Irish Film: The Lobster proves critical and commercial success

With a remarkably small 2% drop week on week, Element Pictures production The Lobster will surpass the €1 million mark in its second week of release, which is deemed a break out figure for any independent film. Opening to rave reviews (including our own 4 stars) The Lobster, released as a joint venture by Element Pictures Distribution in Ireland and Picturehouse in the UK has now expanded to over 80 sites across Ireland & the UK as audiences embrace this art-house hit.

Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’s previous best across Ireland & the UK was Dogtooth which grossed €208,000 over its entire theatrical run. To Sunday the film had earned €88,336 in the Republic of Ireland, meaning that it has earned 10 times that amount in the UK, having opened in 9 spot in the combined charts with €318,208.

The Lobster’s stellar ensemble cast – headed by Colin Farrell and featuring Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux, John C Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman and Michael Smiley is expected to continue its fantastic run when it’s released in France this week on 126 prints where its Cannes Jury prize win will surely boost the films performance.

[quote title=”Andrew Lowe – Producer, Element Pictures Distribution”]We are really pleased with the response of audiences in Ireland and the UK to The Lobster, whose positive word of mouth has helped propel it into an independent hit.  Element Pictures Distribution have worked closely with our partners in the UK, Picturehouse, to launch the film into a very competitive market on the back of The Lobster‘s success in Cannes, and we are delighted to see UK and Irish audiences share the Cannes jury’s enthusiasm for the film.[/quote]

The Lobster is a love story set in the near future where single people, according to the rules of The City, are arrested and transferred to The Hotel.  There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days.  If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into The Woods.  A desperate Man escapes from The Hotel to The Woods where The Loners live and falls in love, although it is against their rules.

The Lobster is written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou and produced by Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Ceci Dempsey and Yorgos Lanthimos. Executive Producers are Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross and Sam Lavender. The film is an Element Pictures, Scarlet Films, Faliro House, Haut et Court, Lemming Film co-production in association with Limp and with Irish finance for the film from the Irish Film Board.