Arty fare finds its niche

'Labyrinth' pans out with booming per screen average

By IAN MOHR

“Pan’s Labyrinth” was among specialty pics playing strongly over the holiday frame.

Auds haven't been embracing too many niche pics this season, but they seemed to change their tune and resolve to get in some serious stuff over the New Year's holiday frame.

Picturehouse -- the joint venture between New Line and HBO Films headed by Bob Berney -- had held off on releasing its dark fantasy "Pan's Labyrinth" in the heat of the fall battle for specialty pics, and the ploy seemed to work: Pic bowed in 17 locations for a booming per-screen average of $45,630. Pic's four-day estimated cume was $775,706.

Also playing strongly in limited release was Warner Bros.' "Letters From Iwo Jima," Clint Eastwood's follow-up to "Flags of Our Fathers."

In just five locations, pic played to $115,000 over four days, for a per-location average of $23,000.

Cume has shot to $343,000 in just two frames. Warners chose to take a slow approach to the pic's rollout after "Flags" didn't rise particularly well for Paramount earlier this year.

Universal, meantime, was playing sci-fi pic "Children of Men," starring Clive Owen, in 16 locations, where the pic played to a hefty per-playdate average of $43,525. Pic's cume stands at $1.3 million. It goes wide next frame.

Fox Searchlight's Patrick Marber-penned "Notes on a Scandal" bowed to $107,000 over three days. Pic's playdate average was $18,582 from 22. Searchlight adds 17 screens next frame.

Miramax's "The Queen" also continued to see some regal numbers. Pic is one of the few that has been playing consistently well among specialty pics, along with Sony Classics' "Volver."

Over three days, Miramax reported "Queen's" biz had rocketed more than 100%: Pic took in $872,000 from 302 in its 13th frame. Cume is $28.1 million.

Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" has shot up to $5 million in nine frames. Pic had a three-day per-screen average over New Year's of $6,541 off 117.

Warner Independent's "The Painted Veil" drew $480,000 over four days for a per-screen average of $12,973 from 37.

But not all specialty pics were performing at such high levels.

In its second frame, Miramax's "Venus" lost 7.2% of its biz over three days. Pic has cumed $112,000, playing in three locations.

MGM's "Miss Potter," starring Renee Zellweger, took in $12,953 at two for a per-screen average of $6,477.

MGM also released a raft of pics for qualifying runs on one screen, including "Factory Girl," "Arthur and the Invisibles" and "The Flying Scotsman." Studio did not report numbers for the single-screen engagements.

Par Vantage's "Babel" bobbled to $522,645 over the three days for a per-screen average of $2,243 from 233. Pic's cume stands at just under $20 million, about the price for which the pic was acquired by the studio.