DirectorSean Baker’sAnorais showing incredibly promising signs at the box office, afterdelivering the year’s best limited debut last week. In its second weekend, the film exceeded expectations once again,grossing nearly $1 million from just 34 theaters.Anorapremiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it ended up winning the festival’s top honor, the prestigious Palme d’Dor. It was picked up for domestic distribution by Neon, which set new benchmarks for itself earlier this year with the horror hitLonglegs.
Anoragrossed over $900,000this weekend, registering a per-theater average of $26,000 — the biggest of any film currently in release, and over twice as much asVenom: The Last Dance’s $12,000 PTA. This comes just a week after it broke records with a $91,000 per-theater average in its opening frame, when it debuted in just six theaters. The romantic comedy-drama’s running domestic haul now stands at $1.6 million in just 10 days. Combined with the $689,000 that it has made in overseas territories — mainly Russia —the film’s cumulative global gross stands at $2.3 million.Why Russia, you might ask. That’s probably becauseAnorais set in the Russian immigrant community of New York, and features several actors of Russian descent.
Mikey Madisonisalready attracting Oscar buzz for her central performanceas the titular character.Mark Eidelsteinstars as her husband Vanya, the son of an oligarch. In addition to becoming the first American-produced film sinceTerrence Malick’sThe Tree of Lifeto win the Palme d’Or,Anoraopened to universal acclaim, and currentlysits ata near-perfect 99% approval ratingon the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.In his review, Collider’sChase Hutchinsondescribed it as Baker’s “most searing, shattering work to date.”
Anorais already his second-highest grossing film, behindThe Florida Project, which earned around $6 million domestically. Baker broke out with the acclaimed indie gemTangerine, which he famouslyfilmed using three iPhones. In addition to Cannes,Anoraplayed at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. you’re able to watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Anora follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, igniting a potential fairy tale. Upon learning of the union, his influential parents travel to New York to annul the marriage, jeopardizing her unexpected chance at a new beginning.
