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Chapter 281: Single-Venue Box Office

In the film industry, sneak previews are a very common screening process. Art films often use sneak previews to meet a small audience first, then rely on word-of-mouth to promote the film, which gradually attracts more viewers to the cinema. The process moves from sneak previews to expanded screenings, and finally, the decision to go for a full release is based on the box office performance.

Generally speaking, a screening in more than 700 theaters is considered a wide release, and 1,500 theaters would be a major wide release.

Apart from art films, Disney animated movies also opt for sneak previews. However, Disney\'s "sneak previews" are quite special, as they take place in Disneyland. Although there are only a few screening rooms, the foot traffic is incomparable to regular theaters. Moreover, these "sneak previews" are often accompanied by grand premieres, which are of a much higher caliber.

As a result, Disney animated movies dominate the top ten slots on the historical list of single-theater box office records, with "The Lion King" setting a record of $793,000 in a single theater in 1994, a record that remains unbroken to this day. When discussing the single-theater box office chart, people usually add "live-action movies" as a prefix for differentiation.

Currently, the single-theater box office record for live-action movies is held by "Dreamgirls," which set a record of $126,000 in 2006, surpassing "Brokeback Mountain\'s" $100,900, making it one of only two films to exceed $100,000 in single-theater box office during a sneak preview as of 2010.

As for thriller and horror films, their single-theater performances are generally poor due to the niche genre, with none making it into the top 40 in film history. The highest-ranked, "The Blair Witch Project," grossed $63,000 during its sneak preview in 1999, ranking 43rd overall.

Interestingly, the $63,000 figure was achieved in the second week of "The Blair Witch Project" when it added six more theaters. In its first week of sneak previews, it earned $56,000 per theater, securing the second spot in the horror genre\'s single-theater box office list. This shows that word-of-mouth is the best catalyst for box office success, regardless of genre.

Additionally, "Paranormal Activity" achieved the third highest single-theater box office record in film history last year, earning $49,000 during its sneak preview.

Now, with widespread attention and fervent anticipation, "Buried" has demonstrated incredible appeal, even surpassing the discussion surrounding "Paranormal Activity 2." The bustling scenes in Los Angeles and New York art-house cinemas over the weekend were the most direct reflection of this, leading the media to have high expectations for the film\'s single-theater box office. Some even speculated whether this film could replicate "The Blair Witch Project\'s" trajectory and achieve an extraordinary box office curve.

In the end, "Buried" did not disappoint. In its first week of sneak previews, it delivered a single-theater box office of $46,000, sparking widespread astonishment!

Looking at the "46,000" figure alone, there\'s nothing particularly extraordinary. This achievement barely makes it into the top 100 of the live-action single-theater box office list, and it ranks only fourth among horror films, unable to break the records set by "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity."

This is indeed a decent result, but it is far from remarkable.

However, "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" were both heavily promoted before their sneak previews, using viral videos and viral messages to create the illusion that the stories in the films were real, convincing people that the films were genuine documentaries. This undoubtedly sparked the curiosity of the audience, even those uninterested in horror films, prompting them to go to the cinema. Further embellishments blurred the line between reality and film, laying a solid foundation for box office miracles. The mockumentary style of filming with handheld cameras became popular as a result.

In comparison, "Buried" had no pre-release promotion. Even after the buzz in Toronto and Telluride, there were no magazine interviews, and the film relied solely on word-of-mouth and the hype surrounding Renly himself to attract more attention.

It was like an unknown underdog suddenly stepping into the boxing ring, defying all expectations, and going fifteen rounds with the reigning champion, losing only because of a points deficit.

Yes, he lost, but the shock remains undiminished. This is the current situation of "Buried."

Moreover, "Buried" doesn\'t have the gimmick of being a mockumentary. It\'s a solid independent film that captivated audiences purely through the director\'s skill and the actors\' performances, achieving such results without relying on the novelty factor. Any praise it receives is well-deserved.

The media recognized this too.

"Single-theater box office success: \'Buried\' makes a dazzling debut as a dark horse!"

"Another \'Paranormal Activity\'? \'Buried\' beats its competitor, making a stunning entrance!"

