Theater Averages: Miles Davis is too Cool for New Releases

September 5, 2019

It was an odd week on the theater average chart, as the number one film was a holdover. Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool’s average was down less than 0.2% to $18,222 and it did this while doubling its theater count to 2. This is very impressive and bodes well for its future. The best new release was Ne Zha, which earned an average $17,649 in 66 theaters. Animated films rarely do well in limited release and 66 theaters is a lot for a limited release, so this average is even more impressive than it looks at first glance. Finally, Official Secrets opened with an average of $16,241.

The next best new limited release was Before You Know It with an average of $7,695 in three theaters. Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins was next with an average of $5,250 in 18 theaters, which is a strong start for a documentary. Saaho had an even more impressive start with a three-day average of $4,469 in 381 theaters and a four-day average of $6,893. Its rare for any film, even a Bollywood film, to do that well in that many theaters. Tod@s Caen wasn’t as potent, but still opened with more than $1 million in 317 theaters for an average of $3,465. The Miracle of the Little Prince struggled with $2,643 in one theater over the weekend for a five-day opening of $3,942. Don’t Let Go was the widest limited release of the week playing in 922 theaters and it struggled as a result with an average of $2,537.

There were two films that missed the Mendoza Line and they both missed that mark by a huge margin. Killerman only managed an average of $478 in 322 theaters, while Bennett’s War was right behind with an average of $444 in 970.

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

• Luce hit $1 million very early in the weekend and it has a real shot at $2 million.
• After the Wedding also got to $1 million over the weekend and it too should get to $2 million soon.
• Tod@s Caen opened with just over $1 million, so obviously it got to that milestone as well. Its theater average suggests it won’t expand significantly, but it also won’t disappear from theaters quickly as well.
• Ne Zha also managed more than $1 million during its opening weekend, but it will almost certainly expand significantly over the coming weeks.
• Saaho earned more than $2 million during its four-day debut, which is a fantastic start. On the other hand, Bollywood films tend to have short legs.
• Mission Mangal is holding on better than most Bollywood films do and that helped it get to $3 million. $4 million isn’t out of the question, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
• Don’t Let Go opened with more than $2 million, but it was also playing in nearly 1,000 theaters, so its theater average is low enough that it will disappear from theaters quickly.
• The Peanut Butter Falcon continued to expanded helping it get to $7.5 million over the weekend. It isn’t done hitting milestones either.
• The Farewell got all the way to $15 million, but that’s as far as it will go.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: Theater Averages, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Luce, Official Secrets, After the Wedding, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Killerman, The Farewell, Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, Het Wonder van Le Petit Prince, Tod@s Caen, Before You Know It, Mission Mangal, Don’t Let Go, Saaho, Bennett’s War, Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世)