Some BOM info on the Netflix film which also had a limited theater run this weekend:
Netflix teamed with Bleecker Street to release Cary Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation into 31 theaters this weekend, opening with an estimated $50,699. This one does, of course, come with a major asterisk as it also premiered on Netflix's streaming service the same day it hit theaters, which is where the majority of the film's audience will end up seeing it. Netflix paid $12 million for the feature, which it hopes will enjoy some awards attention over the coming months. As this is relatively new territory we'll have to wait and see how it turns out as there is nothing to necessarily compare it to.A little more from venture beat:
Netflix made a sly choice for their debut film: a hyper-real depiction of a country (ahem, film industry) ripped to shreds by ineffective governance and infighting. At the forefront is the truly fearsome Commandant, played Idris Elba, a psychopathic warlord who employs an army of child soldiers. Indeed, after winning a few dozen Emmys and Golden Globes for shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards,” it’s only logical that Netflix set their sights on the Oscars race. Netflix is no stranger to successful documentaries, but Cary Joji Fukunaga’s incredible film might be the company’s ticket to realm of narrative features. They put a gun to the neck of Blockbuster and HBO, now Netflix wants to take Hollywood by storm. Thankfully, the only child soldiers they need are fictional.
Netflix’s $6M investment might pay off: after turning heads at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, “Beasts” premiered simultaneously online and in theaters this weekend. Unfortunately, the four biggest U.S. theater chains — Regal, Carmike, Cinemark and AMC — decided to boycott the film, making “Beasts” quite literally a limited release.
