A re-release of the highest-grossing film of all time coupled with a super weekend for DC League of Super-Pets has led to another strong week-on-week increase at the Australian box office.
According to Numero data, the top 20 titles took in just under $10.6 million, up 32 per cent from the previous weekend.
Universal’s Ticket to Paradise managed to hold on to the top position with $2.9 million in its second frame to sit at $7.8 million, a decline of only 5 per cent from its debut.
But it was Warner Bros. DC League of Super-Pets that proved to be the best-performing sophomore title, as the beginning of the spring school holidays in NSW/ACT, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia propelled the animated film to a weekend total of $2.7 million, an increase of 58 per cent from the previous reporting period, giving it an overall total of $7.9 million.
The only other entry to crack $1 million was Walt Disney’s re-release of 2009 blockbuster Avatar, with James Cameron’s action sci-fi taking in $1.4 million from 348 screens for an average of $4,001, making a positive contribution to the build up for the upcoming sequel Avatar: The Way of Water ahead of its December release.
Wallis Cinemas programming manager David Simpson told IF he was pleased “most of the Avatar audience were wanting 3D”, while also expressing optimism about the other top three titles.
“Ticket to Paradise proved popular for a second week,” he said.
“South Australian school holidays don’t start until this weekend so we are hoping DC League of Super-Pets will raise the woof for another few weeks.”
Roadshow’s Fall was the pick of the new releases, bowing to $753,979 from 264 screens to record an average of $2,856. Scott Mann’s survival thriller stars Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner as two best friends whose climbing skills are put to the test after they are left stranded at the top of a 2,000-foot radio tower.
Also making its debut was Paramount’s Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank, an animated comedy about a loveable dog with aspirations of becoming a samurai that features voice contributions from Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ricky Gervais. The film drew $559,061 from 302 screens for an average of $1,851, reaching $1.1 million overall, including previews.
The two fresh additions to the top ten meant Sony’s Bullet Train had to settle for sixth in its eighth outing, breaking $12 million in gross takings with another $337,061.
Paramount’s inimitable sequel Top Gun: Maverick maintained its altitude in seventh position, adding another $283,524 in its 18th weekend to reach $91.9 million overall.
Coming in just behind was Studiocanal’s horror prequel Orphan: First Kill with $258,484 in its fourth frame, moving it past $2.5 million.
Universal’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream had the biggest drop of the top ten from last weekend, falling from third to ninth with $188,551 from its sophomore weekend — a 52 decline from its debut — pushing its total to $781,759.
Roadshow’s After Ever Happy just managed to secure 10th position with $184,804 from its third weekend, taking it to $1.8 million overall.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing were the only Australian titles to make it into the top 20, making $89,745 and $79,831 for Warner Bros and Roadshow, respectively.
The next best was Gusto Films’ The Lost City of Melbourne, which improved 10 per cent from its third frame to register a total of $21,313.
The performance meant it overtook fellow local title, Bonsai Films’ Franklin, which had $20,792 from its third weekend.
The past weekend also heralded the debut of Goran Stolevski’s Sundance-selected You Won’t Be Alone, with the Madman-distributed supernatural horror bowing to $10,765 from seven screens for an average of $1,538.