Top 5 Breakdown
- Bohemian Rhapsody – £9,530,463 – NE
Including £3,054,530 from previews on Wednesday and Thursday
Took £1.62m from Wednesday; A Star Is Born opened with £522,000; Pitch Perfect 3 took £1m in December 2017 and The Greatest Showman took £654,000 on its opening day.
Had the 7th biggest opening of 2018 (behind Avengers Infinity Wars, Black Panther, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Deadpool 2, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again and Incredibles 2
Biggest original film opening of 2018 (without previews #1 Peter Rabbit £7,273,207 #2 Ready Player One £5,113,041
20th Century Fox UK 8th biggest opening in the UK (#1 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith £14,361,469; #2 Deadpool £13,729,803; #3 The Simpsons; #4 Deadpool 2; #5 Star Wars: Attack of the Clones £11,386,209; #6 Ice Age: Continental Drift £10,087,052; #7 Ice Age II £9,775,974; having their biggest opening since Logan (£9,443,363) and probably last UK #1 of 83-year history.
Had the 85th biggest opening in the UK between The Secret Life of Pets and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (opening was close to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again but had two extra days play) and 158th inflation inflated biggest opening between Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Van Helsing
Its opening was inflated with two days of previews taking £3.1m removing previews from its opening took £6,430,463 Fri-Sun was 117th biggest between Mission: Impossible and Up (similar to The Day After Tomorrow and Kingsman: The Golden Circle) and was 20th Century Fox’s 14th biggest opening in the UK.
On Sunday industry said Bohemian Rhapsody opened 132% bigger than A Star is Born 100% more than The Greatest Showman 44% more than La La Land (+46%) 17% more than Les Miserables and only 2% less than Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. While all of this is technically true as Bohemian Rhapsody had two days of previews couldn’t make a direct comparison with any of those films.
The second weekend is when comparisons can be made but even then, the films aren’t direct comparisons as the audience would be the same while A Star is Born, La La Land and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again had critics gushing over them.
Bohemian Rhapsody replaced A Star Is Born #1 which was a musical that wasn’t a musical and Bohemian Rhapsody is similarly a music biopic that isn’t a music biopic. It was more a greatest hits of Queen which is exactly what fans what to see but not like previous music-biopics including 1991’s The Doors took £4m, 2006’s Walk the Line took £10.4m, 2015’s Straight Outta Compton £8.04m and 2003’s 8 Mile took £13.3m as they highlighted the good and the bad elements Bohemian Rhapsody couldn’t go into as deeply being produced by Queen.
Bohemian Rhapsody could be seen as a modern day The Greatest Showman Freddie Mercury was a showman in a band of misfits similar to PT Barnum and as with The Greatest Showman audiences are reacting far more positively to Bohemian Rhapsody than critics. Critics wanted a more in-depth biopic about Freddie Mercury, but Bohemian Rhapsody was never going to be that film.
Reviews were mixed with many critics complaining that it doesn’t delve deeper into Freddie Mercury’s life but was never going to be an Oliver Stone expose biopic as 1991’s The Doors as Queen producing the film. Had it been that kind of film as would alienate many more people that the version of the film that was made which was more a greatest hits of Queen.
Do believe critics have been very snobbish about musicals in recent years with Bohemian Rhapsody, The Greatest Showman and Rock of Ages (was at the multi-media and audience reaction was positive but then received negative reviews) but then fall for again Richard Curtis sentimentality hokum script of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as they have done since Four Weddings and a Funeral 24 years ago.
Seeing the premiere last week was tinged with sadness as it is likely the last ever UK premiere for 20th Century Fox after their 83-year history (82 of those years have been based Twentieth Century House in Soho Square) before being absorbed within Disney next year becoming a label within Disney. Hearing the classic Fox fanfare by Queen made me wonder how many more times we will hear that classic studio logo.
The film’s soundtrack entered the chart #5 with three film soundtracks in the top 5 (A Star Is Born #2 and The Greatest Showman #3); 2018 has been the year of film soundtracks with Black Panther and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
The film was first announced in 2010 with Sacha Baron Cohen set to play Freddie Mercury and directed by Tom Hooper but he left the film in 2013 due to “creative differences” he wanted a more adult film while Queen (who produced the film) wanted a more family-friendly film.
In 1991 Oliver Stone directed The Doors biopic, the film wasn’t well received by the band friends, family and fans due to the depiction of Jim Morrison and received mixed reviews and underwhelmed at the box office. With Queen as producers, they would never allow filmmakers to make Bohemian Rhapsody into a similar film, they wanted to make a film for their fans which is what they did.
The final trailer for the film released a day after opening in the UK highlighting the film was for the fans not the critics in the same way in The Greatest Showman when asked by a theatre critic “Tell me, Mr. Barnum, does it bother you that everything you’re selling is fake?” P.T Barnum replies “Do these smiles seem fake? It doesn’t matter where they come from. The joy is real…..When was the last time you smiled? Or had a good laugh? A real laugh. A theatre critic who can’t find joy in the theatre. Now, who is the fraud?”
In 2013 Dexter Fletcher was chosen to direct the film but dropped out due to disagreements with producer Graham King. In November 2016 was announced Bryan Singer would direct and Rami Malek was cast as Freddie Mercury and the title would be Bohemian Rhapsody. They built an exact replica of the 1985 Live Aid set at Wembley Stadium in Bovingdon Airfield; the Live Aid set is the highlight of the film as it was in 1985.
After Bohemian Rhapsody becoming 20th Century Fox’s eighth biggest opening in the UK could it become one of their biggest films in the UK? Away from Avatar, the studio hasn’t had massive box office earners like rival studios over the last decade making more films targeting older audiences with films including Gone Girl, Murder on the Orient Express, The Martian, The Revenant, Logan and Hidden Figures.
