At 204 screens, the Kristen Stewart-Dakota Fanning vehicle The Runaways added $470K (+182.2%) this weekend thanks to the addition of 120 sites, according to Box Office Mojo.
Its per-screen average, however, was low for a movie in limited release: $2,304. On the other hand, the good news is that The Runaways actually boasted a per-screen average increase after more than doubling its number of theaters. That's quite unusual. Generally speaking, per-screen averages drop when there's a surge in the number of theaters screening a particular movie.
Last weekend, at only 84 theaters, The Runaways averaged $1,981; the previous week, at 237 screens, its average was $1,920. Something was done right this weekend — I'm not quite sure what; Kristen Stewart's 20th birthday celebration? — to bring more butts to more theaters seats.
Directed and written by Floria Sigismondi, The Runaways has been greeted by mixed reviews. But generally, Dakota Fanning and especially Kristen Stewart have received positive-to-enthusiastic notices.
To date, the Joan Jett-Cherie Currie biopic has grossed $2.51 million in North America. It cost $10 million.
Also in the film's cast are Michael Shannon and Tatum O'Neal.
Photo: The Runaways (Apparition)
i wonder when it will be released in england…they need to publice this film more!
WOM is helping this film a lot because they aren't spending money on advertising. It's going to continue to increase. That's good news for another one of my upcoming indie favorites, "Blue Valentine". Some moviegoers still want to see real films with real acting.
How about the fact that most of the 204 theaters the film opened to were showing it for the FIRST time!!