Hot off setting a new documentary record, National Geographic’s “Free Solo” continues its strong run at the indie box office, while 20th Century Fox sends in their adaptation of Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give” for a limited run in advance of its Oct. 19 wide release.
“Free Solo,” which set a new per screen average for docs last week, expanded to 41 screens and has added $540,000 for a per screen average of $13,136. That pushes the film’s 10-day total to $955,000, with another expansion for the tale of the daredevil Yosemite climber coming next weekend.
“The Hate U Give” opened on 36 screens in select cities this weekend, making $500,000 for a slightly higher per screen average of $13,889. Directed by George Tillman Jr., the film stars Amandla Stenberg as a black prep school student who watches her best friend get killed by a white police officer and now must find her voice amidst pressure from both her community and the mostly white school she goes to.
The film’s cast also includes Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, Common and Anthony Mackie. It currently holds a 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Among holdovers, Bleecker Street’s “Colette” passed the $1 million mark in its third weekend, as it expanded to 107 screens and earned $458,831 for a total of $1.23 million. Fox Searchlight’s “The Old Man & the Gun” expanded to 49 screens and earned $385,000 for a total of $575,000.
