Desert Dancer (2014)

Desert Dancer poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $155,271Details
International Box Office $441,064Details
Worldwide Box Office $596,335
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Set in Iran, this true story follows the brave ambition of Afshin Ghaffarian. During the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election, where many cultural freedoms were threatened, Afshin and some friends risk their lives and form an underground dance company. Through banned online videos, they learn from timeless legends who cross all cultural divides, such as Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Afshin and Elaheh also learn much from each other, most importantly how to embrace their passion for dance and for one another.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$40,763 (26.3% of total gross)
Legs:3.81 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:26.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.1 times production budget)
Theater counts:23 opening theaters/36 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $198,546

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 10th, 2015 (Limited) by Relativity
International Releases: July 3rd, 2014 (Wide) (Germany)
April 17th, 2015 (Wide) (Brazil)
May 1st, 2015 (Wide) (Argentina)
August 14th, 2015 (Wide) (Spain)
February 5th, 2016 (Wide) (Russia (CIS))
... Show all releases
Video Release: July 14th, 2015 by Relativity Media
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, some drug material and violence.
(Rating bulletin 2357, 1/21/2015)
Running Time: 94 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Black or White
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Set in Iran, Dancing, Government Corruption, Religious, Political, Rebellion, 2000s
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: CrossDay Productions, May 13 Films
Production Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 10, 2015 45 $40,763   23 $1,772   $40,763 1
Apr 17, 2015 50 $27,074 -34% 27 $1,003   $86,153 2
Apr 24, 2015 59 $17,112 -37% 36 $475   $119,689 3
May 1, 2015 59 $7,638 -55% 18 $424   $137,077 4
May 8, 2015 76 $2,750 -64% 7 $393   $143,653 5
May 15, 2015 91 $536 -81% 9 $60   $146,157 6
May 22, 2015 67 $4,906 +815% 7 $701   $152,033 7

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Apr 10, 2015 - $13,476     23 $586   $13,476 1
Apr 11, 2015 - $16,910 +25%   23 $735   $30,386 2
Apr 12, 2015 - $10,377 -39%   23 $451   $40,763 3
Apr 13, 2015 - $4,822 -54%   23 $210   $45,585 4
Apr 14, 2015 - $4,310 -11%   23 $187   $49,895 5
Apr 15, 2015 - $4,474 +4%   23 $195   $54,369 6
Apr 16, 2015 - $4,710 +5%   23 $205   $59,079 7
Apr 17, 2015 - $6,634 +41% -51% 27 $246   $65,713 8
Apr 18, 2015 - $10,493 +58% -38% 27 $389   $76,206 9
Apr 19, 2015 - $9,947 -5% -4% 27 $368   $86,153 10
Apr 20, 2015 - $3,211 -68% -33% 27 $119   $89,364 11
Apr 21, 2015 - $4,715 +47% +9% 27 $175   $94,079 12
Apr 22, 2015 - $4,121 -13% -8% 27 $153   $98,200 13
Apr 23, 2015 - $4,377 +6% -7% 27 $162   $102,577 14
Apr 24, 2015 - $4,477 +2% -33% 36 $124   $107,054 15
Apr 25, 2015 - $7,613 +70% -27% 36 $211   $114,667 16
Apr 26, 2015 - $5,022 -34% -50% 36 $140   $119,689 17
Apr 27, 2015 - $2,198 -56% -32% 36 $61   $121,887 18
Apr 28, 2015 - $2,251 +2% -52% 36 $63   $124,138 19
Apr 29, 2015 - $2,645 +18% -36% 36 $73   $126,783 20
Apr 30, 2015 - $2,656 n/c -39% 36 $74   $129,439 21
May 1, 2015 - $2,231 -16% -50% 18 $124   $131,670 22
May 2, 2015 - $2,461 +10% -68% 18 $137   $134,131 23
May 3, 2015 - $2,946 +20% -41% 18 $164   $137,077 24
May 4, 2015 - $725 -75% -67% 18 $40   $137,802 25
May 5, 2015 - $1,079 +49% -52% 18 $60   $138,881 26
May 6, 2015 - $981 -9% -63% 18 $55   $139,862 27
May 7, 2015 - $1,041 +6% -61% 18 $58   $140,903 28
May 8, 2015 - $816 -22% -63% 7 $117   $141,719 29
May 9, 2015 - $1,073 +31% -56% 7 $153   $142,792 30
May 10, 2015 - $861 -20% -71% 7 $123   $143,653 31
May 11, 2015 - $369 -57% -49% 8 $46   $144,022 32
May 12, 2015 - $538 +46% -50% 8 $67   $144,560 33
May 13, 2015 - $452 -16% -54% 8 $57   $145,012 34
May 14, 2015 - $609 +35% -41% 8 $76   $145,621 35
May 15, 2015 - $168 -72% -79% 9 $19   $145,789 36
May 16, 2015 - $130 -23% -88% 9 $14   $145,919 37
May 17, 2015 - $238 +83% -72% 9 $26   $146,157 38
May 18, 2015 - $24 -90% -93% 9 $3   $146,181 39
May 19, 2015 - $32 +33% -94% 9 $4   $146,213 40
May 20, 2015 - $24 -25% -95% 9 $3   $146,416 41
May 21, 2015 - $711 +2,863% +17% 11 $65   $147,127 42
May 22, 2015 - $1,079 +52% +542% 7 $154   $148,206 43
May 23, 2015 - $1,921 +78% +1,378% 7 $274   $150,127 44
May 24, 2015 - $1,906 -1% +701% 7 $272   $152,033 45
May 25, 2015 - $1,459 -23% +5,979% 7 $208   $153,492 46
May 26, 2015 - $553 -62% +1,628% 7 $79   $154,045 47
May 27, 2015 - $709 +28% +2,854% 7 $101   $154,754 48
May 28, 2015 - $517 -27% -27% 7 $74   $155,271 49

