Theater Averages: Anomalisa Leads Uneventful Chart with $12,738

January 13, 2016

There were only three films in the $10,000 club this weekend and all of them were holdovers. Leading the way was Anomalisa with an average of $12,738 in 17 theaters. At this pace, the film will earn some measure of mainstream success. However, unless it wins an Oscar, it likely won't match its $8 million production budget in theaters. The Revenant slipped into second place with $11,801, while the overall number one film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was next with $10,245.

The new limited releases ranged from okay to awful. Anesthesia was the best of a weak group with $6,747 in its one theater. Wazir opened with nearly $600,000 in 111 theaters for an average of $5,280. The only other new limited release to avoid the Mendoza Line was The Treasure with an average of $4,541 in three theaters. Three other films were not as lucky, starting with Lamb and its average of $1,575 in two theaters. Then again, it came out on iTunes this Tuesday and this is not the kind of film you need to see in theaters. VOD is probably the best venue for it. Troublemakers: The Story of Land Art was close behind with an average of $1,356 in four theaters. Finally we get to The Masked Saint, a faith-based film. These films are notoriously unpredictable, but even so, the film was surprisingly weak with an average of $257 in 482.

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

Room surpassed $5 million over the weekend. Its beginning to turn Awards Season nominations into wins, but it would take a lot to get to $10 million.
• Carol hit $5 million last Monday. It should reach $10 million and depending on how well it does during Awards Season, $15 million or more isn't out of reach.
• The Big Short jumped past $40 million over the weekend and is now ahead of Max and just behind The Night Before on the 2015 domestic chart.