"Sold-out screenings: The biggest twist of this Halloween – Can \'Buried\' replicate \'Paranormal Activity\'s\' box office miracle?"

"Sparking a frenzy during its sneak preview, Renly Hall shines again on the big screen after conquering the small screen!"

"From Toronto to Telluride to the North American market, \'Buried\' continues its explosive word-of-mouth frenzy."

"The biggest surprise of the year? \'Buried\' receives fervent praise from both audiences and critics!"

"$46,000 per theater: The second coming of \'The Blair Witch Project\'?"

"A rising force: \'Paranormal Activity 2\' faces its biggest competitor early: \'Buried\'!"

"Word-of-mouth explosion! \'Buried\' performs a miraculous comeback."

"Does this scene look familiar? The miracle of \'Paranormal Activity\' reappears!"

"The \'Fast & Furious 5\' crew lends support: \'Buried\' sets a new sneak preview record!"

...

News of all sizes spread like wildfire. Especially with the strong attention surrounding both "Fast & Furious 5" and "Paranormal Activity," over 150 media outlets reported on "Buried\'s" outstanding sneak preview performance—Focus Features hadn\'t even started their marketing efforts yet, but the word-of-mouth had already exceeded expectations, and the box office performance had already surpassed plans!

This momentum is even stronger than that of many films in wide release, making this an absolutely perfect start.

Undoubtedly, "Buried" has become the biggest surprise of the week, showing momentum that is no less powerful than "Paranormal Activity 2," even surpassing its competitor in terms of buzz. The humiliation brought by "Paranormal Activity" has now been felt by its sequel—a truly frustrating experience.

In the third week of October, "Paranormal Activity 2" had its grand wide release in over 3,200 theaters. Despite its terrible word-of-mouth, the sequel easily attracted a large audience to the cinema thanks to the buzz created by the first film, ultimately earning $40 million and comfortably topping the weekend box office chart!

For a film with a production budget of less than $3 million, this was enough to make its distributor, Paramount, ecstatic. Even if the buzz was stolen, even if the word-of-mouth was far below expectations, even if the media were harshly critical, and even if the subsequent box office performance struggled, so what? The opening weekend box office alone had already made Paramount a significant profit, and every dollar earned afterward was pure profit. That\'s what truly matters.

Behind "Paranormal Activity 2," "Jackass 3D," "Red," "Hereafter," and "The Social Network" took the remaining top five spots.

There was no shortage of hot topics among these films. "Red" featured stars like Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich and received a lot of praise. "Hereafter" was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Matt Damon. And "The Social Network" was currently the biggest contender for awards season...

Moreover, with the ongoing 3D movie craze since last year\'s "Avatar," including last week\'s "Jackass 3D" and next week\'s "Saw 3D," these were all the hottest topics of the moment.

Yet, even so, "Buried" managed to carve out its own path, grossing $506,000 from just eleven theaters, securing a spot in the top twenty of the North American weekend box office chart, placing nineteenth, just behind "Inception," which dominated the summer box office.

It was the only film in the top thirty of the weekend box office chart that was shown in fewer than 300 theaters. With just eleven theaters, "Buried" achieved such impressive results, making it a strong contender for the title of 2010\'s biggest dark horse!

From buzz to word-of-mouth, from single-theater box office to overall attention, "Buried" created its own miracle. This also made the name "Renly Hall" widely known once again. No one could separate "Buried" from Renly; one could say "Buried" made Renly, or one could say Renly made "Buried," but there is no doubt that both "Buried" and Renly have won the audience\'s approval.

However, a sneak preview is just that—a sneak preview. The success of a sneak preview doesn\'t guarantee the success of an expanded release. The opinions of seasoned moviegoers do not necessarily represent the preferences of the general public. There are countless examples of films that were well-received during sneak previews but were rejected by the audience after expansion.

What kind of box office success "Buried" can achieve and its prospects in the awards season are still unknown. Focus Features\' upcoming expansion plans and marketing strategies will be crucial.

It\'s important to note that "Buried" will soon have to face "Saw 3D," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," "Megamind," "Tangled," and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," among other major releases. This is one of the most intense release seasons in recent years, with a level of competition that rivals even the summer blockbuster season.

So, what are the odds for "Buried"?