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 10, 2015 46 $59,079   23 $2,569   $59,079 1
Apr 17, 2015 47 $43,498 -26% 27 $1,611   $102,577 2
Apr 24, 2015 58 $26,862 -38% 36 $746   $129,439 3
May 1, 2015 61 $11,464 -57% 18 $637   $140,903 4
May 8, 2015 75 $4,718 -59% 8 $590   $145,621 5
May 15, 2015 92 $1,506 -68% 11 $137   $147,127 6
May 22, 2015 74 $8,144 +441% 7 $1,163   $155,271 7

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Argentina 5/1/2015 $0 0 1 1 $301 11/24/2018
Brazil 4/17/2015 $21,788 29 29 29 $27,304 11/6/2018
Germany 7/3/2014 $0 0 46 125 $128,937 12/17/2015
Russia (CIS) 2/5/2016 $5,415 0 0 0 $14,002 12/31/2018
Spain 8/14/2015 $5,550 8 13 59 $37,030 11/28/2018
United Kingdom 4/22/2016 $2,869 2 2 2 $2,869 6/9/2016
 
Rest of World $230,621
 
International Total$441,064 12/31/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Freida Pinto Elaheh
Reece Ritchie Afshin Ghaffarian

Supporting Cast

Tom Cullen Ardi
Makram Khoury Mehdi
Gabriel Senior Young Afshin
Khalid Benchegra Teacher
Nazanin Boniadi Parisa
Abdellatif Chaouki Lecturer
Marama Corlett Mona
Bamshad Abedi-Amin Mehran
Daniel Bass Bijan
Neet Mohan Naser
Sam Kordbacheh Cyrus
Fadoua Lahlou Elaheh's Mother
Inen Nuiga Young Elaheh
Simon Kassianides Sattar
Davood Ghadami Basij Leader
Hamza Kadri Elaheh's addict friend
Richard David Caine Trinculo
Tolga Safer Stephano
Bethan Hanks Ariel
Alex Claus Minder
Omid Gholami Minder 2
Dana Haqjoo Passport Officer
William Conacher Dialect Coach

