Top 5 Breakdown
- Avengers: Infinity War – £29,379,496 – NE
Taking £6.3m from Thursday 82% more than 2015’s Avengers Age of Ultron taking £3,599,937 and 156% more than 2012’s Avengers Assemble taking £2,553,440 but 15% less than Star Wars: The Last Jedi £7,684,21;
Took 89% of the box office for Thursday with Black Runner Secret Cinema in fifth taking about £70,000; Thursday previews was also then both Star Wars: The Force Awakens £9.6m and Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2 £9.48m.
Had the biggest ever Saturday taking £9.2m taking 78% of Saturday’s box office; previous high was 2015’s Star Wars The Force Awakens £8.7m (but ticket inflation between the two was 6.38%) with Skyfall previous highest.
Sunday estimates came in at £30.76m ($42.2m) but Monday’s early figures were down over 4%. While of course had a humongous opening, which was expected the most surprising thing about those figures is originally it had overtaken Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2 Fri-Sun total but then actually took almost £1m less.
After opening with slightly less than £30m how big can Avengers: Infinity War go Avengers Assemble took only 30.4% of its total box office in its opening weekend while Avengers: Age of Ultron was 37.3% while The Force Awakens was only 27.6% while The Last Jedi 33.9%. Infinity War will likely be slightly more than The Last Jedi as it had the lucrative Christmas holidays ahead of it while Infinity War only has three weeks before Deadpool 2 targets its similar audience base. So likely to have 60% drops over the following two weeks taking £73m+ would see it become one of the top 10 biggest in the UK with Disney having five current and next year with the acquisition of 20th Century Fox will be up to seven.
Tickets went on sale over a month ago and were reports Odeon selling a ticket every 10 seconds and was their fifth highest selling advance booking film ever ahead of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spectre. While some of the key locations including BFI IMAX have sold many screenings at £22.75 probably sold less than 30% of the seats available from the 70,000+ screenings and probably 10m+ seats. It might have played in 600 cinemas but many multiplexes had over 100 performances over its opening four days.
Avengers: Infinity War was the first film to be entirely shot with IMAX/Arri 65 2D cameras; IMAX released a video last week showing why cinemagoers should see the film in IMAX. Of course, are many different forms of IMAX from Laser IMAX, 70mm IMAX to Digital IMAX aka fake IMAX when exhibitors converted regular cinemas screens into IMAX cinemas but with a screen more than half the size of regular IMAX but charge the same for the experience.
Last weekend we had the hottest temperatures of the year so far with the hottest April since 1949 this weekend was colder and rainy asking the question if Disney can control the weather as it always seems to be rainy when a Disney Marvel film opens. But temperatures are expected to rise over the bank holiday weekend which could see it have 65% drop.
Avengers: Infinity War had the fourth biggest opening in the UK but third biggest 4 days opening (after The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi) but seventh biggest Fr-Sun opening.
Disney now has five of the biggest openings in the UK Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War, Toy Story 3 and Beauty and the Beast; but then inflation inflated openings 4 days is only 15th biggest.
Critical reaction has been positive from comic-book fans similar to The Last Jedi with Star Wars fans but was far more mixed from regular audiences who found the film exhausting to watch.
There were many gasps and shocks from the audience when several Avenges died as they weren’t the ones expected but as Disney has plans for infinite Marvel films and many of the Avengers who “died” will appear in future films we know that the next Avengers will feature a paradox or utilise Captain Marvel’s ability to control time. This could anger many who watched Avengers: Infinity War thinking that it was the end for these characters but there is no way they will kill off Black Panther after the first film was a massive success this year.
This is my biggest issue with Infinity War as after audiences have spent the last 10 years watching the previous 18 films Infinity War as meant to be the culmination of everything that came before but as with The Last Jedi, they are twisting the rules. At the end of Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice Superman ‘dies’ but everyone watching knew he wasn’t dead but still the marketing the marketing for Justice League didn’t include it even though we knew Henry Cavill and his digitally removed moustache
As with Disney’s Star Wars trailers the trailers for Avengers: Infinity War had many red herrings to put audiences off while this works but making the film more of a surprise but while fans liked it this backfired on many which saw audience reaction much more mixed than critical reaction as happened with The Last Jedi.
My issue with Avengers: Infinity War is that it is marketed as the culmination of 10 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe but as with Star Wars we know are infinite films planned makes the battles with Avengers Vs Thanos and Resistance Vs The First Order feel like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner after 48 shorts over 31 years they do finally catch up and roles reverse.
