By Simon de Bruyn
Wake in Fright has ended its first week in cinemas in 39 years by grossing more than recently made films Beautiful and Closed for Winter.
After ending the weekend with just under $28,000, the restored classic took a further $34,500 from Monday to Wednesday, on just four screens – an average of $10,137 per screen – in Melbourne and Sydney.
The film’s first week total of $62,393 is already higher than previous 2009 releases Beautiful ($55,619 total) and Closed for Winter ($48,197), which both ran for six weeks.
The film will expand to Canberra this weekend, play at Revelation Perth International Film Festival next weekend, and open in Adelaide and Brisbane on July 23, according to distributor Madman Entertainment.
Disgrace added a further $96,000 on 26 screens to end its second week with $539,000. Bastardy has not yet reported its first week box office.
| Film | Budget | Distributor | Opening w/e | WIR | Box Office |
| Samson and Delilah | $1.6m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 199,163 | 8 | $ 2,465,556 |
| Mary and Max | $8m | Icon | $ 217,176 | 12 | $ 1,431,556 |
| My Year Without Sex | $3.8m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 177,461 | 5 | $ 844,304 |
| Love the Beast | Madman | $ 241,982 | 9 | $ 777,351 | |
| The Combination | $1.169m | AFS | $ 188,054 | 11 | $ 727,586 |
| Disgrace | $10m | Icon | $ 209,014 | 2 | $ 539,410 |
| Two Fists, One Heart | $8.5m | BVI | $ 96,999 | 2 | $ 295,500 |
| Wake in Fright | Madman | $ 25,446 | 1 | $ 62,393 | |
| Beautiful | $2m | Kojo/Jump Street | $ 22,406 | 6 | $ 55,619 |
| Closed for Winter | $2m | Omnilab Media | $ 19,449 | 6 | $ 48,197 |
| Shadows of the Past | $ 820,000 | Summer Night | $ 13,927 | 7 | $ 34,059 |
| The Chifleys of Busby St | Ronin | $ 3,760 | 1 | $ 13,123 | |
| Crush | $2m | Filmscope/Odin’s Eye | $ 8,304 | 1 | $ 13,051 |
| Salvation | Hopscotch | $ 2,262 | 1 | $ 3,182 | |
| Prey | $4m | Damage Releasing | $ 1,089 | 1 | $ 1,089 |
| Bastardy | $250,000 | Palace | 1 |
Sources: MPDAA and Inside Film