Elizabeth Banks’ campy horror comedy Cocaine Bear has gotten off to a respectable start at the local box office, though the no. 1 position was once again nabbed by Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Cocaine Bear, starring Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr and Alden Ehrenreich, collected $1.5 million for distributor Universal in its opening weekend from 350 screens; a screen average of $4,245.
In the US/Canada, the film surpassed expectations to open at $US23.1 million and globally stands at $US28.4 million. The production budget is reported to be in the $US30 million range, so it stands to make a tidy sum.
While critics have acknowledged the film – loosely based on the true story of a black bear that ingested millions of dollars worth of cocaine in 1985 – as silly, it has been broadly received as entertaining and as having cult-movie vibes. Many have noted the marketing power of just the title alone. A Guardian review called the name “so brilliantly simple and outrageously WTF? that it almost makes the movie itself redundant”, while a Vulture review mused “Cocaine Bear is just as good as it needs to be. If it were any better, it probably couldn’t call itself Cocaine Bear.”
“We were very happy with the opening of Cocaine Bear, considering it is a non-franchise original film. It certainly skewed downmarket (given the drug use and violence in the film), but we’re confident that strong WOM will see a really good hold into weeks two and three,” Village Cinemas national programming manager Geoff Chard tells IF.
For regional NSW and Queensland circuit Majestic Cinemas, the romp proved the best performer of the weekend.
“Cocaine Bear was a hit with teenagers and young adults and actually managed to be our top performing film over Ant-Man, just, which is a surprise given the national number and our audiences’ usual aversion to MA product. Clearly younger patrons were keen for a bit of silly fun,” CEO Kieren Dell tells IF.
However, not all exhibitors have found smashing success with the movie yet though, with Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace GM Alex Temesvari telling IF: “Cocaine Bear was respectable but disappointing for us given the buzz and good reviews. However I’m hoping it picks up over the coming week with the positive WOM.”
The weekend also saw a number of other new releases, including Roadshow’s Fisherman’s Friends 2: One and All, which netted $327,143 from 276 screens, or $415,005 with previews, and Sony horror Missing, which started at $321,025 from 189 screens, or $342,337 with previews.
The Fisherman’s Friends sequel opened somewhat behind the 2019 original, which bowed to $469,870 and finished at $1.9 million.
For Dell’s Majestic Cinemas it was the most disappointing title of the weekend, opening to only around half the numbers as the first, which was released during the bushfires. “[It’s] showing the older market are still not returning in the numbers they were.”
In limited release on 63 screens, Charlotte Wells’ debut feature Aftersun was among the weekend’s most successful new openers, gathering $204,379 for Kismet. By screen average, at $3,244, it is the third best performer in the top 10, behind only Quantumania and Cocaine Bear.
With lead Paul Mescal nominated for an Oscar, and Wells having recently won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut, it should have a solid life among upscale audiences.
Aftersun performed best locally at Melbourne’s Cinema Nova, with CEO Kristian Connelly telling IF it identified early the film’s resonant themes as well as the appeal of Mescal.
“Dedicating two screens to the ethereal drama as well as solid marketing support, Nova grossed double the second-placed venue on the title and anticipates the film to have a memorable season ahead of it,” he says.
Overall, Numero figures put the top ten at $7.7 million, down 26 per cent on the previous weekend; it was the second quietest weekend of the year so far.
Of the holdovers, Disney/Marvel’s Quantumania retained top position in its sophomore frame, but fell 54 per cent to $3 million. So far, it has grossed $11.7 million.
Summing the mood, Wallis Cinemas programing services manager David Simpson said: “Ant-Man hit the brakes and endured a substantial drop.”
Dell adds: “It remains one of the softer Marvel launches in recent memory, even if it is outperforming other Ant-man movies elsewhere in the world, it seems not to be doing so in Australia, or at least not by much.”
Still, Australia has seen a better hold than in the North America, where the film fell 69 per cent in its second to $US32.2 million; the worst drop ever for an MCU title.
Avatar: The Way of Water fell just 7 per cent in its 11 weekend, gathering another $591,923 to move to $92.2 million. The film is now just $1 million shy of overtaking Top Gun: Maverick ($93.2 million) and less than $2 million behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($94 million). If it does pass those films, it will become the second highest grossing title to be released in Australia; second only to the original ($115.8 million).
Warner Bros.’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance has grossed $5 million so far after three weekends, bringing in an extra $544,397, while Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, distributed by Universal, has crossed $21 million after nine frames, gathering an additional $269,364.
The Cate Blanchett-led Tar, also Universal, continues to hold well in the lead up to the Oscars, dropping only 28 per cent in its fifth frame to $169,178, moving to $1.9 million overall.
Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-nominated and now SAG Award-winning turn in The Whale is also propelling the film at the box office; it dropped only 23 per cent in its fourth for Madman to $139,749, advancing to $1.6 million.
For Cinema Nova, Tar was the weekend’s second best performer and The Whale was in fourth behind fellow awards title The Banshees of Insherin. The theatre is having much success with a number of Oscar-nominated films, including Everything Everywhere All At Once, which it has been playing for 46 weeks.
“The Daniels’ award winner has now succeeded The King’s Speech as Nova’s third biggest film of all time, making it just a matter of time before it lands in second place by usurping The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Connelly says.
Of the Australian releases, Sharmill Films documentary Knowing the Score added $18,554 in its second weekend from 21 screens, moving to $90,678; the film performed best at the Orpheum in Sydney.
Roadshow’s Blueback is still screening on handful of screens, now at $2.1 million after nine weekends, while Madman’s Emily is on $514,962. Both films are produced by Arenamedia.
Indie queer drama Lonesome, produced and distributed by Breathless Films, opened at $4,975 from just five screens. Connelly says the film opened ahead of expectations and despite the potential distraction of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sydney World Pride. “Sunday trade [was] supported by a well-attended Q&A with star Josh Lavery and director Craig Boreham,” he says.