Top 5 Breakdown
- Ant-Man and the Wasp – £4,988,747 – NE
Included previews of £1.23m from Thursday without which would have opened second to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! as Mission: Impossible: Fallout did last weekend. But until the industry reports weekend box office as only Fri-Sun Ant-Man and the Wasp is the UK’s #1 film but as with Mission: Impossible: Fallout last weekend it won’t hold #1 for the second weekend.
#237 biggest opening in the UK between Bruno and Murder on the Orient Express and #341 biggest inflation inflated opening between Flushed Away and Paranormal Activity 2.
Disney seems to have an issue when they delay the release for their live-action films in March they delayed A Wrinkle in Time by two weeks and opened poorly and delaying Ant-Man and the Wasp was always likely to harm its UK opening.
With Disney locking in Incredibles 2 July 13th opening they couldn’t open Ant-Man and the Wasp the week before but could of as they often do with Marvel Cinematic Universe films open it a week earlier. With Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! and Mission: Impossible: Fallout Disney had to delay its release by four weeks as buzz for the film wasn’t great but was strong for the Mission Impossible sequel it was always likely to suffer opening the weekend after.
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.
After the heavier films of the MCU Ant-Man and the Wasp as the first film are much lighter tonally much more family adventures like Honey I Shrunk the Kids Disney used to make in the 80s and 90s. The films were sold as further instalments of MCU but the audience for the films is younger and its surprising given Disney’s history making family films they didn’t see it as one similar to Tomorrowland which was released a few months earlier in 2015.
I’m one of a few who have become bored of the MCU films especially after Avengers: Infinity War and the illogical reason why Thanos wanted to kill billions was he wanted some peace and quiet. For me Ant -Man movies as Deadpool, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies and Wonder woman have added something different to the comic-book genre which is so similar be it Marvel or DC before anyone says I’m being anti-Disney.
The 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken £580m in the UK over the last 20 years.
Ant-Man was Disney’s lowest grossing MCU and the fourth lowest grossing MCU film after Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Incredible Hulk but all three were part of the first five MCU films released as Marvel than with paramount were launching the franchise they had far bigger success with Iron Man and its sequel but was a far more well-known character. Thor, Captain America and The Hulk have since had far bigger success starring in later MCU films.
Marvel might have 7,000 characters in their library which will be joined next year with X-Men, but few are well-known characters away from comic-book fans Black Panther was one of the first 10 films originally planned to be made by Marvel but waited to launch the character in Captain America: Civil War. Their next MCU film Captain Marvel features their first female leading superhero two years after Wonder Woman but of course has had Avengers; Infinity War as the set-up film as the events that ended Infinity War will likely be replayed in Captain Marvel which will also set up Avengers 4.
What of course will be more interesting is what the films after Avengers 4 and Spider-Man are: Far From Home as none have been announced apart from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 which was likely to be released in 2020 but after Disney sacked director James Gunn after 10-year-old tweets are questions over when that will be released. While after 2020 will X-Men join the Avengers?
- Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – £4,121,275 – £39,324,001
Down 41.9% in its third weekend; will shortly overtake 2013’s Les Miserables and could overtake The Greatest Showman by next weekend and will likely return to #1 in its fourth weekend after being the biggest film Fri-Sun for the last two weeks but preview box office stopping it from being #1.
On Monday became the 63rd film to take over £40m at the UK box office over the last 25 years since Jurassic Park was released in 1993;
By the end of the week Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! will become the 113th film to take £30m+ at the UK box office since Jurassic Park 25 years ago and Universal Pictures 17th.
