Diverse auds stoked for 'Broke'
'Mountain' scales new heights
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Focus' gay cowboy love story roped the No. 8 spot with $2.4 million despite playing in just 69 theaters.
As expected, best perfs came in more liberal cities, including Toronto, New York and L.A., where the film's best per play takes reached over $70,000.
However, "Brokeback"'s best per play takes in other cities included an estimated $56,000 at a theater in Atlanta, $50,000 in Phoenix, $49,000 in Houston, $35,000 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and $33,000 in St. Louis. In some of those cities, it was playing on only one screen.
Pic had lower, but still solid takes in suburban markets in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California.
However, it has yet to reach more staunchly conservative areas in the deep South, mountain states and the heartland.
"You can't do what we're doing with just one demographic," Focus distrib topper Jack Foley said. "The notion that this is a gay film is proving to be mistaken."
Expanding from five theaters last weekend, per-play average for "Brokeback" was $34,194. That's the best ever for a non-Imax film on more than 50 playdates.
Ang Lee-helmed short story adaptation is the first film since 1995 to break into the top 10 while in fewer than 100 locations. Cume is $3.3 million.
Indie is pushing up a planned expansion to take advantage of pic's momentum. Previously set to stay flat until January, "Brokeback" will now likely expand to more than 100 playdates next weekend, primarily in the same 21 markets it's in.
Focus is also expecting to broaden planned expansions for Jan. 6 and 13.
"Memoirs of a Geisha" also did very well in its second weekend, while "The Producers" bowed strong.
Expanding from eight to 52 playdates, Sony's "Geisha" made $1.2 million for an average of $23,748. Adaptation of the bestselling novel has cumed $2.2 million; it goes wide Friday.
Bowing on six screens, "The Producers" posted a solid $156,000, or $25,973 per. It benefited from a temporary rise in ticket prices at Gotham's Ziegfeld Theater from $11 to $12.50.
U takes the tuner adaptation wide on Christmas Day.
WB continues to do extremely well with its re-release of "The Polar Express" on 66 Imax screens. Motion-capture toon made $1.1 million in its fourth frame for an average of $16,076.
Gross was up 14% over last week on the same number of plays. It's the second weekend in a row "Polar" has increased its gross without expanding.
Cume for the re-release is $5.4 million.
"Mrs. Henderson Presents" declined 27% to $40,157 as it played its second weekend on six screens. Judi Dench starrer made $6,693 per and has cumed $121,193.
"Transamerica," also from the Weinstein Co., dropped 10% to $19,141 as it added one playdate to its two in L.A. and Gotham in its third frame. Transgender drama averaged $6,380 and has now made a total of $114,424.
