UK/US Box Office July 27th-29th Week 30 and UK BO Predictions

Top 5 Breakdown

1. Mission: Impossible: Fallout – £7,300,103  – NE  

After taking £2.1m from previews on Wednesday and Thursday; was Tom Cruise’s second biggest opening in the UK after 2005’s War of the Worlds £8.64m

Had the 138^th biggest opening in the UK including previews (220th biggest inflation inflated opening between Gravity and Peter Rabbit) and 167^th biggest film Fri-Sun between Blade Runner 2049 and Godzilla;

Mission: Impossible: Fallout had the second biggest opening for Mission Impossible film in the UK 2011’s Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol opened with £8,188,209 but took 67% (£5,482,870) from previews.

The six Mission Impossible films have taken almost £100m at the box office which is almost £150m inflation inflated.

Being a 22-year-old film series must compare the film openings with inflation as 1996’s Mission Impossible opening of £6,452,331 would be almost double today £13,375,508 with opening weekend admissions for Mission Impossible: Fallout almost half of Mission Impossible in 1996 even with two extra days of previews.

 

Mission: Impossible: Fallout is the latest film to feature footage in the trailers that wasn’t in the final film one excuse for Fallout could be the film

It is the sixth film Christopher McQuarrie has made with Tom Cruise and the third film he directed starring Tom Cruise.

According to Rotten Tomatoes Tom Cruise has run over 24,000 feet in films over the films he has appeared in over the last 40 years and films that he runs more than 1,000 feet have higher Tomatometer scores 71% and take more money at the box office (average international total of $538m).

Tom Cruise seems to be running more the older he gets; in Mission Impossible 3 he ran 3,212 feet compared to 3,299 feet he ran in his previous 12 films combined; top three highest grossing films with the most running and box office success include: Mission: Impossible III (3,212 feet) US BO $133,400,000), Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (3,066 feet) US BO $209,364,921) and War of the Worlds (1,752 feet) US BO $234,141,872.

Mission Impossible: Fallout started filming in Paris in April 2017 but in August Tom Cruise injured his leg while filming in London filming resumed in October the eight-week delay saw the budget increase from $170m to $250m. The scene where Tom Cruise breaks his ankle was in the final cut of the film and was shown on Graham Norton Show in January when Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson appeared on the show.

Since Top Gun was released in 1986 Tom Cruise has starred in 35 films they have taken over £315m at the UK box office inflation inflated total over £560m (but am missing box office from 5 of his earlier films which would add another £30m+).

Tom Cruise is currently making Top Gun 2 which will be released 33 years after the original was released next summer after will he return to make Mission Impossible 7?

2. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – £7,104,808   – £27,018,068  

Down 27.02% in its second weekend; had the 24^th biggest second weekend in the UK between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and LOTR: The Return of the King and the 66^th biggest second weekend (inflation inflated) between The World Is Not Enough and War of the Worlds.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! took £19.91m in its opening week the third biggest this year after Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther but were inflated with previews.

It also had one of the lowest drops of a wide release this year most films drop 40%+ depending on if they have previews but Mamma Mia! 2 dropped only 27.03% only I Feel Pretty, Early Man, The Post, Game Night and Darkest Hour dropped less.

By the end of the week Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! will become the 113^th film to take £30m+ at the UK box office since Jurassic Park 25 years ago and Universal Pictures 17^th.

In 2008 Mamma Mia! held #1 for two weeks dropping only 31% taking £4,561,109 (£6,903,063 inflation inflated) and £16,851,641 (£25,504,311 inflation inflated) with Wall-E £4,253,736 opening second; dropping to second in its third weekend took £2,830,207 against The Dark Knight opening with £11,191,824.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! would be #1 film in the UK if the weekend box office was only Fri-Sun but over the last 25+ years, distributors have extended the films opening weekend. While in the US all box office taken before Thursday midnights isn’t included in the films opening weekend UK openings have had more than 10 days of previews added to inflate their openings.

Previously when this has happened that the holdover film took more Fri-Sun than the opening film Fri-Sun they have advertised this so have been weeks that two films would claim to be #1. But as Universal Pictures are as much to blame as Paramount Pictures as they have had several films opening in recent years that have had a 7-day opening. But Universal Pictures know that Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! will likely return to #1 either this weekend or next if it drops similarly over the next two weeks.

