Despite the lack of new specialty releases over the weekend, notable holdovers like Kalki 2898 AD continued to perform well at the box office. The Telugu sci-fi epic from Prathyangira Cinemas saw a strong second weekend, securing the No. 8 spot on 925 screens. This is quite impressive considering that Indian films typically see the bulk of their earnings during the opening weekend. Kalki outperformed Kill, a Hindi action film that made its debut, with a gross of $1.79 million and a cumulative total of $16 million.
Comparison to Past Indian Hits
When compared to other successful Indian films in North America, Kalki’s performance is quite remarkable. Popular films like RRR and Animal both ended their runs with around $15 million, while Paathan hit $17.5 million in 2023. The highest-grossing Indian film in North America remains Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which brought in $20 million in 2017. Despite its success, Kill, a Hindi film with no traditional Bollywood elements, did not resonate as strongly with audiences. While it received positive reviews and is set for an English-language remake by Lionsgate, it fell short of expectations, earning $384.5k on 827 screens.
In addition to Kalki, Thelma and Kinds of Kindness continued to attract audiences in their third week of release. Thelma, distributed by Magnolia Pictures, brought in $760k on 620 screens, bringing its total earnings to $6.85 million. Kinds of Kindness, a film from Searchlight Pictures directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, earned an estimated $860,000 over the weekend for a cumulative total of $3.8 million.
One new limited release to watch out for is Film Movement’s Mother Couch directed by Niclas Larsson. The film, featuring a star-studded cast including Ewan McGregor, Rys Ifans, Ellen Burstyn, and Laura Flynn Boyle, had a solid debut at the Angelika Film Center, grossing $9k from a single engagement. It is set to open in Los Angeles next week, followed by a release in the top ten markets across the country.
While the weekend may not have seen a plethora of new releases, the continued success of films like Kalki 2898 AD and the strong performances of Thelma and Kinds of Kindness demonstrate the diverse range of offerings available to audiences. With new limited releases on the horizon, the box office landscape is sure to remain exciting and dynamic in the weeks to come.
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