Baahubali 2: The Conclusion is still the hottest ticket in North America, even after three weeks. New releases Sarkar 3 and Meri Pyaari Bindu didn’t stand much of a chance against it during their opening weekend, May 12-14, 2017. Here’s how all three films fared:
- Baahubali 2: $1,588,259 from 386 theaters; $4,115 average (adjusted average of $4,235 from 375 theaters*); $18,998,681 total
- Sarkar 3: $161,052 from 118 theaters; $1,365 average (adjusted average of $1,579 from 102 theaters*)
- Meri Pyaari Bindu: $118,313 from 70 theaters; $1,690 (adjusted average of $2,151 from 55 theaters, but I think 70 is the correct number*)
Obviously, Baahubali 2 is raking in unprecedented amounts of cash, and studios can’t wait forever to release their films — especially with Ramadan approaching at the end of May, during which most Muslims avoid going to the theater. Still, the distributors of Sarkar 3 and Meri Pyaari Bindu had to see Baahubali 2‘s huge second weekend performance and think, “Shoot.” There’s no guarantee that either movie would have been a hit without Baahubali 2 in theaters, but they surely would have sold a few more tickets.
Half Girlfriend and Hindi Medium are poised to open on Friday, and I can’t see many of the big theater chains in the United States devoting five screens to Indian titles (since Baahubali 2 isn’t going anywhere). [Update: I was totally wrong about this, BTW.] This might be it for Sarkar 3 and Meri Pyaari Bindu.
*Bollywood Hungama frequently counts Canadian theaters twice in when they report figures for a film’s first few weeks of release. When possible, I verify theater counts at Box Office Mojo, but I use Bollywood Hungama as my primary source because they provide a comprehensive and consistent — if flawed — data set.
Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama