The French Dispatch: Wes Anderson's comedy opens to $1.3 million in North America

Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch has earned $1.3 million from its release across only 52 North American theaters. The opening weekend earnings are the highest for any indie film released during the pandemic.

According to Variety, The French Dispatch made $25,000 in ticket sales per location, which is the best per-theater average of any film opening during the pandemic. The previous record was held by Tom Hardy's Venom: Let There Be Carnage ($21,300 per theater) and Disney's Black Widow that starred Scarlett Johansson (averaging $19,400 per theater). 

Anderson's directorial stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Steve Park, Bill Murray, Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and Owen Wilson. 

The story centres around the French foreign bureau of an American newspaper, which is set to be inspired by The New Yorker, in the fictional French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé.

The French Dispatch had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year, followed by which Searchlight Pictures released it in US cinemas on October 22.

Critics have called the film "an ode to journalism" and especially lauded Anderson's signature aesthetic seen in his past films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr Fox.