LOS ANGELES - Love it or loathe it, “2016: Obama's America†- the director Dinesh D'Souza's documentary critique of Barack Obama's policies and ideological roots - has arrived as a box-office event. As it expanded to about 1,100 theaters across the country, the film took in an estimated $6.2 million over the weekend, for a total of more than $9 million in domestic ticket sales since its release by Rocky Mountain Pictures on July 13.
As documentaries go, that makes it a hit. According to a weekly listing provided by Hollywood.com, it ranked No. 8 at the box office over the weekend, just behind Sony's “Premium Rush,†a new release, and just ahead of Sony's “Hope Springs,†which has been on screens since Aug. 8.
Separately, Boxofficemojo.com's figures now show “2016: Obama's America†to be the year's third-ranked documentary, behind Paramount's “Katy Perry: Part of Me†and Disney's “Chimpanzee.â€< /p>
To rival Michael Moore's “Fahrenheit 9/11,†an anti-George Bush documentary released before the 2004 election, would require a very steep climb. “Fahrenheit,†which opened in more than 800 theaters, took in nearly $24 million on its first weekend, and went on to accumulate $119.2 million in domestic ticket sales, making it, by Boxofficemojo's count, the top-grossing documentary of all time.
But “2016: Obama's America†already ranks No. 6 on Boxofficemojo's list of political documentaries, just behind Mr. Moore's 2009 film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,†which had $14 million in domestic ticket sales.
Mr. D'Souza's film may yet rise in the rankings. Its strong per-screen average ticket sales over the weekend - $5,717, much higher than any other film in the weekend's Top 10 - signal more sales ahead. And Mr. Moore's capitalism documentary, or even his “Bowling for Columbine,†which ranks No. 4 on the list of top political attractions, with $21.6 million in domestic revenue, could be within reach.
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