A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks, made $4.2 million in its second weekend after moving from four theaters in New York and Los Angeles to 637 theaters across the country. People went to see the movie because of strong word-of-mouth, which was especially strong in the heartland. The momentum looks good as the adult drama/comedy heads into a wide release next week for the holiday weekend. Next Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Otto made $1.5 million on Friday, $1.7 million on Saturday, and an estimated $1 million on Sunday, with a strong average of $6.6k per screen and a total of $4.28 million. The film’s audience score is 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, versus 68% from critics. It is currently the fourth highest-grossing film in the United States.
The remake of the Swedish film based on a New York Times bestseller started the first of a three-step rollout last weekend with an exclusive run at four LA and NY theaters. It made $60,000, which is $15k per screen on average, over the three-day New Year’s weekend and $75K, which is $18.7k per screen average, over the four days. The 13th of January will see its broad release.
When a movie aimed for an adult audience does well here, word spreads fast. Sony’s Where the Crawdads Sing, which came out last summer and was also based on a best-seller, made $90 million and did best outside of the coasts. This went in a different direction, swinging open wide right away.