Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry about the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone passed $1.7 million its second week out with an estimated three-day gross of $525k in 595 theaters.
The Canadian number — $250k from 200 theaters — was only a 13% drop from opening weekend. Stateside, the indie crossed $1 million with a estimated $257k at 375 locations and really popped on Saturday, outperforming the week earlier in a handful of theaters in top markets including New York, LA, and Boston.
It’s being handled by IFC Films in the U.S. and Elevation Pictures in Canada, where BlackBerry was launched and grew to near world dominance before being abruptly unseated by Apple and the touch screen. Starring Jay Baruchel as brainy Mike Lazaridus, who co-founded BlackBerry with his best friend Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who propelled the company to its massively successful decades-long run.
The film clocked in at no. 10 at a North American box office dominated by Fast X.
New specialty openings this weekend: Neon’s Sanctuary by Zachary Wigon saw $65k on five screens for a PSA of $13k.
Paul Schrader’s thriller Master Gardener from Magnolia Pictures grossed $269.2k on 220 screens for a PSA of $1.2k.
Oscilloscope Laboratories Moon Garden opened to $6.1k on one screen (IFC Center) and limited showtimes for the Ryan Stevens Harris fantasy/horror fable. Moves to LA next week where all three of its 35mm screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse DTLA are sold out. Expects to expand to other cities through the summer.
Holdovers – Week 2: L’immensità by Emanuele Crialese, starring Penelope Cruz, grossed a projected $23.1k this weekend on 20 screens for per screen average of $1.16k and a cume of $37.7k. From Music Box Films.
Sony Pictures Classics’ documentary about Yogi Bera, It Ain’t Over, by Sean Mullin, grossed an estimated $110k on 128 screens for a PSA of $863 and cume of $260k.
The Starling Girl , a debut feature by Laurel Parmet, from Bleecker Street, grossed an estimated $31k in its second weekend on 27 screens, for a PSA of $1.15k and cume of $64.3k.
Monica, from IFC Films, by Andrea Pallaoro, grossed an estimated $40k on 92 screens for a PSA of $430 and a cume of $72k.