Per Theater Chart: Strong Beginning for The End

August 4, 2015

The End of the Tour is the latest success for A24, as it topped the per theater chart with an average of $30,810 in four theaters. Up next were a pair of documentaries, Best of Enemies and Listen to Me Marlon, with averages of $16,913 and $15,034 respectively. The overall number one film was next, as Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation earned an average of $14,034. The final film in the $10,000 club was Phoenix. Its theater count doubled, but its per theater average dropped just 20% to $12,004. That's amazing and it could be an omen that it will expand wide enough to earn some measure of mainstream success.

There were six other new limited releases, but none of them managed to reach the Mendoza Line of $2,000 per theater. Wild City came the closest with an average of $1,562 in 11 theaters. Fortunately for this film, it is Chinese and it has made more than $10 million in its native market, so its box office performance here is immaterial. Jenny's Wedding only managed an average $1,127 in two theaters. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet was the widest limited release of the week, but it only managed an average of $1,103 in 100 theaters. The film cost $30 million to make, so it really needed a wide release with a national ad campaign in order to break even. Paulo Caelho's Best Story was playing in 5 theaters earning an average of $1,059. A LEGO Brickumentary was playing in 93 theaters and on VOD, so it is not a surprise it didn't have a great per theater average. That said, I was still not expecting it to only manage an average of $465. Finally, there was That Sugar Film with an average of just $350 in ten theaters.

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

• The Vatican Tapes topped $1 million before the weekend and it is already more than halfway to $2 million. However, its per theater average is below $1,000, so it will likely all but disappear this weekend.
• Infinitely Polar Bear also reached $1 million before the weekend and its per theater average is also below $1,000, so $2 million is also likely out of reach.
• Irrational Man got to $1 million over the weekend. It still has some room to grow, but it not by a huge amount.
• Mr. Holmes got all othe way to $10 million over the weekend, which is more than a few wide releases earned this year. At this pace, it will have no trouble getting to $15 million.

Filed under: Theater Averages, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, The Vatican Tapes, Infinitely Polar Bear, Jenny’s Wedding, Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary, Mr. Holmes, The End of the Tour, Irrational Man, Não Pare na Pista: A Melhor História de Paulo Coelho, That Sugar Film, Best of Enemies, Listen to Me Marlon, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, Phoenix, Bou Chau Mai Sing