’Buddy’ a Surprise Indie Box Office Hit; $5 Million Opening

Buddy, the film about the bright orange unicorn, emerges as the latest indie-horror success, making it the highest opening this year for films showing under 1800 screens.

The Roadside Attractions and Saban Film’s release grossed an estimated $5,363,827 for this weekend at only 1258 screens, doubling box office projections.

Buddy is Roadside Attraction’s highest opening weekend since the pandemic and also its second highest opening in its 23-year history. The film is also Saban Films’ highest opening in its 12-year history.

This is a pivotal moment for indie horror as Buddy joins the ranks of Terrifier, Clown in a Cornfield and Luc Besson’s Dracula.

Young Gen Z audiences are craving original content, escapism and a communal experience –  a social environment away from home.

Exit polls show that the film is drawing a young audience, 83 percent under 35. It also over-indexes with Hispanic audiences at 37 percent.

Buddy has over 450,000 followers on its social media channels with over 150 million views – far higher than recent horror hits like Obsession, Insidious: Out of the Further, End of Oak Street, and Evil Dead Rise.

“We loved Buddy the moment we saw the film at Sundance,” said Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff of Roadside Attractions, and Jonathan Saba and Shanan Becker of Saban Films, in a joint statement.  “We were blown away by the wildly imaginative worlds director Casper Kelly created with practical effects, and audiences are clearly responding to its authenticity and its gonzo – WTF – horror-comedy-thriller combination.”

Buddy is certified fresh at 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.