Indie Weekend Highlights: Horror Film ‘Hokum’ Rakes in $6.4 Million for a No. 5 Spot in Specialty Box Office
Neon’s latest release, **Hokum**, directed by Damian McCarthy and featuring Adam Scott, opened to a modest $6.4 million across 1,885 screens this weekend. Set in a haunting Irish inn and produced on a budget of $5 million, the film secured the fifth spot at the North American box office, trailing behind established titles such as **The Devil Wears Prada 2**, **Michael**, **The Super Mario Galaxy Movie**, and **Project Hail Mary**.
The narrative follows novelist Ohm Bauman (played by Scott) as he travels to a secluded inn in Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes. There, he becomes enveloped in local legends about a witch haunting the honeymoon suite, leading to chilling visions and a mysterious disappearance that compel him to confront his troubled past. The cast also includes Brendan Conroy, David Wilmot, Peter Coonan, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, and Florence Ordesh.
Neon is handling international distribution for the film, marking its first release in partnership with Spooky Pictures. This collaboration builds on a co-production agreement with Image Nation and is part of an ongoing series with Waypoint’s Creature Features.
The film’s opening weekend gross reflects a generally positive trend in the box office, which has seen an 18% increase compared to the same weekend last year, according to Comscore. **Hokum** has received favorable reviews, boasting an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82% audience score, alongside a B Cinemascore.
In sixth place, Angel Studio’s animated film **Animal Farm**, directed by Andy Serkis, debuted with $3.4 million from 2,600 screens. This adaptation of George Orwell’s classic allegory features voice performances by Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Glenn Close, and Woody Harrelson.
Magenta Light Studios’ shark thriller **Deep Water**, directed by Renny Harlin and produced by KISS’s Gene Simmons, opened at 1,675 locations, earning $2.15 million. The film portrays an international group of passengers forced into a perilous situation in shark-infested waters while traveling from Los Angeles to Shanghai.
Meanwhile, **One Spoon Of Chocolate**, directed by Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA, in collaboration with 36 Cinema Distribution and Variance Films, grossed $574,000 in its opening weekend across 636 screens. The revenge thriller follows an ex-military convict, played by Shameik Moore, seeking redemption in a small town.
Limited Releases: Francesco Sossai’s film **The Last One For The Road**, which premiered at Cannes, opened to $7,500 on two screens via Music Box Films.
Event Transmission: The Met’s live in HD airing of Tchaikovsky’s **Eugene Onegin** grossed approximately $670,000 in North America from a single screening on Saturday, shown at around 800 theaters. Featuring soprano Asmik Grigorian and baritone Iurii Samoilov, and conducted by Timur Zangiev on his Met debut, encore screenings of **Eugene Onegin** will take place in select U.S. theaters on May 6. The high-definition broadcasts are set to conclude the 2025–26 season with Gabriela Lena Frank’s **El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego** on May 30.
