Box Office: Sean Baker’s Anora surpasses Ferrari, becomes Neon’s fifth highest-grossing film in U.S.

Anora surpassed Ferrari with USD 18.6 million, becoming Neon’s fifth highest-grossing U.S. film, boosted by Oscars wins and expanded theatrical presence ahead of its streaming debut.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 12, 2025 | 01:01 PM IST | 12.7K

Picture Courtesy: Neon

Sean Baker’s Anora has officially surpassed Neon’s Ferrari to become the fifth highest-grossing film in the studio’s domestic box office history. The latter film collected USD 18.6 million in its lifetime, which the Mikey Madison starrer beat thanks to the film gaining theaters back after its Oscars glory on Sunday, March 2. Following its Academy Award win for Best Picture, the offering saw a significant boost in ticket sales, grossing USD 194,000 on its 21st Monday—an impressive 49.3% spike from the previous week.

Anora tells the story of a Brooklyn-based sex worker who unexpectedly gets caught in a whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch. As their relationship proceeds, she finds herself embroiled in a high-stakes game of wealth and power. Director Sean Baker is known for his raw portrayal of social realism in his projects, and Anora is an addition to his personal genre.

In response to Anora’s Oscars success, where the film also bagged Best Actress, Screenplay, and Editing prizes, exhibitors expanded the film’s theatrical presence by adding 1,130 more screens on Friday. The film is now playing in 1,938 locations across the States while simultaneously being available for digital purchase. Additionally, it has been announced that Anora will be available for streaming on Hulu at no extra cost starting March 17.

After 144 days in theaters, Anora’s domestic total stands at USD 18.6 million. Its global earnings have exceeded USD 50 million, marking an impressive achievement for an independent film made on a USD 6 million budget. The movie’s revived box office run is a testament to the power of awards recognition and strong word of mouth.

With its continued theatrical presence, Anora is poised to maintain momentum in the coming weeks. The film’s success highlights that indie films still stand a chance in the cinema market inundated by big-banner sequels and franchise offerings. It proves that compelling storytelling is the key to drawing the masses to theaters.

Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Darya Ekamasova, and Aleksei Serebryakov round out Anora’s cast. In addition to its Oscars success, the film was named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.