In a recent interview director James Cameron said, “I’m hoping we’ll start getting ‘Avenger’ fatigue here pretty soon,” “Not that I don’t love the movies. It’s just, comes on guys, there are other stories to tell besides hyper-gonadal males without families doing death-defying things for two hours and wrecking cities in the process. It’s like, oy!” James Cameron is currently in pre-production of four Avatar films and another Terminator reboot. Marvel Studios Kevin Feige was asked about James Cameron’s comments saying “Uh, he loves the movies!” “That’s awesome! Wow, James Cameron loves our movies! That’s exciting!”
The 18 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken over £500m at the UK box office over the last 10 years.
Infinity War suffers being a single film in a similar way Justice League did as both were planned as two-parters while Warmer removed the second film Marvel decided to separate it by calling it Avengers 4. But Infinity War still feels like half a film as rather than a conclusion as Back to the Future 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 were.
Interesting to know why Marvel decided not to have Infinity War as a two-parter as that would have made many peoples reaction to the film differently not to say the reaction wasn’t positive but it was more pixie dust shock and awe rather than long and lasting positivity. My comments come from someone who likes comic-book films but have become bored of most of them over the last 5 years by the sheer number of them and that they all feel so similar DC and Marvel X-Men or Avengers apart from Deadpool they are very hard to separate. Along with the length of these films, 150mins is the running time for most of them.
Avengers Assemble is currently the biggest MCU film in the UK taking £51,873,408 which is the 27th biggest film in the UK with Black Panther #30 with £49,858,826 and Avengers: Age of Ultron #35 with £48,338,124; Avengers: Infinity War is expected to have the biggest opening for an MCU film in the UK taking £22m+ for its four-day weekend becoming the third biggest 4 day opening weekend behind The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi and take £55m+.
In 2012 Avengers Assemble held #1 for 3 weeks dropping 49% in its second weekend taking £8,121,916 against American Pie: Reunion #2 with £6,334,539; down again 49% in its third weekend taking £4,169,087 against American Pie: Reunion #2 £2,546,626 and Dark Shadows #3 £2,404,029. In its fourth weekend The Dictator which opened with £4,963,745 #1 while Avengers Assemble took £2,814,216 and £44,983,702 staying in the top 10 for 9 weeks.
In 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron held #1 for 3 weeks dropped 53% in its second weekend taking £8,591,670 against Far From The Madding Crowd #2 £1,450,297 and Unfriended #3 £1,346,952; down 59% in its third weekend taking £3,509,620 and £40,353,610 with Spooks: The Greater Good opening #2 with £1,010,363; dropped down to third in its fourth weekend behind Pitch Perfect 2 £5,005,394 and Mad Max: Fury Road £4,538,933 taking £1,661,968 and £43,250,662 in third.
Avengers: Infinity War has similarly limited competition until Deadpool 2 open in three weeks with I Feel Pretty this weekend and Life of the Party and Sherlock Gnomes the following weekend. While Sherlock Gnomes underperformed in the US when opened in March it was trailered before Peter Rabbit and is the only major children’s film on release so could spark some interest but won’t affect Infinity War.
But Deadpool 2 opening the following weekend having a five-day opening and trailered before Infinity War could see an opening of £15m+ ahead of the original films £13.79m opening two years ago. As the second trailer was great fun and is probably likely to be much more accessible and far less exhausting to watch and more original even being the sequel than Infinity War.
The next two Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Ant-man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel both happen before the events that feature in Avengers: Infinity War before the untitled Avengers 4 continues the events from Infinity War with Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 but as he died in Infinity War it won’t feature Spider-Man.
During the credits, the copyright notices acknowledging Arrested Development as Joe and Anthony Russo directed many of the show’s episodes they included as an Easter egg Michael Bluth’s stair-car into the airport battle sequence during Civil War and in Infinity War included a man meant to be Tobias Fünke in his ‘Blue Man’ paint.
Also during the credits is a credit scene that sets up how the “shocking” ending will be likely undone with Captain Marvel and time -travelling. Captain Marvel is released next March two months before the currently untitled Avengers 4 is released which is expected to bring back to life many of those who perished in Infinity War
The first trailer was released in November 2017 was viewed almost 500,000 times in the first 15 minutes on YouTube and seen 230m times in its first 24 hours overtaking the teaser trailer for It which was the previous most watched trailer in its first 24 hours seen 197m times. Of course, the two films can’t be compared as Infinity War teaser trailer was released with far more hype and anticipation around it. The second trailer released in March was seen 179m times normally the official trailer is viewed more times than the teaser (apart from It). The teaser for Beauty and the Beast was seen 91.4m times but the trailer 127.6m times.
In three weeks’ time, Deadpool 2 opens with 5-day opening the first film opened two years ago with £13,729,803 including £3,762,513 from two days of previews the sequel is likely to open bigger and was of course boosted by having its second trailer being shown before Avengers: Infinity War its target audience.