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Richard Raymond Director
Jon Croker Screenwriter
Pippa Cross Producer
Fabiola Beracasa Producer
Izabella Miko Producer
Luis Astorquia Producer
Sarah Arison Executive Producer
Ryan Kavanaugh Executive Producer
Tucker Tooley Executive Producer
Jason Beckman Executive Producer
Sally Greene Executive Producer
Rodika Zmikhnovskaya Executive Producer
Jeremy Cowdrey Executive Producer
Marina Fuentes Arredonda Executive Producer
Mohammed Al Turki Executive Producer
Hamza Talhouni Executive Producer
Norman Merry Executive Producer
Peter Hampden Executive Producer
Rick Porras Executive Producer
Nigel Thomas Executive Producer
Parisa Dunn Co-Producer
Olly Robinson Co-Producer
Akram Khan Choreography
Benjamin Wallfisch Composer
Carlos Catalan Director of Photography
Chris Gill Editor
Celia Haining Editor
Shahram Karimi Production Designer
Louise Stjernsward Costume Designer
Sophie Slotover Make up
Manuel Puro Casting Director
Iain Cooke Music Supervisor
Ian Neil Music Supervisor
Bia Oliveira Associate Producer
Olly Robinson 1st Assistant Director
Sarah Macfarlane 2nd Assistant Director
Liz West Script Supervisor
Ben Shepherd Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Driver Visual Effects Producer
Andy Shelley Supervising Sound Editor
Stephen Griffiths Supervising Sound Editor
Robert Farr ADR & Re-recording Mixer
Blair Jollands Sound Effects Editor
Benjamin Wallfisch Music Producer

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Per Theater Chart: Machina Saves Box Office

April 15th, 2015

Ex Machina poster

Ex Machina's opening weekend was surprisingly potent earning an average of $59,316 in four theaters. This is the biggest per theater average for a film that opened in 2015. I was not expecting that. On the other hand, I was expecting Clouds of Sils Maria to do well, and it did, earning an average of $20,603 in three theaters. Furious 7 remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $14,815 in more than 4,000 theaters. More...

Limited Releases: Forecast is Cloudy

April 10th, 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria poster

It is an excellent week for limited releases with two films earning stunning reviews and loud buzz: Clouds of Sils Maria and Ex Machina. I think the former has a better chance to expand significantly, but hopefully both will find audiences in theaters. There are also a number of other limited releases earning amazing reviews: About Elly, Black Souls, The Sisterhood of Night, etc. In fact, there are too many to think all of them will thrive.


More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Set in Iran, this true story follows the brave ambition of Afshin Ghaffarian. During the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election, where many cultural freedoms were threatened, Afshin and some friends risk their lives and form an underground dance company. Through banned online videos, they learn from timeless legends who cross all cultural divides, such as Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Afshin and Elaheh also learn much from each other, most importantly how to embrace their passion for dance and for one another.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$40,763 (26.3% of total gross)
Legs:3.81 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:26.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.1 times production budget)
Theater counts:23 opening theaters/36 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $198,546

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 10th, 2015 (Limited) by Relativity
International Releases: July 3rd, 2014 (Wide) (Germany)
April 17th, 2015 (Wide) (Brazil)
May 1st, 2015 (Wide) (Argentina)
August 14th, 2015 (Wide) (Spain)
February 5th, 2016 (Wide) (Russia (CIS))
... Show all releases
Video Release: July 14th, 2015 by Relativity Media
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, some drug material and violence.
(Rating bulletin 2357, 1/21/2015)
Running Time: 94 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Black or White
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Set in Iran, Dancing, Government Corruption, Religious, Political, Rebellion, 2000s
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: CrossDay Productions, May 13 Films
Production Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English

Leading Cast

Freida Pinto Elaheh
Reece Ritchie Afshin Ghaffarian

Supporting Cast

Tom Cullen Ardi
Makram Khoury Mehdi
Gabriel Senior Young Afshin
Khalid Benchegra Teacher
Nazanin Boniadi Parisa
Abdellatif Chaouki Lecturer
Marama Corlett Mona
Bamshad Abedi-Amin Mehran
Daniel Bass Bijan
Neet Mohan Naser
Sam Kordbacheh Cyrus
Fadoua Lahlou Elaheh's Mother
Inen Nuiga Young Elaheh
Simon Kassianides Sattar
Davood Ghadami Basij Leader
Hamza Kadri Elaheh's addict friend
Richard David Caine Trinculo
Tolga Safer Stephano
Bethan Hanks Ariel
Alex Claus Minder
Omid Gholami Minder 2
Dana Haqjoo Passport Officer
William Conacher Dialect Coach

