THE LIBERTINE grosses $2.2 million in first weekend of wide release

Laurence Dunmore’s THE LIBERTINE, starring Johnny Depp as the dissolute 2nd Earl of Rochester, grossed $2.2 million at 815 theaters in North America this weekend, placing it eleventh on the box office charts, according to Box Office Mojo’s estimates. However, all of the films with higher grosses were playing in at least twice as many theaters, and most had three times as many screens as THE LIBERTINE, or more. THE LIBERTINE’s per-screen average of $2,710 puts it in the middle of the top ten, a respectable finish for a dark, uncompromising film. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Weinstein Company expects that THE LIBERTINE will turn a profit once it comes out on DVD: “A spokesperson for the distributor noted that the racy LIBERTINE most likely would have an unrated video/DVD version released in ancillary markets and that the title should be a profitable one for the company,” writes Brian Fuson in the March 13th issue. Thanks to Gilbert’s Girl for posting the box office information and DeepinDepp for the Hollywood Reporter story. You can read more on our News & Views forum.