Avengers: Infinity War is likely to drop 65%+ in its second weekend it could be more as it’s a bank holiday weekend and the weather is meant to be hot and sunny unlikely this weekend which was cold and wet. The key weekend for Infinity War is how it holds against Deadpool 2 as its unlikely the marketplace can contain two comic-book films and as comic-book fans are fickle they will quickly move on to Deadpool 2 despite heralding Infinity Wat as their best comic-book movie ever.
Marvel’s Kevin Feige has said recently they are working for Marvel Cinematic Universe up to 2025 the big question will be when Marvel incorporate X-Men into the MCU after they take over 20th Century Fox next year which would be likely sometime after 2020.
But how much bigger can these films get as when the film was first announced in October 2014 was going to be a two-part film with rumours the two films would have a shared budget of $1 billion in comparison Avengers: Age of Ultron had a budget of $280m, Captain America Civil War $250m, Avengers Assemble $220m while the first MCU film Iron Man had a budget of only $140m.
Has been reported Infinity War is the second most expensive film ever after 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides had cost $380m. But as Infinity War was shot back-to-back with Avengers 4 its unlikely was much change from $1 billion when including the production costs and marketing for the two films.
At Cinema Con Disney presentation had no original content all was franchises, reimaginations, remakes showing footage from Aladdin, The Lion King and Dumbo. For a studio that was one of the most creative just 10 years ago, it’s sad that they have opted to go down the properties business as they had huge success with original films during the 80s and early 00s.
All MCU films up to now have either opened ahead of the US or day and date but Ant-Man and the Wasp due to Disney delaying The Incredibles 2 a month to open for the summer holidays and avoiding the World Cup it opens a month after the US.
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – £968,681 – £3,034,623
After having a sun affected opening weekend it held strongly during the week #1 Mon-Wed increasing its box office by 16.29% in its second weekend due to strong word of mouth and targetting alternative audience taking more Mon-Thurs £1.24m than it did in its opening weekend.
The Guernsey Literary performed close to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen held against Avengers Assemble six years ago dropping only 7% in its second weekend taking similar £1,085,697 and £3,186,574.
It held stronger than last year’s Their Finest taking £630,544 in its second weekend after opening with £850,328 dropping only 26% taking £2,298,543 57.2% of £4,019,741 if 2 The Guernsey Literary held similarly would take £6.5m+
Mid-April after the schools return from Easter holidays as early June has been when distributors have opened films targetting older audiences. In 2016 Eye in the Sky opened with £1,110,959 from 428 screens holding well in its second weekend taking £826,374 and £2,617,312 52.1% of £5,026,117.
The film was made by the producers of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel similarly increased its box office in its second weekend taking £2,359,383 up 6.2$ taking £7,065,875 only 37.2% of £18,994,423 and the sequel The Second-Best Marigold Hotel took £1,957,256 down 48% in its second weekend and £8,640,646 55.5% of £15,575,797.
Late February early March is a less crowded as the Oscar films are fading away from the end of April early May is similarly if a film can find its audience as has limited competition in the coming weeks with Entebbe and How to Talk to Girls at Parties opening a year after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
- A Quiet Place – £920,235 – £9,871,073
Up 5% in its fourth weekend after a sun affected box office last weekend held much stronger this weekend with colder wetter weather and being an alternative to Infinity War.
Will shorty overtake last years Get Out and has become Paramount Pictures biggest film in the UK since 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 taking £14.98m
A Quiet Place took close to Get Out took in its fourth weekend £596,746 and £8,046,042 83.1% of £10.1m total) while also close to fourth weekend total Split taking £682,691 and £9,584,867 85.5% of £11.20m total.
A Quiet Place had taken almost $150m at the US box office but is UK box office is only 6% of its box office. Many box office experts believe the UK will take about 10% of the US box office while this is often the case for the most comic-book film including Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. While films like A Quiet Place take fat less close to 6% as films like Get Out, Truth or Dare, John Wick Chapter Two and Atomic Blonde.
Paramount Pictures predictably announced last week at Cinema Con they are developing a sequel.
- Rampage – £735,856 – £7,816,910
Down 47.9% in its fourth weekend with the arrival of Avengers: Infinity War other action films would drop heavily but while Ready Player One dropped almost 60% Rampage held slightly better than expected thanks to Dwayne Johnson.
From the 70s to mid-00s disaster films were a mainstay in cinemas and hugely popular but over the last 10 years their popularity has diminished is this because comic-book movies have filled that role. They used to feature huge natural disasters that would many dies but then a handful of survivors which would be a happy ending. In Dwayne Johnson’s previous disaster film millions died in San Andreas but it was a happy ending because he as reunited with his family.