Comparisons with The Greatest Showman have been made but while both might be musicals they are very different films Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is the sequel to the hugely popular Mamma Mia! still 10^th biggest film in the UK 10 years after opening. It received positive reviews from critics, many of those who liked Mamma Mia! 2 called The Greatest Showman fake.  Its interested Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! dropped over 50% in its second weekend in the US but held far stronger in the UK as often is the case with Brit films but while much of the cast is British Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is as American as Apple Pie.

Mamma Mia! stayed in top 5 for 13 weeks and top 10 for 17 weeks in comparison earlier this year The Greatest Showman took 6 weeks to become #1 and was in the top 10 for 18 weeks.

Over the last 25 years Mamma Mia! had the seventh smallest opening percentage to final box office total behind The Full Monty, The Greatest Showman, Slumdog Millionaire, Titanic, The Kings Speech and Avatar and slightly ahead of Jurassic Park. Mamma Mia! was also the fourth biggest opening and total box office after Titanic, The Kings Speech and Avatar.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! the soundtrack will be #1 for a second week in the UK and is joined by the soundtrack to Mamma Mia! #6 and Abba Gold #8 

Some have compared Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! with Godfather Part 2 being a sequel that’s more of a prequel but in doing that it also created confusing timelines between the two films as gaps don’t add up as the first film was set in 2000 and the sequel in 2005 but the technology featured is far more modern. 

3. Incredibles 2 – £5,146,128  – £33,216,759  

Down 24.36% in its third weekend; overtaking total of Incredibles £32.03m becoming the seventh biggest Pixar film in the UK behind Toy Story 3, Toy Story 2, Finding Dory, Inside Out, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Up. With five more weeks of the summer holidays still to come and cooler temperatures, Incredibles 2 will likely become Pixar’s second-biggest film by the end of the summer holidays.

Incredibles 2 has overtaken Deadpool 2 to become the fifth biggest film of 2018 and after next weekend will likely have overtaken Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Peter Rabbit to be Disney’s third film this year to take over £40m at the box office; will be the 62^nd film to take £40m and Disney’s 19^th film to take over £40m, Mary Poppins will likely be their 20^th.

Overtook A Bug’s Life, Monsters University and Incredibles breaking £30m barrier becoming the 112th film to take over £30m at the UK box office (since Jurassic Park released 25 years ago) becoming the 91st biggest film in the UK between The Inbetweeners Movie 2 and Suicide Squad

The 20 Pixar film has taken almost £600m over the last 22 years with an average box office is £30.5m with Toy Story 4 after Toy Story 3 ended the trilogy so well in 2010 where will the fourth film take the series. Was original set for release June 16^th 2p017 but was delayed to June 15^th, 2018 and then to June 21^st, 2019. Was claimed Rashida Jones and Will McCormack left the film in November 2017 due to “creative and, more importantly, philosophical differences.”

After 17 days on release Incredibles 2 is also ahead of all six Illumination Entertainment films  Despicable Me £15,069,277, Despicable Me 2 £27,082,903, Minions £27,623,294, The Secret Life of Pets £22,261,438, Sing £18,217,102 and Despicable Me 3 £25,600,301 and will take more than of all those films.

4. Hotel Transylvania: A Monsters Vacation £3,449,876  

Hard to compare the opening of the third film against the previous two films as both had weekend previews to inflate their openings. Both films also opened a couple of weeks before half-term while A Monsters Vacation opened after school holidays started.

The first two films opened in October with a limited competition with other films for children, but the third film opened only three weeks after Incredibles 2. It was helped by also wet weather over Friday and Sunday as well as playing to a younger audience.

Hotel Transylvania opened with £1.73m taking £8.1m

Hotel Transylvania 2 opened October 2015 with £6.31m including £3.21mfrom two weekends of previews taking £19.72m; it took £2.82m Fri-Sun is similar to Hotel Transylvania 2 opening as Friday was a school day while for the third film it was summer holidays.

With three weeks until the next children’s film Disney’s Christopher Robin, Hotel Transylvania 3 is likely to perform strongly against Incredibles 2 taking upwards of £25m before the end of August.

With Hotel Transylvania 3 and Incredibles 2 not having weekend previews to inflate their openings both will likely hold far better as normally when a film has extensive previews they are very front heavy, but as both opened at the start of the summer holidays this allows them to play throughout the six weeks.

