‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’ catches on at the box office

‘Salmon Fishing’ catches on

“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen� reeled in a healthy number of moviegoers at the box office this last weekend.

The drama about a scientist and a consultant on a mission to bring fly-fishing to the Middle East opened in 18 theaters and collected $240,000 domestically, according to an estimate from distributor CBS Films. That amounted to a respectable per-theater average of $13,333.

The film, starring Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor, attracted an older female audience— 71% of the crowd was over 50 and 61% were women. The film has earned so-so reviews, but those who saw the picture this last weekend seemed to like it: Ticket sales jumped 86% from Friday to Saturday, indicating that the movie is benefiting from strong word of mouth.

CBS Films, which had moderate success with its horror release “The Woman in Black� earlier this year, acquired “Salmon Fishing� at the Toronto Film Festival last year.

Meanwhile, the romantic comedy “Friends With Kids� also got off to a decent start. Written by, directed by and starring Jennifer Westfeldt, the movie opened in 375 theaters and grossed $2.2 million. That resulted in a less-than-robust per-theater average of $5,801.

The movie, about two friends who decide to have a baby together and remain in a platonic relationship, was also acquired at the Toronto fest. The movie was bought by Lionsgate, which is paying to market and release the film through Roadside Attractions.

— Amy Kaufman