As 'Grand Budapest Hotel' opens, a look at Wes Anderson's other films

As ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ opens, a look at Wes Anderson’s other films

By Ryan Faughnder

March 7, 2014 1:10 PM PT

The release of a new Wes Anderson film has been a highly anticipated event among the quirky filmmaker’s fans ever since his breakout success “Rushmore” in 1998.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which is debuting in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, is sure to continue that tradition.

The movie takes place in Eastern Europe between World War I and World War II and stars Ralph Fiennes as a hotel concierge who befriends a lobby boy. It has generally won over critics, as indicated by a 89% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- a good sign for a limited release poised to expand nationwide over the next few weeks.

REVIEW: Wes Anderson makes ‘Grand Budapest’ a four-star delight

Better known for offbeat critical darlings than box office smashes, Anderson has nonetheless generated some money-makers. His most recent, the coming-of-age romance “Moonrise Kingdom,” generated $45 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada alone, nearly three times its production budget.

“Moonrise” opened in May 2012 in four theaters, generating an average of $130,000 at each location. That made it the second highest per-screen average of the year, next to “The Master.”

His biggest commercial success so far is his 2001 effort “The Royal Tenenbaums,” which generated $52 million in its domestic run, roughly equivalent to $75 million adjusting for today’s ticket prices. It was one of the films that first brought his signature dollhouse universes and deadpan dialogue to a wide audience.

Some follow-ups were less successful, though. The “Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” earned mixed reviews and grossed just $35 million worldwide, failing to match its estimated $50 million production budget.

GRAPHIC: Wes Anderson’s recurring cast

Here are the writer-director’s films, ranked by domestic box-office gross, with data from Box Office Mojo. Keep in mind that his first film, the critically praised “Bottle Rocket,” only ever ran in about 50 cinemas:

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Domestic gross: $52.4 million. Widest run: 1,000 theaters.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Domestic gross: $45.5 million. Widest run: 900 theaters.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

Domestic gross: $24 million. Widest run: 1,100 theaters.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Domestic gross: $21 million. Widest run: 2,300 theaters.

Rushmore (1998)

Domestic gross: $17 million. Widest run: 800 theaters.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Domestic gross: $12 million. Widest run: 700 theaters.