A24 I saw the television light up aired one of the best limited openings of the year as the specialty market shows signs of life after a dreary April.
The ’90s trans coming-of-age horror thriller grossed $116.3K from four theaters in New York and LA, averaging $29K per screen for Jane Schoenbrun. It is the helmsman’s second assignment after that We all go to the World FairThey established her as an edgy new voice. The film, which premiered at Sundance, enjoyed several sold-out Q&As over the weekend with strong reviews and exit polls. The expansion will take place this weekend in select top markets, with further rollout to follow.
Produced by Emma Stone under her Fruit Tree banner, it follows a teenager named Owen (Justice Smith) who is trying to make it through life in the suburbs. The craziness begins when his older classmate (Brigette Lundy-Paine) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show, a vision of a supernatural world beneath her own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crumble.
Oscilloscope’s Telluride premiere Wild catThe film, directed by Ethan Hawke and starring Maya Hawke as Flannery O’Conner, also had a nice opening with an estimated $58.1K on four screens in NY/LA and sold out over the weekend. The $19.4K PSA was bolstered by strong commitment from key talent and a targeted marketing campaign.
Literary icon Flannery O’Connor’s life, which oscillates between her reality and her stories, also features Laura Linney, Cooper Hoffman and Steve Zahn. The film will be released in select markets through May.
And the release of Ryusuke Hamaguchi by Sideshow/Janus Films Evil doesn’t exist will be seen on three screens (Film Forum, Film at Lincoln Center in NYC and AMC The Grove in LA) for an estimated $43.3K, averaging $15K per screen. The lives of a father, his daughter and the rest of a rural hamlet outside Tokyo are thrown into disarray when developers arrive to build an opulent glamping site nearby. Expands to top 10 markets next weekend and runs through May 24th. in over 200 cinemas.
GKIDS animated science fiction Mars Express had a tough debut with $95.7k on 250 screens.
One of the interesting holdovers is Sony Pictures Classics We have grown now at $17,000 on 70 screens (up from 340) for sales of $254,000; Cohen Media Group Nothing special anywhere with Uberto Pasolini’s James Norton for $31,000 in 31 theaters for $48,000 Cume, expanded next week; and Cindy Cronenbergs Human from IFC Films with a $3.5K weekend in 41 theaters and a cume of $40K.