Mother Mary’s Limited Engagement, The Christophers’ Expansion, and Fans Eager for Exit 8 – Specialty Box Office Update
Box Office Highlights: Specialty Releases Gain Momentum
The specialty box office showcased a mix of successful releases this weekend, featuring A24’s Mother Mary, Neon’s Exit 8, and The Christophers from Steven Soderbergh, among others. A variety of limited releases and holdovers added to the dynamic scene, with the faith-based historical film A Great Awakening continuing to attract attention.
A24’s Mother Mary, directed by David Lowery, opened impressively with $168,000 across just five theaters, yielding a notable per-screen average of $33,600. The drama stars Anne Hathaway as the pop icon Mother Mary, who reconnects with her estranged best friend (Michaela Coel) before her comeback concert. The film features original songs from Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs, and is slated for a limited nationwide expansion next weekend.
Neon’s Exit 8, adapted from the popular video game by Kotake Create, grossed $669,400 in its second week, bringing its cumulative total to $2.8 million from 510 theaters. The film chronicles a man’s perilous journey through a seemingly endless sterile subway, searching for the elusive Exit 8.
Soderbergh’s The Christophers performed well in its second-week expansion, earning $596,000 across 364 theaters. The film features Ian McKellen as an artist who has retreated into self-imposed isolation, and its total earnings now stand at $702,400.
Focus Features debuted Lorne, a biographical documentary about SNL creator Lorne Michaels, in 415 theaters with an opening weekend gross of $270,000, primarily driven by audiences in New York and Los Angeles.
In limited releases, Magenta Light Studios’ Fireflies At EL Mozote opened to $47,000 across 39 theaters. Based on true events, the film follows a boy seeking revenge after surviving the 1981 El Mozote massacre in El Salvador.
Erupcja from 1-2 Special debuted to $25,600 at two theaters, while Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Mad Bills To Pay, directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas, earned $23,000 on two screens in New York City, drawing strong word of mouth and community engagement. The film is set to expand on May 1.
Janus Films released Sophy Romvari’s acclaimed debut Blue Heron, which grossed $16,500 on its initial screen at NYC’s IFC Center, with plans for further screenings in Los Angeles starting on April 24.
Watermelon Pictures’ Mārama earned $6,300 at the IFC Center, with promises of a broader rollout in May following successful sneak preview screenings.
The distributor reported its historical drama Palestine ’36 surpassed $500,000, now totaling $526,800 after a $60,000 weekend on 60 screens.
In the indie top ten, Roadside Attractions’ A Great Awakening rounded out the list based on a weekend gross of $823,700, accumulating $6.6 million in its third week. The indie film Busboys, starring David Spade and Theo Von, opened at number eight with $1.6 million across 800 screens, while the Indian horror comedy Bhooth Bangle debuted with $977,000 on 500 screens.
Additionally, holdover Faces Of Death from IFC Films garnered $300,000 on 1,000 screens, bringing its total to $2.4 million in its second week. Fantasy Life from Greenwich Entertainment added $31,000 at 66 locations, totaling $573,000 in its third week.
