By Adam Coleman
The total box office for local 2009 releases has now passed the $30 million mark with one film, Mao’s Last Dancer, responsible for more than a third of the total.
Bruce Beresford’s dance epic has taken more than $13.2 million making it the 13th highest grossing Australian film ever at the local box office above Ray Lawrence’s 2001 film, Lantana on 14th. Now in its sixth week, Mao’s Last Dancer added $599,378 over the weekend for a screen average of $2,388.
On limited release, David Caesar’s trucking tale Prime Mover took $6,992 across four screens over the weekend for a screen average of $1,748. After its second week, the film has grossed $23,378 in regional areas and will be taken to six screens in key cities on November 12.
Coffin Rock – the psychological thriller set in a South Australian fishing village – has taken $25,837 after its third week on limited release.
In the US, Jane Campion’s period drama Bright Star has taken more than $US4.2 million since opening there on wide release in mid-September.
Meanwhile, Scott Hicks’ family chamber piece The Boys Are Back has closed its run at the US box office after taking $US809,752.
The total box office takings for 2009 local releases is $31,040,512.
Source: MPDAA & INSIDEFILM
|
Film
|
Budget
|
Distributor
|
Opening w/e
|
Weeks
|
Box Office
|
|
Mao’s Last Dancer
|
$25.8m
|
Roadshow/Hopscotch
|
$ 2,754,620
|
6
|
$ 13,235,955
|
|
Charlie & Boots
|
$8m est.
|
Paramount/Transmission
|
$ 809,279
|
10
|
$ 3,818,057
|
|
Samson and Delilah
|
$1.6m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 199,163
|
22
|
$ 3,173,103
|
|
Beautiful Kate
|
$6m
|
Roadshow
|
$ 273,582
|
14
|
$ 1,568,697
|
|
Mary and Max
|
$8m
|
Icon
|
$ 217,176
|
15
|
$ 1,444,617
|
|
Balibo
|
$4.5m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 206,290
|
13
|
$ 1,304,010
|
|
Disgrace
|
$10m
|
Icon
|
$ 209,014
|
15
|
$ 1,166,294
|
|
My Year Without Sex
|
$3.8m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 177,522
|
19
|
$ 1,127,838
|
|
Love the Beast
|
|
Madman
|
$ 241,982
|
9
|
$ 777,351
|
|
The Combination
|
$1.169m
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 188,054
|
11
|
$ 727,586
|
|
Blessed
|
$4m
|
Icon
|
$ 67,186
|
9
|
$ 450,634
|
|
Last Ride
|
$4m
|
Madman
|
$ 76,459
|
13
|
$ 369,712
|
|
Wake in Fright
|
$700,000*
|
Madman
|
$ 25,446
|
17
|
$ 310,725
|
|
Two Fists, One Heart
|
$8.5m
|
BVI
|
$ 96,999
|
2
|
$ 305,300
|
|
Van Dieman’s Land
|
|
Madman
|
$ 39,939
|
7
|
$ 254,638
|
|
Subdivision
|
$4m est.
|
BVI
|
$ 86,649
|
3
|
$ 206,350
|
|
Cedar Boys
|
$1.36m
|
Hoyts/Mushroom
|
$ 74,793
|
5
|
$ 204,160
|
|
Stone Bros.
|
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 22,702
|
7
|
$ 89,401
|
|
The Marriage of Figaro
|
$ 400,000
|
Australian Film Syndicate
|
$ 13,693
|
8
|
$ 86,070
|
|
Beautiful
|
$2m
|
Kojo/Jump Street
|
$ 22,406
|
6
|
$ 55,619
|
|
Closed for Winter
|
$2m
|
Omnilab Media
|
$ 19,449
|
6
|
$ 53,370
|
|
Shadows of the Past
|
$ 820,000
|
Summer Night
|
$ 13,927
|
16
|
$ 48,205
|
|
$9.99
|
$4m
|
Icon
|
$ 15,847
|
4
|
$ 47,520
|
|
Lake Mungo
|
|
Darclight films
|
$ 9,730
|
5
|
$ 39,000
|
|
Bastardy
|
$ 260,000
|
Film Camp
|
$ 7,822
|
8
|
$ 37,570
|
|
Lucky Country
|
$2m est.
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$ 11,413
|
4
|
$ 26,141
|
|
Coffin Rock
|
$2.1m
|
AI Entertainment
|
$ 9,846
|
3
|
$ 25,837
|
|
Prime Mover
|
|
Trans/Para/Jetty
|
$ 8,192
|
2
|
$ 23,378
|
|
The Burning Season
|
|
Gil Scrine/Freshwater
|
$ 3,848
|
5
|
$ 21,017
|
|
The Chifleys of Busby St
|
|
Ronin
|
$ 3,760
|
|
$ 13,658
|
|
Crush
|
$2m
|
Filmscope/Odin’s Eye
|
$ 8,304
|
1
|
$ 13,051
|
|
Three Blind Mice
|
|
Odin’s Eye/Titan View
|
$ 2,988
|
4
|
$ 7,416
|
|
Bad Bush
|
|
VVVF
|
$ 1,909
|
|
$ 3,961
|
|
Salvation
|
|
Hopscotch
|
$ 2,262
|
1
|
$ 3,182
|
|
Prey
|
$4m
|
Damage Releasing
|
$ 1,089
|
|
$ 1,089
|