Lionsgate/Pantelion’s No Manches Frida and FilmRise’s White Girl had solid starts over the Labor Day weekend. Spanish-language No Manches Frida bowed in 362 locations grossing $3.65 million Friday to Sunday. White Girl played a trio of theaters, grossing $36K. Max Rose, starring Jerry Lewis (no stranger to the Labor Day holiday), opened in a single location, taking $4K through Sunday, while FIP bowed Indian-produced Nam Hai Akira with 71 runs, with an estimated three-day take of $140K. Roadside Attractions’ Obama date pic Southside With You had a small expansion in its second frame, grossing over $1.35M, while both Sony Pictures Classics’ The Hollars and Music Box’s Mia Madre added theaters in their second weeks with moderate results. Cohen Media Group’s re-release of a restored Howards End held solid with added locations. Hell or High Water broke the top ten over the holiday, grossing $5.78 million, while both Roadside’s Indignation and The Film Arcade’s Don’t Think Twice broke $3M.
Comedy No Manches Frida, from Lionsgate and Televisa’s Pantelion Films label, grossed $3.65 million Friday to Sunday, with an estimated $4.65 million for the entire Labor Day weekend. The title starring Omar Chaparro, Martha Higareda and Mónica Dionne had a three-day per theater average of $10,083, the highest of any film in national release and second-highest for the weekend overall. This is Pantelion’s second most successful opening weekend ever, behind only Instructions Not Included, which grossed over $7.84 million in its debut weekend in late August 2013 in 348 theaters ($22,547 average), going on to cume over $44.4M. No Manches Frida outgrossed the label’s 2015 Labor Day weekend release Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos, which bowed in 395 locations, taking over $3.42 million ($8,670 PTA). It went on to cume over $9 million.
“Labor Day weekend has historically been very positive for us,” said Pantelion’s Paul Presburger Sunday morning. “We’ve been at the marketing of the movie for over a month using social media as well as Spanish-language television and radio…We knew we had something strong that would resonate with audiences.” Pantelion’s Edward Allen, who helped spearhead the project, noted that the film has generated social media attention among younger English-speaking audiences in the run-up to this weekend. “It’s resonating with fans that may not typically go to our movies,” said Allen. No Manches Frida is a re-make of 2013 German film Fack ju Göhte. The film will open in Mexico in two weeks. Added Presburger: “We’ll be supporting the movie this week with additional media, while talent will be down in Mexico to support the movie there.” No Manches Frida will expand next week, but specifics will be decided after the holiday weekend.
FilmRise
The weekend’s highest PTA generator was FilmRise’s launch of director Elizabeth Wood’s Sundance 2016 drama White Girl, tarring Dana Brody. The feature bowed in three locations, grossing $36K, averaging $12K for the three-day. FilmRise estimates its four-day take at $44K ($14,666 PTA).
“[We are] very pleased with the opening of the film, where it sold out to enthusiastic audiences in New York City,” commented FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher Sunday morning. “White Girl is the most controversial movie of the year, and has been often compared to Larry Clark’s Kids of 20 years ago. We are therefore following a similar release pattern. We opened at the Angelika where Kids opened two decades ago. Next Friday we expand to L.A., and on week three, we begin our national roll out, where we expect to reach 200 or more screens by early October.” Fisher said the weekend’s audience has been “primarily art house,” but expects the title to cross over to mainstream audiences as it expands through word-of-mouth.
FIP
FIP rolled out action-thriller Nam Hai Akira in 71 North American theaters over the weekend. Over the three-days, the feature grossed $140K ($1,972 average) and the company is estimating a $170K four-day gross, averaging $2,394. The title opened in 35 countries this weekend. In our current slate of romance and drama genre of films, this was a good fit,” said Rohit Sharma, Head of International Sales & Distribution Sales at Fox Star Studios India earlier this week. “The film also talks about woman empowerment and social issues in India.” FIP is targeting its core group of Indian diaspora as well as Bollywood fans of Bangladeshi and Indian background. Sharma noted that “female-driven action films in the genre of Kill Bill” are rare for Indian audiences, so the title is a pioneer of sorts.
Numbers for Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers were not available as of Sunday morning.
Roadside Attractions added 84 runs for Richard Tanne’s Southside with You starring Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers as the young Obamas heading out on their first date. In a total of 897 theaters, the feature grossed $1,358,995, averaging $1,515, bringing its two-week cume to over $5 million. In its debut last week, the film grossed $3.06M in 813 theaters, averaging $3,762.
