The $5 million football drama Blinder has posted a dismal box office opening weekend of just $47,394.
Like cricket film Save Your Legs!, which last week posted a disappointing box office opening, the film was distributed too widely. The Aussie Rules footy film was shown on 99 screens giving it a screen average of just $478.
The film is about an ex-footballer who becomes embroiled in a scandal and returns to his hometown in order to clear his name and reignite an old flame. It was backed by AFL greats Glenn Archer, Adrian Gleeson and Sam Kekovich and distributed by new outfit Backlot Studios under a flat-fee structure where the producers pay for the promotional costs.
Cricket film Save Your Legs!, distributed by Madman Entertainment, also continued its underwhelming performance in its second weekend, posting $47,081 across 111 screens (screen average $424).
In contrast, only one film in the top 20 widespread releases posted a screen average under $1000 (Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away, in its third weekend, with $877 across 81 screens). At the top of the box office charts is Disney mega-hit Oz: The Great and Powerful, which grossed $4.77 million across 268 screens (screen average $17,812).
Later this week, the third Australian film of the year will be released: musical Goddess, starring Ronan Keating, which has the marketing power of Roadshow behind it.
Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.
Australian Films at the Box Office 2013