John Wilson's 'The History Of Concrete' Rocks IFC Center

Key Points:

• John Wilson’s documentary The History Of Concrete had a record-breaking debut at IFC Center, grossing $90k in three days, marking the top doc opening and second-highest weekend gross in the theater’s 21-year history after Parasite.
• The film’s success is attributed to Wilson’s local celebrity status from his HBO series How To With John Wilson, limited pre-release screenings to build anticipation, and a young adult demographic, with plans to expand to 50 markets by October 2.
• Faith-based films saw strong box office competition, with Angel Studio’s Runner earning $3.18 million in its second week and EKKL Entertainment’s Daniel And The Fiery Furnace opening at $3.14 million, highlighting the genre’s dedicated fan base and multi-generational appeal.
• Vertical’s The Weight, starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, opened at number nine with strong nationwide and outdoorsy market performances, praised for its stunning wilderness cinematography and positive arthouse audience reception.
• Other notable releases include If I Go Will They Miss Me continuing its theatrical run with $352k in week two, Greenwich Entertainment’s documentary You Had to Be There opening strong in NYC, and Neon’s Hope nearing $1 million in its second week, alongside family-friendly Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom debuting with $1.9 million.