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It’s another milestone for “The History of Concrete.” The documentary about… well, the title says it all, has crossed the $2 million mark 25 days into its run. That’s a strong result for a non-fiction film, as well as a testament to the appeal of director John Wilson, who has a passionate following thanks to his cult favorite HBO series “How To with John Wilson.”
Magnolia, the indie studio behind the documentary, picked up the film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was a critical success. The total now stands at $2,042,000. “The History of Concrete” is currently playing on 172 screens in North America, including 11 screens in Canada. It sheds some locations this weekend, dropping to 125 screens.
The film, which touches on issues of urbanism and architecture with Wilson’s absurdist flair, has been a huge success at the IFC Center, surpassing $300,000, making it one of the highest-grossing titles ever at the indie theater.
“‘The History of Concrete’ has worked in every market we’ve opened,” said Neal Block, Magnolia’s head of distribution and marketing. “I don’t think in my 20 years at Magnolia I’ve ever received more emails from exhibitors expressing how well a movie is doing, and asking for comeback events and encore screenings.
“The History of Concrete” picked up four Critic’s Choice nominations this week, including nods for best documentary feature and best first documentary feature. He was also nominated for editing and reporting.
