Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $489,074Details
International Box Office $318,682Details
Worldwide Box Office $807,756
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Named by ArtReview as the most powerful artist in the world, Ai Weiwei is China's most celebrated contemporary artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. In April 2011, when Ai disappeared into police custody for three months, he quickly became China's most famous missing person, having first risen to international prominence in 2008 after helping design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium and then publicly denouncing the Games as party propaganda. Since then, Ai Weiwei's critiques of China's repressive regime have ranged from playful photographs of his raised middle finger in front of Tiananmen Square to searing memorials of the more than 5,000 schoolchildren who died in shoddy government construction in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Against a backdrop of strict censorship, Ai has become a kind of Internet champion. His frequent witty use of his blog and twitter, he is able to organize, inform, and inspire his followers, becoming an underground hero to millions of Chinese citizens.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$41,104 (8.4% of total gross)
Legs:6.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:60.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/39 max. theaters, 5.2 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $662,334

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 27th, 2012 (Limited) by IFC Films
International Releases: June 14th, 2012 (Wide) (Germany)
June 15th, 2012 (Wide) (Austria)
August 10th, 2012 (Wide) (United Kingdom)
October 25th, 2012 (Wide) (Hungary)
November 16th, 2012 (Wide) (Taiwan)
... Show all releases
Video Release: December 4th, 2012 by Mpi Home Video, released as Ai Weiwei Never Sorry
MPAA Rating: R for some language.
(Rating bulletin 2219, 4/18/2012)
Running Time: 91 minutes
Franchise: Ai Weiwei
Comparisons: vs. The Art of the Steal
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Artists, Political, Photography, Architecture, Olympics, House Arrest
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: United Expression Media, Muse Film and Television, Alison Klayman
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 27, 2012 42 $41,104   5 $8,221   $41,104 1
Aug 3, 2012 36 $72,917 +77% 26 $2,805   $138,827 2
Aug 10, 2012 43 $54,691 -25% 25 $2,188   $235,798 3
Aug 17, 2012 48 $49,103 -10% 39 $1,259   $322,102 4
Aug 24, 2012 56 $34,695 -29% 36 $964   $383,886 5
Aug 31, 2012 62 $17,257 -50% 18 $959   $422,272 6
Sep 7, 2012 68 $15,562 -10% 24 $648   $450,090 7
Sep 14, 2012 69 $11,751 -24% 16 $734   $473,104 8
Sep 21, 2012 84 $4,018 -66% 12 $335   $485,519 9

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 27, 2012 42 $65,910   5 $13,182   $65,910 1
Aug 3, 2012 40 $115,197 +75% 26 $4,431   $181,107 2
Aug 10, 2012 42 $91,892 -20% 25 $3,676   $272,999 3
Aug 17, 2012 50 $76,192 -17% 39 $1,954   $349,191 4
Aug 24, 2012 58 $55,824 -27% 36 $1,551   $405,015 5
Aug 31, 2012 64 $29,513 -47% 18 $1,640   $434,528 6
Sep 7, 2012 63 $26,825 -9% 24 $1,118   $461,353 7
Sep 14, 2012 66 $20,148 -25% 16 $1,259   $481,501 8
Sep 21, 2012 80 $7,573 -62% 12 $631   $489,074 9

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Austria 6/15/2012 $0 0 4 4 $8,407 12/10/2015
Germany 6/14/2012 $41,669 42 44 86 $113,501 12/10/2015
Hungary 10/25/2012 $89 1 1 1 $89 12/29/2018
Spain 2/1/2013 $0 0 6 16 $9,786 12/14/2015
Taiwan 11/16/2012 $2,516 2 2 5 $12,912 12/12/2015
United Kingdom 8/10/2012 $0 0 17 33 $173,987 12/11/2015
 
International Total$318,682 12/29/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Documentary Subject(s)

Ai Weiwei    Himself

Interviewee(s)

