Distributors launched 10 films last weekend but most struggled to sell tickets as many folks opted either to see titles that were already in cinemas, or stayed home.
Nationwide, takings improved by 8% to $14.1 million, according to Rentrak's estimates, a small uplift considering the wider number of choices for filmgoers.
Dwayne Johnson’s efforts in Australia to promote Hercules paid off reasonably well as Brett Ratner’s action film took top spot, earning $3.5 million. Pro-rata that is a bit better than the mediocre US debut of $US29.8 million, where the film was outmuscled by Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, the Luc Besson-directed sci-fi thriller which rang up $US44 million.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes plunged by 42% to $1.8 million in its third outing, propelling its total to $15.5 million.
Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie, a spin-off of the BBC cross-dressing comedy starring Brendan O'Carroll, opened with a respectable $1.8 million, including previews. Women aged 50 plus who love the TV show aired here on the Seven Network are the core audience apparently. Word is that it's a lousy film for those who aren't devotees of the series.
Eric Bana’s casting as a New York cop who fights demons in Deliver Us From Evil could not overcome the usual resistance to horror films, reflected in its $999,000 debut, and $1 million with previews .
Andre Rieu's 10th Anniversary 2014 Maastricht Concert attracted the violinist’s legion of Australian fans, who forked out $820,000 at 78 locations on Saturday and Sunday.
Kick, a Hindi actioner about a super-efficient cop who pursues a bandit to Warsaw of all places, kicked off with a robust $260,000 on 24 screens.
Glowing reviews for Eddie Marsan’s performance in writer-director Umberto Pasolini’s Still Life did not seem to enhance its $114,000 bow on 14 screens, and $198,000 with previews. Perhaps the subject of Marsan as a council worker who is laid off after spending more than 20 years finding the next of kin ofr those who have died alone, often organising the funerals, was off-putting.
Roadshow successfully platformed Snowpiercer, Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s futuristic thriller starring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and John Hurt, on two screens in Melbourne and Sydney, whistling up $52,000 and $96,000 with sneaks; it will add screens and roll out in other capital cities on August 7.
Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon usually sell heaps of tickets but not in Devil’s Knot, Atom Egoyan’s account of three teenagers accused of killing three boys in a satanic ritual, which bombed with $34,000 at 18 screens.
Once My Mother, Sophia Turkiewicz’s documentary about her relationship with her Polish single mother, who survived a Russian gulag in WW2, took $28,000 in limited sessions at eight cinemas, and $58,000 with previews.
Rolf de Heer’s Charlie’s Country fell by 17% to $106,000 in its second weekend, boosting its total to $312,000. As one exhibitor noted, that kind drop would have been acceptable if the film had opened more strongly.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE July 24-27
|
|
Title |
Week/ Screens |
Box Office |
% +- |
Total
|
|
1 |
Hercules |
1/441 |
$3,514,576 |
NA |
$3,535,595 |
|
2 |
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes |
3/513 |
1,810,416 |
-42 |
15,496,710 |
|
3 |
Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie |
1/293 |
1,789,246 |
NA |
1,873,372 |
|
4 |
Sex Tape |
2/288 |
1,437,376 |
-42 |
4,768,077 |
|
5 |
Deliver Us From Evil |
1/152 |
999,680 |
NA |
1,011,634 |
|
6 |
Andre Rieu: 2004 Concert |
1/78 |
820,266 |
NA |
820,266 |
|
7 |
Jersey Boys |
4/266 |
528,093 |
-42 |
6,651,702 |
|
8 |
Transformers: Age of Extinction |
5/300 |
506,409 |
-58 |
26,358,702 |
|
9 |
22 Jump Street |
6/184 |
437,027 |
-52 |
22,206,700 |
|
10 |
How to Train Your Dragon 2 |
6/256 |
415,737 |
-60 |
25,538,946 |
Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia