Amy Winehouse Bio-Doc Has Successful Holiday Opening

The late Amy Winehouse drew big crowds to cinemas over the holiday weekend with one of the biggest debuts of any specialty release this year and certainly in the top tier for any documentary. In just six theaters, A24’s simply titled Amy grossed just over $222K for a robust $37,002 per-theater average.

Sundance Film Festival award-winner Cartel Land also launched with a solid start in a pair of locations, while Sony Pictures Classics debuted Ken Loach’s Cannes ’14 feature Jimmy’s Hall in a trio of theaters, and Pureflix had the most sizable release among specialty pictures with Faith Of Our Fathers in 344 theaters. The Orchard added 262 theaters for The Overnight with Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche and Taylor Schilling. The Orchard also provided digital on-demand figures for Dior And I, totaling $115K in its first week.

Director Asif Kapadia’s Amy, featuring never before seen footage and tracks of the late Amy Winehouse ruled 4th of July weekend, opening in six theaters grossing $222,015 for a sensational $37,002 average. The film is one of the year’s best debuts and now the biggest documentary opener of 2015. Another doc about an artist who died at 27, HBO Documentary’s Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck opened with a $35,685 average in early June, but that film had about a week-long limited run in theaters before debuting on HBO. Amy will have a longer run in theaters.

“The film has been rapturously received by critics and audiences alike with an incredible 97% positive rank on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience approval rating to match. Sell-outs and added shows have been reported across the board with both crossover commercial and art house theaters doing record-breaking business,” A24 noted in a statement.