The Big Picture
- Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal black comedy Poor Things has surpassed $10 million at the domestic box office despite showing in just 800 theaters.
- Poor Things is currently playing in 800 theaters nationwide after starting with just nine locations a month ago, generating strong per-screen averages.
- Emma Stone’s performance in Poor Things is being highly praised, and the film has received stellar reviews with a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Entirely on the strength of positive buzz and genuine curiosity, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal black comedy Poor Things has passed a major box office milestone in borderline limited release. The film has now earned the unique distinction of having passed the $10 million mark at the domestic box office before expanding into a proper wide release. The generally accepted threshold 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 Things is currently playing in 800 theaters nationwide, after having debuted in just nine locations a month ago. The movie grossed a little over $600,000 in its opening weekend, delivering the third-best per-screen average of 2023, behind Asteroid City and Beau is Afraid. It expanded to over 80 theaters the week after that, generating $1.2 million domestically. In its third and fourth weekends, Poor Things grossed $2.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The film’s total domestic box office haul stands at $10.9 million.
A spin on the classic Frankenstein tale, Poor Things follows a young Victorian woman who goes on an odyssey of sexual liberation after being resurrected by a scientist following her death. Emma Stone stars in the lead role as Bella Baxter, and she’s already generating strong Oscar buzz for her acclaimed performance. The movie also stars Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley.
‘Poor Things’ Will Presumably Get a Box Office Bump After Oscar Nominations Are Announced
Poor Things has received stellar reviews; the film currently sits at a “fresh” 93% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Collider’s Ross Bonaime singled out Stone’s performance in his 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 Things gives 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.”
Having started 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 remains The 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.
- Release Date
- December 8, 2023
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Genres
- Horror , Sci-Fi
- Writers
- Tony McNamara