Comic-book films have that similar plotline with a global killer attacking the earth and only one man or one team can save the day but in comic-book films they often lose touch with the human element disaster films used to have in the first Avengers film there was some interaction between Captain America and police and a waitress that grounded the film which other films didn’t have. Instead, they become insignificant ants as are in the Transformers films that try to help the superheroes but only endanger themselves causing the superheroes to have to save them by letting the baddie go free.
The last hugely successful disaster film was 212 released in 2009 taking £19m almost three times what Rampage will take opened a year after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Five years later Into the Storm took only £2m while the success of San Andreas was mostly due to the popularity of Dwayne Johnson a month later Independence Day: Resurgence opened taking only £11.97m a quarter of what Independence Day took 20 years early £36.86m. While two months earlier Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 13th film Captain America: Civil War took £36.77m.
The success of comic-book movies is also probably the reason why action films have also underwhelmed over recent years as they are a combination of both why Pacific Rim: Uprising takes only £4.07m, Tomb Raider £7.45m and even Ready Plater One £15.88m in the shadows of the successful Black Panther taking £50m at the same time.
Three years ago, Dwayne Johnson’s San Andreas third weekend saw it drop 52% taking similar £692,560 against the arrival of Jurassic World opening with £19,350,727. After three weeks on release, San Andreas had taken £9,915,841 88% of final £11,316,171 if Rampage held similarly would take about £9m.
After a disappointing start to 2018 Warner Bros have the Melissa McCarthy comedy Life of the Party opening next week and then Ocean’s Eight the second trailer received positive buzz recently, but the footage screened at Cinema Con had a mixed response. Jason Statham fights a shark in The Meg, while Crazy Rich Asians received positive buzz at Cinema Con as did the remake of A Star is Born, Mowgli their long-delayed Jungle Book retelling to distances itself from Disney’s 2016 version and then Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opening in November being the second part of the series likely to be bigger than the first.
- Peter Rabbit – £585,713 – £39,634,873
Up 20% in its seventh weekend after a sun affected box office last weekend
Has become the 58th biggest film in the UK incredibly now less than £3m less than Paddington 2. Both films based on beloved children’s classic books Paddington received rave reviews and still 100% Rotten Tomatoes score while Peter Rabbit has only 62% showing again reviews have little impact on what makes cinemagoers choose the films they see especially with children’s films.
Peter Rabbit as taken over 40% more than Paddington 2 globally taking $319m compared to $225.7m.
With limited competition from other films targetting younger children for several more weeks Peter Rabbit will likely hold in the top ten for many more weeks to come and could still overtake Paddington 2.
Sony Pictures Cinema Con presentation included Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood which is due to start filming later this year it stars Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and rumoured to feature Roman Polanski. They also announced Jumanji 2 for Christmas 2019 likely to open days before Star Wars Episode IX unlike days after as the first film did against The Last Jedi.
The rest of their presentation was about their remaining films for 2018 including Superfly, The Equalizer 2, Venom, The Girl In The Spider’s Web, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and all sequels or remakes and Matthew McConaughey drama White Boy Rick and another teaming of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly Holmes And Watson. 2019 also brings Men in Black reboot and is still unknown if they will release Bond 25 internationally and A Dog’s Way Home which generated strong reaction based on the same writer of A Dog’s Purpose.
Last year Sony took £130.28m (9.63%) from 19 films they have already taken half in the first 4 months of 2018. While their remaining 14 films don’t look as strong but feel would have predicted Jumanji and Peter Rabbit would have taken over £80m.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £33,778,277 up 492.7% from last weekend £5,699,055; having the best weekend since December 18th, 2015 when Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened with £34,011,849 and top ten took £38,533,406
The weekend admissions 4,364,032xx up 509.3% from last weekend 716,233; 2018 average ticket price is probably up about 3% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.67 for 2018;
11 films opened at weekend taking £29,859,265; Avengers: Infinity War took 98.4% (£29,379,496); remaining xx films shared 1.6% (£479,769): Avengers: Infinity War took 87% of the top 10; In 2017 The Force Awakens took 88%; In 2015 The Force Awakens took 88% of the top 10; Avengers: Age of Ultron took 80%; Spectre took 87%; In 2012 Avengers: Assemble took 77% and Skyfall 76%.
The weekend was up 81.6% from last year (£18,596,685) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £13,092,657. The Promise £178,388, Lady Macbeth £174,989, Mad Max: Fury Road – Black & Chrome Edition £39,399, Lowriders £6,543
Up 49.2% from 2016: (£22,632,665): Captain America: Civil War £14,466,681, Demolition £264,512, Son of Saul £178,617, Ratchet and Clank £147,848, Alien (Re) £3,996,
Next weekend in 2017: (£10,714,932) A Dog’s Purpose £1,300,097, Sleepless £369,004, Mindhorn £280,483, Unlocked £258,452, Lost in London £25,248,
Other news
The Greatest Showman – 20th Century Fox
Up 6% in its 18th weekend taking £300,947 and £45,974,245
20 years ago, Titanic took £199,618 in its 18th weekend its inflation inflated box office would be a similar £374,000.
