A24’s ‘Marcel The Shell With Shoes On’ Makes A Splash – Specialty Box Office
deadline.comThe big screen debut of Marcel The Shell With Shoes On opened at $170K on six screens in New York and LA, the highest PSA of the weekend at $28,267 for the iconic lonely snail voiced by Jenny Slate.The mock documentary about the loveable anthropomorphic mollusk hails from distributor A24, a distributor that manages to hit pay dirt more often than not, and is based on the popular YouTube series and illustrated kids’ book.“It takes at least 20 shells to have a community,” Marcel says in the film. “My cousin fell asleep in a pocket and that’s why I don’t like the saying, ‘everything comes out in the wash.; Because sometimes it doesn’t.” He loves 60 Minutes “because Leslie Stahl is absolutely fearless.” It’s a combination of stop-motion and traditional animation and live action with Slate, Isabella Rossellini, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann and Stahl.Once part of a sprawling community of shells, Marcel and his grandmother now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy.
When a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.The film by Dean Fleischer-Camp and Slate (100% with critics, 91% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes) expands into five more top markets — Austin, San Francisco.
Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston — next weekend and will be in the top ten July 8 with a slow platform rollout building throughout the summer.Marcel grossed$169,606 (Fri. – $82,188; Sat. – $47,253; Sun. – $40,165).Also in specialty: Neon opened Beba to a debut of $5,428 in three locations in NY and LA for a PTA of $1,809.
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