Weekend Estimates: “Limits of Control” Big In New York; “Terra” Tumbles (UPDATED)

A scene from Jim Jarmusch's "The Limits of Control." Image courtesy of Focus Features.

Jim Jarmusch’s “The Limits of Control” led the specialty box office this weekend, according to estimates provided by Rentrak.  The Focus Features release - described by indieWIRE‘s Michael Koresky as “as a series of discrete, uncannily repeated sit-down encounters between a mysterious loner on some sort of criminal assignment and a succession of enigmatic oddball contacts throughout sunny Spain” - grossed $54,233 in three theaters.  It’s $18,087 average topped all other reporting limited releases, and its set to become the first narrative film to top the iW BOT (which is measured by per-theater-averages) since “Sunshine Cleaning” seven weeks ago.

Compared to Jarmusch’s recent work, “Control” seemed a bit limited by its relatively challenging content. In August 2005, the considerably more marketable “Broken Flowers” (which, like “Control” featured Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton - albeit with much more screen time) opened on 27 theaters to a whopping $28,904 average, en route to a $13,744,960 total.  However, in 2004, “Coffee & Cigarettes” had a much more comparable opening. On 5 screens the film grossed $99,162 for a $19,832 average - and ended up with $2,198,924. 

“Control”‘s grosses were largely driven by its showing at New York’s Angelika, where its likely to take in around $32,000.  Much lighter grosses came out of showings at the Arclight and Landmark in Los Angeles.  The film expands to six new markets next Friday - Washington, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Seattle, which Focus told indieWIRE are “core Jarmusch markets similar to New York.”

Other reporting openers included Roadside Attractions’ animated “Terra,” which battled “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” for family audiences and failed miserably. On 1,162 screens, the film - voiced by Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox and David Cross, among others - grossed just $1,064,200 for a $916 average.

A few more limited openings fared a little better. Götz Spielmann’s “Revanche,” released by Janus Films, opened on 3 screens and grossed $16,950.  Though the film’s $5,650 average is nothing special, it did pick up a decent $10,000 gross from New York’s IFC Center (its other venues were Boston’s Coolidge Center and Seattle’s SIFF Cinema).  Meanwhile, Michael Keaton’s (yes, that Michael Keaton) “The Merry Gentleman” opened on 24 screens care of IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films and grossed $72,240. Its $3,010 average suggests “Gentleman” does not have a very merry future at the box office.

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