While I seem to be negative about the state of cinema and many of the films produced today by the studios I will always give praise when it is truly deserved and that was with both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Greatest Showman.
Both films opened mid-December with low expectations far lower with The Greatest Showman than Jumanji, but both did exactly what they said on the tin were genuine crowd-pleasers didn’t try to be anything they aren’t. PT Barnum’s is asked in the trailer does it bother you that everything you sell is fake his reply do the smiles seem fake?
Over the last 19 weeks have written much about The Greatest Showman first comparing it to Moulin Rouge and then in February to Titanic as it was holding as strong as that did 20 years ago. Audiences responded to it as they did Titanic by seeing it countless times and recording their versions of the songs on social media.
Two months later in its 19th weekend is still in the top 10 having taken over £46m at the box office 41st biggest film in the UK overtaking Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and will shortly overtake The Jungle Book.
The film was released last week on the Sky Store to buy for £11.99 but still many saw it in cinemas over the weekend last Tuesday it climbed back into the top 5.
The success of The Greatest Showman is tinged with sadness with the impending acquisition by Disney also see at the Cinema Con presentation by the studio last week likely to be the final time they will be presenting at next year their films will be presented under Disney. Disney over previous decades was one of the most creative studios but over the last decade since they moved into making properties and their original films have underwhelmed at the box office 20th Century Fox had replaced them.
Do believe 20th Century Fox success with films like The Greatest Showman and Fox Searchlight Oscar successes in recent years Disney saw acquiring the studio as the final piece of the puzzle as they were making the films Disney used to have much success from before they moved into the comic-book business. 20 years ago, worked at 20th Century Fox for five years so it’s sad to see this famous studio likely to with its infamous logo disappear and just become another label within the Disney empire.
We look fondly back to 80s and 90s films that we still watch countless times do wonder which films released over this decade will we be looking back in a similar way to in 20 years’ time as we still do with Titanic? One film that will be there is The Greatest Showman as it’s a film many cinemagoers have seen half a dozen times or more and will buy the DVD and watch it another half a dozen times. While a film like Avengers: Infinity War might have the biggest opening, it will be quickly forgotten by most people and won’t last half as long in the top 10.
Also opened
Bing at the Cinema – Vue Entertainment – £65,535 from 85 sites
Hour-long screenings of the children’s animated TV series on CBeebies screenings exclusively at Vue for two weekends tickets for adults and parents only £3.99 the same price cinemas charged for Frozen last year. A great way to get younger children to experience cinema for the first time an hour length is just long enough and if they enjoy their first time will be back many more times in future. Last year Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience opened at Easter with £1.05m taking £3.62m it was also just over an hour long, but cinemas charged full price for it which I thought was crazy.
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Avengers: Infinity War – Disney
Opens with $257.69m; receiving 84% Rotten Tomatoes score and A CinemaScore
Overtaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens $247.96m to become the biggest opening in the US or It as ticket inflation since 2015 has gone up over 10% from $8.30 to $9.18 which would see The Force Awakens open with $272.78m.
A month before opening Avengers: Infinity War was tracking to open with $200m (similar to Black Panther $202m) but two weeks out after advance ticket sales had outsold all previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films in the US selling over $50m behind only The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Ever since Star Wars overtook Jaws as the biggest film in the US in 1977 directors of the previous record holder have congratulated one that replaces it. A few years later George Lucas was returning the congratulations back to Steven Spielberg after E.T passing Star Wars in 1983 and then when Titanic overtook Star Wars in 2008 Steven Spielberg congratulated James Cameron.
Disney now have nine of the ten biggest openings in the US with only Universal Pictures Jurassic World being the only non-Disney film with Marvel Cinematic Universe having six of the top ten (Avenger: Infinity War, Marvel’s The Avengers, Black Panther, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Iron Man 3.
Iron Man 3 still being the tenth biggest film in the US despite it being released 5 years ago and being the seventh MCU film shows that the growth of MCU films has been more ticket inflation than audience growth in the US. While of course,
Black Panther played beyond the comic-book regular audience this was a one-off being how it held far stronger than previous MCU films and stronger than Infinity War will do.
