Blackfish (2013)

Blackfish poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $2,073,582Details
International Box Office $281,293Details
Worldwide Box Office $2,354,875
Domestic Physical Disc Sales
DVD Sales (estimated) $1,662,122
Blu-ray Sales (estimated) $233,840
Total $1,895,962
OpusData ID: 191340100 More info...
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000 pound orcas, or “killer whales,” soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if in perfect harmony with their trainers. Yet, in our contemporary lore this mighty black and white mammal is like a two-faced Janus - beloved as a majestic, friendly giant yet infamous for its capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of notorious performing whale Tilikum, who - unlike any orca in the wild - has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. So what exactly went wrong? Shocking, never before seen footage and riveting interviews with trainers and experts manifest the orca’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity over the last four decades and the growing disillusionment of workers who were misled and endangered by the highly profitable sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$75,962 (3.7% of total gross)
Legs:7.73 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:88.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/99 max. theaters, 6.6 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $3,050,434

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Magnolia Pictures
International Releases: October 31st, 2013 (Wide) (Spain)
November 7th, 2013 (Wide) (Netherlands)
November 21st, 2013 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: November 12th, 2013 by Magnolia Home Entertainment
MPA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing and violent images.
(Rating bulletin 2270, 5/1/2013)
Running Time: 83 minutes
Cast, crew, or production detail: Agitprop, Animal Lead
Plot point: Animal Rights, Animals Gone Bad, Circus
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Our Turn Productions, Magnolia Pictures, CNN Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 19, 2013 40 $75,962   5 $15,192   $75,962 1
Jul 26, 2013 30 $172,954 +128% 21 $8,236   $295,667 2
Aug 2, 2013 25 $268,095 +55% 55 $4,874   $666,052 3
Aug 9, 2013 26 $233,103 -13% 81 $2,878   $1,044,553 4
Aug 16, 2013 32 $190,970 -18% 97 $1,969   $1,383,226 5
Aug 23, 2013 36 $134,209 -30% 99 $1,356   $1,638,411 6
Aug 30, 2013 47 $91,556 -32% 82 $1,117   $1,811,064 7
Sep 6, 2013 54 $42,808 -53% 60 $713   $1,929,761 8
Sep 13, 2013 53 $32,802 -23% 60 $547   $1,989,544 9
Sep 20, 2013 70 $12,965 -60% 28 $463   $2,019,254 10
Sep 27, 2013 62 $13,400 +3% 22 $609   $2,043,691 11
Oct 4, 2013 91 $2,959 -78% 11 $269   $2,056,445 12
Oct 11, 2013 79 $3,568 +21% 13 $274   $2,063,312 13
Oct 18, 2013 86 $4,438 +24% 16 $277   $2,070,053 14

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 19, 2013 39 $122,713   5 $24,543   $122,713 1
Jul 26, 2013 31 $275,244 +124% 21 $13,107   $397,957 2
Aug 2, 2013 27 $413,493 +50% 55 $7,518   $811,450 3
Aug 9, 2013 26 $380,806 -8% 81 $4,701   $1,192,256 4
Aug 16, 2013 32 $311,946 -18% 97 $3,216   $1,504,202 5
Aug 23, 2013 37 $215,306 -31% 99 $2,175   $1,719,508 6
Aug 30, 2013 44 $167,445 -22% 82 $2,042   $1,886,953 7
Sep 6, 2013 49 $69,789 -58% 60 $1,163   $1,956,742 8
Sep 13, 2013 - $49,547 -29% 44 $1,126   $2,006,289 9
Sep 20, 2013 61 $24,002 -52% 28 $857   $2,030,291 10
Sep 27, 2013 58 $23,195 -3% 22 $1,054   $2,053,486 11
Oct 4, 2013 78 $6,258 -73% 11 $569   $2,059,744 12
Oct 11, 2013 84 $5,871 -6% 13 $452   $2,065,615 13
Oct 18, 2013 67 $7,967 +36% 16 $498   $2,073,582 14

Top International Territories

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens/Theaters
Maximum
Screens/Theaters
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 11/21/2013 $16,584 6 6 6 $16,584 12/13/2015
Netherlands 11/7/2013 $0 0 1 2 $7,106 10/13/2015
Spain 10/31/2013 $0 0 3 3 $16,840 12/13/2015
  
Rest of World $240,763
  
International Total $281,293 12/13/2015

Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.

Inverviewee

John Hargrove    Himself
John Jett    Himself
Carol Ray    Herself
Jeffrey Ventre    Himself
Samantha Berg    Herself

Production and Technical Credits

Gabriela Cowperthwaite    Director
Eli Despres    Screenwriter
Gabriela Cowperthwaite    Screenwriter
Manuel V. Oteyza    Producer
Judy Bart    Executive Producer
Erica Kahn    Executive Producer
Eli Despres    Editor
Jeff Beal    Composer
Jonathan Ingalls    Director of Photography
Christopher Towey    Director of Photography

Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.

