Deadline reports that Alchemy had a “surprisingly robust start” with Kristen Wiig starrer Welcome To Me, which has the highest per theater average among limited releases this weekend! The film opened in just two theaters, and grossed $38,168, averaging $19,084. Vincent Scordino, SVP Marketing at distributor Alchemy, was pleased with the film’s bow, noting that it sold out “multiple shows in new York and Los Angeles,” and finished “first in both complexes.”

“The work Kristen did last week – notably her appearance on Jimmy Fallon – was hugely meaningful. We’re confident that the originality and brilliance of her performance will continue to dazzle audiences as we expand into an additional 50 plus markets this weekend.”

IndieWire also reports that Welcome to Me‘s initial two-theater take actually is even stronger than the numbers appear. Most of the gross comes from the Angelika Theater in Manhattan (around $28,000, a great number for one screen). Likely because of multiple-screen commitments to Avengers 2 as well as its impending VOD release, the Arclight, one normal venue for this in LA, passed on it. So the comedy played at the centrally located but much lower-grossing Sundance Sunset, where it had a strong gross for the theater. But this reduced the PSA, which otherwise likely would have been over $30,000.

Big congratulations to Kristen Wiig and the cast and crew of Welcome to Me for a fantastic start! Let’s hope the word-of-mouth continues to give it great numbers in the weeks to come.