South African film production company Triggerfish’s new release “Khumba” achieved ZAR1.7 million (US$167,000) in sales in its first weekend of showing in local theatres, beating international blockbusters to the number one box office spot.
Khumba was released in South African theatres on October 25, and in its first weekend alone topped the country’s box office – beating international films such as “Gravity” and “Battle of the Year: Dream Team” – and contributing 24 per cent of the country’s overall gross box office takings for the weekend.
The film also marked Triggerfish’s biggest success at home, with Khumba receiving 13 per cent more viewings than the company’s last film, “Adventures in Zambezia”.
“This is an incredible feat, especially given how local and international box office takings have been rather soft in recent months,” says Helen Kuun, chief executive officer (CEO) of Indigenous Film Distribution, the company distributing Khumba locally.
“This level of success speaks to the quality of the film and the fact that it offers excellent entertainment for the whole family.”
The film – which follows the trials and tribulations of an outcast zebra who only has half his stripes – features the voices of a number of well-known actors, including Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Richard E Grant, Catherine Tate and Liam Neeson.
Khumba is also available for viewing in Afrikaans, with Afrikaans actors Brumilda Van Rensburg, Hannes Brummer and Leila Etsebeth among those giving voices to the animated characters.
