Blue Jasmine opened in limited release on Friday in New York and Los Angeles. First figures are in and on the back of fantastic reviews, it has topped the specialty box office this year.
On opening weekend in netted $612,767 in just 6 theatres. That gives it a per screen average of $102,128. It beats the current best specialty opening of the year so far – ‘Spring Breakers’ which had a $87,667 average. This is also a career best for Allen.
How does this rate against Allen’s previous films?
To Rome With Love took $361,359 in its first weekend in 5 theatres. It’s average was $72,272.
Midnight In Paris took $599,003 in its first weekend in 6 theatres. It’s average was $99,834.
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger made just $160,103 in it’s first weekend in 6 theatres. It averaged $26,684.
Whatever Works made $266,162 in it’s first weekend in 9 theatres. It averaged $29,574.
Competition this week comes from one new film in wide release – ‘The Wolverine‘ which stars Allen alumni Hugh Jackman (Scoop). In limited release, the main competition is ‘To Do List‘ starring Aubrey Plaza.
Only five other live action films have ever topped the $100k mark for a limited release – ‘The Master‘, ‘Moonrise Kingdom‘, ‘Precious‘, ‘Dreamgirls‘ and ‘Brokeback Mountain‘.
Lots of folks on social media took photos of the lines of people lining up to see ‘Blue Jasmine‘ on opening weekend.
For us, we don’t know what to think. It has been a while since American reviewers have been so positive about an Allen film before release. The star power of Cate Blanchett could draw in a major new audience. The limited release audience has become more powerful. But Allen is still a niche, and the new film doesn’t have the feel-good exotic getaway feel of his last two. Anything can happen at this point.