It is the 121st biggest film in the UK inflation inflated between Goldeneye and The Twilight Saga: New Moon
In 2008 Mamma Mia! dropped to second in its third weekend was down 38% taking £2,830,207 and £24,608,293 35.57% of £69,166,087 total (The Dark Knight opening #1 with £11,191,824)
While Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! might have taken 60% more than Mamma Mia! adding ticket inflation the films are performing similarly to Mamma Mia! inflation inflated the third weekend £4,283,409 and £37,243,705 went on to take £104,680,212; as in 2008 Pixar film was third Wall-E in its second weekend taking £2,049,000 and £8,928,834
Mamma Mia! increased by 12% in its fourth weekend taking £3,167,377 and £32,109,923
Mamma Mia! stayed in the top 3 for 11 weeks until the end of September until Taken, Righteous Kill and Death Race opened; taking over £1m at the box office for 10 weekends and staying in the top 5 for 13 weeks (#13 £479,057) and in the top 10 for 17 weeks (#17 £142,664)
In comparison The Greatest Showman was in the top three for two weeks (took £2,142,337 in the third weekend) became #1 in its sixth weekend ; in the top five for 12 weeks (#12 £753,420) and in top 10 for 17 weeks (#17 £300,947) only dropping out of the charts because of four new releases and the film released on DVD.
Comparisons with The Greatest Showman have been made also with their soundtracks both becoming #1. Impossible to compare the two as Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack was full of classic ABBA song people have been singing along to for almost 40 years. While This is Me, A Million Dreams and From Now On were original songs from a film that didn’t receive anywhere nearly the media coverage and hype, only getting it after fans reacted to the film generating their own content; 32 weeks after opening The Greatest Showman was up 55% taking £12,104 and £47m; it is the 42nd biggest film in the UK will overtaking films including The Jungle Book, Paddington 2, Frozen and will of taken more than Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
While Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is the sequel to the hugely popular Mamma Mia! still 10th 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.
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.
What amazes me about Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is many critics had tears watching as they brought back Dona as a vision to her daughter Sophie which is a typical Richard Curtis plot which he has done so many times. But then The Greatest Showman was called fake for doing similar.
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.
- Mission: Impossible: Fallout – £2,471,073 – £13,357,630
Down 66.15% in its second weekend; having a similar second weekend as all of the other Mission Impossible films except for the first film took £3,465,278; having the third lowest due (lowest was 2011’s Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol as its opening was inflated with four days of previews while Rogue Nation had one and Fallout had two (Mission Impossible 3 opened Thursday but the first two films would have had only one Thursday night preview).
Second weekends
Mission: Impossible – £3,465,278 – -46.29% and £9,917,609 – 53.27% of £18,619,357
Mission: Impossible II – £2,494,661 – -46.03% and £9,517,542 – 55.02% of £17,299,719
Mission: Impossible III – £2,751,733 – -48.83% and £9,721,069 – 63.36% of £15,342,575
MI: Ghost Protocol – £2,223,200 – -72.85% and £13,063,492 – 74.49% of £17,536,984
MI: Rogue Nation – £2,408,562 – -54.99% and £11,047,842 – 52.42% of £21,074,999
Had the 247th biggest second weekend in the UK between What Women Want and Troy and 366th biggest inflation inflated second weekend between The Lion King 3D and Robots.
But comparing Mission Impossible: Fallout second weekend with inflation inflated totals tells a completely different story having the worst second weekend with 1996’s Mission Impossible taking almost three times as much (£7,370,740) while Mission Impossible 2 and 3 took almost double Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and Fallout.
This highlights the problem the industry has failed to deal with for the last 15 years that films are becoming far more front-loaded as films aren’t given space (with Ant-Man and the Wasp opening less than a week later which doesn’t help either film) and the price issue fewer people are seeing the films and the box office growth is solely due to ticket inflation.
This is more noticeable with Mamma Mia! Vs Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again industry claims of the sequel taking 50% more than the first film after three weeks but ticket prices have increased by about 50% over the last 10 years (probably more with IMAX, PLF and 4DX and premium seating).
Apart from Apple products, what else has increase sales when companies have put up their prices up as you compare the lack of growth at the cinema (despite claims of box office increasing yearly) and the growth streaming services have had over the similar time as people are willing to wait a few months now. As many find the cinema experience not as enjoyable as it used to be despite reclining seats with mobile phones, noisy and rude cinemagoers and smelly food to name three.
