Per Theater Chart: Tailor Made for Success

December 14, 2011

Three new releases were able to reached the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart, while there were three holdovers that were able to join them. Leading the way was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with an outstanding average of $77,641 in four theaters. Young Adult opened with nearly the same total, but was playing in eight theaters giving it an average of $38,783. We Need to Talk About Kevin earned $24,587 in one theater during its Oscar qualifying run. A Dangerous Method spent its third weekend in the $10,000 club with an average of $19,234 in four theaters. However, it has seen in per theater average cut by more than half since its opening, and it has yet to expand. The Artist has also seen its per theater average fall, but it expanded its theater count to sixteen this past weekend and still earned an average of $18,460. It is already an art house success and will soon start earning some measure of mainstream success. Shame more than doubled its theater count, but hung onto a spot in the $10,000 club with an average of $13,496 in 21 theaters.

Not all new limited releases were quite as strong with My Piece of the Pie barely avoiding the Mendoza line with an average of just $2,107 in two theaters. I Melt with You wasn't even that strong with an average of just $1,365, also in two theaters. Despite earning 95% positive reviews, Knuckle only managed an average of $882 in three theaters.

This past week also saw milestones reached for a couple Per Theater Chart alumni:

• After opening with more than $700,000, Desi Boyz just squeaked above $1 million since last week and that's as far as it will go.
• Like Crazy reached $3 million since last week; however, its per theater average is low enough that getting to $4 million might be too difficult.
• My Week with Marilyn topped $5 million over the weekend, but unless it starts earning a lot of end of year awards, that's as far as it will go.
• The Descendants has now made more than $20 million, while it is more than halfway to $25 million. It is already ahead of some saturation level releases, like Conan and it is quickly climbing the yearly chart.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, The Descendants, Young Adult, I Melt with You, My Week with Marilyn, Like Crazy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Shame, A Dangerous Method, The Artist, Knuckle, Ma part du gateau, Desi Boyz