The list of Australian films released in US cinemas so far this year is short and, on the surface, unimpressive.
Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein tops the list with $US19 million but that’s a poor result for a film that cost a reported $65 million and was launched on 2,753 screens by Lionsgate.
Apart from The Railway Man, the other films had a limited theatrical release, primarily as a platform for Video-on-Demand and DVD sales.
Kim Mordaunt’s The Rocket screened in seven cinemas. The producer, Red Lamp Films’ Sylvia Wilczynski, tells IF, “It’s doing very well on iTunes internationally; it launched on iTunes on April 22."
Rechristened Patrick: Evil Awakens, Mark Hartley’s re-imagining of Richard Franklin’s 1978 cult horror film Patrick, opened simultaneously on VoD and in cinemas in Los Angeles, New York and Columbus, Ohio; no figures are available yet.
Jonathan Teplitzky's The Railway Man platformed on four screens in Los Angeles and New York and gradually expanded to 164 theatres.
Greg Mclean’s Wolf Creek 2 premiered on VoD on April 17, a month before it launches in cinemas in at least 10 cities.
At least eight other Australian films have secured theatrical distribution in the US, which gives each a shot at finding an audience, either niche or mainstream.
John Curran’s Tracks debuts on May 23. Due for release later this year are Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Sophie Hyde’s 52 Tuesdays, David Michod’s The Rover, Matt Saville’s Felony, the Spierig brothers’ Predestination, Aaron Wilson’s Canopy and Sarah Spillane’s Around the Block.
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AUSTRALIAN FILMS RELEASED IN THE US 2014
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Title |
Release Date |
Total |
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1 |
I, Frankenstein |
January 24 |
$19,075,290
|
|
2 |
The Railway Man |
April 11 |
1,724,075
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|
3 |
The Rocket |
January 10 |
54,331
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|
4 |
John Doe: Vigilante |
March 21 |
20,168
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5 |
Patrick: Evil Awakens |
March 14 |
NA |
Sources: Box Office Mojo/Rentrak