost never have any staying power, so a fast start is very important, but I don't think this was really a great start. Conan O'Brien: Can't Stop failed to make much of an impact with an average of just $4,043; granted, it was playing in too many theaters, so one should take that into account. Turtle: The Incredible Journey had a bizarre weekend. It made less than $70,000 in 24 theaters for an average of $2,891. However, it earned $37,772 in the SeaWorld Theatre alone. So it's special engagement would have led the per theater chart, while its general release failed to reach the Mendoza Line. If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front was right behind with $2,817, as was Leap Year with $2,727 in one theater. Founding of a Party managed an average of $2,271 in 29 theaters, but since it is communist propaganda, literally, I'm amazed it was released here at all. Finally, Raw Faith missed the Mendoza Line with just $1,486 in one theater.

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

  • The Art of Getting By got to $1 million in less than a week, but given its collapse, that's as far as it will go.
  • On the other hand, while Beginners also made it to $1 million before the weekend, it is already more than halfway to $2 million.
  • The Tree of Life has topped $5 million, and while it may have peaked, it still has a realistic shot at $10 million.
  • Midnight in Paris managed something that very few limited releases manage, it surpassed $25 million at the box office. In doing so, it overtook Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona in Woody Allen's career list. Granted, it also fell out of the top ten over the weekend, but given its strong per theater average and impressive holds, I think it's just a matter of time before it tops Hannah and Her Sisters as the auteur's biggest box office hit.

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Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Cars 2, Bad Teacher, Beginners, Midnight in Paris, The Art of Getting By, The Tree of Life, A Better Life, If A Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, Raw Faith, Año Bisiesto, Le nom des gens, Turtle: The Incredible Journey, PASSIONE: A Musical Adventure, Double Dhamaal, Jiàn Dǎng Wěi Yè