5. Andre Rieu 2018 Maastricht Concert – £1,486,528  – NE   

Andre Rieu’s Maastricht Concert has been one of the biggest one-off Event Cinema screenings over the last 5 years with his 2018 concert having the biggest opening. Event Cinema screenings ticket prices can be up to 100% regular ticket prices with many screenings of this year’s concert over £20.

This does show while there was strong growth between the 2014-2016 concerts the last three have been much closer.

Andre Rieu’s 2017 Maastricht Concert £1,439,604; Andre Rieu’s 2016 Maastricht Concert £1,414,075; Andre Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert (Concert) £1,107,000; Andre Rieu’s 2014 Maastricht Concert £830,586.

While Event Cinema is a fantastic way too often cinemagoers a Chance to expect events, they could never likely see the issue I have always had with it is the surcharges on the already far too expensive prices and in recent years the amount of Event Cinema screenings released. Event Cinema is as its name suggests an event something unique and different but if they are released every week it lessens their impact.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £25,665,576 up 30.7% from last weekend £19,632,861;

The weekend admissions 3,171,408 up 27.12% from last weekend 2,494,646; 2018 average ticket up 3.87% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.87 for 2018 according to six-month box office results.

16 films opened at weekend taking £12,383,713; Mission Impossible: Fallout 58.9% (£7,300,103); Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation 27.85$% (£3,449,876); remaining 11 films shared 13.19% (£1,633,734): top 2 films took 56.12% of top 10; Mission Impossible: Fallout took 28.44% and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took 27.68%

The weekend was up 25.7% from last year (£20,414,621); Dunkirk £10,023,720; Andre Rieu’s 2017 Maastricht Concert £1,439,604;

Up 51.7% from 2017: (£16,914,463); Captain Underpants £2,495,744; Girls Trip £1,557,981; 47 Meters Down £637,964; The Big Sick £488,718;

Up 10.07% from 2016: (£23,315,980): Finding Dory £8,122,075; Jason Bourne £7,600,420; World Cup ’66 – Minute by Minute £35,959; League of Gods ££8,349

Up 86.9% from 2015; (£13,728,232); Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation £5,351,344; Hot Pursuit £311,673; The Cobbler £57,787;

Up 163.2% from 2014: (£9,750,537); Hercules £1,449,120; The Purge: Anarchy £1,165,143; Earth to Echo £618,379; The House of Magic £223,047;

Up 89.9% from 2013: (£13,514,255); The Wolverine £4,694,092; Frances Ha £150,689; Searching for Sugar Man £68,857;

Up 111.1% from 2012 (£12,156,512); Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax £1,853,294;

Up 70.01% from 2011 (£14,498,785): Captain America: The First Avenger £2,981,590; Horrid Henry: The Movie £1,290,308; The Zookeeper £936,063; Arrietty £75,584;

Up 16.8% from 2010: (£21,956,519): Karate Kid £4,882,306; The A-Team £3,569,505; Gainsbourg £135,031;

Up 88.2% from 2009 (£13,633,561); The Proposal £3,249,640; Antichrist £99,092;

Up 35.7% from 2008 (£18,905,622); The Dark Knight £11,191,824; Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging £929,246; Baby Mama £105,696;

Down 8.4% from 2007 (£28,049,335); The Simpsons £13,626,853; Transformers £8,718,561; Sherrybaby £36,036;

Up 153.9% from 2006; (£10,120,532); Cars £2,668,968; Stay Alive £140,126; Angel-A £47,825l

Up 65.58% from 2005 (n/a); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory £7,972,168

Up 226.9% from 2004 (£7,849,699): King Arthur £1,908,084; Garfield £1,147,437; The Stepford Wives £946,787; New York Minute £109,106; Anything Else £39,149;

Up 282.1% from 2003 (£6,716,741); Sinbad £828,550; Agent Cody Banks £534,312; Good Bye, Lenin! £135,311;

Up 168.7% from 2002 (£9,549,998): Austin Powers in Goldmember £5,585,978; The Crocodile Hunter £266,803; Sunshine State £25,888

Up 263.9% from 2001 (£7,051,741); Swordfish £1,615,206; Dr. Dolittle 2 £1,610,907; Intimacy £54,288

Next weekend in 2017: (£14,684,539): The Emoji Movie £2,702,809; Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets £1,861,916; England is Mine £76,895; Maudie £49,315;

 

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Mission: Impossible: Fallout – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $61.23m; received 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and A CinemaScore

It was Paramount Pictures biggest opening in the US since 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles $65.5m.

