‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ Paints a Rosy Debut at Indie

On a sluggish bridge weekend between Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, the indie field workplace was highlighted by the two-screen debut of NEON’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” the interval LGBT drama from director Celine Sciamma that gained Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at this yr’s Cannes Film Festival.

Opening on the Arclight Hollywood and New York’s Angelika Theater, the movie grossed $67,105 for a per display screen common of $33,552. The movie, which follows the key relationship between a younger painter and her topic on the finish of the 18th century, stands alongside fellow NEON launch “Parasite” as the 2 2019 movies with the best Metacritic scores. “Lady on Fire” has a 95 on the overview web site, whereas “Parasite” holds a 96. The movie has been chosen to affix the Criterion Collection subsequent yr and can broaden to extra cities subsequent weekend.

Also Read: ‘Dark Waters’ Off to Swimming Start at Indie Box Office

Among holdovers, “Parasite” added $700,000 from 333 screens in its ninth weekend to carry its complete to $19.three million, a complete matched by Fox Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit,” because it grossed $588,000 from the identical display screen rely. A24’s “Waves” has reached $1 million after increasing to 570 theaters in its fourth weekend, grossing $421,625.

Finally, Focus Features expanded “Dark Waters” huge to 2,011 theaters this weekend, grossing $4.1 million to carry its complete to $5.three million. Next weekend will see enterprise choose up extra, as three extra awards contenders arrive in restricted launch: A24’s “Uncut Gems,” a Safdie Brothers thriller that has earned lead star Adam Sandler important acclaim; Fox Searchlight’s “A Hidden Life,” a three-hour WWII drama from Terrence Malick; and Lionsgate’s “Bombshell,” Jay Roach’s retelling of Roger Ailes’ downfall starring Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and John Lithgow.