In their second weekends, Sony Pictures Classics’ The Hollars and Music Box’s Mia Madre added some runs. The Hollars grossed $100,643 in 23 theaters, 19 over its launch last week. That brought its average to $4,376. Last week the title grossed $46,068 in four locations, averaging $11,517. Mia Madre, meanwhile grossed $48K in 18 locations, up from 6 in its opening frame, giving it a $2,667 average. In its debut, the title grossed $35K in 6 theaters, averaging $5,833.
CBS Films/Lionsgate’s Hell Or High Water by director David Mackenzie continues to sparkle, breaking into the top 10 amidst a further expansion into a total of 1,303 theaters. The feature grossed $4.5 million Friday to Sunday and is estimated to generate $5.78 million before the end of the holiday weekend, giving it a solid $3,453 three-day average ($4,435 four-day average) in its fourth frame. The title landed 9th in the box office overall as of Sunday morning, though it is still in fewer locations than its immediate counterparts: Warner Bros. War Dogs, which landed 8th, is in 2,848 theaters, while number 10, Mechanic: Resurrection is in 2,258 theaters. CBS Films said the feature had just a 15% drop in week over week holdover theaters this weekend, and actually saw an increase in 39 of the week over week holdover locations.
Summit/Roadside Attractions
In its sixth weekend, Roadside Attractions’ Indignation by director James Schamus crossed $3 million. In 116 theaters, the feature grossed $158,635, averaging $1,281 for the three-day estimate.
And The Film Arcade’s comedy Don’t Think Twice by Mike Birbiglia also sailed passed $3 million in its 7th weekend. In 165 theaters, it grossed nearly $470K Friday to Sunday ($590,714 four-day estimate), averaging $2,848. The company estimates its four-day total at over $3.12 million.
For Deadline’s international b.o. report, go here, and for the domestic report go here.
Paladin
NEW RELEASES
Max Rose (Paladin) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $4K
Nam Hai Akira (FIP) NEW [71 Theaters] Weekend $140K ($170K 4-day), Average $1,972 ($2,394 4-day), Cume $140K ($170K 4-day)
No Manches Frida (Lionsgate/Pantelion) NEW [362 Theaters] Weekend $3,650,000, ($4.65M 4-day) Average $10,083
White Girl (FilmRise) NEW [3 Theaters] Weekend $36K ($44K 4-day), Average $12K ($14,666 4-day)
RETURNING/SECOND WEEKEND
The Hollars (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 [23 Theaters] Weekend $100,643, Average $4,376, Cume $150,907
Howards End (Cohen Media Group) Week 2 (re-release) [6 Theaters] Weekend $44,010, Average $7,335, Cume $85,232
Mia Madre (Music Box Films) Week 2 [18 Theaters] Weekend $48K, Average $2,667, Cume $100,796
Southside With You (Roadside Attractions/Miramax) Week 2 [897 Theaters] Weekend $1,358,995, Average $1,515, Cume $5,016,388
Focus World
HOLDOVERS / THIRD+ WEEKENDS
A Tale of Love and Darkness (Focus World) Week 3 [66 Theaters] Weekend $123K, Average $1,864, Cume $338,667
The People vs. Fritz Bauer (Cohen Media Group) Week 3 [13 Theaters] Weekend $38,989, Average $2,999, Cume $126,369
Hell Or High Water (CBS Films/Lionsgate) Week 4 [1,303 Theaters] Weekend $4.5M ($5,780,000 4-day), Average $3,453 ($4,435 4-day), Cume $15,971,633 (4-day)
Equity (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 6 [221 Theaters] Weekend $210,575 Average $953, Cume $1,265,221
Indignation (Roadside Attractions) Week 6 [116 Theaters] Weekend $158,635, Average $1,281, Cume $3,075,755
Don’t Think Twice (The Film Arcade) Week 7 [165 Theaters] Weekend $469,964 ($590,714 4-day), Average $2,848 ($3,580 4-day), Cume $3,004,593 ($3,125,343 4-day)
Amazon/Lionsgate
Café Society (Amazon/Lionsgate) Week 8 [190 Theaters] Weekend $290K, Average $1,526, Cume $10,454,571
Hillary’s America (Quality Flix/D’Souza Entertainment) Week 8 [404 Theaters] Weekend $253K ($311K 4-day), Average $626 ($769 4-day), Cume $12,818,181 (4-day)
Life, Animated (The Orchard) Week 10 [6 Theaters] Weekend $581, Average $97, Cume $226,965
Hunt For The Wilderpeople (The Orchard) Week 11 [85 Theaters] Weekend $133,484 ($157,046 4-day), Average $1,570 ($1,848 4-day), Cume $4,613,869
The Music Of Strangers (The Orchard) Week 13 [13 Theaters] Weekend $4,724, Average $363, Cume $1,139,211