A Tamil ‘Game Of Thrones?’ India’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan: Part One’ Draws Crowds – Specialty Box Office
02.10.2022 - 23:27
/ deadline.com
Sarigama Cinemas’ Ponniyin Selvan: Part One crashed the weekend box office at no. 6, looking at $4+ million on 500 screens for a per theater average of $8,260, the biggest of the top ten.
The Tamil-language historical epic being billed as India’s Game of Thrones is based on a Tamil history book series that’s read in schools, full of succession battles, blood and betrayal. It’s not a fictional Westeros, but the actual Chola empire that ruled much of southern India from the 9th to the 13th century.
The strong numbers come with film doing great in Tamil, but less so in other Indian language dubs. Part 2, currently in post, has a release planned by mid-2023.
According to Imax, the Lyca Productions’ film directed by Mani Ratnam reps its third highest domestic opening for an Indian title with $945K from 53 domestic big screens, or 23% of the film’s nationwide total. That’s an $18k per screen average.
Sticking with Indian titles, Reliance is reporting a $1 billion-plus estimated North American weekend for Vikram Vedha on 558 screens.
And the #encoRRRe train continues to chug on with the re-release tour of the global blockbuster grossing $21,083 from a single showing for a new cume of $221,156. RRR screened at the TCL Chinese Theater as part of Beyond Fest, with filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli in attendance. Awards voters and fans of the film snapped up all 932 seats in less than 20 minutes when they went on sale. “Audiences around the country are well aware that a ticket to an RRR screening is a guaranteed good time at the theater, but this was a screening for the books: the audience jumping to their feet to cheer, literally dancing in the aisles, and giving filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli a standing ovation,” says Variance Films. RRR’s