18/07/2003

Released onto 13 US screens on 2 July by Focus, Swimming Pool [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by François Ozon was extended to 63 prints in its second week out, with a total box office take of $1.2m.
Presented at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Swimming Pool is Ozon’s sixth feature film, and Celluloïd Dreams sold the title to the US distributor during MIFED 2002. This level of interest was justified by the $3m box office taken by Ozon’s earlier 8 Women [+see also:
trailer
film profile].
This time around, Focus decided to release Swimming Pool at the height of the summer season, concurrently with the biggest US blockbusters. The enticing poster suggests the audience “dive into this summer’s most intelligent and sexy thriller.” The strategy appears to be paying dividends: in its first five days out, Swimming Pool took $375,000, with a $29,000-per-screen average. Such is the strength of the excellent word-of-mouth that this film may well beat the 82 prints released for 8 Women.

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This title also confirms the strength and international popularity of Gallic cinema and the intelligence of the marketing strategy adopted by Ozon’s producers Fidélité Productions, who made the film with a relatively limited budget of €6.1m. Swimming Pool was seen by a domestic audience of 700,000 and is scheduled for release in Germany on 14 August, followed by Holland on 18 September and 9 October in Italy.

(Translated from French)