Gunslinger hits bulls-eye with Shank
UK distributor Revolver Entertainment’s new production arm Gunslinger fired its opening salvo at the box office with the explosive performance of its debut film Shank. The film became Revolver’s most successful opening weekend at the UK box office, taking £278,904 across 86 screens with a robust per-screen average of £3,243.
Shank was the no. 1 film at 25% of the total sites at which it played over the weekend competing with massive US studio titles such as Alice in Wonderland, The Bounty Hunter and Green Zone.
Set in a decaying, near-future London where gangs scavenge and fight for limited food and resources, the film is written by Paul Van Carter, who also produced with Nick Taussig, and is directed by edgy music video director Mo Ali, making his feature debut.
Revolver’s marketing strategies included producing a street smart website and a highly popular online music video from one of the film’s stars, urban music phenomenon Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas. The film’s “When the Sky Falls” track proved successful online, with the video (also shot by Ali) attracting over 375,000 YouTube hits.
Revolver CEO Justin Marciano said, “Mo, Paul and Nick have managed to deliver exactly what this audience was asking for. We’ve built up an extraordinary relationship with young audiences over the last few years, and all that we have gained in experience has paid off this weekend.”
Gunslinger is already developing a sequel to Shank with the same team. The company is also set to announce a slate meant for young audiences at Cannes.
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