Ai Dan    Himself
Lu Qing    Herself
Wang Fen    Himself
Chen Danquing    Himself
Feng Boyi    Himself
Gu Changwei    Himself
He Yunchang    Himself
Hsieh 'Sam' Tehching    Himself
Hung Huang    Herself
RongRong    Himself
Zhang Hongtu    Himself
Zuoxiao Zuzhou    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Alison Klayman    Director
Alison Klayman    Producer
Alison Klayman    Cinematographer
Jennifer Fineran    Editor
Ilan Isakov    Composer
Adam Schlesinger    Producer
Andrew Cohen    Executive Producer
Julie Goldman    Executive Producer
Karl Katz    Executive Producer

2013 Awards Season: DGA Diverge From Oscars

January 14th, 2013

The Directors Guild of America handed out their nominations for Feature Films last week and Documentaries today. No, I have no idea why they split up their announcements. Usually, there's a lot of overlap between the DGAs and the Oscars, but that's not the case this year, so we again have some surprises. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 4th, 2012

December 4th, 2012

It is an awesome week for new releases on the home market. Not only is one of the biggest hits of all time coming out, but there are a number of other releases that are Pick of the Week contenders. The Dark Knight Rises, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Finding Nemo, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Two, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season One, Brazil, Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection - Blu-ray, and others. In the end, I went with Finding Nemo: 3D Combo Pack, but it really is an excellent week for prime releases. More...

Dark Knight Puts the Spark in the Per Theater Chart

July 31st, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $14,101 in more than 4,400 theaters. Killer Joe opened with an average of $12,621 in three theaters, while Ruby Sparks was also strong with an average of $10,832 in thirteen. Both films have some potential to expand. Deep Sea 3-D remained strong with $10,412 in its lone theater. More...

Searching for Killer Limited Releases

July 27th, 2012

There are not a huge number of limited releases on this week's chart, but all of them are earning overall positive reviews, and a few of them are generating some strong buzz. Killer Joe is one such film, but its rating could prevent it from reaching a sizable audience. Ruby Sparks has far more populous appeal, but weaker reviews. Searching for Sugar Man has some of the best reviews of the month, but documentaries rarely escape the grasp of limited release. More...

  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Named by ArtReview as the most powerful artist in the world, Ai Weiwei is China's most celebrated contemporary artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. In April 2011, when Ai disappeared into police custody for three months, he quickly became China's most famous missing person, having first risen to international prominence in 2008 after helping design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium and then publicly denouncing the Games as party propaganda. Since then, Ai Weiwei's critiques of China's repressive regime have ranged from playful photographs of his raised middle finger in front of Tiananmen Square to searing memorials of the more than 5,000 schoolchildren who died in shoddy government construction in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Against a backdrop of strict censorship, Ai has become a kind of Internet champion. His frequent witty use of his blog and twitter, he is able to organize, inform, and inspire his followers, becoming an underground hero to millions of Chinese citizens.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$41,104 (8.4% of total gross)
Legs:6.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:60.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/39 max. theaters, 5.2 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $662,334

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 27th, 2012 (Limited) by IFC Films
International Releases: June 14th, 2012 (Wide) (Germany)
June 15th, 2012 (Wide) (Austria)
August 10th, 2012 (Wide) (United Kingdom)
October 25th, 2012 (Wide) (Hungary)
November 16th, 2012 (Wide) (Taiwan)
... Show all releases
Video Release: December 4th, 2012 by Mpi Home Video, released as Ai Weiwei Never Sorry
MPAA Rating: R for some language.
(Rating bulletin 2219, 4/18/2012)
Running Time: 91 minutes
Franchise: Ai Weiwei
Comparisons: vs. The Art of the Steal
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Artists, Political, Photography, Architecture, Olympics, House Arrest
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: United Expression Media, Muse Film and Television, Alison Klayman
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Documentary Subject(s)

Ai Weiwei    Himself

Interviewee(s)

