With the exception of Elvis, Wog Boys Forever has had the strongest box office start for an Australian film this year.
The third instalment in the Nick Giannopoulos-led and created franchise bowed to $821,872 from 247 screens for distributor Kismet last weekend – coming in at sixth position overall.
With previews, the film is at $1.8 million. That result means the comedy is already among the highest grossing Australian films released this year behind Elvis, How To Please A Woman and The Drover’s Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson.
Wog Boys Forever is directed by Frank Lotito, and sees Giannopoulos’ one infamous Steve ‘The Wog Boy’ Karamitsis now in his mid-life years, still single and working as a taxi driver. Vince Colosimo returns, with newcomers to the cast including Sarah Roberts and TikTok star Sooshi Mango.
The film was independently financed, with Giannopoulos having been quite vocal about being rejected for funding from Screen Australia and VicScreen in publicity interviews. The original Wog Boy, released in 2000, is among the top 30 highest grossing Australian films of all time, having made more than $11 million (not adjusting for inflation). Sequel The Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boy 2, released in 2010, made $4.9 million.
Coming in at no. 1 last weekend was Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, which generated $2.1 million ($3.4 million with previews) for Warner Bros, an opening result the studio notes is on par with 2018’s Simple Favor and ahead of Black Phone and House of Gucci.
While the film has been poorly reviewed, it has been well received by audiences, drawn in by the starry cast that includes Florence Pugh, Harry Styles and Chris Pine, or perhaps curiosity about the rumoured behind-the-scenes controversy. Its worldwide tally is currently $US69.3 million.
Of the other new releases, Australian audiences proved more receptive, pro-rata, to Disney’s Amsterdam than US audiences.
The 1930s comedy mystery is directed by David O’Donnell and stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and Taylor Swift. Here it made a healthy $980,264, while in the US the film it gathered just $US6.5 million, where it was declared DOA.
Also making the top 10 was White Hill’s Bollywood comedy Baabe Bhangra Paunde Ne, which collected $250,299 ($298,431 with previews).
Overall Numero data puts thee top 20 titles at $11.4 million, which is down 6 per cent on the previous.
Of the holdovers, DC League of Super-Pets dipped 34 per cent in its fourth frame as many kids around the country went back to school, landing just shy of $2 million, as many kids around the country went back to school. So far, the WB title has amassed $16.4 million.
Likely spurred on by strong word of mouth, Paramount’s Smile had a massive 44 per cent boost in its sophomore frame, jumping up to $1.6 million and advancing to $3.5 million overall. In the US, the film just topped the box office for the second weekend in a row.
Now four weekends in, Universal’s Ticket to Paradise has crossed the $13 million mark after earning another $1.3 million.
Despite school holidays ending in parts of the country, Paramount’s Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank only dipped 10 per cent in its third to $604,487, a result which saw it move to $3.4 million.
Disney whodunnit See How They Run dropped 43 per cent in its second orbit, gathering $397,905 to move to $1.5 million.
Fall earned another $259,656 in its third weekend for Roadshow, moving to $2.1 million.
Of the other Australian titles still in release, Roadshow’s Three Thousand Years of Longing has made $1.3 million after six weeks, and WB’s Elvis $33.4 million after 16.
Documentary The Lost City of Melbourne continues to bank on good work of mouth for Gusto Films, having made $176,972 after six weekends on very limited sessions, while Franklin has also had a healthy run, earning $233,879 across five weekends for Bonsai FIlms.
You Won’t Be Alone, playing on a handful of screens for Madman, has generated $82,319 in three weekends, while UK/Australian co-production Falling for Figaro stands at $1.1 million after 13. Embrace: Kids, still playing on five screens for Transmission after six weeks, is on $86,006, with fellow doc Clean, released via Madman at $67,712 after four weekends.
The Stranger is in cinemas via Transmission, but as it is to be released on Netflix figures are not reported.