‘The Kids Are All Right’ enjoys high-grossing debut in limited release

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‘The Kids’ had a more-than-alright debut, as director Lisa Cholodenko’s modern family comedy opened to a fantastic $505,000 at seven theaters in the U.S. and Canada. The $72,127 average gross per theater for Focus Features’ critically beloved Sundance acquisition was the highest for any movie released so far this year.

Movies playing to art house crowds usually do most of their business at night, but Focus distribution chief Jack Foley noted that ‘Kids,’ which is about two women’s teen children who find their sperm donor father, also did extremely well in Saturday matinees. That signals interest in the film was broader than expected.

‘The Kids Are All Right,’ starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, did its best business at Hollywood’s ArcLight Cinemas, the one theater it played in Los Angeles, where the movie takes place.

Focus has an aggressive plan over the new few weeks to build on opening weekend momentum as it attempts to turn a profit on the $5 million it spent for distribution rights to ‘The Kids’ at Sundance. On Friday, the movie will expand to 37 theaters.

The awkward comedy ‘Cyrus,’ from directors Jay and Mark Duplass, continued to expand successfully this weekend, playing in 200 theaters, up from 77, and collecting a healthy $1.4 million. Its total to date is $3.5 million. On Friday, Fox Searchlight will expand the film, which stars John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill, to about 400 theaters.

-- Ben Fritz