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Box Office: 2009 total breaks $30 million

By Adam Coleman

The total box office for local 2009 releases has now passed the $30 million mark with one film, Mao’s Last Dancer, responsible for more than a third of the total.

Bruce Beresford’s dance epic has taken more than $13.2 million making it the 13th highest grossing Australian film ever at the local box office above Ray Lawrence’s 2001 film, Lantana on 14th. Now in its sixth week, Mao’s Last Dancer added $599,378 over the weekend for a screen average of $2,388.

On limited release, David Caesar’s trucking tale Prime Mover took $6,992 across four screens over the weekend for a screen average of $1,748. After its second week, the film has grossed $23,378 in regional areas and will be taken to six screens in key cities on November 12.

Coffin Rock – the psychological thriller set in a South Australian fishing village – has taken $25,837 after its third week on limited release.

In the US, Jane Campion’s period drama Bright Star has taken more than $US4.2 million since opening there on wide release in mid-September.

Meanwhile, Scott Hicks’ family chamber piece The Boys Are Back has closed its run at the US box office after taking $US809,752.

The total box office takings for 2009 local releases is $31,040,512.

Source: MPDAA & INSIDEFILM

Film
 Budget
 Distributor
 Opening w/e
Weeks
 Box Office
Mao’s Last Dancer
 $25.8m
 Roadshow/Hopscotch
 $    2,754,620
6
 $  13,235,955
Charlie & Boots
 $8m est.
 Paramount/Transmission
 $        809,279
10
 $    3,818,057
Samson and Delilah
 $1.6m
 Para/Trans/Footprint
 $          199,163
22
 $      3,173,103
Beautiful Kate
 $6m
 Roadshow
 $        273,582
14
 $    1,568,697
Mary and Max
 $8m
 Icon
 $          217,176
15
 $      1,444,617
Balibo
 $4.5m
 Para/Trans/Footprint
 $        206,290
13
 $    1,304,010
Disgrace
 $10m
 Icon
 $          209,014
15
 $      1,166,294
My Year Without Sex
 $3.8m
 Para/Trans/Footprint
 $          177,522
19
 $      1,127,838
Love the Beast
 
 Madman
 $          241,982
9
 $          777,351
The Combination
 $1.169m
 Australian Film Syndicate
 $          188,054
11
 $          727,586
Blessed
 $4m
 Icon
 $          67,186
9
 $        450,634
Last Ride
 $4m
 Madman
 $            76,459
13
 $          369,712
Wake in Fright
 $700,000*
 Madman
 $            25,446
17
 $          310,725
Two Fists, One Heart
 $8.5m
 BVI
 $            96,999
2
 $          305,300
Van Dieman’s Land
 
 Madman
 $          39,939
7
 $        254,638
Subdivision
 $4m est.
 BVI
 $            86,649
3
 $          206,350
Cedar Boys
 $1.36m
 Hoyts/Mushroom
 $            74,793
5
 $          204,160
Stone Bros.
 
 Australian Film Syndicate
 $          22,702
7
 $          89,401
The Marriage of Figaro
 $  400,000
 Australian Film Syndicate
 $          13,693
8
 $          86,070
Beautiful
 $2m
 Kojo/Jump Street
 $            22,406
6
 $            55,619
Closed for Winter
 $2m
 Omnilab Media
 $            19,449
6
 $            53,370
Shadows of the Past
 $    820,000
 Summer Night
 $            13,927
16
 $            48,205
$9.99
 $4m
 Icon
 $            15,847
4
 $            47,520
Lake Mungo
 
 Darclight films
 $              9,730
5
 $            39,000
Bastardy
 $    260,000
 Film Camp
 $              7,822
8
 $            37,570
Lucky Country
 $2m est.
 Para/Trans/Footprint
 $            11,413
4
 $            26,141
Coffin Rock
 $2.1m
 AI Entertainment
 $            9,846
3
 $          25,837
Prime Mover
 
 Trans/Para/Jetty
 $            8,192
2
 $          23,378
The Burning Season
 
 Gil Scrine/Freshwater
 $              3,848
5
 $            21,017
The Chifleys of Busby St
 
 Ronin
 $              3,760
 
 $            13,658
Crush
 $2m
 Filmscope/Odin’s Eye
 $              8,304
1
 $            13,051
Three Blind Mice
 
 Odin’s Eye/Titan View
 $              2,988
4
 $              7,416
Bad Bush
 
 VVVF
 $              1,909
 
 $              3,961
Salvation
 
 Hopscotch
 $              2,262
1
 $              3,182
Prey
 $4m
 Damage Releasing
 $              1,089
 
 $              1,089