Per Theater Chart: Red Hot Start

March 8, 2011

Red State started its box office run over the weekend, sort of. It played at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City at a special engagement, bringing in $161,590 for one showing. However, with ticket prices at $54, it's hardly a regular showing, so some are saying it shouldn't count. There is an argument to be made that people were paying for the Q&A with Kevin Smith and it is more accurate to consider this part of his popular speaking tour. That said, Dreamgirls also started with a premium showing at higher that usual prices and that counted. Given the number of tickets sold, even if they cost the average amount, it still would have earned $30,000, which would have still led the way on the Per Theater Chart. The only real competition was from Happythankyoumoreplease, which opened with an average of $17,532 in two theaters.

The rest of the new limited releases were mostly good with I Saw The Devil earning an average of $6,784 in two theaters. Uncle Boonmee was close behind with an average of $5,885 in four theaters, while Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story opened with $5,043 in one theater. On the other hand, Bereavement missed the Mendoza Line with an average of just $1,220, but it was playing in 20 theaters, which is a lot for this type of film.

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

• Cedar Rapids has made it to $3 million and $4 million is easily within reach. On the other hand, I don't know if its per theater average is strong enough to encourage more theater owners to book the film.
• The Company Men did make it to $4 million, but that's as far as it will go.
• Biutiful topped $4 million, while $5 million is possibly in reach. Maybe. It could be close.
• Black Swan overtook Voyage of the Dawn Treader and will surpass Robin Hood by the end of business today earning 25th place for 2010.
• The King's Speech is in 20th place for 2010 having leaped over The Other Guys and Shutter Island is next.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Cedar Rapids, Black Swan, Biutiful, The Company Men, The King’s Speech, Happythankyoumoreplease, Red State, Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story, Akmareul Boatda (악마를 보았다), Bereavement, Loong Boonmee raleuk chat