Independent Box Office: ‘Most Wanted Man,’ ‘Boyhood’ Hit $10 Million Mark

Daniel Radcliffe’s “What If” averages $6,500 on 20 screens in debut for CBS Films

Richard Linklater‘s “Boyhood” and the Philip Seymour Hoffman spy thriller “A Most Wanted Man” both crossed the $10 million mark at the specialty box office this weekend.

Roadside Entertainment added 82 theaters for the third week of “A Most Wanted Man” and it brought in $2.2 million for a $2,748 per-screen average.

That upped the domestic total for the John le Carre adaptation, which co-stars Willem Dafoe and Rachel McAdams, to $10.4 million.

Also read: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Clobbers ‘Guardians’ With $65 Million Box-Office Opening

IFC Films expanded “Boyhood” from 310 to 507 locations in its fifth weekend and the 12-years-in-the-making drama brought in just over $2 million. It’s per-screen average was $4,120, down from $7,738 last weekend.

That raised the domestic total for “Boyhood” to $10.6 million, making it the third-highest grossing film ever for IFC, behind only 2002’s “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding” and “Y tu Mama Tambien.”

The plan is to continue to expand “Boyhood” next weekend, in concert with a TV advertising and social media promo push, according distribution chief Mark Boxer.

Also read: ‘James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge 3D’ Sinks at Box Office

Also expanding was Woody Allen‘s “Magic in the Moonlight,” which Sony Pictures Classic took from 65 to 170 theaters for its third week.

It brought in $803,922 for a solid $4,729 per-screen average that lifted its domestic total to $2.4 million. “To Rome with Love,” the director’s last movie from SPC, had nearly double that figure in its third week, on its way to a $16 million domestic total.

CBS Films’ Daniel Radcliffe-Zoe Kazan romantic comedy “What If” opened to an estimated $130,000 from 20 theaters, a $6,500 per-screen average. It received an “A-” CinemaScore, in line with its strong reviews.

Also read: Woody Allen Responds to Accusations That He Won’t Cast Black Actors

The film, a $2 million Toronto Film Festival pickup for CBS, debuted in line with “Promised Land” (25 screens, $6,957 per screen), “The Jane Austen Book Club” (25 screens, $5.942 per-screen) and “The Young Victoria” (20 screens, $8,003 per screen). “Young Victoria” took in $11 million in 2012, while “Promised Land” did $7.5 million domestically and “Jane Austen” topped out at $3.5 million.

Several films were dropping theaters, but still making a mark.

Open Road’s “Chef” was down 108 locations but still took in $330,165 from 242 theaters for a $1,365 per-screen average that raised its domestic total to nearly $29 million after 14 weeks. It’s behind only “Grand Budapest Hotel” ($59 million) as the year’s top grossing indie film.

The Weinstein Company’s “Begin Again” lost 482 theaters and claimed $185,000 from 245 locations, a $755 per-screen average that put it at $14.2 million after seven weeks.

Also read: ‘Wish I Was Here’ Review: Zach Braff’s Passion Project Features Big Moments and Empty Characters

Focus Features’ Zach Braff comedy-drama “Wish I Was Here” lifted its domestic total to $3.4 million in its fourth week, ahead of the $3.1 million in Kickstarter funds the actor generated to make the film. It dropped 551 theaters and took in $100,000 from 202 theaters, for a roughly $495 per-screen average.

TWC’s “Snowpiercer” brought in $65,347 from 71 theaters, down 29 from last weekend, and averaged $920 per screen. The domestic total for the sci-fi action film, which has done considerable video-on-demand business throughout its theatrical run, is up to $4.2 million.

Comments