The opening was the biggest of the series (previous biggest Mission: Impossible 2 in 2000 opening with $57,845,297) but is that a big enough opening for the sixth part of the film series? Especially when you compare their admissions and inflation inflated opening has the second lowest after Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (opened in IMAX a week before opening wide); Mission: Impossible 2 2018 inflation inflated opened would be over $100m.

Mission Impossible: Fallout is expected to take about 3.5x opening which would be similar to Rogue Nation and all other films apart from Ghost Protocol as that had the IMAX staggered opening over lucrative Christmas.

Being the last action film and last major film of the summer with positive reviews and strong buzz should play strongly throughout August as the final action film of the summer has done over recent years. 

On Friday MoviePass stopped customers from seeing Mission: Impossible: Fallout after rumours they had run out of money. This reminded me of in 2000 soon after Virgin Cinemas had launched their Megapass (became Cineworld Unlimited card after they acquired UGC cinemas in 2004) UIP threatened to pull Mission Impossible 2 from their cinemas unless they paid £1.50 surcharge on each ticket.

With the loss of Marvel, Dreamworks Animation and Indiana Jones over the last decade Paramount Pictures have far fewer live franchises than rival studios which have made Mission Impossible film series their most important IP alongside Star Trek

The 6 Mission Impossible films have taken almost $1bn in the US and $2.9bn worldwide The 10 Star Trek films have taken $1.4bn in the US and $1.73bn worldwide (but of course the first 7 films were released before the first Mission Impossible film was released). Star Trek 3 is expected to start filming next year.

Tom Cruise 39 films have taken $6.6bn at the US box office since making his acting debut in 1981’s Endless Love and $9.45bn worldwide.

In the late 80s and 90s, Tom Cruise was the world biggest film star starring in  Top Gun, Rain Man, Days of Thunder, A Few Good Men and The Firm. But since starring in the first Mission Impossible film in 1996 hasn’t had as many massive hits apart from Minority Report and War of the Worlds.

Over the years since the first sequel in 2000 he bookends them with less commercial films including Tropic Thunder, Valkyrie, Rock of Ages and Oblivion with Edge of Tomorrow and American Made two of his best films in recent years.

While Tom Cruise might be Paramount Pictures MVP now after the disappointing performance of Mission Impossible 3 in 2006, active with Scientology and jumped on Oprah’s couch expressing his love for Katie Holmes the studio announced plans to end their 14-year relationship with Tom Cruise.  He then starred in Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie (his first film with Christopher McQuarrie) both for MGM in-between the two he appeared as Les Grossman in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder in 2008 which showed how good he could be.

Action comedy Knight & Day underwhelmed and then returned in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol in 2011 in the studios 100^th anniversary and biggest ever year at the box office. Rock of Ages followed being again a very non-Tom Cruise role I really enjoyed and at the media screening I attended reaction was positive, but reviews and box office wasn’t. Jack Reacher followed took 480m in the US and $218m worldwide.

The sequel was surprisingly made a few years later taking $60m in the US and $162n worldwide but was probably made to keep him happy as it was a pet project of Tom Cruise and Paramount were eager for another Mission Impossible film and the Top Gun sequel studio had been dreaming about for decades. Top Gun 2 finally started shooting earlier a couple of months ago and will be released 33 years after the first film. After which he will probably return to a seventh Mission Impossible film as he said recently that he would want to keep making the films until he dies.

But it could have been very different as in 2006 Paramount after Mission Impossible underperformed they wanted to reboot the franchise with a new team and a new agent groomed to replace Ethan Hunt which was going to be Jeremy Renner (Universal wanted to do something similar casting him in The Bourne Legacy in 2012 after The Bourne Ultimatum neither Matt Damon or Paul Greengrass wanted to make a fourth Jason Bourne but of course they came back to make 2016’s Jason Bourne which felt like a greatest hits album). But after critics and audiences love Ghost Protocol Tom Cruise was back and after losing Marvel they weren’t going to let Tom Cruise go again.

