Comedy The Invite from A24 is eyeing a stellar limited opening with the highest per screen average of the weekend and one of the best of the year. The film by Olivia Wilde grossed $379k on just 7 screens in New York and LA for a $54k PSA. Enthusiastic crowds sold out shows in both markets with exceptional exits and word of mouth. The ensemble cast includes Wilde and Seth Rogen as couple on thin ice hosting a dinner for their upstairs neighbors, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. Will roll out selectively into top markets next weekend ahead of a nationwide expansion on 7/10.

Fathom Entertainment event Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is looking at a standout $1.95 million weekend at 943 theaters for a domestic cume through Sunday of $3 million. The film packages the final three episodes of the iconic Japanese anime series as destruction looms at the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War.

Neon’s Australian horror Leviticus grossed $929k on 965 screens in week 2 for a $5.37 million cume.

WWII drama Lucky Strike from Roadside Attractions opened to $777k on 772 screens.

Vertical debuted Couture starring Angelina Joliewith an estimated $135k on 235 screens. The film played best on the Coasts with top locations AMC Lincoln Square, AMC Empire, Angelika (NYC); AMC Century City, AMC Burbank (LA), AMC UTC (San Diego) and TIFF Lightbox in Toronto.

Limited: Janus Films opened Carla Simón’s acclaimed Cannes competition film Romería at Film Forum and Film at Lincoln Center in NYC to $18.5k, a top limited opening for the director, who was in New York for sold-out Q&As. Expands to LA, DC, Boston and Philadelphia next week before going nationwide throughout July.

Rose of Nevada from 1-2 Special grossed $37.2k from 11 theaters in week 2 for a cume to date of $71k. Expands further in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and opens new in Atlanta, Nashville, Portland and other markets the week of 7/3 with a national expansion through July. 

Documentary Peter Asher: Everywhere Man from Greenwich Entertainment is eyeing $27.5 k on 16 screens in week 2 for a $38k cume.

After a successful event launch last week, Subtext’s release of Gregg Allman: The Music Of My Soul continued encore engagements this weekend, grossing an estimated$26.7k on 33 screens for a new cume of $408k –– largely on single showtimes. The doc will continue encore engagements throughout the week leading into a VOD release July 3.

After Universal Pictures dropped the ball on her biopic, don’t expect Madonna to turn to artificial intelligence to get the job done.

The 7x Grammy winner recently explained why AI-generated content is “the opposite of making art,” noting that she prefers “connecting to nature, my children, my horses” for inspiration in making music.

“Once you were around painters and musicians and dancers and artists in one place and working from a very pure place for each other. I value that experience a lot,” she told Vogue Italia. “Nowadays you don’t do that anymore. Now to have a record deal you think about how many followers you have. That’s why in ‘Bring Your Love’ I say ‘Don’t try to distract me with numbers.’”

Madonna continued, “For me it started not thinking about the charts, the streaming numbers. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are the opposite of taking risks and to me that is the opposite of making art.”

Referring to the lyrics of her song “I Feel So Free”, which include “that’s why I like to go dancing / safety in numbers,” Madonna explained, “It’s completely the opposite. In this case numbers give you safety. You’re with a lot of people and you don’t feel judged, you can hide.”

Instead of maximizing output with the help of generative AI, the Confessions II artist prefers to stop and find inspiration in her own life.

“Lately it’s been hard because of my record and so many things connected to it. But I do like to take breaks… and disappear. Because that’s how you fuel your imagination. You have to have stillness and you have to have days where you’re just connecting to nature, my children, my horses,” added Madonna.

Madonna is seemingly in for another break soon after her 15th studio album Confessions on a Dancefloor: Part II releases on July 3. She recently performed songs from the album during a surprise set in Times Square and debuted an accompanying 13-minute short directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase (aka TORSO) at Tribeca Film Festival.