By Adam Coleman
Rachel Ward’s unconventional thriller Beautiful Kate has become the fifth local film to pass the $1 million mark at the box office this year.
The film has now taken $1,143,343 across its 29 screens and joins Samson and Delilah, Mary and Max, My Year Without Sex and Disgrace in the $1 million club.
The other film looking likely to surpass $1 million in box office takings is Balibo, Robert Connolly’s feature about the slaughter of Australian TV journalists, which has taken $651,067 after its third week at the box office.
Meanwhile the Disney-distributed Subdivision has added to its modest opening weekend and has now taken $140,097 after 10 days in cinemas.
While met with positive reviews, Matthew Newton’s feature Three Blind Mice struggled to find a single screen until being accepted at The Chauvel cinema in Sydney, where it has taken $3,664 since its August 20 release.
While most Australian films have struggled to find more than 50 screens this year, Charlie & Boots – a road movie starring Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson which will hit screens this week – will more than triple that number at 181 screens. Other major upcoming local films such as The Boys are Back and Bright Star are also expected to have a widespread release.
The total box office earnings for local releases in 2009 is $11,668,001.
|
Film
|
Budget
|
Distributor
|
Opening w/e
|
Weeks
|
Box Office
|
|
Samson and Delilah
|
$1.6m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$199,163
|
17
|
$3,084,801
|
|
Mary and Max
|
$8m
|
Icon
|
$217,176
|
15
|
$1,444,617
|
|
Disgrace
|
$10m
|
Icon
|
$209,014
|
11
|
$1,147,002
|
|
Beautiful Kate
|
$6m
|
Roadshow
|
$273,582
|
3
|
$1,143,343
|
|
My Year Without Sex
|
$3.8m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$177,461
|
14
|
$1,106,349
|
|
Love the Beast
|
|
Madman
|
$241,982
|
9
|
$777,351
|
|
The Combination
|
$1.169m
|
AFS
|
$188,054
|
11
|
$727,586
|
|
Balibo
|
$4.5m
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$206,290
|
3
|
$651,067
|
|
Last Ride
|
$4m
|
Madman
|
$76,459
|
9
|
$358,761
|
|
Two Fists, One Heart
|
$8.5m
|
BVI
|
$96,999
|
2
|
$295,500
|
|
Wake in Fright
|
|
Madman
|
$25,446
|
10
|
$280,891
|
|
Cedar Boys
|
$1.36m
|
Hoyts/Mushroom
|
$74,793
|
4
|
$203,998
|
|
Subdivision
|
$4m
|
BVI
|
$86,649
|
1
|
$140,097
|
|
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
|
11
|
$45,490
|
|
Bastardy
|
$260,000
|
Film Camp
|
$7,822
|
8
|
$37,570
|
|
Lake Mungo
|
|
Darclight films
|
$2,390
|
4
|
$28,826
|
|
Lucky Country
|
$2m est.
|
Para/Trans/Footprint
|
$11,413
|
4
|
$26,141
|
|
The Burning Season
|
|
Gil Scrine/Freshwater
|
$4,865
|
5
|
$21,017
|
|
The Chifleys of Busby St
|
|
Ronin
|
$3,760
|
|
$13,658
|
|
Crush
|
$2m
|
Filmscope/Odin’s Eye
|
$8,304
|
1
|
$13,051
|
|
Bad Bush
|
|
VVVF
|
$1,909
|
|
$3,961
|
|
Three Blind Mice
|
|
Odin’s Eye/Titan View
|
|
2
|
$3,664
|
|
Salvation
|
|
Hopscotch
|
$2,262
|
1
|
$3,182
|
|
Prey
|
$4m
|
Damage Releasing
|
$1,089
|
|
$1,089
|