Dark Knight Puts the Spark in the Per Theater Chart

July 31, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $14,101 in more than 4,400 theaters. Killer Joe opened with an average of $12,621 in three theaters, while Ruby Sparks was also strong with an average of $10,832 in thirteen. Both films have some potential to expand. Deep Sea 3-D remained strong with $10,412 in its lone theater.

There were a few other new limited releases that did very well during their opening weekend. Klown managed an average of $9,333 in three theaters. Searching for Sugar Man was right behind with an average of $9,153, also in three theaters. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry was playing in five theaters and pulled in more than $40,000 for an average of $8,221. There was one other new limited release, Planet of Snail, but it struggled, earning just $2,011 in one theater.

This past week also saw milestones reached for a couple Per Theater Chart alumni:

• Safety Not Guaranteed did in fact reach $3 million, which is good for a limited release, but given the buzz, I was hoping for more. Perhaps it will perform even better on the home market.
• Beasts of the Southern Wild had its best single weekend and reached $4 million in the process. $5 million is virtually guaranteed, but I don't know about $10 million.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Deep Sea 3D, The Dark Knight Rises, Killer Joe, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Safety Not Guaranteed, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Searching for Sugar Man, Klovn: The Movie, Ruby Sparks, Planet of Snail