How ‘Land of Bad’ Distributor The Avenue Is Disrupting the Action Thriller Space
variety.comKatcy Stephan It’s been four years since The Avenue first launched, and the indie distributor just scored its first top 10 film with William Eubank’s “Land of Bad.” The action flick starring Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle and Milo Ventimiglia opened on Feb.
16, had the fourth-highest per screen average over the holiday weekend and was the only independent film in the top 10. While indie films in awards contention can often make a modest box office dent, it’s unusual for an action film like “Land of Bad” to reach such heights: the actioner’s four-day total on opening weekend was $2.1 million from 1,057 screens.
President of domestic marketing and distribution JJ Caruth says the box office success of “Land of Bad” is a strong signal that audiences are hungry for more action-packed movies. “I’m just happy to see an independent film succeed at the box office.
It’s so important that we keep making independent films so that the filmmakers are able to tell their stories. But it’s also important for me as a distributor and as a marketer that this film has been successful for exhibition — they recognize that we have the ability to create movies that have theatrical potential.
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