Baz
Luhrmann's big screen adaption of The Great Gatsby is set to become the Australian
filmaker's most successful movieto date. Picture: AP/Warner Bros. Source:
AP
Leigh Paatsch, The Daily Telegraph, reports
Very good, but not absolutely great.
This appears to be the initial result for The Great Gatsby, after the much-hyped Baz Luhrmann blockbuster made its debut at the Australian box-office.
Opening on 574 screens, the big-budget adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel grossed $1.147 million on its first day in local cinemas.
The consensus among industry analysts is that this solid start puts The Great Gatsby well on the way to an Australian opening weekend gross in the $6-7 million range.
A projected opening of this size will position it as the third-biggest film to open in our cinemas this year, behind Iron Man 3 (a $14 million opening weekend in April) and The Hangover 3 (over $8 million).
A robust opening in Australia and other territories in Central and South America this weekend guarantees that The Great Gatsby will break a personal record for Baz Luhrmann in the next few days.
The film only needs to take another $8 million worldwide to become the acclaimed Australian director's highest-grossing film.
The initial response on his home turf clearly delighted Luhrmann, who issued a brief statement thanking local film goers for "weathering a stormy Thursday to make it the number one film in Australia".
"A big heartfelt thank you to those on both sides of the camera, and most of all to the audience," he said.
A majority of city cinemas are reporting near-sellout business for evening sessions of The Great Gatsby right across the weekend.
Managers are suggesting it might be wise to book an advance ticket online if you are considering catching the film in "prime-time" sessions after 5pm.
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