By Brendan Swift
Scott Hicks’ feature The Boys are Back has posted the third biggest opening weekend for an Australian film this year after nudging $475,000 at the local box office.
The $16 million film, starring Clive Owen and largely shot in South Australia, posted a screen average of $3,034 across 156 screens.
However, the two local films to post bigger debuts this year – dance epic Mao’s Last Dancer and road movie Charlie & Boots – also posted higher screen averages.
Mao’s Last Dancer (also distributed by Hopscotch in conjunction with Roadshow) grossed more than $2.7 million across 266 screens in October, for an impressive opening weekend screen average of $10,355.
The Paul Hogan comedy Charlie & Boots took more than $810,000 when it opened across 182 screens in September, for a screen average of about $4,452.
The Boys are Back’s overall box office tally now stands at $564,314 after including $80,502 in previews last weekend.
Meanwhile, David Caesar’s trucker tale Prime Mover opened in capital cities, boosting its screen count to 11 from 4.
It added a further $10,442 over the weekend, for a screen average of $949.
Mao’s Last Dancer has continued its record breaking run, adding another $355,179 over the weekend at a screen average of $1,644.
During the week, it passed Yahoo Serious’ 80s comedy Young Einstein, which was previously the 12th highest grossing Australian film of all time.
Muriel’s Wedding still holds the 11th position with $15,765,571. The total box office for 2009 local releases is $32,446,789.
|
Film
|
Budget
|
Distributor
|
Opening w/e
|
Weeks
|
Box Office
|
|
Mao’s Last Dancer
|
$25.8m
|
Roadshow/Hopscotch
|
$ 2,754,620
|
7
|
$ 13,975,651
|
|
Charlie & Boots
|
$8m est.
|
Paramount/Transmission
|
$ 810,270
|
11
|
$ 3,836,597
|
|
Samson and Delilah
|
$1.6m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 199,163
|
22
|
$ 3,173,103
|
|
Beautiful Kate
|
$6m
|
Roadshow
|
$ 273,582
|
15
|
$ 1,605,491
|
|
Mary and Max
|
$8m
|
Icon
|
$ 217,176
|
15
|
$ 1,444,617
|
|
Balibo
|
$4.5m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 206,290
|
14
|
$ 1,317,935
|
|
Disgrace
|
$10m
|
Icon
|
$ 209,014
|
15
|
$ 1,166,294
|
|
My Year Without Sex
|
$3.8m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 177,522
|
19
|
$ 1,127,838
|
|
Love the Beast
|
|
Madman
|
$ 241,982
|
9
|
$ 777,351
|
|
The Combination
|
$1.169m
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 188,054
|
11
|
$ 727,586
|
|
The Boys are Back
|
$16m
|
Hopscotch
|
$ 473,339
|
1
|
$ 564,314
|
|
Blessed
|
$4m
|
Icon
|
$ 67,186
|
9
|
$ 452,779
|
|
Last Ride
|
$4m
|
Madman
|
$ 76,459
|
13
|
$ 369,712
|
|
Wake in Fright
|
$700,000*
|
Madman
|
$ 25,446
|
17
|
$ 310,725
|
|
Two Fists, One Heart
|
$8.5m
|
BVI
|
$ 96,999
|
2
|
$ 305,300
|
|
Van Dieman’s Land
|
|
Madman
|
$ 39,939
|
8
|
$ 268,766
|
|
Subdivision
|
$4m est.
|
BVI
|
$ 86,649
|
3
|
$ 206,350
|
|
Cedar Boys
|
$1.36m
|
Hoyts/Mushroom
|
$ 74,793
|
5
|
$ 204,160
|
|
Stone Bros.
|
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 22,702
|
7
|
$ 90,349
|
|
The Marriage of Figaro
|
$ 400,000
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 13,693
|
8
|
$ 87,824
|
|
Beautiful
|
$2m
|
Kojo/Jump Street
|
$ 22,406
|
6
|
$ 55,619
|
|
Closed for Winter
|
$2m
|
Omnilab Media
|
$ 19,449
|
6
|
$ 53,370
|
|
Shadows of the Past
|
$ 820,000
|
Summer Night
|
$ 13,927
|
16
|
$ 48,205
|
|
$9.99
|
$4m
|
Icon
|
$ 15,847
|
4
|
$ 47,520
|
|
Lake Mungo
|
|
Darclight films
|
$ 9,730
|
5
|
$ 39,000
|
|
Bastardy
|
$ 260,000
|
Film Camp
|
$ 7,822
|
8
|
$ 37,570
|
|
Prime Mover
|
|
Para/Trans/Jetty
|
$ 8,192
|
3
|
$ 36,678
|
|
Coffin Rock
|
$2.1m
|
AI Entertainment
|
$ 9,846
|
3
|
$ 26,570
|
|
Lucky Country
|
$2m est.
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 11,413
|
4
|
$ 26,141
|
|
The Burning Season
|
|
Gil Scrine/Freshwater
|
$ 3,848
|
5
|
$ 21,017
|
|
The Chifleys of Busby St
|
|
Ronin
|
$ 3,760
|
|
$ 13,658
|
|
Crush
|
$2m
|
Filmscope/Odin’s Eye
|
$ 8,304
|
1
|
$ 13,051
|
|
Three Blind Mice
|
|
Odin’s Eye/Titan View
|
$ 2,988
|
4
|
$ 7,416
|
|
Bad Bush
|
|
VVVF
|
$ 1,909
|
|
$ 3,961
|
|
Salvation
|
|
Hopscotch
|
$ 2,262
|
1
|
$ 3,182
|
|
Prey
|
$4m
|
Damage Releasing
|
$ 1,089
|
|
$ 1,089
|