New independents from documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley on the rising musician who died too young, to Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut My Mother’s Wedding and quirky animated Boys Are From Jupiter, Cartuna’s first outing as a distributor, made a mark this weekend. The numbers don’t necessarily move the needle on summer box office given the proliferation of big ticket studio fare led by new entrants Weapons and Freakier Friday, but they do show moviegoer interest in a variety of fare.
Topping the indie film box office, Neon body horror Together by Michael Shanks starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie added $2.6 million in week 2 on 2,225 screens for a cume of $17.2 million at a no. 9 spot.
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TIFF-premiering Sketch from Angel Studios, written and directed by Seth Worley, opened to a $2.5 million weekend on 2,157 screens for a cume of $5 million and a no. 10 spot for the adventure fantasy, according to Comscore. Single dad (Tony Hale) navigates uncharted territory when his daughter’s comically dark, scribbled drawings begin to come to life and wreak havoc on their small town. With D’Arcy Carden, Biana Belle, Kue Lawrence and Kalen Cox.
Magnolia Pictures’ It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg debuted to a standout $400k at 120 theaters. Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album, Grace, when he died suddenly in 1997 at age 30 leaving behind an unfinished second album and a legion of devastated family, friends, fans and colleagues. The doc is a portrait of the influential musician told through never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s archives and intimate accounts from those who knew him. Magnolia noted enthusiastically received, sold-out screenings across the country contributing to the strong start, calling it “a testament to the enduring appeal of [Buckley’s] music, and to Amy Berg’s great film.”
What’s nice to see is that pretty much every city did some level of business. Buckely’s fans are clearly motivated — also enthusiastic about the limited edition posters from designer Jess Rotter that theaters were giving out this weekend, said Magnolia’ head of distribution and marketing Neal Block. Specific markets like New York City, Orange County and Memphis did great, as expected, but grosses are strong in spots like Houston, Sacramento and Orlando, he added, noting social posts by fans about going back for a second or third showing.
Boys Go To Jupiter, the first theatrical release from independent studio Cartuna, co-distributed with Irony Point, opened exclusively at New York’s IFC Center to a strong $15k, the best opening weekend average for an animated film this year. The Tribeca Festival selection features a comedic voice cast of Julio Torres, Janeane Garofalo, Cole Escola, Tavi Gevinson, Elsie Fisher and SNL’s Sarah Sherman. The story follows Billy 5000, a teenager in suburban Florida desperately trying to make $5,000 when his winter break is turned upside down by the arrival of a bizarre creature from another world.
Director Julian Glander’s debut feature exceeded internal tracking thanks to multiple sold-out screenings, strong critical notices and highly effective social targeting, Cartuna said. Co-founder and CEO James Belfer called Glander “a truly authentic artist and the success of this film further proves that the new wave of weird has only just begun. I’m thrilled to continue our support of these one-of-a-kind auteurs.” The film will continue to roll out through early fall, expanding to 15+ cities next week including LA (Laemmle Glendale, Toronto (TIFF Lightbox), Seattle (SIFF Cinema Uptown) and San Francisco (Balboa Theater).
Vertical’s My Mother’s Wedding clocked a nice $432k weekend debut on 402 screens. The directorial debut of Kristin Scott Thomas, who also stars with Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller and Emily Beecham, played well in upscale markets across the U.S. New York and Los Angeles were strong but the family comedy saw solid numbers in Kansas City, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis and other non-coastal markets. AMC Lincoln Square in NYC and AMC Century City were among top grossers with strong play at indie art houses from Angelika and Cinema 1,2,3 in Manhattan, the Bryn Mawr in Philadelphia, the Cape on Cape Cod, the Mariemont in Cincinnati and the Wayfarer in Highland Park IL.
Roadside Attractions opened horror Strange Harvest by Stuart Ortiz to $214k at 770 locations.Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for a sadistic serial killer whose murders mark the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force. Stuart Ortiz.
Hind Meddeb’s documentary Sudan, Remember Us from Watermelon Pictures opened to $6.6k at two locations, DCTV Firehouse in NYC and Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, with sold out screenings in NYC, along with filmmaker Q&As. The Firehouse only holds 60 seats. With great critical reception (100% on Rotten Tomatoes off 19 review) and positive word of mouth, the doc will continue to roll out to key markets in the US and Canada, including LA next Friday at the Laemmle Royal. Over four years, journalist and filmmaker Meddeb bears witness to a lost revolution and the power of creativity as a tool of survival and resistance.
Holdover: Oscilloscope Labs CatVideoFest 2025 saw $143k on week 2 on 78 screens for a cume of $680k.
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