The six Mission Impossible films have now taken £100m at the box office (£154m 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 Tom Cruise’s eighth biggest film in the UK (moving ahead of Jerry Maguire, The Last Samurai, Oblivion, Rain Man). Five of the films about are the other Mission Impossible films with 2005’s War of the Worlds his biggest film and 2002’s Minority Report his biggest original film.
Since Top Gun was released in 1986 Tom Cruise has starred in 35 films they have taken over £321m at the UK box office inflation inflated total over £566m (but am missing box office from 5 of his earlier films which would add another £30m+).
Tom Cruise is currently making Top Gun: Maverick and will open 33 years after the first film; Top Gun took £8.54m in 1986 but would be £35.75m inflation inflated and be Tom Cruise fourth biggest film in the UK after War of the Worlds, Mission: Impossible, Minority Report and Mission Impossible. After 33 years will it possibly live up to expectations while the original is still hugely popular will the sequel be just a remake this time with Maverick’s son doing what Maverick did 30 years earlier, saying that it did work for Disney with The Force Awakens remaking what came before.
Away from Mission Impossible series the world’s biggest movie star hasn’t had a summer hit since War of the Worlds and Top Gun: Maverick will need to do that box office to be a hit. But sandwiched between Spider-Man: Far from Home and The Lion King reimagination (many believe will be one of the biggest films ever). Are big questions over what its audience will be teens who saw the original in the 80s now parents or their children but 2015’s Jurassic World worked 22 years after the original but as The Force Awakens it was more of a remake of Jurassic Park than a straight sequel.
Mission Impossible Fallout was the latest film to feature a major spoiler in the trailers in revealing the identity of John Lark as Henry Cavill. Tom Cruise said it was their choice to do include the spoiler as didn’t want to confuse the audience but isn’t that what cinema is all about but the same could be said for the opening titles of the films that reveal scenes of the film.
Warner Bros did similar in the posters and trailers for Ocean’s Eight with only seven members of Debbie Ocean’s heist group revealed. Many thought Anne Hathaway’s reveal as part of the group was a red herring and we would see the return of Julia Roberts character Tess. The first image of the film that Warner Bros released featuring all of the eight on the subway was from the end scene. Many complain about spoilers in trailers, but research has shown that many cinemagoers like it and that’s why they keep doing it while it might annoy and frustrate film fans as often the direct say don’t watch the last trailers or promos for their films.
- Incredibles 2 – £2,391,917 – £39,869,498
Down 53.5% in its fourth weekend; overtaking total of Incredibles £32.03m becoming the fourth biggest Pixar film in the UK behind Toy Story 3, Toy Story 2 and Finding Dory overtaking inside Out, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Up.
Finding Dory took over £29m from August 2016 but opened two weeks later than Incredibles 2 taking £8.1m in July while Incredibles 2 took £34m of its total in July and with cooler temperatures for the next few weeks and with Hotel Transylvania 3 not doing as well as the first sequel there is little competition for Incredibles 2 for the rest of the summer.
Incredibles 2 will shortly become the fourth biggest film of 2018 overtaking Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Peter Rabbit to be Disney’s third film this year to take over £40m at the box office; becoming the fifth biggest film of 2018 after Avengers Infinity War, Black Panther, Peter Rabbit and Jurassic World 2 overtaking the last two before next weekend and will likely take £55m+ possibly the second biggest film of the year
On Monday became the 63rd film to take £40m and Disney’s 19th film to take over £40m, Mary Poppins will likely be their 20th.
Inflation inflated Incredibles 2 is 114th biggest film in the UK between Shark Tale and Incredibles 2; 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 91st biggest film in the UK between The Inbetweeners Movie 2 and Suicide Squad.
