Irish director Lenny Abrahamson's adaptation of Emma Donoghue's book, Room opened at the speciality box office this passing weekend in the US, and had an extremely promising start.
The critically lauded drama is gaining momentum moving into awards season, and audiences have responded to positive reviews by turning up to see it. Opening in just 4 cinemas in New York and Los Angeles, it took a strong $120k, averaging $30k a cinema. A strategy like this is common when producers feel that word of mouth will be strong.
Conversely, the also well reviewed Netflix produced Idris Elba starring drama, Beasts of No Nation took $50,600 from 31 cinemas - having launched on Netflix the same day. Still, it couldn't even take a fraction of what Room did, which shows just how much buzz the Element Production has.
Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay star in Room, with both already tipped for Oscar recognition. Emma Donoghue adapted her own book for the screen and should also be in with a shout for Adapted Screenplay.
It reaches Irish screens at the end of January.
