Indie Box Office: Audiences Check Into ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’

"Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" averages $27,789 per-screen for an impressive debut. "Bernie" stays strong and "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" tops $8M

Turns out not everyone was at "The Avengers" this weekend. Participant Media's "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" managed an impressive $27,789-per-screen average in its debut.

The film, about a group of Brit retirees in India, took in $750,381 from 27 locations. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson star. Fox Searchlight is distributing.

Also read: 'The Avengers' $200.3M Debut Weekend Destroys Box-Office Record

"Although it's early days in what looks like to be a long run," Participant Media CEO Jim Berk said in a statement. "It's extremely gratifying that moviegoers in the U.S. are embracing this film with the same degree of enthusiasm as international audiences."

'Marigold Hotel" has already taken in an eye-popping $70 million from foreign markets.

Millennium Entertainment's "Bernie" turned in another strong performance in its second week, taking in $140,450 from eight locations for a sterling $17,566 per-screen average.

Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey star in the black comedy, which has taken in $261,749 overall.

"Salmon Fishing In The Yemen" from CBS Films took in another $270,000 from 247 locations. That upped its overall gross to $8.2 million, the best for a specialty release this year. Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor star.

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