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.


Synopsis

Many of us have experienced the excitement and awe of watching 8,000 pound orcas, or “killer whales,” soar out of the water and fly through the air at sea parks, as if in perfect harmony with their trainers. Yet, in our contemporary lore this mighty black and white mammal is like a two-faced Janus - beloved as a majestic, friendly giant yet infamous for its capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of notorious performing whale Tilikum, who - unlike any orca in the wild - has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. So what exactly went wrong? Shocking, never before seen footage and riveting interviews with trainers and experts manifest the orca’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity over the last four decades and the growing disillusionment of workers who were misled and endangered by the highly profitable sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$75,962 (3.7% of total gross)
Legs:7.73 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:88.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/99 max. theaters, 6.6 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $3,050,434

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Magnolia Pictures
International Releases: October 31st, 2013 (Wide) (Spain)
November 7th, 2013 (Wide) (Netherlands)
November 21st, 2013 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: November 12th, 2013 by Magnolia Home Entertainment
MPA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing and violent images.
(Rating bulletin 2270, 5/1/2013)
Running Time: 83 minutes
Cast, crew, or production detail: Agitprop, Animal Lead
Plot point: Animal Rights, Animals Gone Bad, Circus
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Our Turn Productions, Magnolia Pictures, CNN Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 19, 2013 40 $75,962   5 $15,192   $75,962 1
Jul 26, 2013 30 $172,954 +128% 21 $8,236   $295,667 2
Aug 2, 2013 25 $268,095 +55% 55 $4,874   $666,052 3
Aug 9, 2013 26 $233,103 -13% 81 $2,878   $1,044,553 4
Aug 16, 2013 32 $190,970 -18% 97 $1,969   $1,383,226 5
Aug 23, 2013 36 $134,209 -30% 99 $1,356   $1,638,411 6
Aug 30, 2013 47 $91,556 -32% 82 $1,117   $1,811,064 7
Sep 6, 2013 54 $42,808 -53% 60 $713   $1,929,761 8
Sep 13, 2013 53 $32,802 -23% 60 $547   $1,989,544 9
Sep 20, 2013 70 $12,965 -60% 28 $463   $2,019,254 10
Sep 27, 2013 62 $13,400 +3% 22 $609   $2,043,691 11
Oct 4, 2013 91 $2,959 -78% 11 $269   $2,056,445 12
Oct 11, 2013 79 $3,568 +21% 13 $274   $2,063,312 13
Oct 18, 2013 86 $4,438 +24% 16 $277   $2,070,053 14

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 19, 2013 39 $122,713   5 $24,543   $122,713 1
Jul 26, 2013 31 $275,244 +124% 21 $13,107   $397,957 2
Aug 2, 2013 27 $413,493 +50% 55 $7,518   $811,450 3
Aug 9, 2013 26 $380,806 -8% 81 $4,701   $1,192,256 4
Aug 16, 2013 32 $311,946 -18% 97 $3,216   $1,504,202 5
Aug 23, 2013 37 $215,306 -31% 99 $2,175   $1,719,508 6
Aug 30, 2013 44 $167,445 -22% 82 $2,042   $1,886,953 7
Sep 6, 2013 49 $69,789 -58% 60 $1,163   $1,956,742 8
Sep 13, 2013 - $49,547 -29% 44 $1,126   $2,006,289 9
Sep 20, 2013 61 $24,002 -52% 28 $857   $2,030,291 10
Sep 27, 2013 58 $23,195 -3% 22 $1,054   $2,053,486 11
Oct 4, 2013 78 $6,258 -73% 11 $569   $2,059,744 12
Oct 11, 2013 84 $5,871 -6% 13 $452   $2,065,615 13
Oct 18, 2013 67 $7,967 +36% 16 $498   $2,073,582 14

Top International Territories

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens/Theaters
Maximum
Screens/Theaters
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 11/21/2013 $16,584 6 6 6 $16,584 12/13/2015
Netherlands 11/7/2013 $0 0 1 2 $7,106 10/13/2015
Spain 10/31/2013 $0 0 3 3 $16,840 12/13/2015
  
Rest of World $240,763
  
International Total $281,293 12/13/2015

Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.

Inverviewee

John Hargrove    Himself
John Jett    Himself
Carol Ray    Herself
Jeffrey Ventre    Himself
Samantha Berg    Herself

Production and Technical Credits

Gabriela Cowperthwaite    Director
Eli Despres    Screenwriter
Gabriela Cowperthwaite    Screenwriter
Manuel V. Oteyza    Producer
Judy Bart    Executive Producer
Erica Kahn    Executive Producer
Eli Despres    Editor
Jeff Beal    Composer
Jonathan Ingalls    Director of Photography
Christopher Towey    Director of Photography

Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.

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.