Ai Dan    Himself
Lu Qing    Herself
Wang Fen    Himself
Chen Danquing    Himself
Feng Boyi    Himself
Gu Changwei    Himself
He Yunchang    Himself
Hsieh 'Sam' Tehching    Himself
Hung Huang    Herself
RongRong    Himself
Zhang Hongtu    Himself
Zuoxiao Zuzhou    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Alison Klayman    Director
Alison Klayman    Producer
Alison Klayman    Cinematographer
Jennifer Fineran    Editor
Ilan Isakov    Composer
Adam Schlesinger    Producer
Andrew Cohen    Executive Producer
Julie Goldman    Executive Producer
Karl Katz    Executive Producer

2013 Awards Season: DGA Diverge From Oscars

January 14th, 2013

The Directors Guild of America handed out their nominations for Feature Films last week and Documentaries today. No, I have no idea why they split up their announcements. Usually, there's a lot of overlap between the DGAs and the Oscars, but that's not the case this year, so we again have some surprises. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 4th, 2012

December 4th, 2012

It is an awesome week for new releases on the home market. Not only is one of the biggest hits of all time coming out, but there are a number of other releases that are Pick of the Week contenders. The Dark Knight Rises, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Finding Nemo, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Two, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season One, Brazil, Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection - Blu-ray, and others. In the end, I went with Finding Nemo: 3D Combo Pack, but it really is an excellent week for prime releases. More...

Dark Knight Puts the Spark in the Per Theater Chart

July 31st, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $14,101 in more than 4,400 theaters. Killer Joe opened with an average of $12,621 in three theaters, while Ruby Sparks was also strong with an average of $10,832 in thirteen. Both films have some potential to expand. Deep Sea 3-D remained strong with $10,412 in its lone theater. More...

Searching for Killer Limited Releases

July 27th, 2012

There are not a huge number of limited releases on this week's chart, but all of them are earning overall positive reviews, and a few of them are generating some strong buzz. Killer Joe is one such film, but its rating could prevent it from reaching a sizable audience. Ruby Sparks has far more populous appeal, but weaker reviews. Searching for Sugar Man has some of the best reviews of the month, but documentaries rarely escape the grasp of limited release. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 27, 2012 42 $41,104   5 $8,221   $41,104 1
Aug 3, 2012 36 $72,917 +77% 26 $2,805   $138,827 2
Aug 10, 2012 43 $54,691 -25% 25 $2,188   $235,798 3
Aug 17, 2012 48 $49,103 -10% 39 $1,259   $322,102 4
Aug 24, 2012 56 $34,695 -29% 36 $964   $383,886 5
Aug 31, 2012 62 $17,257 -50% 18 $959   $422,272 6
Sep 7, 2012 68 $15,562 -10% 24 $648   $450,090 7
Sep 14, 2012 69 $11,751 -24% 16 $734   $473,104 8
Sep 21, 2012 84 $4,018 -66% 12 $335   $485,519 9

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 27, 2012 42 $65,910   5 $13,182   $65,910 1
Aug 3, 2012 40 $115,197 +75% 26 $4,431   $181,107 2
Aug 10, 2012 42 $91,892 -20% 25 $3,676   $272,999 3
Aug 17, 2012 50 $76,192 -17% 39 $1,954   $349,191 4
Aug 24, 2012 58 $55,824 -27% 36 $1,551   $405,015 5
Aug 31, 2012 64 $29,513 -47% 18 $1,640   $434,528 6
Sep 7, 2012 63 $26,825 -9% 24 $1,118   $461,353 7
Sep 14, 2012 66 $20,148 -25% 16 $1,259   $481,501 8
Sep 21, 2012 80 $7,573 -62% 12 $631   $489,074 9

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Austria 6/15/2012 $0 0 4 4 $8,407 12/10/2015
Germany 6/14/2012 $41,669 42 44 86 $113,501 12/10/2015
Hungary 10/25/2012 $89 1 1 1 $89 12/29/2018
Spain 2/1/2013 $0 0 6 16 $9,786 12/14/2015
Taiwan 11/16/2012 $2,516 2 2 5 $12,912 12/12/2015
United Kingdom 8/10/2012 $0 0 17 33 $173,987 12/11/2015
 
International Total$318,682 12/29/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.