Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" original dance musical stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as struggling artists and lovers. Their love story is reported to be registering with both audiences and critics right out of the gate.
The film just had a hugely successful opening weekend and won Best Picture at the 2017 Critic Choice Awards.
Aside from rave reviews , "La La Land" has brought in an estimated $855,000 after only having been released in five theaters. The five theater release had yielded an average of $171,000 per screen according to The Wrap. This makes "La La Land" the second highest per-screen average earning indie film next to "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
"This opening sets this movie on the right path," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. "It looks like it's going to have a perfect storm of box office success and critical acclaim."
"It's a movie that you walk in the theater and you just feel great," said David Spitz, Lionsgate's head of distribution. "It makes you feel terrific and that's a good thing right now."
"This movie is playing literally to everyone," said Spitz. "It's just a matter of people discovering the movie. It's going to play and play."
"There's a reason why a lot of studios didn't bite on this," said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. "They took a risk and it looks like it's going to pay off."
Meanwhile, the movie is also twirled its way toward being an awards season juggernaut on Monday, taking seven Golden Globe nominations.
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Damien Chazelle," La La Land" tells the story of Mia [Emma Stone], an aspiring actress, and Sebastian [Ryan Gosling], a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.
"La La Land" is now playing in limited release.
