By Brendan Swift
The Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boy 2 has posted the biggest opening weekend for an Australian film this year after taking more than $1.8 million at the box office.
The Paramount-Transmission distributed comedy posted an impressive screen average of $9009 across 203 screens and was second over the weekend only to Robin Hood. The Ridley Scott blockbuster, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, took another $3.6 million in its second week to pass the $11.1 million mark in total.
The sequel to the original Wog Boy – which took almost $11.5 million a decade ago – heralds the return of Steve Karamitsis (Nick Giannopoulos) and Frank (Vince Colosimo) in a story that takes them from one Greek paradise (Melbourne) to another (Mykonos) in order to reclaim a family inheritance.
The managing director of Transmission Films, Richard Payten, said the result shows there is a real appetite for Australian mainstream comedies. "Nick and his team know their audience so well and have proven that for a second time," he said in a statement.
The Kings of Mykonos' opening weekend result is the tenth biggest in Australian history and this year ranks only behind indigenous comedy Bran Nue Dae, which opened with $1.6 million in January.
Meanwhile, Peter Helliar's comedy I Love You Too added a further $253,964 in its third week across 214 screens. Its screen average dropped to $1187.
War film Beneath Hill 60 added another $67,441 across 59 screens for a screen average of $1143.
|
Film
|
Budget
|
Distributor
|
Opening w/e
|
Box Office
|
|
Bran Nue Dae
|
$6.5m
|
Roadshow
|
$1,612,102
|
$7,509,061
|
|
Beneath Hill 60
|
$9.5m
|
Paramount/Transmission
|
$548,694
|
$2,988,877
|
|
Daybreakers
|
$20m est.
|
Hoyts
|
$1,064,244
|
$2,448,050
|
|
I Love You Too
|
$6m
|
Roadshow
|
$113,483
|
$2,160,345
|
|
Bright Star
|
$16.7m est.
|
Roadshow/Hopscotch
|
–
|
$2,157,601
|
|
The Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boy 2
|
$6m est.
|
Paramount/Transmission
|
$1,828,902
|
$1,828,902
|
|
Accidents Happen
|
–
|
Hopscotch
|
$39,721
|
$143,892
|
|
Love, Lust & Lies
|
–
|
Beyond Entertainment
|
$20,674
|
$56,713
|
|
Girl Clock!
|
$1m
|
Self-distributed
|
$8,857
|
$43,434
|
|
Separation City
|
$4.8m
|
Hoyts
|
$15,278
|
$32,159
|
|
Triangle
|
$8m est
|
Icon
|
$6,081
|
$11,282
|
|
Going Vertical
|
–
|
The Pack/Blue Sea Films
|
$3,879
|
$9,699
|
|
Playing For Charlie
|
–
|
The Pack
|
$2,665
|
$5,576
|
|
Savages Crossing
|
$3.5m
|
MediaKin/GAP
|
$4,432
|
$4,432
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
$19,367,864
|
Source: MPDAA, INSIDEFILM. Separation City is a NZ film. Bright Star released Dec 26, 2009; tally does not include 2009 box office.