KIRK Cameron’s patriotic documentary ‘Monumental’ had an impressive launch last week, grossing $1.23 million for a $2,400 per-screen average – a figure that places it close to some of the most successful faith-based films ever and could help it land in more cities.
Perhaps most impressive, it did it on a weeknight, playing in 550 theaters on a Tuesday (March 27).
Monumental’s $2,400 average approaches that of 2011’s ‘Courageous’, which had a per-screen average of $2,694 its first Friday and $2,809 its first Saturday. ‘October Baby’ was considered a success in its first weekend this year and grossed about $1,500 each of its first two days. ‘Courageous’ and ‘October Baby’ both were marketed to Christian audiences.
But Monumental’s numbers may be even more impressive than they appear, because it played only once that night, whereas ‘Courageous’ and ‘October Baby’ played multiple times in a single day.
The ‘Monumental’ data was released Monday (April 2) in a press release.
In ‘Monumental’, Cameron follows the footsteps of America’s founders – first the Pilgrims (he travels to England) and then America’s forefathers, interviewing experts and historians along the way. His goal is to find the source that inspired the founders and to explore whether America can be turned around economically, morally and spiritually.
Although the March 27 showing was a one-night event, it is still showing in six theaters and will roll out in about 25 more cities April 13, according to the press release. It had a per-screen average of $4,800 for the weekend of March 31-April 1 in the six theaters, a weekend average that would fall between that of October Baby ($4,352) and Courageous ($7,849).
“It’s incredible what we’ve accomplished together already,” Cameron said in the press release. “Tens of thousands of families, thousands of churches, hundreds of organizations, and many devoted individuals have turned this small budget project into a monumental success. This is just the beginning. People are turning a movie into a movement by calling our nation back to its powerful spiritual heritage of faith and freedom. Our plans are to now roll the film out to more theaters, introduce educational and family resources, and launch plans that will build the momentum for many months to come.”
