The Lasting Appeal of ‘Coraline’ at Specialty Box Offices

Coraline 15th Anniversary secured the number five spot at the domestic box office, bringing in $8.63 million over the three-day weekend across 1,603 screens. This brought its total to $11.6 million, breaking its previous record for Fathom Events. Last year, this stop-motion animated film directed by Henry Selick became the distributor’s highest-grossing classic, with over $7 million earned at the box office in just four days.

Coraline first premiered in 2009, opening to $16.8 million and eventually grossing $75.3 million domestically and $127 million globally. The PG-rated movie, adapted from Neil Gaiman’s popular 2002 book, was the first to be originally filmed in 3-D, featuring computer-generated effects.

Dakota Fanning lends her voice to Coraline, a young girl who discovers an alternate version of her life after walking through a secret door in her new house. This parallel reality initially seems better but soon reveals itself to be dangerous. Coraline must rely on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to return home when her “Other Mother” (voiced by Teri Hatcher) tries to keep her there forever.

The film is running in theaters through Aug 22, available in both 3D and 2D formats.

In other releases, Prathyangira Cinemas’ Hindi supernatural comedy horror, Stree 2, directed by Amar Kaushik, had a strong showing with $2.18 million over the three-day weekend at 666 locations. Including Thursday revenue, the film’s cume stands at $2.57 million. This sequel to Stree (2018) broke records as the biggest opening in India this year. The story revolves around a malevolent witch who mimics the voices of men’s loved ones to lure them to their doom.

Roadside Attractions’ family comedy, My Penguin Friend, debuted with more than $1 million at 1,080 theaters. Inspired by a true story, the film tells the tale of a fisherman who rescues a penguin from an oil spill, forming a strong bond with the bird. The penguin, named Dindim, returns annually to visit its human friend. The film received positive reviews, holding 85% with critics and 96% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and 71% on Metacritic. Its promotions targeted wildlife, oceanic groups, faith communities, and Latino audiences, performing best in the West and Southwest. With children still out of school, the film is poised to attract family audiences for the rest of the summer.

Focus Features’ Sundance audience award-winner DÌDI expanded into more markets in its fourth week. With an A CinemaScore and favorable scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, its three-day weekend estimate stood at $700k from 427 theaters, bringing its estimated cume to $2.7 million. Leading markets for the film include NY, San Francisco, and LA.

IFC Films’ Skincare, directed by Austin Peters and starring Elizabeth Banks, opened to $316k at 768 theaters. The R-rated black comedy follows a Hollywood aesthetician who believes someone is out to destroy her life and business. Due to reporting issues from some theaters, the numbers might be updated on Monday.

Meanwhile, Republic Pictures’ Rob Peace opened with $253k over the weekend at 481 screens. The film is directed, adapted, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Sing Sing, an A24 release starring Colman Domingo, grossed approximately $252k from 112 screens in its fourth week, bringing its total to $1.19 million.

CatVideoFest 2024 continues to perform well, earning $82.6k in its third week. The kitty compilation film, distributed by Oscilloscope and managed by Will Braden, has surpassed the $500k mark, currently standing at $540k. Despite limited showtimes, theaters have been scrambling to schedule encores due to high demand.

Metrograph’s debut feature Good One expanded to 13 theaters and 6 new markets, earning a three-day estimate of $45.3k and a cume of $85.1k in its second week. The film had strong holdovers in NYC and LA, and saw encouraging numbers from Toronto, Boston, and Washington DC. Critical and audience reviews are impressive, with Rotten Tomatoes scores at 97% and 100%, respectively. It will expand into 8 new markets next weekend.

Sony Pictures Classics’ Kneecap, directed by Rich Peppiatt, saw $38.4k in its third week across 58 screens, down from 204, bringing its total to $948.4k.

Utopia’s The Good Half, directed by Robert Schwartzman and featuring Nick Jonas, opened selectively in North America, earning an estimated $38k over the weekend. Including earlier sneak previews, the film’s total stands at $146k. The film is led by a star-studded cast including Elisabeth Shue, David Arquette, Brittany Snow, and Alexandra Shipp, among others.

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