The 20 Pixar film has taken over £600m over the last 22 years with an average box office is £30.5m; Toy Story 4 is Pixar’s next release opening next June and then the year after will release their first original animated film since The Good Dinosaur in 2015.
- Hotel Transylvania: A Monsters Vacation £1,451,295 – £7,761,551
Down 57.9% in its second weekend has overtaken the total box office for the first film but will likely come short to the total of the second film.
Second weeks
Hotel Transylvania – down 41% £1,023,722 and £3,375,280 of £7,722,310
Hotel Transylvania 2 – down 19% (64% including previews) £2,275,612 and £9,401,493 of £19,701,082
Both had one advantage over Hotel Transylvania 3 being the only children’s film on release for over a month of their release but only had one week of school holidays.
With three weeks until the next children’s film Disney’s Christopher Robin 4. Hotel Transylvania 3 is likely to perform strongly against Incredibles 2 taking upwards of £25m before the end of August.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £16,330,724 down 36.3% from last weekend £25,665,576
The weekend admissions 2,075,060 down 34.5% from last weekend 3,171,408; 2018 average ticket up 3.87% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.87 for 2018 according to six-month box office results.
15 films opened at weekend taking £5,568,942; Ant-Man and the Wasp 89.5% (£4,988,747); Teen Titans Go! To The Movies 6.9% (£389,726); remaining 13 films shared 3.4% (£190,469): top 2 films took 55.8% of top 10; Ant-Man and the Wasp took 30.54% and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took 25.23%
The weekend was up 11.2% from 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;
Down 23.3% from 2016: (£21,285,722): Suicide Squad £11,252,225;
Up 62.53% from 2015; (£10,047,581); Fantastic Four £2,686,176; The Gift £584,552; The Diary of a Teenage Girl £81,185; Max £38,901;
Up 12.1% from 2014: (£14,570,372); Guardians of the Galaxy £6,363,110; The Nut Job £666,966; Back to the Future (Re: 2014) £538,159; Step Up 5: All In £391,129; Planes 2: Fire and Rescue £55,903;
Up 6.5% from 2013: (£15,328,027); The Smurfs 2 £3,220,911; The Heat £2,500,522; The Conjuring £2,156,124; Red 2 £1,023,349; Only God Forgives £465,917; From up on Poppy Hill £33,087;
Down 13.3% from 2012 (£18,835,047); Ted £9,333,700; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days £1,537,178; Brave (Scotland) £820,084; Sound of My Voice £3,630;
Up 31.4% from 2011 (£12,426,990): Super 8 £2,207,063; Mr. Popper’s Penguins £1,515,248; Sarah’s Key £116,211;
Down 0.84% from 2010: (£16,470,599): Knight & Day £2,404,163; Step Up 3 £2,015,403; Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore £1,553,005;
Up 31.53% from 2009 (£12,415,474); G-Force £2,478,524; The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 £1,784,719; Land of the Lost £642,553; Coco Before Chanel £423,268;
Up 2.8% from 2008 (£15,871,733); The X-Files: I Want to Believe £887,209; Space Chimps £563,543; The Love Guru £498,829; Man on Wire £98,508;
Up 53.7% from 2007 (£10,622,708); Evan Almighty £1,152,349; The Hoax £94,136; Happily N’ever After £62,622; Tales from Earthsea £25,253; Wind Chill £23,769; Seraphim Falls £17,110
Up 75.4% from 2006; (£9,307,750); Miami Vice £2,231,684; My Super Ex-Girlfriend £714,920; Ant Bully £382,766;
Up 69.1% from 2005 (£9,659,697); Herbie: Fully Loaded £774,412; Stealth £525,902; The Devil’s Rejects £323,196;
Up 62.72% from 2004 (£10,036,048): I, Robot £4,745,541; 13 Going On 30 £1,184,273; Home on the Range £198,226;
Up 49.2% from 2003 (£10,939,690); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines £6,080,369; Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde £1,546,483; Spy Kids 3D Game Over £979,374;
Up 27.8% from 2002 (£12,774,940): Men In Black 2 £6,191,428; Lost In La Mancha £42,824;
Up 51.84% from 2001 (£10,754,826); Cats and Dogs £3,707,358; Rush Hour 2 £2,286,253; Final Fantasy: The Spirits £43,546
Average ticket prices are up almost 100% since 2001from £4.14 to £7.97 but box office is only up 50% from 2011-2003 highlights the issues I have been saying for years the industry fails to deal with.
