How Convenient

May 31, 2006

During a weekend where records were set at the top of the box office, it was a documentary that won the race on the Per Theatre Charts. An Inconvenient Truth set a record for highest per theatre average for a documentary with more than $280,000 in 4 theatres for an average of $70,333; also, since its debut last Wednesday the film has earned nearly $500,000. Second place when to the aforementioned chart-topping X-Men: The Last Stand, which earned a very impressive average of $27,846 in 3,690 theatres. The final film to top $10,000 was Fanaa, which just missed the top ten on the overal charts with $753,067 in 72 theatres for an average of $10,459. This is much better than expected, but as a niche market film, it is unlikely to have strong legs.

It was not a strong week for new releases, at least not in terms of quantity. The only films not to open in the $10,000 club were Cavite with an average of $6,363 in two theatres and Shem with $3,795 in one.

This past week also saw milestones reached for a few Per Theatre Charts alumni:

• Joyeux Noel never made more than $100,000 during any one weekend, but the film has lasted longer than its per theatre averages would have indicated reaching $1 million over the midweek.
• The Lost City had the best weekend of its run and that helped it top $1 million.
• The same can be said for Water, except it reached that milestone during the midweek.
• The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada made it to $5 million over the weekend, but that's as far as it's going to go.

Filed under: X-Men: The Last Stand, An Inconvenient Truth, Water, Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada, The Lost City, Joyeux Noël