Richie McCaw doco Chasing Great has opened at #1 in the New Zealand Box Office over the weekend, collecting a handsome total of $681,181. The last documentary to top the local charts was Ian Mune’s Billy T: Te Movie, followed by Jackass 3D* and This is it.
*yes, we’re counting it
“The outstanding opening day result for Chasing Great in New Zealand is just reward for both the filmmakers and Richie,” says Michael Eldred, General Manager of Transmission Films. “They have made a compelling film that gives a phenomenal insight into the psychology of success and endurance. It is a story that will inspire people of all ages.”
Meanwhile, Poi E: The Story of Our Song has passed the $1 million mark at the NZ Box Office, joining the ranks of Leanne Pooley’s Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls and Gaylene Preston’s Home By Christmas in the Kiwi Documentary Million Dollar High Club.
“Reaching the box-office milestone of seven figures for our little documentary is very rewarding,” says Tearepa Kahi, director of The Story of Our Song. “Not because of the size of the box-office but because so many Kiwis are connecting to the richness of the story within. I’ve received so many messages from New Zealanders over the past 5 weeks, young and old, whose eyes have been opened by Dalvanius, Ngoi and the Pātea Māori Club. People from all walks of life have been moved emotionally and culturally. I believe when we all understand how far they took our language and culture, it gives us all strength to take it that much further today.”
Both films are now playing in cinemas nationwide.
See movie times for ‘Chasing Great’ in a cinema near you
See movie times for ‘Poi E: The Story of Our Song’ in a cinema near you