Next weekend in 2017: (£10,664,274): Annabelle: Creation £1,960,203; Atomic Blonde £1,686,430; The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature £354,276; A Ghost Story £133,899; Overdrive £60,043;
Also opened
- Teen Titans Go! To The Movies – Warner Bros – £389,726 from 460 screens
Despite positive reviews with many calling it the best comic-book movie of the year wasn’t able to find audiences with Incredible 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3 along with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Was always going to be a hard sell in the UK as the TV series isn’t as well-known as in the US but it’s disappointing that yet again one of the better studio animated films fail to find its deserved audience while Hotel Transylvania 3 does. Similar to Captain Underpants last year was squeezed opening so close to the far inferior Despicable Me 3 and Cars 3.
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Mission: Impossible : Fallout – Paramount Pictures
Down 42.3% in its second weekend taking $35.32m and $124.81m total
Second weekends
Mission: Impossible $21,629,362 – -52.40% – $107,154,708 59.21% of $180,981,856
Mission: Impossible II $27,016,029 – -53.30% – $130,719,917 60.68% of $215,409,889
Mission: Impossible III $25,008,971 – -47.62% – $85,100,142 – 63.49% of $134,029,801
MI: Ghost Protocol $29,421,879 – -0.46% – $132,406,086 – 63.23% of $209,397,903
MI: Rogue Nation $28,502,372 – -48.66% – $107,756,579 – 55.25% of $195,042,377
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.
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.
Took $76m from 56 territories $205m total and $329.5m worldwide; could take over $800m worldwide if performs strongly in China at the end of the month.
- Christopher Robin – Disney
Opens with $24.58m; received average reviews 68% Rotten Tomatoes score and A CinemaScore
It’s the first time since 12th August 2016 when a Disney new release hasn’t opened #1 when Pete’s Dragon opened third (taking $21.5m) with Suicide Squad #1 and Sausage Party #2; highlights the issue the industry will face when 20th Century Fox becomes a label within Disney next year as rival studios will not be able to compete.
While Disney has had huge success in recent years with properties have been far less successful with their original films or when they try to not make a straightforward reimagination of a Disney classic. Earlier this year A Wrinkle in Time barely took $100m and there is the poor buzz for their next release The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Does highlight again why they were so interested in buying 20th Century Fox as they have had far better success with these kids of films in recent years.
Comparisons have been made with Finding Neverland also directed by Marc Forster which took $51.68m in 2004 and Saving Mr Banks taking $83m in 2013.
Have been 17 films that have taken over $1 billion worldwide since 2015 with Disney having 11 and Universal 6 with the last non-Disney and Universal film taking over $1 billion being Transformers: Age of Extinction in 2014 which only did so due to Chinese box office.
Christopher Robin won’t be released in China believed to be after Chinese authorities have been blocking images of Pooh on social media since last year after Winnie the Pooh became a symbol of political dissent after Chinese leader Xi Jinping had been compared to him. Comparisons started in 2013 when a picture of Xi with President Barack Obama was posted alongside a picture of Pooh walking next to Tigger. In 2014 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shared along with a picture of Pooh with Eeyore. Which saw Chinese censors block images, GIFs and mentions of the bear across social media. In June John Oliver mentioned the President’s sensitivity to being compared to the bear.
While the other reason has been given has been China annual foreign film quota of 34 and Disney probably realised that Christopher Robin was unlikely to perform well in China.
Christopher Robin was the tenth 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; will have much bigger success next year with Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King and then Mulan and Maleficent 2 in 2020.
