On a massive weekend for Minecraft, there’s another pop at the box office — Fathom Entertainment’s last two installments of The Chosen with Season 5 Parts 1 and 2 both sitting in the top ten.
The Chosen: Last Supper (Season 5) Part 2 is no. 3 with an estimated $7+ million on 2,313 screens. Part 1 is no. 7, sticking around on 1,592 screens in its second week with a three-day gross of $1.87 million and an estimated cume pushing $18.6 million – making Part 1 the best-selling installment yet in the popular series about the life of Jesus.
Part 3 (episodes 6-8) starts next Friday. Fathom will start offering “binge fests” in mid-April so fans can see all three parts. The company has been the U.S. distributor of The Chosen content since 2021 starting with the first theatrical release, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers.
Blue Harbor Entertainment’s release of Roshan Sethi’s queer romantic comedy A Nice Indian Boy, powered theatrically by Variance Films grossed a strong estimated $176k on 81 screens in its debut weekend.
The film played to sold out shows across a mix of arthouse and commercial theaters and was no. 2 in the building (only outgrossed by Minecraft) at NYC’s AMC Empire 25 and AMC Kips Bay, San Francisco’s AMC Kabuki, and Seattle’s AMC Pacific Place. It was no. 1 with a $10k+ gross for the weekend at NYC’s Quad and LA’s Landmark Sunset.
“We’re so happy to see audiences embracing this funny, feel-good story. It’s the kind of film that’s meant to be shared — on the big screen, with a crowd — where you can laugh, cry, and fall in love right alongside everyone else,” said Blue Harbor Entertainment. Expands next weekend. When Naveen (Karan Soni) brings his fiancé Jay (Jonathan Groff) home to meet his traditional Indian family, they must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams.
Other indie openings: Neon’s horror Hell Of A Summer opened to $1.75 million on 1,255 screens. Directed by Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard, starring Fred Hechinger. No. 8 at the domestic box office.
The Luckiest Man in America from IFC Films debuted at $282k on 659 screens. By Samir Oliveros, starring Paul Walter Hauser.
New, limited releases: Metrograph Pictures’ Cannes-premiering neo-noir thriller Gazer by Ryan J. Sloan opened to $13.9k at the Angelika Film Center with multiple sold out shows. Expands to LA, Austin, Dallas, and Washington D.C. next weekend.
Samuel Goldwyn Films’ William Tell by Nick Hamm grossed $25k on 11 screens.
Francois Ozon’s When Fall Is Coming from Music Box Films grossed $6k at the Film Forum. Expanding next weekend to LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, and other markets.
Indie holdovers: A24’s Death Of A Unicorn is topping a $2.69 million estimated weekend on 2,995 screens for a cume of $10.76 million in week 2 with a no. 6 spot.
Bleecker Street is reporting a weekend gross of $1.62 million for The Friend at 1,237 locations in week 2 for a cume of $1.696 million. It’s no. 9 at the domestic box office.
GKids’ 4K re-release of Princess Mononoke is looking at $617k on 630 screens in week 2 for a cume of $5.96 million.
The Penguin Lessons from Sony Pictures Classics is grossing $444k on 683 screens in week 2 for a cume of $2.257 million.
Focus Features’ The Ballad Of Wallis Island grossed $200k at 41 theaters in week 2 for a cume of $232k. Expands to about 300 theaters next week.
The Encampments from Watermelon Pictures will gross an estimated $110.5k at 46 theaters for a cume of $221k in week 2 after a big opening last weekend at the Angelika. The weekend saw sold out screenings in LA, Austin, Chicago and San Francisco but Saturday numbers were affected by the mass Hands Off! protests around the country and a large pro-Palestine March in DC. Rolls out to top 35 markets next week.
