By Adam Coleman
Bruce Beresford’s dance epic, Mao’s Last Dancer has been a stunning success at the Australian box office taking more than $3.3 million in its first five days.
It is the fifth biggest opening weekend posted by a local film after Happy Feet, Australia, Moulin Rouge and The Dish. The film, co-distributed by Roadshow and Hopscotch Films, was widely released on 266 screens and still returned a whopping screen average of $12,483.
Proving as nimble as the character it is based on, Li Cunxin, the film took more than $2.75 million over the weekend alone, with its total gross now standing at $3,320,605.
The film cost $25 million to produce and was filmed in China, the US and Australia. For now, Charlie & Boots, the road movie starring Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson is clinging to the top spot having taken $3,359,890 after five weeks.
Local releases have now cracked the $20 million mark this year with total box office takings of $20,035,426.
| Film | Budget | Distributor | Opening w/e | Weeks | Box Office |
| Charlie & Boots | $8m est. | Paramount/Transmission | $ 809,279 | 5 | $ 3,359,890 |
| Mao’s Last Dancer | $25m | Roadshow/Hopscotch | $ 2,754,620 | 1 | $ 3,322,262 |
| Samson and Delilah | $1.6m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 199,163 | 22 | $ 3,173,103 |
| Beautiful Kate | $6m | Roadshow | $ 273,582 | 9 | $ 1,467,220 |
| Mary and Max | $8m | Icon | $ 217,176 | 15 | $ 1,444,617 |
| Balibo | $4.5m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 206,290 | 7 | $ 1,187,951 |
| Disgrace | $10m | Icon | $ 209,014 | 15 | $ 1,166,294 |
| My Year Without Sex | $3.8m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 177,522 | 19 | $ 1,127,573 |
| Love the Beast | Madman | $ 241,982 | 9 | $ 777,351 | |
| The Combination | $1.169m | AFS | $ 188,054 | 11 | $ 727,586 |
| Blessed | $4m | Icon | $ 67,186 | 4 | $ 372,595 |
| Last Ride | $4m | Madman | $ 76,459 | 13 | $ 369,712 |
| Wake in Fright | $700,000* | Madman | $ 25,446 | 15 | $ 307,672 |
| Two Fists, One Heart | $8.5m | BVI | $ 96,999 | 2 | $ 295,500 |
| Cedar Boys | $1.36m | Hoyts/Mushroom | $ 74,793 | 5 | $ 204,160 |
| Subdivision | $4m est. | BVI | $ 86,649 | 3 | $ 190,500 |
| Van Dieman’s Land | Madman | $ 39,939 | 2 | $ 125,224 | |
| Beautiful | $2m | Kojo/Jump Street | $ 22,406 | 6 | $ 55,619 |
| Stone Bros. | Australian Film Syndicate | $ 22,702 | 2 | $ 55,042 | |
| Closed for Winter | $2m | Omnilab Media | $ 19,449 | 6 | $ 53,370 |
| Shadows of the Past | $ 820,000 | Summer Night | $ 13,927 | 16 | $ 48,205 |
| The Marriage of Figaro | $ 400,000 | Figaro Films | $ 13,693 | 3 | $ 47,045 |
| $9.99 | $4m | Icon | $ 15,847 | 3 | $ 46,001 |
| Bastardy | $ 260,000 | Film Camp | $ 7,822 | 8 | $ 37,570 |
| Lake Mungo | Darclight films | $ 9,730 | 5 | $ 29,850 | |
| Lucky Country | $2m est. | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 11,413 | 4 | $ 26,141 |
| 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 |