Schucks! Your Country Needs You
After three months on circuit, Leon Schuster’s latest prank movie, Schucks! Your
Country Needs You, produced by Andre Scholtz and distributed by Ster-Kinekor,
keeps on delivering the laughs with hefty earnings of R26 824 422 to date. First
released on 100 screens on 29 November 2013, the film now has limited
screenings with 13 prints nationwide. Schuster and Gray Hofmeyr wrote the
movie with Hofmeyr directing.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
UIP’s release of producer Anant Singh’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, a co-
production between South Africa and the United States, remains strong with
earnings of R23 000 118 after its 28 November 2013 opening. The movie
showed on 90 screens nationwide and now nears the end of its run. Written by
William Nicholson, adapted from his book about late President Nelson Mandela’s
life, the movie was directed by Justin Chadwick.
Faan se Trein
Producer Helena Spring’s film Faan se Trein, based on the celebrated stage play
and released by Ster-Kinekor, steamed ahead after a month of its release with
impressive earnings of R7 158 787 to date with 47 prints nationwide. The movie
was adapted for the screen by Koos Roets, who directed as well.
Pad na jou Hart
Billed as the first Afrikaans romantic adventure film, Pad na jou Hart, produced by
The Film Factory and Magic Box Productions and distributed by Ster-Kinekor, took
top honours at the local box office over its opening weekend on 14 February,
raking in R3 992 106 with 56 prints. At the time of going to print, the film had
earned R5 744 599 after two weeks on circuit. Pad na jou Hart was written by
Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts and was directed by Jaco Smit.
Elelweni
Celebrated Venda-language film Elelwani, produced by Shadowy Meadows
Productions and Blackboard Trust, and released through Indigenous Film
Distributors, had a limited six-print run when it opened on 31 January, but still
managed to earn R231 268 at the box office. The movie was written and
directed by Ntshaveni Wa Luruli, adapted from the novel by Titus Ntsiene
Maumela.
International films
On the international front, Catching Fire, the second instalment of the wildly
popular Hunger Games franchise, and distributed by Times Media Films with 79
initial prints on 21 November 2013, had earned R18 616 696, followed by the
Oscar-nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by veteran filmmaker
Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, with R11 159
880. The movie was released through Crystal Brook Distribution on 10 January
with a print run of 70.
The action movie 47 Ronin, distributed by UIP, had earnings of R9 822 441 at the
time of going to print and after 10 weeks on circuit, screened on a limited print
run, while multi award-winning and Oscar-nominated movie Gravity (including
3D), released through Times Media Films, had generated earnings of R8 761 851
with a low print run.
Animated feature-length film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (including 3D),
a Ster-Kinekor release with 61 prints, resonated with its target audience and
after a month of its release, the movie had earned R7 294 758.
