The Judi Dench drama “Philomena” is nearing a $20 million domestic box-office total after a strong seventh weekend.
The Weinstein Company’s Oscar hopeful took in $1.5 million and fell just 12 percent from last weekend, despite a theater count that dropped from 727 to 602 locations. That’s a solid $2,557 per-screen average for the drama, which stars Dench in the fact-based tale of a mother searching for a son taken from her decades earlier. Steve Coogan wrote the screenplay and co-stars.
A strong showing at next Sunday’s G0lden Globes and at the Jan. 16 Oscar nominations would give the modestly budgeted “Philomena” a solid shot at a $30 million domestic total. It’s up to $19.6 million and has added another $17 million from the overseas box office.
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TWC’s “August: Osage County” stayed in five theaters for its second week and brought in $140,887 for a per-screen average of $28,177. The Tracy Letts adaptation features an ensemble cast that includes Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney and Ewan McGregor
It averaged $35,860 in its five-screen opening last week and has brought in $482,656 since opening 10 days ago.
Ethan and Joel Coen’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” also turned in a strong holdover performance, one day after collecting wins for best actor (Oscar Isaac), cinematography and best picture from the National Society of Film Critics.
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It brought in $1.17 million from 156 locations, just a six percent drop from last week and an impressive per-screen average of $7,532 for CBS Films. The domestic total for “Llewyn” is just under $7 million.