‘Till,’ ‘Decision to Leave’ Lead Slow Weekend Indie Box Office
The slow recovery of the indie box office continued this weekend with the release of United Artists/Orion’s “Till” in 16 theaters, while Park Chan-wook’s romantic thriller “Decision to Leave” got a platform release in three theaters from independent distributor MUBI.
“Till,” directed by “Clemency” filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu, was released in five cities this weekend and grossed $240,940, bringing its per theater average to $15,059 as it will expand to 150-200 theaters in 30 cities next weekend.
With critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% approval rating and a 92% positive rating on Comscore/Screen Engine’s Posttrak, “Till” has built Oscar buzz for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler for her performance as Mamie Till-Mobley, who spent years fighting for justice after the racist lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett.
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“Everyone at UAR and MGM’s Orion is incredibly proud of this film – its powerful, cinematic, and important – beautifully directed by Chinonye Chukwu; with one of the best performances, you’ve ever seen on screen by Danielle Deadwyler,” said United Artists distribution chief Erik Lomis in a statement.
“Hats off to producers Barbara Broccoli, Keith Beauchamp, and Whoopi Goldberg who fought to get this movie made for decades. This weekend, the film attracted an incredibly diverse, multi-generational audience, playing both smarthouse and commercial venues. We’re off to a great start,” Lomis continued.
“Decision to Leave” opened in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles, grossing $90,729 with $57,308 coming from the Angelika Film Center in New York. Given that it is a Korean film, a $30,000 average is a solid start as it expands to 36 more theaters in 10 cities next weekend.
“It’s genuinely thrilling to have ‘Decision to Leave’ opening so well among multiple movies in the arthouse marketplace doing pre-pandemic numbers,” noted MUBI’s domestic distribution head Chris Mason Wells.
Among expansions, Focus Features’ “TÁR” expanded to 36 theaters this weekend and grossed $360,000 for a $10,000 average, bringing its total to $585,000 ahead of a wide release on Oct. 28. Neon’s “Triangle of Sadness” expanded to 31 theaters in its second weekend and added $336,576 for a slightly better $10,857 average.
Another Neon release, the David Bowie doc “Moonage Daydream,” has crossed the $4 million mark after adding $111,000 from 198 theaters in its fifth weekend.
