23-10-2012

Romanian Comedies Battle for Box Office

By
    Romanian Comedies Battle for Box Office Iura Luncaşu's Sweet Little Lies

    BUCHAREST: Iura Luncaşu's Sweet Little Lies/Minte-mă frumos produced by MediaPro Pictures (www.mediapropictures.com) has set a new opening weekend record, narrowly besting the box office record set by Tudor Giurgiu's Of Snails and Men (www.despreoamenisimelci.ro), produced by Libra Film (www.librafilm.net), just one month earlier.

    Sweet Little Lies, distributed by MediaPro Distribution (www.mediaprodistribution.com), opened in local cinemas on 19 October 2012 and became the most profitable Romanian film of the last decade with 14,011 admissions and box office of 50,036 EUR (229,000 RON). Of Snails and Men drew 13,929 admissions in the first weekend, but recorded a total 19,612 admissions when preview screenings were included.

    The competition is tight. Of Snails and Men opened simultaneously in 22 towns, while Sweet Little Lies opened in 19 towns, but Of Snails and Men opened on only 19 screens while Sweet Little Lies opened on 31 screens. They share not only a genre, but also the lead actor, Andi Vasluianu.

    The old record was set by Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days with 10,851 admissions in its first weekend in 2007. Giurgiu's film, with a box office of approximately 43,700 EUR (200,000 RON), has continued to perform well. The film has reached 59,331 admissions as of 21 October, since its official premiere on 14 September, Ileana Cecanu, the manager of the distribution company Transilvania Film (www.transilvaniafilm.ro), told FNE. The film, which opened the third place, was still in the top 15, holding on to 13th spot at the box office in its fifth week in distribution.