Took $94.6m from 36 territories and $155.8m worldwide; having the biggest global opening of Mission Impossible ahead of 2011’s Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol opening with $131.5m; Still has many key territories to open including France (had its world premiere in Paris July 12^th Tom Cruise called the film a “love letter” to Paris), Japan and China should see it takes over $700m worldwide.

• Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – Universal Pictures

Dropped 57.1% in its second weekend taking $15.1m and $70.52m;

Mamma Mia! dropped only 36.1% taking $17.74m and $62.59m  in July 2008;

While Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! will take more than The Greatest Showman $4.34.54m internationally it won’t match its success in the US taking similar instead to the first film.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! took $26.6m internationally from 46 territories with a global total of $167.3m; Mamma Mia! took $609.8m worldwide Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! will take more than Mamma Mia! internationally but likely take slightly less than Mamma Mia! in the US.

• The Equalizer 2 – Sony Pictures

Dropped 61.1% in its second weekend taking $14.02m and $64.25m;

In 2014 The Equalizer dropped 45.1% in its second weekend taking $18.75m and $64.23m; taking $101.53m in the US and $192.33m worldwide.

Denzel Washington biggest film to date at the US box office was 2007’s American Gangster his films have taken almost $2.4bn at the US box office and $3.72bn globally. Also directing three films Fences, The Great Debaters and Antwone Fisher.

Took $1.9m from 11 territories $6.1m total; release has been held back in most countries to open a few weeks after Mission Impossible Fallout  

• Teen Titans Go! To the Movies – Warner Bros

Opened with $10.41m; received 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and A- CinemaScore

Took $1.1m from 8 territories but opens in major territories in August.

• Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – Sony Pictures

Dropped 48.2% in its third weekend taking $12.53m and $119.17m;

2012’s Hotel Transylvania dropped 36.4% in its second weekend taking $27.05m and $76.71m of $148.3m

2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2 dropped 31.5% in its second weekend taking $33.19m and $90.73m of $48.56m taking $169.7m; first film took $358 million at the worldwide and the sequel $473 million worldwide.

Took $31m from 55 territories internationally $165m total and $284.2m globally; Hotel Transylvania took $358.37m globally and Hotel Transylvania 2 took $473.22m but both films opened in September/October with far less competition Hotel Transylvania 3 has far tougher competition with Incredibles 2.

• Ant-Man and the Wasp – Disney

Down 46.9% in its third weekend taking $8.76m and $183.49m;

Ant-Man dropped 48.6% in its third weekend in July 2015 taking $12.8m and $132.33m.

The 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken $6.83bn in the US and $17.29bn worldwide; Captain Marvel opens March 2019, Untitled Avengers 4 in April 2019 and Spider-Man: Far from Home in July 2019 with three more untitled MCU films set for release in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Ant-Man and the Wasp took $19.9m from 46 territories $211.1m total and $394.2m worldwide; Ant-Man took $519.3m worldwide the 16^th biggest MCU film globally.   

• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – Universal Pictures

Down 40.3% in its sixth weekend taking $6.72m and $397.5m; 33^rd biggest film in the US between Frozen and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had the 130^th biggest sixth weekend between Runaway Bride  and The Croods; Jurassic Park was #26 taking $10.86m and Jurassic World #20 taking $11.89 m

2015’s Jurassic World took $11.45m down 36.9% taking $611.22m of $652.27m total

2001’s Jurassic Park 3 took $2.41m down 45.7% taking $172.66m of $190.69m total

1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park took $4.53m down 43.6% taking $213.22m of $229.08m total

1993’s Jurassic Park took $10.86m down 29% taking $255.72m of $357.06m

(for The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park ticket inflation is more than 100% since so their totals need to be more than doubled  does highlight how Fallen Kingdom really performed).

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom took $11.8m from 67 territories (including $259.1m from China; Jurassic World opened with $99.15m taking $228.74m) and $840.2m total and $1.237n worldwide.

Fallen Kingdom is the 14^th biggest film worldwide between Beauty and the Beast and The Fate of the Furious; third biggest Universal Pictures film after Jurassic World and Furious 7;   It’s likely to end with about $1.3bn which will be 30% less than Jurassic World in 2015 with Chinese $250m box office again being responsible for the film taking over $1bn globally; 25 years ago, Jurassic Park took $1.029bn without China.

