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Sideshow/Janus Films is estimating a $36k gross or $18k per theater average for The Eight Mountains on two NYC screens, the strongest opening weekend to date for the team behind Drive My Car and EO.
The Cannes co-Jury Prize-winning film by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeesch follows the profound friendship over decades of Pietro (Luca Marinelli) from Turin, and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who grew up in an isolated village in the Alps. It was Film at Lincoln Center’s highest-grossing new release opening of 2023 and marks the biggest per screen average of any new European release so far this year.
It’s is also the best opening of an Italian move Stateside since The Great Beauty, said producer Ira Deutchman. The Fine Line Features founder and Columbia prof is the head of Cinema Made In Italy, a initiative sponsored by Cinecitta’ that contributes P&A funds to Italian films for U.S. theatrical release.
He said the film based on the best-selling 2016 novel by Paolo Cognetti “is a crowd-pleasing movie, but not in a Hollywood way.” It opens in LA next weekend, expanding nationally thereafter.
Cinema Made In Italy layers its efforts on top of what the distributor does to try to add value — in this case with podcasts, web banners in Italian media and a lot of direct email blasts to specific constituencies. It only supports films that are guaranteed a long theatrical window, something Sideshow and Janus, with Variance Films, have become known for. The Eight Mountains has a 90-day window.
“The idea is to create a community, a sense of continuity [for] people who enjoy Italian movies, Deutchman said.
The next two it’s supporting: Emanuele Crialese’s L’immensità from Music Box Films, and Carolina Cavalli’s Amanda from Oscilloscope Laboratories. Both premiered at Venice.
Italian films also have meaningful contingent at Cannes this year led by Nanni Moretti’s Il Sol Dell’Avvenire, Marco Bellocchio’s Rapito and Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera.
Major specialty openings this weekend: Polite Society from Focus Features grossed $800k domestically in 927 theaters. The Sundance-premiering film is a first-time feature by Nida Manzoor (We Are Lady Parts).
Ponnyin Selvan: Part II, the latest installment of the Tamil epic, from Film District, rossed a hefty $3.6 million on 600 screens, as per Comscore, hitting no. 8 at the box office. Lionsgate’s Sisu grossed $3.25 million on 1,006 sceens for 10th place.
Limited releases: Abramorama’s Nuclear Now saw $9.8k from 2 runs in NY/LA for a $4.9k per screen average. The distributors 32 Sounds grossed $9.2k at one New York location.
R.M.N from IFC Films grossed $5.8k on two screens, for a $2.9k PSA.
Holdovers: Ray Romano’s Somewhere In Queens from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions had an estimated 3-day gross of $321k on 499 screens in week 2, for a cume to date of $1.3 million.
Music Box Film’s Other People’s Children grossed an estimated $14.9k in seven locations, also for week two. Projected cume: $35,007
Sony Pictures Classics’ Carmen grossed $10k in week 2 on 11 screens (up from 3 last week). Cume: $27,044.
A24’s Beau Is Afraid in week 3 saw $1.4 million from 2,125 locations. That’s a cume of $5.64 million for the Ari Aster film starring Joaquin Phoenix. The distributor also has Showing Up by Kelly Reichardt grossing $79k on 113 screens, for a $552k cume.
Wild Life from Picturehouse continued in week 3 with $56.3k on 13 screens for a PTA of $4.3k and a cume of $208.6k. Distrib said it opened strong in Denver and Boulder where Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi have a big following of climbing and outdoor enthusiasts, and that it was no. 1 at the Landmark Chez Artiste, and the Cinemark Century 16 in Boulder. Adds locations in Seattle, Portland and several other markets next week.
Oscilloscope Laboratories Joyland took in $33.5k in week 4 on 30 screens for a $134.3k cume.