'Midnight in Paris' strikes all over
Tourists at the Trocadero square in Paris. Visible in background is the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire. Spend a day, and a de rigeur night, here and you can walk hand-in-hand with Woody Allen through the City of Light he portrays in "Midnight in Paris," his sweet and zany Valentine to the French capital. (May 31, 2011) Credit: AP
Woody Allen is enjoying a box-office renaissance.
The filmmaker's "Midnight in Paris," starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, is doing so well that Sony Pictures Classics is moving the film into a total of 944 theaters (including 12 on Long Island) this weekend -- the largest distribution of an Allen picture since "Anything Else" in 2003.
"Midnight in Paris," which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, opened in only six theaters May 20. The following weekend, the film was playing in 58 theaters, and then in 147 locations last weekend.
The film has earned $7.4 million to date and has landed on the top 10 chart for the past three weekends, despite its small footprint.
Sony Classics' Tom Bernard and Michael Barker said they didn't intend to expand nationwide until June 24, but once they saw how well the film was working with audiences, they changed their plans.
"Not only is this one of Woody Allen's best films, it has this magical element which lends itself to be the alternative entertainment to the big studio picture. It has tremendous crossover potential," Barker said.
Allen's top-grossing film in recent years was 2008's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which earned $23.2 million domestically. At its widest point, the film played in 726 theaters.
-- The Hollywood Reporter
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