• Incredibles 2 – Disney

Down 39% in its seventh weekend taking $7.25m and $572.88m; #9 biggest film in the US overtaking Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Dark Knight.

2004’s Incredibles took $261.44m was then fifth biggest animated film after Shrek 2, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Shrek, so, the success of Incredibles 2 14 years later shouldn’t have been a surprise especially after Finding Dory became the biggest animated film in the US 13 years after Finding Nemo.

Had the 51st biggest seventh weekend between Slumdog Millionaire and Toy Story 2.  

The Incredibles dropped 38% in its seventh weekend taking $3.12m and $236.97m ($331.8m inflation inflated) 90.64% of its $261.44m total ($385.63m inflation inflated);

In 2003 Finding Nemo dropped 23.5% in its seventh weekend taking $8.46m and $291.06m (85.67%) of $339.71m total ($516.05m inflation inflated total); In 2016 Finding Dory dropped 40.3% in its seventh weekend taking $4.32m and $469.11m of $486.39m total

Internationally took $36.5m from 42 territories and $423.7m total and $996.5m globally (#36 biggest film worldwide between Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Dark Knight) globally it has already overtaken the original’s $633m 2004 global total.

UK Box Office Predictions

Opening a month after US Ant-Man and the Wasp will likely open bigger than previous Ant-Man film which opened with £4,011,345 in July 2015 boosted by having a day of previews Ant-Man never had. Of course, the hot weather expected to return at the weekend will also likely squeeze its box office as will do all other releases.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is not as well known in the UK as the US but opening five weeks after Incredibles 2 along with the positive reviews and being another animated film could open with up to £1m.

After Mission Impossible Fallout opening was inflated taking £2.1m from two days of previews allowing it to open #1 will likely drop up to 60% in its second weekend due to Ant-Man and the Wasp taking £3.1m dropping down to fourth.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again will hold #2 dropping another 30% but depending the weather affects Ant-Man and the Wasp could return back to #1 (if not this weekend will return #1 next weekend).

With Mission Impossible: Fallout dropping Incredibles 3 will also likely hold #3

Opening in the UK

• Ant-Man and the Wasp – Disney

The twentieth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Douglas and directed by Peyton Reed.

Received 87% Rotten Tomatoes score compared to 82% for Ant-Man could open up to $85m.

Ant-Man in 2015 opened with £4,011,345 the third lowest opening for an MCU film after 2008’s The Incredible Hulk £3,253,723 and Captain America The First Avenger £2,981,590.

In July 2015 Ant-Man opened #1 with far less direct competition (Minions, Ted 2, Jurassic World and Terminator: Genisys) Ant-Man and the Wasp has far tougher competition opening a week after Mission Impossible: Fallout. Many assumed the reason for Ant-Man and the Wasp being delayed was because of the World Cup but was more to do with Disney preferring to hold back their summer animated film to the start of the summer holidays which meant they couldn’t open Ant-Man and the Wasp same day as the

In 2015 Disney opened Inside Out two weeks after Ant-Man with a tween female protagonist the two films demographics didn’t cross over as Incredibles 2 and Ant-Man and the Wasp does both targetting tween male audiences (of course both films play beyond). 

Ant- Man was very different tonally to the other MCU films being much more a family adventure rather than a comic-book film. The problem was the film had the generic MCU marketing campaign which has been in place over the last 10 years for the other films

While Ant-Man appeared in Captain America Civil War he didn’t appear in Avengers: Infinity War but the post-credit scenes in Ant-Man and the Wasp show how the film connects with the events in Infinity War as Ant-Man and the Wasp is happening at the same time as those events.

In an interview with Evangeline Lilly said she will no longer her complaints from men about their uncomfortable superhero suit saying “Have men not had the life experience of being uncomfortable for the sake of looking good? And they’re just like ‘What is this? This suck!’ Why?’ Why do we have to go through this?!’ Whereas a woman is like, ‘I don’t know. This is, like, normal.’”

For all the praise Marvel has had over the last decade for their films it took them 10 years to launch their first non-white comic-book film Black Panther and the first leading female comic-book film Captain Marvel will open next year. While DC successfully launched Wonder Woman last year while Marvel fans still await Black Widow film after already appearing in six MCU films (Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War).

