The indie film box office has recently seen an intriguing mix of titles, including the thrilling Bollywood film 'Dhurandhar', the artistic 'Eternity', and the compelling 'Hamnet'. These films, along with the horror reboot 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' and 'The Secret Agent', populated the specialty box office. As the pre-Christmas weekend unfolded, big studio releases dominated the landscape, but the allure of independent cinema remained strong.
Among the new releases, Mike P. Nelson's remake of the 1984 slasher classic 'Silent Night, Deadly Night', distributed by Cineverse, is projected to earn around $1.1 million across 1,640 theaters. This revival of a notorious title has certainly stirred interest.
Additionally, Bryan Fuller’s film 'Dust Bunny', featuring prominent actors Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Sloan, opened with a modest $339,000 from 402 screens, showcasing a unique narrative that is starting to attract attention.
Cinegalaxy also introduced 'Akhanda 2: Thaandavam', a Telugu film that debuted in 300 theaters, gathering an impressive $366,000 over its opening weekend, as reported by Comscore.
In terms of limited releases, Janus Films brought us 'Resurrection', a project by the talented Bi Gan, which premiered on just three screens and grossed $64,200, averaging a remarkable $21,400 per screen. This marks one of the significant Chinese film entries in the U.S. since the pandemic began. The director engaged audiences with sold-out Q&A sessions both in New York City at the Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center, as well as in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royal.
On another note, 'Atropia', directed by Hailey Benton Gates and awarded the Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature, opened in NYC's IFC Center, earning an estimated $9,000. Meanwhile, Roadside Attractions' 'Rosemead', featuring Lucy Liu, achieved a total of $85,000 in its second week, with $29,000 coming from AMC Century City in LA, where it enjoyed several sold-out screenings, including a special Friday Q&A event hosted by Geena Davis.
Continuing its strong performance, 'Dhurandhar' from Moviegoers Entertainment ranked fourth in its second week, pulling in $3.45 million and bringing its cumulative total to $7.89 million, according to Comscore. This Hindi spy thriller, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, intricately weaves together the lives of criminals, informants, and operatives in a gripping narrative.
GKids' anime 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution' continues to resonate with audiences, securing the sixth spot in its second week with $2.1 million from 1,350 screens and a total of $14.5 million thus far.
A24's 'Eternity', helmed by David Freyne, grossed $1.77 million this week across 2,067 screens, pushing its overall earnings close to $13 million after three weeks in theaters.
Chloé Zhao's 'Hamnet', released by Focus Features, also demonstrated solid staying power, raking in $1.5 million from 749 locations, accumulating $7 million overall. This film is set to expand its release in January and boasts an impressive 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics rating it 87% fresh.
Sony Pictures Classics’ musical 'Merrily We Roll Along' earned $248,400 in its second week from 330 screens, totaling $2.2 million so far. This adaptation, directed by Maria Friedman and featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez, continues to charm audiences.
Neon’s 'The Secret Agent', directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura, collected $234,000 on just 43 screens in its third week, bringing its cumulative total to $488,000.
In the realm of event cinema, The Met: Live in HD transmitted Giordano’s 'Andrea Chénier', grossing $524,000 across approximately 800 screens. Conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Daniele Rustioni and featuring soprano Sonya Yoncheva alongside tenor Piotr Beczała, the performance is set for encore screenings in select U.S. cinemas on December 17.