With 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 all in development. After Disney have reimagined all of their Disney classics they will likely be doing similar searching the vaults of 20th Century Fox remaking many for their streaming service
Took $4.8m from 18 territories internationally will have limited appeal internationally apart from the UK where it opens in two weeks.
- The Spy Who Dumped Me – Lionsgate
Open with $12.1m; received average reviews 37% Rotten Tomatoes score and B CinemaScore.
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
The Spy Who Dumped Me and The Darkest Minds were the only two studio films that opened this summer directed by women.
- Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – Universal Pictures
Dropped 40.4% in its third weekend taking $9.003m and $91.24m;
Mamma Mia! in its third weekend dropped only 28.9% taking $12.61m and $87.47m total $144.13m 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 and will take less than the original film. But the sequel wasn’t made for US audiences but much more international the UK, Europe and Australia where ABBA is far more popular as was the original film.
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! Took $19.3m internationally from 46 territories and $139.2m total with a global total of $230.5m (one country the sequel hasn’t performed well was China taking only 323k from 700 screens, the first film never opened in China); 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 Darkest Minds – 20th Century Fox
Opens with $5.84m; received poor reviews only 18% Rotten Tomatoes but B CinemaScore
Was the 11th worst opening all-time for a film opening in 3,000+ screens
Took $4.1m from 37 territories
- The Equalizer 2 – Sony Pictures
Down 37.5% in its third weekend taking $8.75m and $79.81m;
In 2014 The Equalizer dropped 45.1% in its third weekend taking $9.75m and $79.86m; 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 $2.7bn at the US box office and $3.8bn globally. Also directing three films Fences, The Great Debaters and Antwone Fisher.
Took $940k from 11 territories $7.7m total; release has been held back in most countries to open a few weeks after Mission Impossible Fallout
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – Sony Pictures
Dropped 34.7% in its fourth weekend taking $8.01m and $136.26m;
2012’s Hotel Transylvania dropped 36.4% in its fourth weekend taking $13m and $118.52m of $148.3m
2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2 dropped 38.1% in its fourth weekend taking $12.64m and $136.8m taking $169.7m; the first film took $358 million at the worldwide and the sequel $473 million worldwide.
Took $18m from 57 territories internationally $202.3m total and $338.8m globally will shortly overtake Hotel Transylvania $358.37m global box office; Hotel Transylvania 2 took $473.22m but both films opened in September/October with far less competition.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp – Disney
Down 27.4% in its fifth weekend taking $6.36m and $195.64m;
Ant-Man dropped 38.2% in its fifth weekend in July 2015 taking $5.49m and $157.43m.
The 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken $6.84bn in the US and $17.33bn 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 $11.2m from 47 territories $230.8m total and $426.3m worldwide; Ant-Man took $519.3m worldwide the 16th biggest MCU film globally.
- Incredibles 2 – Disney
Down 31.4% in its eighth weekend taking $4.98m and $582.11m; #9 biggest film in the US
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.
The Incredibles dropped 22.5% in its eighth weekend taking $3.41m and $242.42m 92.72% of its $261.44m total ($385.63m inflation inflated);
In 2003 Finding Nemo dropped 14.1% in its eighth weekend taking $7.27m and $303.79m (89.42%) of $339.71m total ($516.05m inflation inflated total); In 2016 Finding Dory dropped 40.3% in its eighth weekend taking $1.95m and $473.82m of $486.39m total
Internationally took $19m from 42 territories and $463.9m total and $1.047bn globally (#27 biggest film worldwide between Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and has already overtaken the original’s $633m 2004 global total.
UK Box Office Predictions
Cooler temperatures and wet weather should bring people back to the cinema this weekend, but the new releases are will be upstaged by Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again the fourth weekend.
After being #1 Fri-Sun but losing it due to previews for Mission Impossible: Fallout and Ant-Man and the Wasp Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again will return to #1 after four weeks as Ant-Man and the Wasp will likely drop over 50% in its second weekend.
