Lauded 'La La Land' Breaks Indie Box Office Records

Riding a wave of awards season buzz and critical acclaim, the Hollywood-set musical “La La Land” launched in five theaters over the weekend and topped the indie box office.

Starring a singing and dancing Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, writer-director Damien Chazelle’s film earned an estimated $855,000 on its debut weekend, representing the highest per-location average of all time in five theaters.

The film’s estimated $171,000 per screen average is also the second-highest per location average of all time.

Also Read: 'La La Land' High-Flying Highway Opening Scene: How'd They Do That?

It’s also the highest per-location average of the year.

The film centers on Gosling as a jazz pianist and Stone as an aspiring actress. They fall in deeply in love, but their relationship is tested as their careers go in different directions.

“La La Land,” distributed by Lionsgate in the U.S., also features Finn Wittrock, Sandra Rosko and John Legend. It has a 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is earning major awards buzz, winning Best Film from the New York Film Critics Circle earlier this month.

Also Read: Golden Globes 2017: Movie and TV Predictions in All 25 Categories (Photos)

Fox Searchlight’s “Jackie,” starring Natalie Portman, made $495,000 as it played in 26 locations during its second weekend for a strong per screen average of $19,038.

The Weinstein Company’s “Lion” continued to roar in its third weekend with a per screen average of $11,461 as it played in 15 theaters for $171,909.

“Manchester by the Sea” from Roadside Attractions expanded to 366 locations in its fourth frame, earning $3.2 million. That represents a healthy per screen average of $8,621.

Golden Globes 2017: Movie and TV Predictions in All 25 Categories (Photos)

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Predicted nominees: "Hacksaw Ridge," "Hell or High Water," "Lion," "Manchester by the Sea," "Moonlight"
Lionsgate
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Predicted nominees: "Deadpool," "Florence Foster Jenkins," "La La Land," "Sing Street," "20th Century Women"
Lionsgate
Best Director

Predicted nominees: Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"; Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge"; Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"; Martin Scorsese, "Silence"; Denzel Washington, "Fences"
Getty Images
Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama

Predicted nominees: Casey Affleck, "Manchester by the Sea"; Joel Edgerton, "Loving"; Andrew Garfield, "Hacksaw Ridge"; Tom Hanks, "Sully"; Denzel Washington, "Fences"
Getty Images
Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

Predicted nominees: Jessica Chastain, "Miss Sloane"; Taraji P. Henson, "Hidden Figures"; Isabelle Huppert, "Elle"; Ruth Negga, "Loving"; Natalie Portman, "Jackie"
GEtty Images
Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Predicted nominees: Warren Beatty, "Rules Don't Apply"; George Clooney, "Hail, Caesar!"; Ryan Gosling, "La La Land"; Jonah Hill, "War Dogs"; Ryan Reynolds, "Deadpool"
Fox
Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Predicted nominees: Annette Bening, "20th Century Women"; Lily Collins, "Rules Don't Apply"; Hailee Steinfeld, "The Edge of Seventeen"; Meryl Streep, "Florence Foster Jenkins"; Emma Stone, "La La Land"
Getty Images
Best Supporting Actor

Predicted nominees: Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight"; Jeff Bridges, "Hell or High Water"; Lucas Hedges, "Manchester by the Sea"; Dev Patel, "Lion"; Michael Shannon, "Nocturnal Animals"
Best Supporting Actress

Predicted nominees: Viola Davis, "Fences"; Greta Gerwig, "20th Century Women"; Naomie Harris, "Moonlight"; Nicole Kidman, "Lion"; Michelle Williams, "Manchester by the Sea"
Getty Images
Best Screenplay

Predicted nominees: "Fences," "La La Land," "Loving," "Manchester by the Sea," "Moonlight"
Focus
Best Original Score

Predicted nominees: "The BFG," "Jackie," "La La Land," "Lion," "Moonlight"
Disney
Best Original Song

Predicted nominees: "Can't Stop the Feeling!" from "Trolls"; "City of Stars" from "La La Land"; "How Far I'll Go" from "Moana"; "I See a Victory" from "Hidden Figures"; "The Rules Don't Apply" from "Rules Don't Apply"
Disney
Best Foreign Language Film

Predicted nominees: "The Handmaiden," "Julieta," "Land of Mine," "Neruda," "Toni Erdmann"
Amazon Studios
Best Animated Feature Film

Predicted nominees: "Kubo and the Two Strings," "My Life as a Zucchini," "Sausage Party," "Sing," "Zootopia"
Focus
Best Drama Series

Predicted nominees: "Stranger Things," "The Crown," "Westworld," "This Is Us," "Game of Thrones"
Netflix
Best Musical or Comedy Series

Predicted nominees: "Atlanta," "Silicon Valley," "Veep," "Transparent," "Insecure"
FX
Best Limited Series

Predicted nominees: "People v. O.J. Simpson," "The Night Of," "All the Way," "The Night Manager," "American Crime"
FX
Best Drama Actor

Predicted nominees: Rami Malek, "Mr. Robot"; Anthony Hopkins, "Westworld"; Paul Giamatti, "Billions"; Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"; Matt Smith, "The Crown
HBO
Best Drama Actress

Predicted nominees: Claire Foy, "The Crown"; Taraji P. Henson, "Empire"; Evan Rachel Wood, "Westworld"; Thandie Newton, "Westworld"; Winona Ryder, "Stranger Things"
Netflix
Best Comedy Actor

Predicted nominees: Donald Glover, "Atlanta"; Thomas Haden Church, "Divorce"; Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"; Patrick Stewart, "Blunt Talk"; Ted Danson, "The Good Place"
HBO
Best Comedy Actress

Predicted nominees: Minnie Driver, "Speechless"; Tig Notaro, "One Mississippi"; Pamela Adlon, "Better Things; Kristen Bell, "The Good Place"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
ABC
Best Limited Series Actor

Predicted nominees: Courtney B. Vance, "People v. O.J. Simpson"; Cuba Gooding, Jr., "People v. O.J. Simpson"; Riz Ahmed, "The Night Of"; Bryan Cranston, "All the Way"; John Turturro, "The Night Of"
HBO
Best Limited Series Actress

Predicted nominees: Sarah Paulson, "People v. O.J. Simpson"; Kerry Washington, "Conviction"; Felicity Huffman, "American Crime"; Lili Taylor, "American Crime"; Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls"
HBO
Best Supporting Actor

Predicted nominees: Sterling K. Brown, "The People v. O.J. Simpson"; Kit Harington, "Game of Thrones"; Louie Anderson, "Baskets"; John Lithgow, "The Crown"; John Travolta, "The People v. O.J. Simpson"
FX
Best Supporting Actress

Predicted nominees: Maura Tierney, "The Affair"; Constance Zimmer, "UnReal"; Judith Light, "Transparent"; Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones"; Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things"
Lifetime
Enjoy this gallery?

Also Read: TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch Right Now, From ‘OITNB’ to ‘Better Call Saul’ (Photos)