Amazon/MGM’s Saltburn, the dark-comedy sendoff of British upper class, expanded nicely in a big jump from seven screens to 1,566, nabbing a spot in the top ten. The film by Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) grossed $1.73 million for the three-day weekend and $2.7 million for the five-day Thanksgiving frame thanks to a strong core group of theaters.
The coasts are generating 55% of business, with 16 of top 25 locations in New York and California, led by Alamo Drafthouses locations, arthouses and “smarthouses.” The film’s top 500 theaters are 68% of the total gross. Top markets include NYC, LA, San Francisco. Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin, Boston, Philadelphia, and Portland. Demos are 53% male, 47% female. It skews young with 65% of the audience between 18-34.
Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) stars as Oliver, a student struggling to find his place at Oxford University, who is drawn into the world of the charming, aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer that goes off the rails. Also starring Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Archie Madekwe, Alison Oliver and Carey Mulligan.
The film is no. 10 at the domestic box office with a cume close to $3.1 million.
The Holdovers from Focus Features notched a strong $2.75 million for the three-days — no. 7 in the top ten – and $3.75 million over the five-days at 1,601 theaters. It’s in week seven after a slow rollout. Cast led by Paul Giamatti — who stars as a curmudgeonly New England prep school teacher — will continue to be out in the marketplace aggressively promoting the film into December and beyond. The film by Alexander Payne carries an A Cinema Score, ranks 96% with critics and 90% with audiences on Rotten tomatoes, and has an 80% overall positive response via Comscore exits.
This demo is 51% male and 49% female. New York continues to be the film’s strongest market, with Boston taking the no. 2 spot from LA this weekend. Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia also all continue to outperform their normal market shares.
The Holdovers’ estimated cume to date is approaching $12.9 million. Also stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa.
A24’s dark comedy Dream Scenario with Nicolas Cage grossed a solid $639.5k on 124 screens for the three-day weekend and about $743k for the five days in week three, ahead of a nationwide rollout Dec. 1. The film by Kristopher Borgli has a cume of $1.387 million. Cage plays a nerdy college professor who suddenly begins appearing in the dreams of random people.
Radical, the Pantelion and Participant film starring Eugenio Derbez as a dedicated teacher at a border town school (there are lots of teachers on screen), now in week four, grossed $750.6k for the three days on 325 screens for a total cume of $7.8 million.
New openings include Kore-Eda’s Monster from Well Go USA with an estimated five-day gross of $28k on two NYC screens indicating “that cinema audiences — much like festival attendees and critics before them — see the vast beauty in Monster’s layers, and we expect a similarly strong response in other cities,” said Doris Pfardrescher, the distributor’s president and CEO. “We are honored to bring this special film to audiences and awards voters alike.” Opens in LA and Chicago Dec. 1, expanding to additional markets starting Dec. 15.
Re-release: Rialto Pictures’ release of the 4K restoration of Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom (1960) will gross an estimated $6.5k in its opening weekend at NYC’s Film Forum.
Other holdovers: Fallen Leaves from Mubi will see $42.5k this weekend on eight screens in NYC, LA and San Francisco. The romantic comedy by Aki Kaurisamki, winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, expands Friday (December 1) to over a dozen new markets including Chicago, Washington DC, San Diego, Dallas, Denver, Austin, Phoenix. Finland’s submission to the 2024 Academy Awards for Best International Feature. Cume $115.6k.
IFC Films’ doc The Disappearance of Shere Hite grossed $2.5k over the three-day weekend on two screens in week two. Cume of $20.8k.