Mamma Mia! the fourth weekend it increased its box office by 12% but unlikely for the sequel as will drop below £3m which would see it drop below Mamma Mia! fourth weekend total. While The Greatest Showman took £2.1m in its fourth weekend.
The Meg looks like the perfect late summer silly film but with added Jason Statham previous late summer silliness have been films like Snakes on a Plane opened August 2006 with £1,069,608 taking £3,692,064 and Piranha 3D opened August 2010 with £1,487,119 taking £4,466,428
After flopping in the US both The Darkest Minds and Unfriended: Dark Web is unlikely to do much better in the UK.
Opening in the UK
- The Darkest Minds – 20th 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 20th 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 5th 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.
- The Meg – Warner Bros
Sci-fi action horror film starring Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis and directed by Jon Turteltaub based on the 1997 science fiction book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten.
Rights to the book were originally acquired by Disney in 1997 but moved to Warner Bros in 2015 Eli Roth was in talks to direct the film but Jon Turteltaub was signed likely to make a more family friendly action horror.
Was originally set for release in March in the US opening in China two weeks earlier (the film is a China-US co-production) but in September 2017 its release was moved to August.
The first trailer was released in April
Recent shark films
2017’s 47 Meters Down opened £637,964 taking £1,326,136
2016’s The Shallows opened with £800,963 taking £1,723,386
2004’s Open Water opened with £1,970,176 taking £4,818,915
1999’s Deep Blue Sea opened with £1,946,454 taking £8,087,585
Its 20 years ago since Jason Statham’s first film Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in the years since starred in action film series Fast & Furious, The Transporter, The Mechanic, The Expendables and Crank.
- Unfriended: Dark Web – Universal Pictures
Sequel to the 2014 horror film Unfriended starring Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel, and Andrew Lees and directed by Stephen Susco; had the world premiere at SXSW in March receiving positive reviews.
Unfriended opened May 2015 with £1.34m taking £3.5m
In the US it was released with two different versions in cinemas opening with $3.65m in July 2018 taking $8.41m
Opening in the US
- The Meg – Warner Bros
What could be better in a late summer movie Statham Vs Meg has been tracking to open with $20-25m but with its Chinese connection will probably perform stronger in China where it was originally due to open first.
Comparable films
1999’s Deep Blue Sea opened $19.1m taking $73.64m – $164.6m worldwide
2014’s Godzilla opened $93.1m taking $200.7m – %529m worldwide
2018’s Rampage opened $35.75m taking $99.35m
2016’s The Shallows opened $16.8m taking $55.12m
2004’s Open Water opened $1.1m taking $30.61m
2010’s Piranha 3D opened $10.1m taking 425m
2006’s Snakes on A Plane opened $13.6m taking $34.0m
2017’s 47 Meters Down opened $11.2m taking $44.3m
- Slender Man – Sony Pictures
Supernatural horror starring Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, and Javier Botet and directed by Sylvain White.
Was previously set for release in May but was delayed due to a disagreement between Sony and Blumhouse Productions over its marketing spend. Sony wanted to spend far less on the film than marketing which saw the film shopped around to other distributions and Netflix in May.
Was also social media backlash after a petition to pull the film attracted over 19,000 names after a father of one of the two girls who stabbed Leutner criticised the film as “extremely distasteful” and has said it is “popularizing a tragedy.”
The first trailer was released in January and a second trailer was released in July.
Tracking to open with $10m+
Comparable films
2016’s Lights Out; 2014’s Ouija: 2018’s Truth or Dare: 2015’s Poltergeist: 2017’s The Bye Bye Man
- BlacKkKlansman – Focus
Biographical crime drama John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier and Topher Grace and directed by Spike Lee, based on the autobiographical book Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth; premiered at the Cannes Film Festival receiving critical acclaim 96% Rotten Tomatoes and won the Grand Prix.
