By Adam Coleman
Bran Nue Dae has cracked the top 50 Australian films of all time at the local box office. The Rachel Perkins-directed film added $815,042 over the weekend to take its tally to just under $5.2 million, after just three weeks at the local box office.
Released locally on January 14, the Roadshow-distributed film is now ranked 40th in Australian box office earnings, just below another Roadshow-distributed film, The Craic ($5.26 million).
Meanwhile, The Road – Australian director John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) adaption of Cormac McCarthy’s best selling novel – has taken $485,834 on its opening weekend at the Australian box office across 61 screens.
A post-apocalyptic tale of survival starring Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings), the film has also taken $US7.8 million in the US since its wide release last November.
Also in the US, Mel Gibson’s new thriller, Edge of Darkness, has taken $US17.1 million in its opening weekend.
The film, which will be released in Australia this week, marks Gibson’s first acting role since Signs in 2002.
All eyes are now on Aussie vampire thriller, Daybreakers, which will open on 136 screens this Thursday.
The film, directed by Australia’s Michael and Peter Spierig, has taken nearly $US30 million at the US box office since opening there on January 8.
If the film performs well at the local box office, it is likely to spark calls for further government support for genre films.