Jason Statham’s action thriller Shelter has topped the box office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with a $2.2 million opening slot through indie distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and its partner Kuwait National Film Company.
Opening weekend MENA results for Ric Roman Waugh’s Shelter, in which Statham plays a reclusive former M16 agent who is forced to hide out on a Scottish island and protect himself and a teenage girl from an assassin, outperformed the film’s first frame in several major international markets. It surpassed China ($2.1 million) and the UK ($1.3 million), and recorded about 40% of “Shelter’s” estimated $5.5 million US opening performance.
The top “shelter” in the MENA territory was Saudi Arabia. The film recorded 34.5% of total Saudi admissions and 38% of total box office revenue, meaning that almost one in three Saudi moviegoers chose the film. According to Front Row, “Shelter” earned $1 million in Saudi Arabia in its first weekend, with an average ticket price of $15.50, making it the biggest opening for an English-language title in the country since September.
MENA’s powerful ‘shelter’ bow “underlines the growing influence of the (MENA) region in the global theater world,” a Front Row statement said.
Front Row also highlighted Jason Statham’s “unparalleled box office power” with MENA audiences, which makes him “the region’s most bankable action star, and his films consistently outperform his peers and those from major studios.”
“Jason Statham’s connection with audiences in this region is unparalleled, and ‘Shelter’ strengthens his status as MENA’s definitive action star,” said Gianluca Chakra, CEO of Front Row.
