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‘The Invite’ Dines Out At No. 6 For Weekend In Solid National Expansion; ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ At The Angelika – Specialty Box Office
A24's comedy *The Invite*, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde, expanded to a limited nationwide release of 1,610 locations in its third week, grossing more than $5.7 million to reach a cumulative $7.38 million and claim sixth place at the domestic box office. The film, which co-stars Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, has drawn strong reviews and audience scores, marking a solid platform expansion after a high per-screen debut.
*The Invite* opened on seven screens on 26 June, recording one of the year's top per-screen averages, and holds a 96% Certified Fresh critics' rating and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Elsewhere among specialty titles, Focus Features' horror film *Obsession* passed $250 million in its ninth week to become the fifth highest-grossing domestic horror film ever, while Sony Pictures Classics' *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass* opened to $954k on 1,000 screens. Limited openings included *Reading Lolita in Tehran* at NYC's Angelika (an estimated $15k), an Israeli-Italian adaptation of Azar Nafisi's memoir shot at Rome's Cinecittà, and Ross McElwee's documentary *Remake*, which took $8.5k at Film Forum with a 100% critics' score.
In short
- *The Invite* grossed $5.7m across 1,610 sites, reaching No. 6.
- *Obsession* topped $250m, now fifth highest-grossing US horror film.
- *Reading Lolita in Tehran* opened strongly in limited release at the Angelika.
Explained simply
The box office measures cinema ticket sales, and tracking film earnings reveals what audiences choose to watch. Many films do not open everywhere at once. Instead, some begin with limited showings and expand to more cinemas in subsequent weeks if audiences respond well, allowing distributors to test interest before investing in a wider release.
The Invite is a comedy written by and starring Olivia Wilde, alongside actors including Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. The film was made by A24, an independent studio that releases smaller films for particular audiences rather than blockbuster films aimed at mass appeal. Such projects typically depend on strong word-of-mouth and positive audience response to justify expansion to more cinemas.
When critics and audiences both rate a film highly, it signals the film has appeal beyond a niche crowd. These positive ratings encourage studios to expand a film's release across more cinemas, as strong audience reception is viewed as evidence that people in other regions will also want to see it.