Indies ‘Queer’ & ‘Flow’, ‘Pushpa’ Sequel, Anime ‘Solo Leveling’ & Concert Films Sing – Specialty Box Office

This was a notable specialty weekend with Latvian animated Flow powering on and Luca Quadagnino’s Queer starring Daniel Craig rocking its expansion. A notable trio of concert films popped. Telugu Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 had a super opening, the biggest for an Indian film in some time, as did Solo Leveling – ReAwakening, episodes of the popular anime series.

Fresh off the heels of Daniel Craig’s Best Actor win from the National Board of Review, A234’s Queer surged to $405.k on just 47 screens in a great story on week 2 as Luca Guadagnino’s sumptuous love story based on the book by beat writer William S. Burroughs successfully added 17 new markets. Expands into a limited nationwide break next week. A24’s Y2K by Kyle Mooney opened to $2.1 million at 2,108 theaters for a no. 8 spot.

Flow, the Latvian animated film from Sideshow/Janus Films, expanded nationally to 375 screens grossing an estimated $528k for a cume of $633k in week 3. It just took Best Animated Feature from the New York Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review, won the European Animated Feature Film Award, and was nominated for Best International Feature at Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.

The Latvian Oscar entry did its best business in the early evening, with most sell-outs in the 7-830 pm round. Strongest runs were a mix of key arthouse (Nashville’s Belcourt, Chicago’s Music Box, Austin’s AFS Theater and Houston’s newly reopened River Oaks) and multiplexes (AMC Empire, AMC Mercado, AMC Bay Street and Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh) — notable as many multiplexes played the film on a split schedule due to the number of new openings and the strength of holdovers. Chains apparently really liked the film and wanted to try it a little deeper in the suburbs than the distributor was initially planning but it showed nicely and will keep going.

Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 from Prathyangira Cinemas, is closing in on a phenomenal $4.9 million three-day weekend and a $9.3 cume including preview on 1,245 screens. It’s no. 5 at the box office and this sequel is a smash hit globally. See Deadline review from earlier today.

Sony/Crunchyroll is projecting a strong $2.4 million opening weekend for animated Solo Leveling – ReAwakening at 846 locations. This is a catch-up recap of the first season of the popular anime fantasy series coupled with an exclusive sneak peek of the first two episodes of the highly anticipated second season. Directed by Shunsuke Nakashige. Screenplay by Noboru Kimura.

Concert films include for KING + COUNTRY’S A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE from Fathom Events at an estimated $2+ million for the three-day weekend on about 1,500 screens. It took in $561.6k on Thursday. This is a pre-taped holiday concert from the band for King + Country (behind the film Unsung Hero). Originally scheduled to play Dec 5-9 it’s now extended until Dec 18. No. 9 at the box office.

CJ4DPlex’s event theatrical release of RM: RIGHT PEOPLE, WRONG PLACE, a music documentary that chronicles BTS leader RM’s eight-month production of his second solo album, grossed an estimated $598k across 594 North American theaters The film will screen again next weekend for select encore shows. Distributed by Variance Films.

And Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl from Trafalgar Releasing grossed $577k on 406 screens in North America for Friday and Saturday shows of her August concert with the LA Philharmonic.

Circling back, other limited releases: Kino Lorber opened Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada starring Richard Gere in 3 locations to a weekend debut of $33.25k. Expands across North America on December 13. “Schrader and Gere are icons of American cinema and we’re proud to be distributing their cinematic reunion,” said Kino Lorber’s Head of Theatrical Acquisitions and Distribution Lisa Schwartz. “It’s gratifying to see the enthusiastic reception from audiences and the critical support for Oh, Canada.  The film is a powerful addition to their storied careers.”

Neon’s The End from Joshua Oppenheimer opened to $25.7k on three screens. Neon also has The Seed Of The Sacred Fig in week 2 on 5 screens ($96.5k cume) and Anora still on 123 in week 8 ($13+ million cume).

Bad Shabbos from Menemsha Films, which won the Audience Award at Tribeca, opened to $13.4k at one sold-out theater in South Florida.

Mubi’s The Girl With The Needle by Magnus van Horn, Denmark’s entry for Best International feature, will see $11.5k on 2 screens in New York and LA.

Moderate releases: The Order from Vertical, by Justin Kurzel, starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, is looking at a three-day estimate of $878k on 603 screens, a nice opening for “The extraordinary talent, both in front of and behind the camera,” said the distributor’s CEO and Partner Peter Jarowey, “Their incredible support during the release campaign has been immeasurable. The exhibitors have been instrumental, bringing this film to New York, Los Angeles and everywhere in between. We’re overjoyed to see audiences embracing it with the same passion we have.” Premiered at Venice, played TIFF, AFI and more. Vertical noted strength in New York and Los Angeles but says the film is playing well across the country, noting Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Fresno, Milwaukee, St.Louis and Raleigh, NC.

Wide indie Werewolves from Briarcliff release grossed an estimated $1.1 million on 1,351 screens.

Bleecker Street is estimating The Return with Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche will gross $354.6k in its opening weekend on 629 screens.

Trailer Park Boys: Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties from Blue Fox Entertainment is at $210k on a run of 285 screens.

IFC Films’ vacation comedy horror Get Away is seeing $101k at 474 locations.