The art house scene saw two new films enter theaters in L.A. and New York: The Orchard’s dramedy “Flower” and Good Deed’s antiwar film “Journey’s End.”
“Flower” opened on three screens and had the highest per screen average of the weekend, earning $57,851 for a PSA of $19,284. The film will expand to 20 major markets next weekend, followed by a nationwide release on March 30.
Premiering at Tribeca last year and starring Zoey Deutch, “Flower” follows a young woman named Erica who decides to help her severely depressed stepbrother Luke (Joey Morgan) stalk and expose a man he thinks sexually assaulted him, only for the plan to completely disintegrate. Max Winkler directed the film and co-wrote it with Alex McAulay and Matt Spicer. The film has received positive reviews with a 67 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
“Journey’s End” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and is an adaptation of R.C. Sherriff’s famed 1928 play about British soldiers stuck in the trenches during World War I. Starring Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin and Paul Bettany, the film had a solid start with $12,700 from its two screen opening. Adapted by Simon Reade and directed by Saul Dibb, the film has been a massive hit with critics with a 94 percent RT score.
Also releasing this weekend is Focus Features/Participant Media/Working Title’s “7 Days in Entebbe,” which stars Daniel Bruhl and Rosamund Pike in a retelling of the 1976 Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris that was hijacked and sent to Entebbe, Uganda, prompting a rescue by the Israeli military. The film received negative reviews with a 22 percent score and has gotten off to a weak start with $1.63 million from 838 screens, giving it a PSA of $1,962.
Elsewhere, IFC’s “The Death of Stalin” expanded to 30 screens this weekend, adding $580,000 for a PSA just behind that of “Flower” with $18,143 and a total of $844,000. Focus’ “Thoroughbreds” added $470,000 from 564 screens, bringing its total to $2.26 million.