This weekend catapulted Precious to the top of the Oscar list with a record setting debut in theatres. Let me say that again- RECORD SETTING DEBUT. It made $1.8 million dollars on a total of 18 screens. That is an average of $100,000 per screen which never, ever happens.
A little perspective. Michael Jackson’s movie This is It opened to 6,675 per screen average. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Price opened at 17,997 per screen. Granted people had a lot more places to see both movies and both grossed more for the weekend, but Precious’ debut is unprecedented.
The only movies to open over $100,000 per screen were Dreamgirls and Brokeback Mountain. Dreamgirls opened on 3 screens, and Brokeback Mountain opened on 5 (and I would guess probably in just NY and LA before they rolled out wider.)
Here’s what Greg Ellwood said on HitFix about the debut:
The more screens you make available, the lower your per screen usually is. In fact, the difference between 3 and 10 screens can be over a 50% drop. That what makes “Precious’” 18 screen debut so remarkable.
Lionsgate was smart to roll out in NY, LA, Chicago (Oprah’s home) and Atlanta (Tyler Perry’s home). The buzz on these numbers will generate more buzz and the great reviews will make these one of the must sees of the year.
It opens wider this weekend in Philly, SF, Dallas and Houston and goes even wider on November 20.
The road to the gold statue has begun.
Box Office: “Precious” Stuns With $100K Weekend Average (IndieWire)
‘Precious’ makes box office history and sets its sights on ‘New Moon’ (Hit Fix)
Yes! Go, go, go! Only thing that would make it better is if women wrote and directed this! But either way I hope it becomes this year’s Slumdog Millionaire.
Do you think it will convince studio goons that *gasp* black artsy films CAN do well at the box office?!?!
Brilliant!! And for a film that provokes such wonderful word-of-mouth this has got to be the start of something wonderful…
I went on the opening day and am a Precious lover [there are haters out there]. Yes Mr. Daniels is a man – and as a man he let’s the women shine.
Remember the book was written by a woman. Kudos to Mr. Daniels and to Sapphire[the writer] and of course to the wonderful cast/crew for bringing this fine work the the screen.
I really think this film is going far and wide and going to make a lot of money.