The 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken £575m in the UK over the last 20 years.

• Teen Titans Go! To the Movies – Warner Bros

Animated superhero comedy based on the television series Teen Titans Go! featuring voices of Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Hynden Walch, Will Arnett, and Kristen Bell and directed by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail.

Currently has 90% Rotten Tomatoes score; while DC still try to get the balance right with their live-action extended universe have had much more success with their characters in The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie. Warner Bros screened the first trailers for Aquaman and Shazam at Comic-Con over the weekend both were well received by fans.

Teen Titans Go! Is less well known in the UK broadcast on the Cartoon Network opening a week after Hotel Transylvania 3 and three weeks after Incredibles 2 opens in a much more crowded marketplace?

Opening in the

• The Darkest Minds – 20^th Century Fox

Dystopian superhero film starring Amandla Stenberg, Mandy Moore, and Gwendoline Christie and directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson based on Alexandra Bracken’s young adult novel.

After 20^th Century Fox delayed their two X-Men films New Mutants and Dark Phoenix to 2019 after needing reshoots The Darkest Mind was seen as the next best thing as the trailers feel similar.

But buzz has been lacking for the film and these films based on young adult dystopian novels are very hit and miss for every The Hunger Games, Twilight and Maze Runner are Ender’s Game, The 5^th Wave, The Giver, The Golden Compass, The Circle, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and many more. Studios keep making them as if they do find an audience as seen with The Hunger Games can become massive franchises.

Expected to open in low teens.

• Christopher Robin – Disney

Fantasy comedy-drama starring Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and the voices of Jim Cummings and Brad Garrett and directed by Marc Forster; inspired by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s book Winnie-the-Pooh.

It is the 10^th Disney reimagination of their classic animated films first was 1994’s The Jungle Book and 1996 101 Dalmatians (sequel 102 Dalmatians in 2000) but was a one-off. 2010’s Alice in Wonderland was the start of their reimagination all of their older animated classics Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Beauty and the Beast. With Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King released next year and Mulan and Maleficent 2 in 2020. Cruella, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, The Sword in the Stone. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Jungle Book 2.

Last year Fox Searchlight released Goodbye Christopher Robin telling the true story of how A. A. Milne created Winnie-the-Pooh after the first World War. Disney’s Christopher Robin is a fictionalised reimagination of the Winnie-the-Pooh story.

After A. A. Milne’s death in 1955 Disney acquired the right to Winnie the Pooh characters and in 2001 they sold Winnie the Pooh to Disney for $350m (the rights to his original Winnie the Pooh books expire in 2026). Winnie the Pooh is one of the most beloved children’s books in the UK (#7 of BBC 2003’s nations best-loved novels of all time #5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

Being based on a beloved British children’s book its surprising the film doesn’t open in the UK first but because Incredibles 2 and Ant-Man and the Wasp were delayed Disney’s Christopher Robin is also delayed in the UK two weeks.

Expected to open with $25-30m;

• The Spy Who Dumped Me – Lionsgate

Action comedy starring Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux, and Sam Heughan and directed by Susanna Fogel (wait all summer for a studio release directed by a woman and get two opening the same weekend).

Was originally set for release in July but after strong test score was delayed a month to open it against lesser competition and try to attract similar audience Bad Moms (also starring Mila Kunis) opened July 2016 $23.81m taking $113.25m

And Lionsgate released The Hitman’s Bodyguard in August last year opening with $21.38m taking $75.46m; has received mixed reviews 38% Rotten Tomatoes.

Expected to open with $15-$20m

• Eighth Grade – A24

Comedy-drama starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton and Emily Robinson and written and directed by Bo Burnham (feature-film debut); premiered at Sundance Film Festival receiving critical acclaim (98% Rotten Tomatoes) highlighting Burnham’s script and Fisher’s performance.

It is one of those strange anomalies that the film has a higher certificate than the age of the leading actress similar was the case with 2003’s Thirteen starring Evan Rachel Wood

Is often the age issue in the UK because of the 12 and 15 certificates but the MPAA are normally more accepting of content but not for gritter dramas like this. It is another

Opened July 13^th on limited release expanding this weekend.