Per Theater Chart: Barney Leads the Way, In This Version Anyhow

January 18, 2011

After an Oscar-qualifying run and a limited release in Canada, Barney's Version, finally started its theatrical run in the United States with an average of $16,310 in four theaters, which was enough to lead the per theater chart. Sort of. It's also playing in Canada, and despite the fact that Canada's considered part of the domestic box office when it comes to wide releases, smaller releases often don't have their box office numbers North of the border reported. This means it is possible that Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune remained on top with $12,377 in its lone theater.

The rest of the new limited releases were rather weak with A Somewhat Gentle Man earning just $2,506 in one theater. Ong Bak 3 missed the Mendoza Line with an average of $1,883 in three theaters, while The Heart Specialist earned an average of just $1,121, but it was playing in more than 400 theaters, and there was the issue of weather over the long weekend. Finally, Plastic Planet could do no better than $740 in its lone theater.

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

• Rabbit Hole reached $1 million over the weekend, if you include the holiday Monday. It might get to $2 million, but its per theater average is getting pretty low.
• Somewhere also made it to $1 million, but only if you include holiday Monday. Its per theater average is better, so it had a better shot at sticking around long enough to reach $2 million.
• Blue Valentine hit $2 million over the weekend and $3 million on Monday. It won't expand enough to be considered truly wide, but it has already earned some measure of mainstream success.
• The King's Speech got to $40 million over the weekend and it is already more than halfway to $50 million. It has topped such wide releases as Saw VII 3D and it is far from done.
• At the end of business on Monday, Black Swan just squeezed past $75 million, which is better than Dinner for Schmucks and just behind Knight & Day.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Barney's Version, Somewhere, Black Swan, En ganske snill mann, Blue Valentine, The King’s Speech, Rabbit Hole, Ong Bak 3, Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune, The Heart Specialist, Plastic Planet