With half a million admissions recorded in three days since its release, the first film from Montpellier is becoming a social phenomenon.
The best start to the year 2024 in cinema, in France, no less. This is the performance achieved by A little something extra, the first film by (and with) the Montpellier comedian Artus, released this Wednesday and which defies all the specialists’ predictions. And probably all the expectations on the part of those who presided over the rather incredible destiny of this film.
It recounts the escape of a father and his son, ending up hiding in a summer camp for disabled adults, posing as a resident and his specialized educator. A feature film without a big star in its credits, but with eleven non-professional and disabled actors in the cast.
280,000 entries on the first day
From the day of its release, with a total of 280,000 admissions, including previews this Wednesday, it seemed certain that this film (and not necessarily easy to put together, according to its producers) was destined for incredible success. Of course, it was a Wednesday, May 1st public holiday, but all the same, the enormity of the figure was already astonishing.
At the start of the weekend, the effect of astonishment remains the same, since the film had sold 500,000 tickets in just three days on Friday evening. No one has done better this year (not even Dune 2), confirmed Saturday morning on -, one of its producers, Thierry Wong: “Honestly, we didn’t expect such a start, even if we saw that the film was very popular, precisely because it has a little something extra.”
“No one could have expected this”
Jacques Font, historic and emblematic figure of cinematographic exploitation in Perpignan, confirmed this to us a little later in the day on Saturday.
“But no one could have expected that, not a single film professional could have predicted it. I spoke with the film’s distributor on the phone this morning, he is on cloud nine! It’s absolutely exceptional!”he enthused.
Towards four million entries and beyond?
Before giving elements of comparison specifying the level of the triumph: “At the Méga-Castillet in Perpignan, we had 1,660 people on the first day. It’s just behind The Sticksbut well ahead Untouchables Or The chorists !”
It remains to be seen how far this comedy can now go. For Jacques Font, “When a film starts like this, nothing stops it. There, no one imagines that it will have less than four million admissions. Afterwards…”