Iron Man 3 will drop out of the top 10 in June when Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens; Jurassic World opened with $208.8m in June 2015 and the sequel is expected to open similarly. But since the last trailer was released and people have noticed similarities to Jurassic Park: The Lost World as Jurassic World was also very similar to Jurassic Park. The sequel opens internationally 2 weeks ahead of US will that delay affect its opening weekend especially opening the week after The Incredibles 2 which is expected to have Pixar’s biggest ever opening $140m+ and Pixar films normally hold well.
The 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have now taken over $6bn at the US box office and $15bn worldwide.
Ten years ago, Iron Man took $38m on its opening day and $102m from its opening weekend which was then the second biggest Fri-Sun opening after Spider-Man. Infinity War took $105.96m from its opening day the second biggest opening behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens $119.19m.
Black Panther took 3.41x opening Avengers: Infinity War will likely holder closer to Avengers: Age of Ultron 2.4x opening and Marvel’s Avengers 3x opening which would take about $650m which would be less than Black Panther. While Black Panther took more in the US than internationally Avengers: Infinity War will be as most other recent MCU films a take upwards of $1 billion internationally.
In 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron was the fourth biggest film globally taking $1.4bn behind Furious 7 $1.51bn, Jurassic World $1.67bn and Star Wars: The Force Awakens $2.06bn while Marvel’s The Avengers was the biggest film globally in 2012 taking $1.51bn; Black Panther has taken $1.31bn.
The 18 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken $5.951bn in the US and $14.82bn globally over the last 10 years.
While Disney over the last five years is undeniable being the #1 studio for the last two years but what saddens me is Disney used to have this success before they got into the comic-book and properties business. Disney was one of the most creative studios with the film being central now it’s just the software to the hardware of the merchandise and theme park rides.
Maybe it was ten years ago after they went from third biggest studio in the US to sixth they decided they could just make those films they had huge success with in the past as with the exception of two animated films from Pixar and Disney (Wall-E and Bolt) their slate was much more family driven lower budgets going for a wide range of films but family was central (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Bedtime Stories). While Warner Bros #1 with their biggest film The Dark Knight and Sex and the City and Get Smart and Paramount #2 with Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
In 2009 it was similar for Disney with Up, The Proposal (their last non-tentpole release to take over $100m), A Christmas Carol and Hannah Montana The Movie while Warner Bros were again #1 with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hangover and The Blind Side. But Disney decided enough was enough and bought Marvel Entertainment in August 2009. Was the acquisition of Marvel and the Lucasfilm and most recently 20th Century Fox more a sign of the failure of Disney to not be able to develop the kinds of films they had so much success within the 80s to mid-00s while they saw their rivals have the success.
As for all of Disney’s recent success, 1999’s The Sixth Sense is their biggest original non-animated film still (followed by Signs, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Pretty Woman and National Treasure). This is why I am far more critical about Disney than other studios as they had so much success before going into the comic-book and properties business was watching Coyote Ugly for the countless time the other day Disney made in 2000 were the kinds of films they regularly made which are still very watchable almost 20 years later how many of the properties made now will be in 20 years’ time?
What Disney has done over last 12 years is close to Chelsea or Manchester City brought their success Pixar in 2006 for $7.4bn, Marvel for $4bn in 2009, Lucasfilm $4.05bn in 2012 and 20th Century Fox in 2017 for $52.4m. At the same time, Netflix has become almost as big as Disney but didn’t buy their way to success they could have easily brought a studio but choose to nurture from within and grow organically.
While Disney receive a lot of praise for their success they have brought over the last few years Netflix are dismissed which highlights the issues facing the industry over the last 15 years as Disney’s success has been huge in recent years the lack of any original content in their Cinema Con presentation is troubling but of course they have an ace in the hole as 20th Century Fox will fill that gap they have had for the last decade.
Disney recently announced they are launching their own streaming service next year many expected Netflix shares to crash with the news instead they continue to grow and continue to add more subscribers. When Disney’s service launches they will have over 150 subscribers worldwide (Netflix, Amazon and Hulu currently have over 100m subscribers in the US alone) and will likely take a decade for Disney to get to similar levels despite having Star Wars and Marvel films unless they undercut Netflix.
Deadpool 2 opens in three weeks’ time is currently tracking to open with $150m about 15% bigger than the first film opened two years ago which would mean Avengers: Infinity War will drop over 60% more than either previous Avenger film. As its unlikely, the marketplace could hold two big comic-book films showing how fickle their fans are.
Infinity War opened with $382.7m internationally taking $640.9m worldwide without China or Russia overtaking the record set by last years The Fate of the Furious with $543m almost a third $184.9m came from China.
- A Quiet Place – Paramount Pictures
Down 47.4% in its fourth weekend taking $11.01m and $148.52m
A Quiet Place has become Paramount Pictures #51 biggest film in the US and has their biggest film since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond.
