Independent films demonstrated their strength at the domestic box office this weekend, capturing five of the top ten positions. Among the standout performers were the horror-comedy holdover Buddy and the new release Runner, alongside a successful exclusive opening for If I Go Will They Miss Me and the continued strong showing of the documentary American Doctor.
Roadside Attractions and Saban Films' late-summer hit Buddy grossed $3.5 million in its third week, securing the sixth spot across 1,719 screens. This brings its estimated cumulative total to an impressive $21.2 million. The R-rated film, which centers on kids in a '90s-style retro TV show defying their orange unicorn host (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), experienced a modest 39% drop for the weekend. This performance marks Buddy as Roadside's fifth-highest-grossing film and its strongest box office success since the pandemic. The film's popularity extends beyond theaters, with over a million followers on TikTok and anecdotal reports of moviegoers returning multiple times and bringing friends. A recent promotional event at Sepulveda Tattoo in Duarte, offering free, exclusive Buddy tattoos designed by Hunter Chao, notably drew large crowds.
Among the new releases, Angel Studios' Runner, starring Alan Ritchson of Reacher fame and Owen Wilson, debuted at number four with $6.67 million from 2,568 screens. Angel Studios expressed satisfaction with the film's A- CinemaScore, hailing its release as a "significant theatrical milestone" following their successful summer run with Young Washington, which earned $47 million. Neon's South Korean monster movie Hope landed at number eight, pulling in $3.3 million over the weekend from 1,560 theaters, bringing its total to $5 million since its Wednesday debut. Focus Features' The Uprising, starring Andrew Garfield, secured the ninth spot with $3.2 million from 2,068 locations.
Other notable performances included Ketchup Entertainment's Coyote vs. Acme at number five, adding $6.23 million to its $47.8 million cumulative gross across 3,355 locations. A24's Tony continued its strong run, earning $497k from 380 screens in its sixth week, pushing its cume to $14.7 million. Onslaught garnered $278k from 1,252 screens in its second week, with a cumulative total of $3 million. Prathyangira Cinemas' Hanuman Ansh debuted with $740k from 200 locations.
In limited release, Rich Spirit's If I Go Will They Miss Me, featuring Danielle Brooks and J Alphonse Nicholson and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernandez, had a stellar exclusive opening at AMC Century City in Los Angeles. It grossed $42.25k, with multiple sellouts and additional showtimes added to meet demand. This marks the second-highest opening of the year for a solo engagement, trailing only Magnolia Pictures' Maddie's Secret ($58k at IFC). The film is set to expand to 250 theaters next week. Watermelon Pictures' documentary American Doctor, which follows three U.S. doctors volunteering in Gaza, surpassed $400k in its fifth week, grossing $66.2k from 65 screens. Finally, in event cinema, Disney's Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger opened to $1.435 million across 1,225 theaters.