Bollywood Sequel ‘Dhurandhar’, Animated ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’, and Met Opera Live Take the Spotlight at Specialty Box Office
Box Office Highlights: "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" Takes Lead with $10 Million Opening
Los Angeles – The Bollywood film Dhurandhar: The Revenge, produced by Moviegoers Entertainment, made a remarkable debut this weekend, grossing $10 million and ranking third at the box office across 987 screens. The film’s total gross, which includes early showings, stands at $14 million—marking one of the largest opening weekends for a Bollywood release in North America. This achievement surpasses Pathaan (2023), which opened with $6.9 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period and $9.5 million from Wednesday to Sunday. Directed by Aditya Dahr, this four-hour epic is a sequel to Dhurandhar, which previously earned $20 million in North America. The film stars Ranveer Singh as an undercover Indian intelligence agent navigating Pakistani politics and criminal networks in Karachi.
In a different realm of cinema, the PG-rated animated feature The Pout-Pout Fish from Viva Kids debuted impressively, earning $1.5 million in its opening weekend across 1,854 screens to secure the ninth position. Based on the New York Times bestselling picture book series by Deborah Diesen, the film follows two aquatic misfits on a daring quest to save their home. The voice cast features notable talents such as Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, Jordin Sparks, Amy Sedaris, Miranda Otto, and Remy Hii.
Completing the top ten films for the weekend was MET Opera: Tristan und Isolde, which garnered $772,000 at 709 locations during a live screening. The opera features soprano Lise Davidsen and tenor Michael Spyres and introduces a new staging directed by Yuval Sharon, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting. Distributed in partnership with Fathom, this live event also saw a worldwide gross of $1.48 million. Directed for cinema by Gary Halvorson and hosted by soprano Lisette Oropesa, encore screenings will occur in select U.S. cinemas on March 25 and in Canadian cinemas on April 11, 13, and 15.
In limited releases, Miroirs No. 3 from Christian Petzold opened to $36,700 across three theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The film is set to expand to markets in Boston, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco in the coming week, followed by a nationwide rollout throughout April.
Sofia Coppola’s documentary Marc by Sofia debuted with $46,800 on two screens in New York City. This film offers a behind-the-scenes look at fashion icon Marc Jacobs as he prepares for his 2024 spring collection, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year, and is scheduled to expand into major markets next weekend.
Annemarie Jacir’s film Palestine ’36 performed strongly, earning $36,000 from a single screen at the Angelika, making it the top-grossing film at the venue despite limited showtimes.
Meanwhile, Dead Lover, the inaugural release from indie distribution partners Cartuna x Dweck, opened at New York’s IFC Center with $13,500, also ranking as the top-grossing film at that location. This horror-comedy generated buzz with its unique Stink-O-Vision screenings, an interactive experience featuring scratch-and-sniff elements. The film is set to expand to LA’s Laemmle Glendale next weekend, ahead of a broader U.S. and Canadian release.
Late Shift, from Music Box Films and directed by Petra Volpe, accrued $14,300 across six theaters during its opening weekend, including a qualifying run for awards.
Furthermore, Janus Films launched Sergei Loznitsa’s political satire Two Prosecutors at New York’s Film Forum, collecting $13,300 from a single screen. It is slated to expand to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. on March 27, with a nationwide rollout planned for the following months. Loznitsa will also participate in Q&A sessions at select screenings in LA.
In moderate performances, Tow, distributed by Roadside Attractions, debuted with $131,000 across 180 screens.