In Get Out’s fourth weekend it took $13.43m and $133.3m 75.7% of its final box office of $176.1m if a Quiet Place was to hold similar could take slightly less than $200m will be Paramount’s biggest film since 2015’s Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation $195m.
At Cinema Con last week Paramount Pictures were eager to show the industry attending that the studio has been revitalised under new boss Jim Gianopulos and A Quiet Place is just the start for the studio.
In 2011 Paramount Pictures celebrated their 100th anniversary and were the #1 studio in the US but after losing Marvel and DreamWorks Pictures to Disney and Dreamwork Animation to 20th Century Fox they had a lack of high profile and successful content that saw them become the lowest performing studio for many years.
Much of this was self-inflicted las poor management decisions saw them lose Marvel to Disney as were given the chance to buy Marvel, but Viacom turned them down so Disney pounced. Similar to Netflix was desperate for Blockbuster Video to buy them in the early 00s for $50m they rejected the offer and Netflix is now worth almost three times the size of Viacom.
Jim Gianopulos came to the studio early last year A Quiet Place was one of this first projects with Book Club, Action Point, Eli, What Men Want, Instant Family, Rhythm Section, Wonder Park, Dora the Explorer, Gemini Man, Sonic The Hedgehog, James Cameron’s Terminator reboot and the long in development Top Gun sequel added to the existing slate Mission: Impossible: Fallout, Bumblebee and Overlord.
Took $6.6m internationally from 57 territories and $87.2m total and $235.72m globally with several major countries still to come including China.
- Warner Bros – Rampage
Down 64.1% in its third weekend taking $7.2m and $78.03m total
Dwayne Johnson’s San Andreas took $10.81m and $119.23m 76% of its total $155.9m if Rampage held similarly would take $96m. Would see it become Dwayne Johnson’s thirteenth biggest film in the US behind both previous films directed by Brad Peyton Journey 2: The Mysterious Island %103.86m and San Andreas.
Dwayne Johnson next stars in Skyscraper which looks equally as a guilty pleasure as Rampage with him jumping from a crane to a building 14metres away with him having to run faster than Usain Bolt. Little is known about the plot but looks very similar to Die Hard which opened thirty years ago. With the release of Skyscraper in July and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in December Warner Bros were very limited at the release date for Rampage having also Tomb Raider and Ready Player One also opening in the spring.
Rampage is performing stronger internationally taking $16.2m from 61 territories taking $256.7m total and $335.1m globally currently his tenth biggest film but will overtake Journey 2: The Mysterious Island $335.3m and probably G.I. Joe: Retaliation $375.7m but won’t get close to San Andreas $474m.
Opening so close to Tomb Raider, Pacific Rim: Uprising and Ready Player One along with the stronghold off Black Panther saw Rampage perform softer than expected.
- STX Entertainment – I Feel Pretty
Down 49% in its second weekend taking $8.17m and $29.62m;
Holding close to Amy Schumer’s last film Snatched taking $7.83m in its second weekend and $33m total. It also received similar reviews and was expected to perform much stronger than it has done.
After receiving positive test scores its release date was brought forward from June to open as an alternative to Avengers: infinity War had this been the case it would of held far better in its second weekend.
Many compared the film to 2001’s Shallow Hal which took $12.1m in its second weekend taking $40.68m of $70.83m.
- Fox Searchlight – Super Troopers
Down 75.4% in its second weekend taking $3.72m and $22.21m.
After opening more than double it was expected it dropped more than double the first film in its second weekend showing the limited appeal the film had beyond its fan base who financed the film. The original film dropped only in its second weekend taking $3.9m and took $18.49m in 2002.
- Warner Bros – Ready Player One
Down 65.4% in its fifth weekend taking $2.56m and $130.61m; will shortly overtake Minority Report, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind to be his 14th biggest film in the US.
Ready Player One should take about $140m in the US would see it become his 13th biggest film in the US.
Steven Spielberg directed films have taken $4.64bn in the US and $10.09bn worldwide far ahead of any other highest grossing directors box office is due to one franchise while Steven Spielberg’s is for a30+ year career; Peter Jackson #2 $6.52bn, Michael Bay #3 $6.41bn, #4 James Cameron $6.13bn and David Yates #5 $5.34bn.
Took $8.6m internationally and $414.5m total ($213.8m from China the biggest Hollywood film in China this year) and $545.1m globally. #178 biggest film globally overtaking Saving Private Ryan, Ant-Man and Terminator 2: Judgment Day and will shortly overtake Dunkirk and The Boss Baby and should take $550m+ globally
On limited release
- Bleecker Street – Disobedience
Opened with $237,393 from 5 screens and will slowly expand next weekend.
