A 1989 Studio Ghibli favorite Kiki’s Delivery Service, the latest edition of Oscar-nominated shorts and eight-time nominee Hamnet are looking strong this weekend.
Roadside Attractions’ first outing with Oscar Nominated Shorts has set a box office record for the poplar annual trio of animated, live action and documentary shorts packaged into three feature length films. The 2026 shorts programs is eyeing an estimated $3676k at 391 locations this weekend for a cume of $3.6 million. The top so far over the shorts’ 20-year run was in 2019 with a final cume of $3.53 million.
Roadside’s co-president Howard Burns said the distributor “dug deeper” with a somewhat larger footprint all in. It’s been on for four weeks and theaters and circuits play different strands at different times. Roadside also expanded publicity and marketing with Taika Waititi as a partner touting the compilations to his extensive social media following, and a well-known voice, former Oscar announcer Cedering Fox, narrating the trailers.
“We’re hoping to make it an annual tradition,” Cohen said.
GKids rerelease of Kiki’s Delivery Service opened at no. 7 at the domestic box office with $1.67 million on just 249 screens. Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 classic is out in a new 4K remaster exclusively on Imax, continuing an ongoing partnership between GKids, the big screen exhibitor and Studio Ghibli following the release of Princess Mononoke 4K last spring. Next up, a one-day engagement of Whisper of the Heart (1995) on April 21 and The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) on May 19.
Focus Features’ Hamnet is at a $200k gross this weekend on 468 screens, for a domestic cume of $24.1 million as its long U.S. theatrical run enters week 17. The film opened Stateside Nov. 26 and has maintained consistent audience interest. At its lowest point, the Chloe Zhao film starring Jessie Buckley played in 232 theaters. The widest domestic release was Jan. 22 after Oscar nominations when it expanded to 1,996 theaters. It received eight noms including for Best Pictures, Best Director and Best Actress.
Hamnet also crossed $100 million worldwide this weekend.
Bleecker Street opened Amy Wang’s body horror satire Slanted at 588 theaters to a debut weekend of $617k.
More to come