Screen Australia has celebrated the outstanding result for The Dry as it has taken over $10 million at the Australian box office after almost three weeks in release. “We are thrilled with the result for The Dry, it is such a great way to start the year for Australian films and also for our great local cinemas. We had high expectations for the film which have been truly met. Made Up Stories’ producers Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky, director Robert Connolly, and the incredible on-screen cast, led by Eric Bana, have delivered an instant Australian Classic. Congratulations to Roadshow Films on delivering a first-class theatrical campaign with anticipation for the film high from cinemagoers as we headed into the holiday period. The support Australian audiences have shown by going to the cinemas to see The Dry shows audiences are ready to embrace these powerful films, and once again immerse themselves in the big screen experience.” Screen Australia Chief Executive Office Graeme Mason commented.
Screen Australia is inviting all Australians to rediscover the wonder of the big screen this summer with the Our Summer of Cinema campaign highlighting the exciting line up of Australian films releasing in cinemas during January and February. The Dry is the first of a number of high-profile titles releasing theatrically, with Penguin Bloom (21 January), High Ground (28 January) and Firestarter (18 February) to follow over the rest of the summer.

Mason said that in collaboration with each of the films’ distributors Screen Australia has created a suite of marketing assets for cinema, broadcast, digital and social media channels. The campaign will be amplified by PR and exhibition support and complement the distributors’ comprehensive marketing campaigns. The Dry, which received major production investment from Screen Australia, released in cinemas on 1 January and had the fifth highest opening day for an Australian film at the local box office, a historic result which places the film in the company of all-time successes such as Happy Feet and Mad Max: Fury Road.
“The Dry is just the first of a standout slate of Australian films releasing this summer, which we are celebrating with the Our Summer of Cinema campaign. In Australia we are incredibly fortunate that we are able to go to the cinemas this summer and see some of our biggest stars including Eric Bana, Naomi Watts and Simon Baker, plus discover a new crop of incredible talent. This campaign is made with the industry for industry to collectively get behind these films and remind everyone of the unique wonder of the cinema experience.” Mason commented.
“The success of The Dry shows that the interest in local content is stronger than ever before. We look forward to supporting more local screen jobs and celebrating Australian stories during the recovery from COVID-19 and beyond.” Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts the Hon Paul Fletcher MP commented.




Following its opening weekend, The Dry reached reached an impressive $3.2 million and for the second weekend in a row was number one at the local box office, overtaking competition from blockbuster Wonder Woman 1984 and family animation The Croods: A New Age. The film crossed the $10 million mark this week as audiences return to cinemas around the country. Adapted from Jane Harper’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Dry has been lauded by critics who have described the film as “gripping” (The Guardian), “the best work yet from director Robert Connolly” (The Australian) and “a wonderful addition to the canon of Australian cinema” (ABC Radio Brisbane).