There aren’t any huge surprises in the specialty box office as we enter what is expected to be a very different Thanksgiving holiday week. Normally, this would be the time of year where people would be participating in post-Thanksgiving dinner moviegoing. But, as we know, theaters are shuttered. As the spike in COVID cases across the country continue, box office numbers won’t be seeing much action, as lockdowns and stay-at-home orders impact numbers.
As Anthony D’Alessandro reported, Sony’s WWII art forgery drama The Last Vermeer, starring Guy Pearce, opened in 912 theaters and is expected to earn an estimated $225,000 for the weekend, with a per-theater average of $247.
The Gravitas action pic Vanguard debuted in 1,375 theaters. The movie marked a reunion between martial arts icon Jackie Chan and director Stanley Tong, and earned an estimated $400,000 in its first weekend out.
Again, these numbers aren’t the greatest. But looking at the current box office landscape, it’s an achievement to have these titles make theatrical premieres.
Perhaps more audiences are partaking in digital fare, as a plethora of box office-grade titles hit streaming this past week, including Aneesh Chaganty’s thriller Run, starring Sarah Paulson and newcomer Kiera Allen, on Hulu, as well as Steve McQueen’s Mangrove, the first installment of his Small Axe film anthology on Amazon Prime Video.
Speaking of Amazon, the Darius Marder-directed Sound of Metal, starring Riz Ahmed, made a limited theatrical debut before it hits Prime Video on December 4 — but box office numbers were not revealed for the title.
In its second week, Neon’s period romance Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, dropped to 180 screens, earning an estimated $23,000, with a per-screen average of $128, to bring its cume to $145,088. This is down from last week’s debut, which earned $85,000.
Also in its second week is the Saban Films dark comedy Fatman, which lost 90% of its screens from its debut due to state-mandated theatre closures. Now on 177 screens, the movie will add an estimated $51,266 to its box office till, with a per-screen average of $290, bringing its cume to $192,501. These numbers are also down from last week’s opening weekend, where the movie earned $108,000.
Focus Features continues to stay afloat with Come Play and Let Him Go, which landed in the #3 and #4 position, respectively, on the top 10 box office list for the weekend. Meanwhile, the 101 Studios family comedy The War With Grandpa continues to chug along in its seventh week of release, landing in the #2 spot for the weekend.
NEW RELEASES
The Last Vermeer (TriStar Pictures) – Week 1 [912 Theaters] Weekend $225,000; Average $247
Vanguard (Gravitas) – Week 1 [1,375 Theaters] Weekend $400,000; Average $291
SECOND WEEKEND
Ammonite (Neon) – Week 2 [180 Theaters] Weekend $23,000; Average $128; Cume $145,088
Fatman (Saban Films) – Week 2 [177 Screens] Weekend $51,266; Average $290; Cume $192,501
THIRD+ WEEKEND
Come Play (Focus Features) – Week 4 [1,364 Theaters] Weekend $550,000; Average $403; Cume $8,000,000
Let Him Go (Focus Features) – Week 3 [1,907 Theaters] Weekend $710,000; Average $372; Cume $8,000,000
The War With Grandpa (101 Studios) – Week 7 [1,688 Theaters] Weekend $733,000; Average $434; Cume $16,100,000