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Richard Raymond Director
Jon Croker Screenwriter
Pippa Cross Producer
Fabiola Beracasa Producer
Izabella Miko Producer
Luis Astorquia Producer
Sarah Arison Executive Producer
Ryan Kavanaugh Executive Producer
Tucker Tooley Executive Producer
Jason Beckman Executive Producer
Sally Greene Executive Producer
Rodika Zmikhnovskaya Executive Producer
Jeremy Cowdrey Executive Producer
Marina Fuentes Arredonda Executive Producer
Mohammed Al Turki Executive Producer
Hamza Talhouni Executive Producer
Norman Merry Executive Producer
Peter Hampden Executive Producer
Rick Porras Executive Producer
Nigel Thomas Executive Producer
Parisa Dunn Co-Producer
Olly Robinson Co-Producer
Akram Khan Choreography
Benjamin Wallfisch Composer
Carlos Catalan Director of Photography
Chris Gill Editor
Celia Haining Editor
Shahram Karimi Production Designer
Louise Stjernsward Costume Designer
Sophie Slotover Make up
Manuel Puro Casting Director
Iain Cooke Music Supervisor
Ian Neil Music Supervisor
Bia Oliveira Associate Producer
Olly Robinson 1st Assistant Director
Sarah Macfarlane 2nd Assistant Director
Liz West Script Supervisor
Ben Shepherd Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Driver Visual Effects Producer
Andy Shelley Supervising Sound Editor
Stephen Griffiths Supervising Sound Editor
Robert Farr ADR & Re-recording Mixer
Blair Jollands Sound Effects Editor
Benjamin Wallfisch Music Producer

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Per Theater Chart: Machina Saves Box Office

April 15th, 2015

Ex Machina poster

Ex Machina's opening weekend was surprisingly potent earning an average of $59,316 in four theaters. This is the biggest per theater average for a film that opened in 2015. I was not expecting that. On the other hand, I was expecting Clouds of Sils Maria to do well, and it did, earning an average of $20,603 in three theaters. Furious 7 remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $14,815 in more than 4,000 theaters. More...

Limited Releases: Forecast is Cloudy

April 10th, 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria poster

It is an excellent week for limited releases with two films earning stunning reviews and loud buzz: Clouds of Sils Maria and Ex Machina. I think the former has a better chance to expand significantly, but hopefully both will find audiences in theaters. There are also a number of other limited releases earning amazing reviews: About Elly, Black Souls, The Sisterhood of Night, etc. In fact, there are too many to think all of them will thrive.


More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 10, 2015 45 $40,763   23 $1,772   $40,763 1
Apr 17, 2015 50 $27,074 -34% 27 $1,003   $86,153 2
Apr 24, 2015 59 $17,112 -37% 36 $475   $119,689 3
May 1, 2015 59 $7,638 -55% 18 $424   $137,077 4
May 8, 2015 76 $2,750 -64% 7 $393   $143,653 5
May 15, 2015 91 $536 -81% 9 $60   $146,157 6
May 22, 2015 67 $4,906 +815% 7 $701   $152,033 7

