The Namesake takes BO by storm

MAKING A NAME: The film averaged nearly $42,000 per screen, the biggest opening weekend average for any film in 2007.

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Keywords: US, Box Office

New York: Mira Nair’s The Namesake opened in just six screens in North America this weekend. But its opening weekend take at the box office was over a quarter of a million dollars.

It averaged nearly $42,000 per screen, the biggest opening weekend average for any film in 2007.

In fact, the box office winner, a film called 300, averaged a little over $22,000 per screen.

Long queues were reported at the few theaters where The Namesake was playing and the film certainly appealed to Indian-Americans.

“It was a great film. I think it was a landmark film. And me being born here, I could relate to it and I think a lot of people, if you are here or from another culture, everyone would relate to it in some way,” says a New Jersey resident, Arun Sajnani.

Of course, by the weekend starting March 23, The Namesake will be playing in 23 cities throughout North America and the expanded run will test its staying power.

So while The Namesake had a strong opening weekend, the next weekend will be more challenging for the film as it opens in an additional eight cities in North America.