Neon and 30West skated into the awards race with a box office win this weekend, opening I, Tonya in four locations grossing $245,602, easily capturing the weekend’s highest per theater average and landing in the top ten averages of the year. The film didn’t have a lot of newcomer competition in the Specialty arena, but did face off with some serious recent holdovers such as A24’s The Disaster Artist, which joined the weekend’s top 10 along with Lady Bird. Fox Searchlight added dozens of theaters for Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water in its second weekend, taking in $1.1M, while Sony Pictures Classics’ Call Me By Your Name played some added runs in its third frame holding nicely with over $291K in nine locations. FilmRise’s My Friend Dahmer handily crossed seven figures in its sixth weekend, while The Florida Project went over $5M in its 10th outing.
Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie as infamous ice skating Olympian Tonya Harding had a robust start in four New York and Los Angeles theaters over the weekend. I, Tonya grossed $245,602, giving it a $61,400 per theater average, the seventh highest of the year, though it might have run higher had it maximized showings at its opening locations.
“Entering the marketplace amidst high-performing Oscar contenders and right before The Last Jedi comes with its own degree of difficulty, however, we believe wholeheartedly in I, Tonya’s ability to stand out amongst the crowd,” said Neon CEO and Founder Tom Quinn about the film earlier this week. “So we’re opening with aggressive qualifying runs in New York and L.A. before expanding into the rest of the country come January.”
Neon and 30West plan to give I, Tonya a “deluxe” qualifying run remaining in very limited release until after the New Year.
James Franco’s The Disaster Artist expanded to 840 locations in its second frame, holding strong with a cume that is just north of $8M, placing in the top 10 in the overall box office. The A24 release took in over $6.43M, for a $7,661 per theater average. The Disaster Artist had the year’s sixth best opening by PTA, launching in 19 locations last weekend, grossing $1.22M ($64,254 average). A24 said Sunday “exits stayed incredibly strong” for the comedy which will “continue to expand into the holiday season.”
Fox Searchlight’s The Shape of Water went to 39 additional locations bringing its theater count to 41 in its second weekend. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Sally Hawkins, the title grossed $1.1M, averaging $26,829.
Searchlight noted Sunday The Shape of Water’s second weekend PTA outpaced films like Birdman, The Big Sick, Three Billboards, Manchester By the Sea, and Moonlight in their second frames.
“We are thrilled with the performance of the film in these new markets as we start to slowly roll out The Shape of Water over the next several weeks. With the great critical acclaim the film has been receiving, coupled with the outstanding performance at the box office, and along with the recognition it has received from awards groups, we feel great about moving forward with the film even in this very competitive marketplace.”
The film has flexed its awards prowess this past week including recognition from the AFI, L.A. Film Critics, as well as 14 nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics.
After spending its first two weekends in four locations, Call Me By Your Name expanded to nine theaters for week three. Chosen Best Picture by the L.A. Film Critics association, the title is still showing heft at the box office, grossing $291,101 for a solid $32,345 per theater average. In its second frame, Call Me By Your Name averaged a sizzling $70,320 in the wake of its opening at the end of November, which garnered the year’s best PTA at over $103K. Call Me By Your Name has cumed over $1.37M.
Bleecker Street added 47 theaters for The Man Who Invented Christmas over the previous weekend, bringing its location count to 720. Christmas grossed over $687K, averaging $955. The title took in $863K in its second weekend ($1,282 average). It has cumed over $4.32M.
Searchlight’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri remained in wide release, bringing its theater count to over sixteen hundred. The film starring Frances McDormand took in over $2.86M, averaging $1,765. Three Billboards has cumed $18.3M.
A24’s Lady Bird is also in wide release, flying in the top ten this weekend again. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird grossed over $3.54M in 1,557 locations, averaging $2,278, bringing its cume into eight figures above $22.33M.
FilmRise’s My Friend Dahmer handily crossed seven figures in its sixth weekend. Dahmer grossed $130K in 110 locations Friday to Sunday, averaging $1,182. The film has cumed $1,129,331.
And A24’s The Florida Project by Sean Baker crossed $5M in its tenth frame. Starring Willem Dafoe, the title grossed $96,177 from 101 runs this weekend, averaging $952.
NEW RELEASES
I, Tonya (Neon/30West) NEW [4 Theaters] Weekend $245,602, Average $61,400
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
The Disaster Artist (A24) Week 2 [840 Theaters] Weekend $6,435,514, Average $7,661, Cume $8,032,288
Kepler’s Dream (Hammond Entertainment) Week 2 [1 Theater] Weekend $245, Cume $2,750
The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight) Week 2 [41 Theaters] Weekend $1,100,000, Average $26,829, Come $1,331,008
Wonder Wheel (Amazon Studios) Week 2 [47 Theaters] Weekend $155,805, Average $3,315, Cume $321,984
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
Call Me By Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3 [9 Theaters] Weekend $291,101, Average $32,345, Cume $1,372,406
Darkest Hour (Focus Features) Week 3 [53 Theaters] Weekend $777,000, Average $14,664, Cume $1,232,000
The Man Who Invented Christmas (Bleecker Street) Week 3 [720 Theaters] Weekend $687,381, Average $955, Cume $4,325,188
The Breadwinner (GKIDS) Week 4 [38 Theaters] Weekend $20,074, Average $528, Cume $153,181
Thelma (The Orchard) Week 5 [40 Theater] Weekend $17,784, Average $445, Cume $108,530
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight) Week 5 [1,620 Theaters] Weekend $2,860,000, Average $1,765, Cume $18,310,284
God’s Own Country (Samuel Goldwyn Films) Week 6 [10 Theaters] Weekend $12,000, Average $1,200, Cume $279,620
My Friend Dahmer (FilmRise) Week 6 [110 Theaters] Weekend $130,000, Average $1,182, Cume $1,129,331
Lady Bird (A24) Week 6 [1,557 Theaters] Weekend $3,547,469, Average $2,278, Cume $22,331,138
Last Flag Flying (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate) Week 7 [85 Theaters] Weekend $47,000, Average $553, Cume $922,966
Novitiate (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 [90 Theaters] Weekend $23,699, Average $263, Cume $530,867
BPM (Beats Per Minute) (The Orchard) Week 8 [4 Theaters] Weekend $2,053, Average $513, Cume $85,402
Jane (National Geographic Films/Abramorama) Week 8 [42 Theaters] Weekend $42,901, Average $1,021, Cume $1,323,245
Marshall (Open Road Films) Week 9 [341 Theaters] Weekend $92,566, Average $271, Cume $9,368,360
Tom of Finland (Kino Lorber) Week 9 [11 Theaters] Weekend $28,600, Average $2,600, Come $259,733
Faces Places (Cohen Media Group) Week 10 [14 Theaters] Weekend $11,942, Average $853, Cume $541,422
The Florida Project (A24) Week 10 [101 Theaters] Weekend $96,177, Average $952, Cume $5,023,613
Loving Vincent (Good Deed Entertainment) Week 12 [145 Theaters] Weekend $137,574, Average $949, Cume $5,770,122
Victoria And Abdul (Focus Features) Week 12 [104 Theaters] Weekend $41,000, Average $394, Cume $22,125,000
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.