Fox Searchlight continues what has been a great 2018 for them with “Isle of Dogs,” the latest from Oscar-nominated director Wes Anderson.
The limited release, stop-motion film opened on 27 screens in six cities this weekend, making $1.57 million. That gives the film a per screen average of just under $60,000, beating the mark set two weeks ago by “The Death of Stalin” for the top PSA of the year so far.
“Isle of Dogs” stars Bryan Cranston and a voice cast filled with major Japanese and Western heavyweights in a story about a pack of dogs who struggle to survive on an island of trash after they are banished there thanks to the manipulations of a nefarious mayor (Kunichi Nomura) who scares the populace with warnings of an outbreak of “dog flu.” With the help of the mayor’s ward, Atari (Koyu Rankin), and an outspoken American exchange student (Greta Gerwig), the dogs seek to liberate their species and expose the corruption.
The film premiered to critical acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival, where Anderson won the Silver Bear for his direction. The film expands to roughly 150 locations in 22 cities on Easter Weekend, with a nationwide release on approximately 1,500 screens coming in three weeks.
Also opening on three screens this weekend is Sony Pictures Classics’ “Final Portrait.” Written and directed by Stanley Tucci, it stars Geoffrey Rush as Alberto Giacometti, a painter in the mid-20th century who develops a bumpy friendship with American critic James Lord (Armie Hammer) after he asks him to model for a portrait. Receiving positive reviews with a 77 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, the film grossed a solid $28,200 for a PSA of $9,400.
In holdovers, IFC’s “The Death of Stalin” expanded to 141 locations this weekend and made just over $1 million for a PSA of $7,519. The film now has a three-weekend total of $2.1 million. The Orchard’s “Flower” suffered a substantial decline as it expanded to 57 locations this weekend, making just $125,767 for a PSA of $2,209 and a 10-day total of $190,679.