While Spider-Man: Brand New Day dominates multiplexes nationwide, Magnolia Pictures is betting adult audiences are ready for something completely different with Gregg Araki’s provocative Sundance hit I Want Your Sex.
Marvel may own the blockbuster conversation this weekend, but the specialty box office is offering moviegoers a very different kind of theatrical experience.
Magnolia Pictures is launching Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex in approximately 700 theaters nationwide, positioning the provocative comedy as R-rated counterprogramming opposite Sony’s record-breaking Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film arrives after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it generated considerable attention for its provocative premise, sexually charged humor and Araki’s signature boundary-pushing style.
The film currently holds a Certified Fresh 91% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, giving Magnolia confidence that strong reviews and positive festival reception can help attract audiences seeking an alternative to superhero spectacle.
Cooper Hoffman stars as Elliot, a recent college graduate whose first professional opportunity comes working for internationally acclaimed artist Erika Tracy, played by Olivia Wilde. What initially appears to be a dream job quickly spirals into something considerably more complicated when Erika selects Elliot as her newest artistic and sexual muse, forcing him into a world he never expected to navigate.
Joining Hoffman and Wilde is an ensemble that includes Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs and pop superstar Charli XCX, who plays against type in one of the film’s supporting roles.
The release continues Gregg Araki’s long-running career of making films that challenge convention while blending dark comedy, sexuality and satire. Following its Sundance premiere, I Want Your Sex toured the festival circuit with screenings at Seattle International Film Festival, Chicago Critics Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival, Frameline, NewFest Pride and Outfest before arriving in theaters.
Magnolia also partnered with organizations including Assistants vs. Agents and dating platforms Grindr and FEELD for special screenings and promotional events, helping position the release toward audiences likely to embrace its unconventional subject matter. Last week, Araki appeared alongside Charli XCX for a live-streamed Los Angeles conversation coinciding with the launch of the musician’s latest multimedia project.
Elsewhere in specialty theaters, Janus Films begins the U.S. rollout of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s acclaimed historical mystery The Samurai and The Prisoner. Opening initially at Film at Lincoln Center, IFC Center and the Landmark Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles, the Cannes-premiering drama has already earned nearly $10 million in Japan, marking the strongest commercial performance of Kurosawa’s career.
The film follows Lord Murashige Araki as he finds himself trapped inside his own castle after rebelling against warlord Nobunaga Oda, only to become entangled in a series of mysterious crimes unfolding within the fortress walls. Starring Masahiro Motoki, the historical thriller currently holds a 95% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of a nationwide expansion throughout August.
IFC Entertainment is also bringing Richard Linklater’s landmark coming-of-age drama Boyhood back to theaters on 110 screens. Filmed over twelve years with the same cast, the Academy Award-winning film remains one of modern cinema’s most ambitious filmmaking achievements, starring Ellar Coltrane alongside Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette.
Meanwhile, Motor City continues its theatrical run after a solid opening weekend. The Alan Ritchson-led revenge thriller remains in approximately 600 theaters during its second frame after launching in roughly 1,600 locations.
Limited-release audiences also have several notable independent offerings arriving this weekend.
Strand Releasing opens Yashaddai Owens’ debut feature Jimmy at New York’s IFC Center. Premiering at Telluride before screening at the New York Film Festival, the black-and-white drama stars Benny O. Arthur as a young James Baldwin arriving in Paris during a formative chapter of the celebrated author’s life. Sunday’s screening coincides with Baldwin’s birthday and will feature a post-screening conversation with Owens and filmmaker Barry Jenkins.
Documentary fans will find two unusual new releases as well.
A Paradise Lost, directed by Laurie Sumiye, combines live-action filmmaking with animation to recount the extraordinary 1979 legal case in which Hawaii’s endangered Palila bird effectively became the plaintiff in a landmark environmental lawsuit seeking habitat protection. Narrated from the bird’s perspective, the documentary has already earned recognition at environmental and international film festivals around the world.
Also arriving in limited release is Penny Lane’s Wild Inside, chronicling the remarkable true story of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl whose escape from New York City’s Central Park Zoo captivated millions. Produced by Sandbox Films and HBO Documentary Films, the documentary explores how one owl unexpectedly became both a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of freedom across New York City.
Although Spider-Man: Brand New Day is expected to dominate the overall box office, this weekend’s specialty lineup demonstrates the continued diversity of theatrical programming. From provocative adult comedies and internationally acclaimed festival favorites to environmental documentaries and beloved repertory titles, independent distributors continue offering audiences reasons to venture beyond franchise filmmaking.
For moviegoers looking beyond superheroes, the specialty market remains as vibrant as ever.
