'Marigold' Proves Perfect 'Avengers' Counter-Programming

“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” boasts an aging cast and the stiffest box office competition possible – those high-flying “Avengers.”

And yet the indie dramedy, about a group of retirees who outsource their golden years to India, is making a pretty penny at the box office.

“Hotel” has made $3.7 million so far over two weeks. It even cracked the top 10 list (no. 8) despite being shown on only 178 screens over the weekend. That number may seem small, but for an indie film with limited marketing (and a cast full of AARP potential applicants including Judi Dench.

For comparison’s sake, “Dark Shadows” was shown on more than 3,000 screens.

It’s the beauty of counter-programming, and proof that the more mature-minded movie goer isn’t a fictional construct. They do exist, witness the crush of sober films which hit box office gold at the end of 20110 – “The Fighter,” “True Grit,” “The King’s Speech” and “Black Swan.”

“Hotel” might be the safest bet this weekend, too, for those immune to the siren song of blockbusters (“Battleship”) and rom-coms (“What to Expect When You’re Expecting”) this weekend, too.