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Apr 10, 2015 - $13,476     23 $586   $13,476 1
Apr 11, 2015 - $16,910 +25%   23 $735   $30,386 2
Apr 12, 2015 - $10,377 -39%   23 $451   $40,763 3
Apr 13, 2015 - $4,822 -54%   23 $210   $45,585 4
Apr 14, 2015 - $4,310 -11%   23 $187   $49,895 5
Apr 15, 2015 - $4,474 +4%   23 $195   $54,369 6
Apr 16, 2015 - $4,710 +5%   23 $205   $59,079 7
Apr 17, 2015 - $6,634 +41% -51% 27 $246   $65,713 8
Apr 18, 2015 - $10,493 +58% -38% 27 $389   $76,206 9
Apr 19, 2015 - $9,947 -5% -4% 27 $368   $86,153 10
Apr 20, 2015 - $3,211 -68% -33% 27 $119   $89,364 11
Apr 21, 2015 - $4,715 +47% +9% 27 $175   $94,079 12
Apr 22, 2015 - $4,121 -13% -8% 27 $153   $98,200 13
Apr 23, 2015 - $4,377 +6% -7% 27 $162   $102,577 14
Apr 24, 2015 - $4,477 +2% -33% 36 $124   $107,054 15
Apr 25, 2015 - $7,613 +70% -27% 36 $211   $114,667 16
Apr 26, 2015 - $5,022 -34% -50% 36 $140   $119,689 17
Apr 27, 2015 - $2,198 -56% -32% 36 $61   $121,887 18
Apr 28, 2015 - $2,251 +2% -52% 36 $63   $124,138 19
Apr 29, 2015 - $2,645 +18% -36% 36 $73   $126,783 20
Apr 30, 2015 - $2,656 n/c -39% 36 $74   $129,439 21
May 1, 2015 - $2,231 -16% -50% 18 $124   $131,670 22
May 2, 2015 - $2,461 +10% -68% 18 $137   $134,131 23
May 3, 2015 - $2,946 +20% -41% 18 $164   $137,077 24
May 4, 2015 - $725 -75% -67% 18 $40   $137,802 25
May 5, 2015 - $1,079 +49% -52% 18 $60   $138,881 26
May 6, 2015 - $981 -9% -63% 18 $55   $139,862 27
May 7, 2015 - $1,041 +6% -61% 18 $58   $140,903 28
May 8, 2015 - $816 -22% -63% 7 $117   $141,719 29
May 9, 2015 - $1,073 +31% -56% 7 $153   $142,792 30
May 10, 2015 - $861 -20% -71% 7 $123   $143,653 31
May 11, 2015 - $369 -57% -49% 8 $46   $144,022 32
May 12, 2015 - $538 +46% -50% 8 $67   $144,560 33
May 13, 2015 - $452 -16% -54% 8 $57   $145,012 34
May 14, 2015 - $609 +35% -41% 8 $76   $145,621 35
May 15, 2015 - $168 -72% -79% 9 $19   $145,789 36
May 16, 2015 - $130 -23% -88% 9 $14   $145,919 37
May 17, 2015 - $238 +83% -72% 9 $26   $146,157 38
May 18, 2015 - $24 -90% -93% 9 $3   $146,181 39
May 19, 2015 - $32 +33% -94% 9 $4   $146,213 40
May 20, 2015 - $24 -25% -95% 9 $3   $146,416 41
May 21, 2015 - $711 +2,863% +17% 11 $65   $147,127 42
May 22, 2015 - $1,079 +52% +542% 7 $154   $148,206 43
May 23, 2015 - $1,921 +78% +1,378% 7 $274   $150,127 44
May 24, 2015 - $1,906 -1% +701% 7 $272   $152,033 45
May 25, 2015 - $1,459 -23% +5,979% 7 $208   $153,492 46
May 26, 2015 - $553 -62% +1,628% 7 $79   $154,045 47
May 27, 2015 - $709 +28% +2,854% 7 $101   $154,754 48
May 28, 2015 - $517 -27% -27% 7 $74   $155,271 49

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 10, 2015 46 $59,079   23 $2,569   $59,079 1
Apr 17, 2015 47 $43,498 -26% 27 $1,611   $102,577 2
Apr 24, 2015 58 $26,862 -38% 36 $746   $129,439 3
May 1, 2015 61 $11,464 -57% 18 $637   $140,903 4
May 8, 2015 75 $4,718 -59% 8 $590   $145,621 5
May 15, 2015 92 $1,506 -68% 11 $137   $147,127 6
May 22, 2015 74 $8,144 +441% 7 $1,163   $155,271 7

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Argentina 5/1/2015 $0 0 1 1 $301 11/24/2018
Brazil 4/17/2015 $21,788 29 29 29 $27,304 11/6/2018
Germany 7/3/2014 $0 0 46 125 $128,937 12/17/2015
Russia (CIS) 2/5/2016 $5,415 0 0 0 $14,002 12/31/2018
Spain 8/14/2015 $5,550 8 13 59 $37,030 11/28/2018
United Kingdom 4/22/2016 $2,869 2 2 2 $2,869 6/9/2016
 
Rest of World $230,621
 
International Total$441,064 12/31/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.