The weekend box office saw a strong showing from Indian cinema, with Indian 2 marking the third straight week of one or more Indian films in the top ten. Director S. Shankar’s Tamil-language political action thriller and sequel to the 1996 film “Indian” performed well, grossing approximately $1.97 million on 1,065 screens. The film generated buzz in North America, with Imax reporting $190k in preview screenings on 44 big screens. This success follows the trend of recent popular Indian titles such as sci-fi epic “Kalki 2899 AD” and romantic comedy “Jat & Juliet 3.”
Indie Success Stories
Indie distributor Neon made a splash with its horror film “Longlegs,” which opened to a strong $22 million. Additionally, A24’s drama “Sing Sing,” starring Colman Domingo, impressed with the third highest limited opening and per screen average of the year so far. The film, set against the backdrop of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, grossed $137,119 on just four screens, boasting a $34.3k per screen average. With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and high exit scores, “Sing Sing” looks poised for success as it expands nationwide in the coming months.
Touch, a new release from Focus Features directed by Baltasar Kormákur, opened at 315 theaters in North America to positive reviews and a solid start at the box office, grossing $470k. The romantic thriller, spanning decades and continents, follows one man’s emotional journey to find his lost love. Similarly, Searchlight Pictures’ “Kinds of Kindness,” starring Emma Stone and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, continued its successful run in week four, grossing $324k in 730 theaters for a cumulative total close to $4.7 million.
Diverse Indie Offerings
Several other indie films made their mark at the box office over the weekend. “Dandelion” by Nicole Riegel, distributed by IFC Films, saw a strong performance with $65.5k on 446 screens. LD Entertainment and Variance Films’ release of Luke Gilford’s “National Anthem” generated an estimated $42.4k on four screens, with plans to expand nationwide in the coming weeks. Abramorama’s documentary “American’s Burning” and David Hinton’s “Made In England: The Films Of Powell & Pressburger” also attracted audiences and garnered positive reviews.
As indie films continue to find success both critically and commercially, the landscape of cinema is becoming more diverse and exciting. With strong showings from Indian cinema, successful indie releases, and critically acclaimed films, audiences have a wide variety of options to choose from at the box office. The success of films like “Sing Sing” and “Touch” highlights the potential for indie cinema to thrive and connect with audiences on a deeper level. As these films continue to expand their reach and find new audiences, the future looks bright for the indie film industry.
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