Seven Australian films have been released in US cinemas this year, of which only The Railway Man is likely to have recouped the PA& and turned a profit.
Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein tops the list with $US19 million but that’s a poor result considering the reported $65 million budget and the money Lionsgate shelled out to support the launch on 2,753 screens.
Jonathan Teplitzky's The Railway Man platformed on four screens in Los Angeles and New York and gradually expanded to 164 theatres via The Weinstein Co, raking in $US4.4 million. That brings its worldwide B.O. total to $US22.3 million led by the UK’s $8.5 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
A24 launched David Michôd’s The Rover on 608 screens but the thriller was D.O.A., finishing with $1.1 million, which mirrors its results in Australia and the UK.
Greg Mclean’s Wolf Creek 2, Kim Mordaunt’s The Rocket and Mark Hartley’s Patrick (rechristened Patrick: Evil Awakens) had limited theatrical exposure to support the DVD and VoD windows. The Rocket grossed $56,000 but the producers of the other two have not shared the B.O. figures.
More than a dozen other Australian films have secured theatrical distribution in the US this year but most don’t have release dates yet.
The record year in terms of numbers was 1997 when Oz 15 features were distributed in the US, according to Screen Australia, whose records go back to 1985.
John Curran’s Tracks debuts on September 19. Among the other titles with US deals are Julius Avery’s Son of a Gun, Zak Hilditch’s These Final Hours, John V. Soto’s The Reckoning, Tim Winton’s The Turning, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Sophie Hyde’s 52 Tuesdays, Matt Saville’s Felony, the Spierig brothers’ Predestination, Aaron Wilson’s Canopy, Hugh Sullivan’s The Infinite Man, Sarah Spillane’s Around the Block and Darran Scott's The Playbook.
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AUSTRALIAN FILMS RELEASED IN THE US 2014
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Title |
Release Date |
Total |
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1 |
I, Frankenstein |
January 24 |
$19,075,290
|
|
2 |
The Railway Man |
April 11 |
4,438,438 |
|
3 |
The Rover |
June 13 |
1,114,423 |
|
4 |
The Rocket |
January 10 |
55,889
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5 |
John Doe: Vigilante |
March 21 |
20,168
|
|
6 |
Patrick: Evil Awakens |
March 14 |
NA |
|
7 |
Wolf Creek 2 |
May 16 |
NA |
Sources: Box Office Mojo/Rentrak