'Steve Jobs' Film Debuts Impressively in Limited Release

Only a limited number of fans have been able to see Steve Jobs over the weekend, thanks to its initial small scale release in only Los Angeles and New York on October 9. Despite that limited run, the Danny Boyle-directed film has debuted with impressive numbers, making $521,000 in its first weekend with a per-theater average of $130,250 (via Variety).

steve jobs film
Although those numbers landed the movie well below any top-earning spot for the weekend box office at large (it placed sixteenth overall), that per-theater average places Steve Jobs as the fifteenth highest PTA figure in film history. As the rollout for the film expands -- 25 new markets and 60 theaters on October 16, and then 2,000 theaters on October 23 -- Universal has doubled down on its release strategy, believing the slow trickle to wide release will help generate positive word of mouth.

“By holding back and platforming it in this way, we let the public know what this movie is all about and we generate a hotter ‘want to see’ among audiences,” said Nick Carpou, head of Universal’s domestic distribution operation.

Universal hopes these limited release numbers translate into bigger returns when Steve Jobs debuts in wide release next weekend, aiming for a similar trajectory as The Social Network's $97 million overall domestic haul. Current analysts predict at least a $20 million opening wide release weekend for the new film, pointing to the ubiquity of Apple products, largely positive early reviews, and the audience's hunt for "prestige movies" at this time of year as the main factors for its potential success.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

Top Rated Comments

jpgr15 Avatar
115 months ago
and the audience's hunt for "prestige movies"
What the heck is a prestige movie and why are people hunting for them?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
115 months ago
Just slightly off topic - I am wondering about the whole going to the movies thing. Pretty much everyone now has a large TV screen at home (for the sake of argument say 40 inch or larger). With streaming like Netflix or Apple TV, I really don't see why people are drawn to pay so much to go to the movies. I will wait for this to come to one of my streaming services and then maybe I will watch it. But paying over $20 just for the tickets (not to mention transportation and other expenses associated with going out), for a movie that will play well on my screen at home makes no sense. Congrats to the movie for making tons of money, but please wait a little while longer before you get a few dollars from me.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocketman Avatar
115 months ago
Several posters to this site keep referring to hardcore fans and fanboys.

It is regular workaday folks that buy Apple products and love them. They like the products and the benefits they receive.

The fraction of any population that is a so-called fanboy is under 1%. Yet they have a large portion of the mindshare and mocking by some posters here.

That makes me believe they are on the other end of the bell curve themselves. Anti-fanboys.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madsci954 Avatar
115 months ago
That's how much money talking about Steve Jobs (right or wrong) makes...

If it were a movie about Nicola Tesla, Hewelet and Packard (the founders), Fairchild, etc...

Would it make that much money?

Don't think so...
Actually, if Hollywood executives approached me and asked if I would rather see a movie about Steve Jobs or Nicola Tesla, I'd probably pick Tesla.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsrcool1234 Avatar
115 months ago
That's how much money talking about Steve Jobs (right or wrong) makes...

If it were a movie about Nicola Tesla, Hewelet and Packard (the founders), Fairchild, etc...

Would it make that much money?

Don't think so...
I had to read this post like 3 times before I realized there was no sarcasm tag.

If it wasn't for Nicola Tesla, Steve Jobs would have been a nobody.

Our education system has truly failed.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mijail Avatar
115 months ago
Several posters to this site keep referring to hardcore fans and fanboys.

It is regular workaday folks that buy Apple products and love them. They like the products and the benefits they receive.

The fraction of any population that is a so-called fanboy is under 1%. Yet they have a large portion of the mindshare and mocking by some posters here.

That makes me believe they are on the other end of the bell curve themselves. Anti-fanboys.
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2939

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)