
Remember 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'? Here Are 9 Other Summer Sleeper Movie Hits
This weekend, Amazon Studios (AMZN) - Get Report pairs with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF.A) to release "The Big Sick" nationwide in 2,597 theaters. The romantic comedy, which was acquired in a big $12 million deal at this year's Sundance Film Festival, already has earned glowing reviews and impressive box office receipts in limited release.
Amazon Studios, in opening "The Big Sick" wide this weekend, is surely hoping to emulate the success of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." That film opened in 108 theaters in April 2002 and went on to become the sleeper hit of that summer, transforming enthusiastic word-of-mouth into box office longevity while never playing in more than 2,014 theaters. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" only ended its run once it had been in theaters a full year, virtually unheard of for a movie release in the 21st century.
While it remains to be seen if Amazon can translate its new film into a "Big Sick"-cess like my "Big Fat Greek Wedding," we thought we'd revisit some sleeper hits from past summers to see what kinds of off-the-radar movies should probably be on our radar.
1. "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004) -- $44.5 million domestic gross
"Napoleon Dynamite" was a true sleeper success in the sense that it came, seemingly, out of nowhere -- with a budget of $400,000, a rural Idaho setting and an unrecognizable cast, few would have predicted this movie to make a dent at the box office. "Napoleon Dynamite" proved a word-of-mouth sensation, though, charming audiences all over the country with its story of a nerdy high schooler who, at the end of the day, just wants to dance. The film spent 20 weeks among the top 20 films at the box office in 2004, never grossing more than $2.8 million in any individual weekend but closing out its run with a domestic gross of $44.5 million -- or more than 100 times its production budget.
Editors' pick: Originally published July 14.





