Received 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. The Hollywood Reporter said it was “beautifully acted by Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola as the three points of a melancholy romantic triangle, this is a deeply felt drama that exerts a powerful grip.”
UK Box Office Predictions
After opening with £29.4m Avengers Infinity War will likely drop about 60% taking £10m+ in its second weekend which could be affected by hot sunny weather over the Bank holiday weekend.
Avengers Assemble dropped 48.9% in its second weekend taking £8,121,916 and £29,851,680 57.5% of £51,910,045
Avengers: Age of Ultron dropped 52.3% in its second weekend taking £8,591,670 and £32,297,331 67% of £48,227,409
I Feel Pretty could generate some interest being an alternative as The Guernsey Literary did last weekend
Opening UK
- I Feel Pretty – STX International
Comedy starring Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel, Aidy Bryant, Busy Philipps, Tom Hopper, Naomi Campbell and Lauren Hutton and directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein.
When the trailer was released it received backlash over the central theme which was close to the 2001 comedy Shallow Hal but whereas in that film it was Jack Black fixated on physical beauty in I Feel Pretty Amy Schumer believes she’s a supermodel after she hits her head. It is also a spin on the Mel Gibson 2000 film What Women Want which is currently being updated with a female version What Men Want which will be released next year.
Amy Schumer went on the defensive saying that the film was much more than that but was exactly that when critics reviewed the film which was disappointing as Amy Schumer is very funny but apart from Trainwreck which she wrote both Snatched and I Feel Pretty have both been
Over the years have been many films that have seen women transformed by makeup, fashion and manners including My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, Clueless, She’s All That, The Duff, and male makeover films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Crazy, Stupid, Love. All based on the Cinderella fairy-tale that a duckling can become a swan.
Amy Schumer was due to come to the UK for promotional tout and UK premiere this week, but she had to cancel both having a kidney infection being which will, of course, affect the films marketing campaign and media coverage it will receive ahead of its opening.
Trainwreck opened in August 2015 with £931,981 taking £2,824,472
Snatched opened in May 2017 with £842,489 taking £1,955,348
Shallow Hal opened in February 2002 with £1,277,183 taking £5,620,87i4
I Feel Pretty is the sixth film released by STX International and the third film released this year after Den of Thieves opened with £1.08m taking £2.79m their current highest grossing film in the UK. Upcoming from STX this year include Adrift, The Happytime Murders, American Animals. Peppermint and Second Act will any of them be their breakout film as are still living in the shadows of Bad Moms and its sequel that they didn’t release in the UK.
- Tully – Universal Pictures
Comedy-drama film starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston and directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews currently 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Tully is Jason Reitman’s seventh film the third written by Diablo Cody (Juno and Young Adult) and the second film starring Charlize Theron (Young Adult).
Jason Reitman’s first film was 2005’s Thank You For Smoking but 2007’s Juno was his breakthrough film which received critical acclaim and was a huge success at the box office opened in February 2008 with £2,002,120 taking £9,240,584 winning Best original screenplay Oscar (over the years since there has been backlash to the film which Lady Bird will likely also get soon).
Up in the Air followed in 2009 starring George Clooney with a breakthrough performance by Anna Kendrick was also nominated for Oscars and received critical acclaim. Opened January 2010 with £1,298,023 taking £5,580,729
But then his films since have had a far more mixed reception and underwhelmed at the box office.
2012’s Young Adult received positive reviews opened with £137,736 from 157 screens
2013’s Men Women and Children received poor reviews opened with only £73,182 from 211 screens
2014’s Labor Day received poor reviews opened with £278,726 from 319 screens
Its unlikely Tully despite its positive reviews will do much better than 2012’s Young Adult.
Opening in the US
- Overboard – Pantelion
Romantic comedy starring Eugenio Derbez, Anna Faris, Eva Longoria, John Hannah, and Swoosie Kurtz and directed by Rob Greenberg; a remake of the 1987 film of the same name starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.
Overboard opened in December 1987 with $1.88m taking $26.21m; average ticket pieces have gone up 135% from $3,91 to $9,18; 2018 opening would be $4.5m and $63m total.
Since the film was released it becomes a much bigger success on home video
- Tully – Focus Features
All of Jason Reitman films with the exception of Labor Day opened with a platform release Ru
2006’s Thank You For Smoking opened with $262,923 taking $24,793,509
2007’s Juno opened with $413,869 taking $143,495,265
2009’s Up in the Air opened with $1,181,450 taking $83,823,381
2011’s Young Adult opened with $310,263 taking $16,311,571
2014’s Labor Day opened with $5,175,282 taking $13,371,528
2014’s Men, Woman & Children opened with $48,024 taking $705,908
The previous six Jason Reitman films have taken $282.5m in the US and $483m worldwide
