Do you remember when Los Angeles and New York used to have huge numbers for opening a special film at the box-office?
Those days are coming back, it seems.
United Artist Releasing’s MGM Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1970s teen comedy Licorice Pizza A huge amount of people were posted to this blog.$83,8K average opening screen From four theaters, which is what the studio is calling an all-time record.
What is the secret to this? It’s the best when it gets to the topopening theater averagesMany of these theaters are made up of multiple screens. Licorice Pizzais literally making its moola from four screens at the LA Regency Village, NYC’s Lincoln Square, Village East and Alamo Brooklyn. They are all 70MM prints.
Anderson shot the movie, which showcases the frosh on-screen talents of indie rocker Alana Haim and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper Hoffman, in 35MM but had the prints blown up. Anderson used old-fashioned film stock and lenses for the movie to give it a retro look.
Licorice Pizzais loosely based on the teenage actor days of Tom Hanks’ producer Gary Goetzman, and follows a young actor’s pursuit of a girl in her early 20s as they try and launch a waterbed business together in the San Fernando Valley, and hang out with their friends. The movie’s title was inspired by an old Valley record store that was popular with local teens. Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn star in the film.
The movie is booked at LA’s Regency Village for the next month, and it turned in the best gross at the venue in 25 years;Licorice Pizza This cinema made close to half its weekend revenue.
The pic’s total weekend of $335K bests the specialty launches of previous Anderson fare including 2014’s Inherent Vice($328K, 5 theaters), 2017’sPhantom Thread($216K, 4 theaters), 1999’s Magnolia ($193,6K from 7 theaters), 2007’s There will be blood($190,7K, 2 theaterS), 1996’s Hard Eight ($69,4K, 29 theaters) and 1997’s Boogie Nights ($50,1K, 2 theaters). Licorice Pizza‘s debut ranks behind the openings of the 8x Oscar nominee’sThe Master($736K, 5 theaters) and 2002’sPunch Drunk Love($367K, 5 theaters). Anderson worked with Erik Lomis (UAR Distribution Boss) on the releaseThe Master Weinstein Co. also had 70MM bookings.
According to studio polling those who orderedLicorice Pizzahad been waiting to see it for quite some time: Over 55% of the audience decided they were going to watch Anderson’s latest either a year or months ago. At 72%, the 18-34 demographic gave the film an 87% positive rating. 73% of them rated it a definite recommendation. Diversity demos were 70% Caucasian, 19% Hispanic and Latino, 3% Black and 8% Asian. Nearly 70% were college graduates. 66% of the audience consisted of men.
UAR plans on sneaking the movie in a few places this weekend before going out wide at Christmas.
UAR also had extra bragging rights in bringing adults back over Thanksgiving with Ridley Scott’s House of Gucciwhich opened to $21.8M over 5-days, the best opening for a drama film since 2019’sLittle Women.
Of those arthouse titles expanding due to the holiday and seeing a boost in their ticket sales are A24’s C’mon, C’mon(+119%), Focus Features’ Belfast(+3%), and Sony Pictures Classics’ Julie Cohen-Betsy West documentaryJulia(+126%).
Noteable performances at the Thanksgiving box office Nov. 24-28
Belfast(Foc. 1) 128 (+544) theatres, Wed$170K(+36%),Thurs $150KFri$380K/Sat$350K/Sun$240k/PTA $860/3-day $970K(+3%), 5-day:$1.3M/Total$4.99M/Wk 3
New York continues its dominance as the market for Kenneth Branagh’s black and white movie. It saw 11% of the weekend, followed by Boston (5%), Philly (4.7%), LA (4.5%) and Chicago (4%). Canada is drove close to 10% of the weekend’s gross with Toronto accounting for 2.2% of the weekend. The final domestic endgame is expected to be $7M.
French Dispatch(Sea), 450 (-355) theatres, Wed$122K,Thurs $109KFri $235K/Sat$250K/Sun$137k/PTA $1,38K/3-day $622K (-38%), 5-day: $853K /Total$14.4M/Wk 6
The Wes Anderson directed movie that dynamited the specialty film box office with $1.3M opening in 52 locations is likely to end its stateside run of $16M.
Licorice Pizza(UAR) 4 screens, Fri$142K/Sat$105K/Sun$89K/ $83,75K PTA/3-day $335K/Wk 1
C’mon, C’mon(A24), 102 (+97), theaters Wed$54,2K,Thurs $30KFri $96,3K/Sat$109,7K/Sun$87,7k/PTA $2.88K/3-day $293,8K (+119%), 5-day: $378K /Total$528,8K/Wk 2
We hear that Mike Mills’ movie is seeing the most business from its expansion in New York, LA, Boston, Toronto, despite having a presence in 36 markets. A24 also had The HumansWe were booked for 17 runs in 17 market places, but that was Day-and-Date on Showtime. We hear that the figures are about $13K for the five day weekend.
Antim: The Final Truth(Zee), 310 theatres Fri $85K/Sat$113K/Sun$7k/PTA $887/3-day $275K, 5-day: $361,5K /Wk 1
Mahesh Mahesh Manjrekar’s action-crime drama portrays a police officer who is up against the mafia.
Maanaadu (GINF)110 theaters/Fri $70KSat $76K/ Sun $37,5K/ 3-day $183,5K, 5-day $300K/Wk 1
Venkat Prabhu directed movie follows a state’s chief minister, who on the day of a public conference, finds himself in a time loop with a police officer and bodyguard.
For the Love of Money(Freestyle), 519 theaters. Wed$28K,Thurs $50KFri $80K/Sat$85K/Sun$67k/PTA $447,3-day $232K , 5-day: $310K /Wk 1
Spencer(NEON). 346 (-608) Theaters Fri$79,6K/Sat$82,1K/Sun$49,2K/PTA $610, 3-day $211K (-70%)/Total: $6.6M/Wk 4
Sooryavanshi(Rel.) 59 (-156) theatres Wed$26K,Thurs $31,3KFri $24,7K/Sat$30,7K/Sun$25k/PTA $1,3K/3-day $80,4K (-67%), 5-day: $137,7K /Total$3.5M/Wk 4
Julia (SPC 288 (+241) theatres, PTA $332, 3-day $95,6K (+126%)– Total $197.6K/Wk 3
India Sweets & Spices (BST). 121 (-222) theaters Wed$11,6K/Thurs $10,6K/Fri $10,5K/Sat $13,1K/Sun$9,5k PTA 273; 3-day $33,1K (-81%), 5-day $55,3K/Total $247,8K/Wk 2
Drive My Car(Sideshow/Janus) 2 theatres, 3-day $14,9KPTA $7,4K, 5-day, $20,35K/Wk 1