Per Theater Chart: Laughing at the Competition

September 14, 2011

There was only one film to reach the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart, but it did it with style. Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain earned just under $2 million in 98 theaters for an average of $19,474. I wasn't expecting it to earn $2 million in total.

The next best new release was The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 with an average of $8,658 in two theaters. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan earned just a hair shy of $400,000 in 74 theaters for an average of $5,398. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu opened with $4,644 in its lone theater. The Whale was significantly weaker with an average $2,418 in two theaters, but it opened in places that are not known for opening limited releases (Seattle and Tacoma) so that is a mitigating circumstance. Despite its good reviews, Shaolin only managed an average of $1,913. Main Street missed the Mendoza Line with just $1,553 in its single theater. Burke & Hare was playing in one theater and only made $947. Tanner Hall was even weaker, earning an average of $561 in five theaters.

This past week also saw milestones reached for a few Per Theater Charts alumni:

• Senna finally made it to $1 million, but that's as far as it will go.
• Saving Private Perez also made it to $1 million, but it only has a slightly better shot at $2 million.
• Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain opened with more than $1 million, so obviously it reached its first milestone over the weekend.
• Seven Days In Utopia topped $2 million before the weekend and it is already very close to $3 million. However, it will also likely collapse quite quickly after that.
• The Guard surpassed $3 million over the weekend and has a good shot at $4 million.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Theater Averages, Burke & Hare, Main Street, The Guard, Senna, The Whale, Salvando al Soldado Perez, Seven Days In Utopia, The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975, Shaolin, Tanner Hall, Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain, Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceausescu, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan