My Week With Marilyn specialty film jumps $10m mark

PanARMENIAN.Net - Specialty film My Week With Marilyn, headlining Michelle Williams as the iconic star, was expected to jump the $10 million mark at the domestic box office this weekend as the Weinstein Co. continues its push for Oscar best picture and acting nominations, according to Hollywood Reporter.

My Week With Marilyn, also starring Kenneth Branagh, has already scored top Golden Globe noms, including best motion picture for a comedy or musical, best actress in a comedy or musical (Williams) and best supporting actor (Branagh). The Globes ceremony is Jan 15.

The Weinstein Co. opened My Week With Marilyn on Nov 23 in 123 theaters in select markets; it's presently playing in 584 locations. On Friday, Jan 6, the limited release grossed $232,000 for a cume of $9.9 million.

While Marilyn hasn't reached the heights of awards contender The Descendants, which is currently playing in 737 theaters and grossed $42.1 million to date, it is running ahead of fellow Weinstein title The Artist, although The Artist is only playing in 172 locations, earning $6.3 million so far (a tidy sum for a black-and-white silent movie).

Many awards contenders will begin expanding in earnest around the Globes ceremony, using the attention of Globe nominations - and any wins - to boost attention.

Focus Features' awards hopeful Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, while spurned by the Golden Globes, continues to do notable business, and was also likely to hit the $10 million mark this weekend, its fifth week of play. On Friday, Tinker Tailor made a major push in upping its theater count from 57 to 809. Tinker Tailor eclipsed Descendants to come in No. 9, grossing $1.7 million for a cume of $6.4 million.

Descendants, now in its eighth weekend, grossed $750,000 on Friday to come in No. 12.