Top docs at the box office: Malala bumps Patels from number one

The Davis Guggenheim-directed film enjoys one of the widest documentary releases of the year

He Named Me Malala, the documentary about Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Malala Yousafzai, easily took the top spot among documentaries at the weekend box office. The film from Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim earned $687,169, according to audience measurement firm Rentrak Corp..

The film played on 446 screens, very wide for a documentary, with a per-screen average of $1,541. The two-week total for He Named Me Malala now stands at $770,617. Trailer here. 

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The success of Malala pushed Meet the Patels from the top of the documentary box office, a spot it had occupied for the last three weeks. Patels finished in second place with a weekend take of $169,537, increasing its total returns to $961,642. It should cross the $1 million mark by next weekend. [Trailer here]

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution from director Stanley Nelson broke into the top five, earning $47,113 -- enough for third place. Its six-week total now stands at $370,651.[Trailer here]

​Rounding out the top five were Meru, the hit mountain-climbing documentary from Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi. which came in fourth place, followed by Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon in fifth, Rentrak reported. 

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The full top 10 for the weekend of October 9-11:

1. He Named Me Malala                                                                                $687,169
2. Meet the Patels                                                                                           $169,537
3. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution                                  $47,113
4. Meru                                                                                                              $25,309
5. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon     $16,890
6. Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine                                                       $8,407
7. Journey to the South Pacific                                                                      $1,854
8. Best of Enemies                                                                                          $828
9. The Wolfpack                                                                                              $441
​10.She's Beautiful When She's Angry                                                         $325

#HeNamedMeMalala is in theaters now. #InternationalDayoftheGirl pic.twitter.com/X6ygEjNe4T

— Nat Geo Channel (@NatGeoChannel) October 11, 2015

Saw a great documentary today!!It's called @MeetThePatels". It was really funny & entertaining & was such a cool look into Indian culture.

— Victoria Justice (@VictoriaJustice) October 12, 2015

MUST SEE. MUST SEE. MUST SEE. #BlackPanthersMovie in theaters now! by @StanleyNelson1 ✊✊✊ https://t.co/Hua2el61xD

— Hallelujah Anasuya (@AnasuyaIam) September 19, 2015