SS Rajamouli (€€€) returned to American theaters with Baahubali: the epic attracting a crossover audience and an estimated $837.3K since mid-week on approximately 450 screens. Variance Films handled the U.S. release, working with producers Arka Mediaworks and marketing firm Walls & Trends.
Prathyangira Cinemas took care of Canada.
The film a new vision of the duo Baahubali series Baahubali: The beginning (2015) and Baahubali: the conclusion (2017) – the latter being the highest-grossing Indian film of all time in North America – remastered and edited into a single cinematic experience by Rajamouli. Running four hours, with intermission, the release opened Wednesday on 160 premium large format screens, including Imax, to sold-out audiences at the AMC Lincoln Square Imax and in theaters nationwide. A handful of additional showings at midnight that night for serious fans to keep up with demand.
The epic expanded to 448 locations Thursday with more than 60 PLF races underway. Its broadcast will continue until next weekend, after which it will remain available on screens in a Variance model successfully developed with €€€bringing it back after its initial run with an “encoRRRe” release that continues to sell out theaters to this day and added $1.5 million to the initial gross.
“SS Rajamouli films are what movie theaters were built for, and sitting in the middle of the theater this weekend watching die-hard fans applaud their favorite moments while new viewers lean forward to see what happens next is as much fun as you can have at the movies,” said Dylan Marchetti, president and founder of Variance. He said the initial gross amount was slightly higher than internal projections.
Indian films are highly regarded at the North American box office, but often earn 80% of their revenue from Indian audiences and families on the first day of release, then drop significantly. The public for Baahubali: the epic there were around 10-15% non-Indian fans of Rajamouli who liked €€€ and I heard about it on Letterboxd or other social media as part of a calibrated campaign that was also conscious of not harming the target audience. Marchetti is waiting for the road show, like €€€‘s, to be almost exclusively non-Indian moviegoers.
In BaahubaliA legendary warrior emerges from humble beginnings to challenge the powerful forces that threaten his homeland, as ancient prophecies and family ties shape his journey. It stars Prabhas in dual roles alongside Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishna, Nassar, Sathyaraj, Subbaraju and Adivi Sesh.
€€€ opened in March 2022 for $9.5 million domestically, grossing over $15 million (and $166 million worldwide). It launched into multiplexes amid a post-Covid shortage of new releases, winning the Oscar for best original score.
Other independents: Focus Features » Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos grossed $4.8 million in a major second-week expansion to 2,043 screens for a gross of $5.8 million. It’s the best wide break yet for the director (Favorite things, poor people, kinds of kindness). It is certified fresh on Rotten Tomaotes with a critics score of 86% and an audience score of 83%. B CinemaScore. The audience was 61% male, 39% female, with 39% aged 24 to 34. About 53% were white, 24% Latino, 7% black, 7% Asian, and 6% Native American/other. Focus said it expects audiences will continue to find the film starring Emma Stone in theaters despite an overall depressed market.
Briarcliff’s animated family comedy Point head opened to $2.1 million on 2,162 screens for a gross of $2.5 million.
Birthday from Roadside Attractions is looking at an estimated 3-day gross of $259.2K from 809 screens.
IFC Opened Crime Thriller Set in the Ozark Mountains Violent endings in 700 theaters at $120,000.
Neon lights Shelby Oaks grossed $770,000 in its second week from 1,708 locations grossing $3.9 million.
MORE
