Entirely on the strength of positive buzz and genuine curiosity, directorYorgos Lanthimos’ surreal black comedyPoor Thingshas passed a major box office milestone in borderline limited release. The film has now earned the unique distinction of havingpassed the $10 million mark at the domestic box officebefore expanding into a proper wide release. The generally acceptedthreshold for a wide release can be anywhere between 600 and 800 theaters, depending on how many major locations a particular film is playing at.
Poor Thingsis currently playing in 800 theaters nationwide, after having debuted in just nine locations a month ago. The movie grossed a little over $600,000 inits opening weekend, delivering the third-best per-screen average of 2023, behindAsteroid CityandBeau is Afraid. It expanded to over 80 theaters the week after that, generating $1.2 million domestically. In itsthird and fourth weekends,Poor Thingsgrossed $2.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The film’s totaldomestic box office haul stands at $10.9 million.
A spin on the classic Frankenstein tale,Poor Thingsfollows a young Victorian woman who goes on an odyssey of sexual liberation after being resurrected by a scientist following her death.Emma Stonestars in the lead role as Bella Baxter, and she’s already generating strong Oscar buzz for her acclaimed performance. The movie also starsMark Ruffalo,Willem Dafoe,Ramy Youssef,Jerrod Carmichael,Christopher AbbottandMargaret Qualley.
‘Poor Things’ Will Presumably Get a Box Office Bump After Oscar Nominations Are Announced
Poor Thingshas received stellar reviews; the film currently sits at a “fresh” 93% score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. Collider’sRoss Bonaimesingled out Stone’s performance inhis review, a part of which read, “Not only are we given the most unfiltered, brilliant look at Lanthimos’ vision and capabilities as a storyteller,Poor Thingsgives us the best performance of Stone’s career, a staggering visual accomplishment, a hilarious screenplay brought to life by an incredible ensemble cast, and, quite simply,one of—if not the best—films of 2023."
Havingstarted out in his native Greece, Lanthimos has gradually emerged as one of the foremost auteurs working in Hollywood;his films are defined by their peculiar tone and humanist approach to absurdity. Lanthimos' biggest hit remainsThe Favourite, which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide and earned 10 Oscar nominations, including a Supporting Actress nod for Stone. The director-star pair will reunite for the upcoming (and already complete)Kinds of Kindness. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Poor Things
The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
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