Mother Mary strutted to a solid limited opening as The Christophers expanded nicely and Exit 8 kept going. A handful of limited releases and holdovers spiced up the specialty scene, along with faith-based historical pic A Great Awakening, which is holding in the top 10.

A24’s Mother Mary from David Lowery opened to a nice $168k on just five screens with a strong per theater average of $33.6k. The drama follows pop icon Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) as she reunites with her estranged best friend (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback concert. Hathaway performs several original songs by Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX and FKA Twigs. Expands into a limited nationwide footprint next weekend.

Neon’s Exit 8 grossed $669.4k in 510 theaters for a cume of $2.8 million in week 2. Based on the global hit video game created by Kotake Create, a man trapped in an endless sterile subway passageway sets out to find Exit 8.

The distributor’s The Christophers by Steven Soderbergh grossed $596k in a big week 2 expansion to 364 theaters for a cume of $702.4k. Stars Ian McKellen as a mainstay of the London art scene who has drifted into a cluttered, self-imposed seclusion.

Focus Features’ Morgan Neville biographical documentary Lorne on visionary SNL creator Lorne Michaels hit 415 theaters with a $270k debut. As expected, NY and LA are top markets.

Limited: Magenta Light Studios’ Fireflies At EL Mozote opened to $47k at 39 theaters. Based on true events, a boy seeks revenge after surviving the 1981 El Mozote massacre in El Salvador, where he witnesses government forces brutally kill his family and destroy his village. Written and directed by Ernesto Melara.

Erupcja from 1-2 Special opened to $25.6k at 2 theaters.

Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Mad Bills To Pay, the award-winning debut feature from director Joel Alfonso Vargas, grossed $23k on two NYC screens with sold out shows at the Regal Concourse in the Bronx (where it’s set) and Film Forum in Manhattan driven by strong word of mouth and deep community engagement. Expands May 1.

Janus Films opened Sophy Romvari’s acclaimed debut Blue Heron on one screen at NYC’s IFC Center to $16.5k. Adds LA April 24 as Romvari and the coming-of-age film starting a North American tour through Boston, San Francisco, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Watermelon Pictures saw $6.3k from Mārama at the IFC Center on a limited schedule with reported sell-outs and the director in town for Q&As. Also had some special sneak preview screenings in LA.  We’ll do a slow-roll out before expanding nationally on 5/1 and 5/8.

The distributor said its historical drama Palestine ’36 passed the $500k mark with $60k on 60 screens (cume $526.8k).

Indie top 10: Roadside Attractions historical, faith-based A Great Awakening rounds out the top 10 on 939 screens with a weekend gross of $823.7k and a cume of $6.6 million in week 3.

Indie Busboys – starring David Space and Theo Von as a pair of friends angling to becomce waiters – opened to $1.6 million on 800 screens at no. 8, according to Comscore. Funasia’s Indian horror comedy Bhooth Bangle debuted with $977k on 500 screens for a cume of $1.05 million, in ninth place.

Holdover IFC Fims Entertainment Group horror Faces Of Death grossed $300k on 1,000 screens for a cume of $2.4 million in week 2.

Fantasy Life from Greenwich Entertainment grossed $31k at 66 locations for a cume of $573k in week 3.