Per Theater Chart Perks Up

September 25, 2012

The Perks of Being a Wallflower easily topped the per theater chart with an average of $57,090 in four theaters. This combined with its 81% positive reviews suggests a potential for significant expansion and long legs. Diana Vreeland - The Eye Has to Travel was also strong with an average of $21,233. This is an excellent start, but documentaries rarely expand significantly beyond the art house circuit. Occupy Unmasked just managed to top $10,000 on the per theater chart with an average of $10,238 in four theaters.

There were plenty of other new limited releases, some of which did well, most of which did not. My Uncle Rafeal earned $110,000 in 14 theaters for an average of $7,839. How to Survive a Plague was close behind with an average of $7,063 in four theaters. The Waiting Room made $4,950 in its lone theater, which isn't bad for a documentary. Backwards was close behind with an average of $4,638 in five theaters. The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best was a little soft with $3,850 in one theater. Heroine earned close to $400,000, but it was playing in more than 100 theaters, resulting in an average of $3,420. Unconditional made $525,000, but it was playing in more than 300 theaters giving it a per theater average of $1,683. On the one hand, it was playing in more than 300 theaters, which is a mitigating factor. On the other hand, it missed the Mendoza Line and the point of the Mendoza Line is that you can't spin the result in a positive light. There were a trio films that had very similar averages. Three Stars opened with $1,003 in its lone theater, Hellbound? was right behind with an average of $985 in four theaters, and About Cherry closed out this trio with an average of $920 in three. Husbands in Goa only managed an average of $640 in seven theaters while 17 Girls earned an average of $445 in ten theaters.

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

• For a Good Time Call got to $1 million, which is better than a lot of limited releases manage, but some thought it would open wide, so this is disappointing.
• Celeste and Jesse Forever got to $3 million, but that's as far as it will go.
• Arbitrage also topped $3 million over the weekend, but it is already almost at $4 million and could be over $5 million by this time next week.
• The Master got to $5 million during just its second weekend of release. However, I don't know where it will go from here. It will need Awards Season buzz to expand truly wide, but it is still a little early in the year for that to happen.
• Moonrise Kingdom crept over $45 million since this time last week. That's as far as it will go, but that's a fantastic run for a limited release.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Celeste and Jesse Forever, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Moonrise Kingdom, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, Arbitrage, Drei Sterne - Die Koche und die Sterne, For a Good Time, Call, The Master, How to Survive a Plague, Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, Backwards, My Uncle Rafael, Unconditional, About Cherry, 17 filles, The Waiting Room, Heroine, Husbands in Goa, Hellbound?, Occupy Unmasked