Number One for 21 Grams

November 25, 2003

The Oscar push for independent films is kicking into high gear, so we should be seeing a lot more limited releases topping the Per Theatre Average charts hoping to garner award nominations, Oscars and otherwise.

This week's winner was 21 Grams, which boasted an impressive cast, as well as an award-winning director. Unfortunately, it also has a $20 million production budget so it will have to rely on Oscar hype to earn back that investment for Focus Films. In its first weekend of release, 21 Grams brought in an impressive $274,454 in just 8 theatres for an average of $34,307 per theatre. That's the best per theatre average since Lost in Translation opened back in September. It is worth nothing that Lost in Translation was also a Focus Features film. So far this year, all four Focus Features films have opened number one on the per theatre average charts. An amazing feat.

Amazing could also be used to describe the performance of My Architect, which saw its per theatre average increase 14% during its second week of release. A second weekend average of $21,624 bodes very well for the wide rollout planned for early next year.

Also doing well at the box office was the U.S. release of The Barbarian Invasions, which already opened in its native Canada with a very successful, earning nearly $5 million, Canadian. Strong reviews helped the film to a solid $13,275 per theatre average.

The only other movie to make it in the $10,000 club was this week's box office winner, The Cat in the Hat.


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Filed under: Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, Les invasions barbares, My Architect, 21 Grams