Haven’t been afraid of making more riskier films over recent years despite being burned by them over the years including Rules Don’t Apply, Strange Days, Toys, For the Boys, Shining Through and Australia but then still take a risk making The Greatest Showman and Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s unlikely they will be making risky films when they become a label within Disney as Disney have had a poor track record over the last decade making original films.
- A Star Is Born – £2,150,987 – £19,238,711
Down only 25.39% in its fourth weekend despite the arrival of Bohemian Rhapsody had a similar fourth weekend to The Greatest Showman but the two films are very different as A Star Is Born was critic driven while The Greatest Showman was fan driven and the target audiences were very different A Star Is Born plays too much older audience while The Greatest Showman played much younger but also across all demographics in a similar way Titanic did 20 years ago.
A Star Is Born was the 8th film this year to take over £2m in its fourth weekend (Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Greatest Showman, Peter Rabbit, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Incredibles 2 and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
One thing they do have in common is that both films were beaten by other films in the box office which have dropped down the charts quickly while A Star Is Born and The Greatest Showman held their places in the top five for much longer.
A Star Is Born has become the seventh biggest musical in the UK (behind Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, La La Land and High School Musical 3) overtaking Chicago and Moulin Rouge;
After 26 days on release A Star Is Born has become the 11th biggest film of the year (should take £30m+ becoming the eighth film to do so in 2018) and has become Warner Bros biggest film of the year overtaking Ready Player One and The Meg to be their biggest film of the year until Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens in three weeks’ time the first film opened in November 2016 with £15.33m taking £54.7m and the sequel should do similar.
Musicals perform much stronger in the UK than the US and often have long legs
Musicals fourth weekends
2008’s Mamma Mia! took £3,167,377 up 12% and £32,109,923 47.1% of £68,162,804
2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took £3,568,169 down 14% and £48,311,304 73.8% of £65,480,203
2017’s The Greatest Showman took £2,103,605 down 2% and £16,865,309 35.8% of £47,000,000
2013’s Les Miserables took £2,785,143 down 31% and £30,137,493 73.8% of £40,818,299
2001’s Moulin Rouge took £1,337,411 down 13% and £10,636,791 59.3% of £17,934,410
2017’s La La Land took £1,807,593 down 42% and £24,517,773 82.2% of £29,816,588 (A Star Is Born is currently 21.5% down from La La Land in its fourth weekend but took 19% more in its fourth weekend so will likely overtake its total box office).
2003’s Chicago took £797,153 down 9% (fourth week wide/8th week on release) and £11,039,957 69.3% of £15,927,431
Other adult drama film comparisons
Comparisons could be made with 2013’s Gravity (was held back a month in the UK to avoid opening against Captain Phillips, should have been done also for First Man) took £1,741,279 in its fourth weekend down 27% and £22,522,241 68.8% of its £32,692,161 total was nominated for 10 Oscars winning 7 similar is currently expected for A Star Is Born (often the favourite early in award season doesn’t always win, but as with films like The Artist, Spotlight and La La Land is the kind of Film Academy members love).
Captain Phillips took £1,063,974 in its fourth weekend down 34% (Gravity opened #1 £6,238,375) and £13,344,620 87.5% of its £15,249,377 total; was nominated for 6 Oscars
A Star Is Born box office is currently 14.5% less than Gravity (taking 23.5% more in its fourth weekend) but that is due in part to Gravity opening with £6,238,375 with Thor: The Dark World a distant second with £2,979,564 in its second weekend compared to A Star Is Born opening third behind Venom £8,031,342 and Johnny English Strikes Back £4,117,692 and a large amount of Gravity box office was either from 3D and IMAX added a third to ticket prices (since 2013 average ticket price has increased by 20%). Gravity stayed in the top 10 for 11 weeks until the end of 2013, A Star is Born will likely hold similarly as long this year.
In 2014 Gone Girl took £1,597,962 down 32% in its fourth weekend and £17,064,765 81.5% of its £22,125,201 total after opening with £4,109,628 with Dracula Untold its only competition opening with £1,713,283 ( had an 18-certificate limiting its audience) staying in the top 10 for 8 weeks.
In 2015 The Martian took £1,732,329 in its fourth weekend and £20,391,517 86.4% of its £23,578,878 after opening with £6,531,734 with Legend a distant second taking £1,054,608 in its fourth weekend. Stayed in the chart for 7 weeks and was nominated for 7 Oscars winning two Golden Globe’s Best Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actor for Matt Damon.
In February 2014 The Wolf of Wall Street took £1,604,519 down 33% in its fourth weekend and £17,762,017 79.7 % of its £22,267,066 total; was nominated for 5 Oscars
If A Star Is Born was to hold similar to Gravity (a lot depends on the coming weekend against Bohemian Rhapsody with Widows opening two weeks later) could take about £25m
The film’s soundtrack climbed back to #1 (The Greatest Showman up to #2 in its 44th week on release with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again #10 in its 14th week on release). The single Shallow climbed #1 becoming Lady Gaga’s fifth number 1 and the first #1 to feature an actor since 2001’s when Nicole Kidman performed with Robbie Williams with Christmas #1 Somethin’ Stupid; I’ll Never Love Again climbed up to #27 and Always Remember Us This Way #25.
The video for I’ll Never Love Again was released last week featuring a spoiler from the films ending
The first song from the film’s soundtrack Shallow has now been viewed over 70.6m times viewed over 17m times over the last seven days.
- Halloween – £1,678,162 – £5,854,328
Down 36.8% in its second weekend; having a similar second weekend drop as last year’s Get Out, Final Destination 3, Hostel, Predator and Sleepy Hollow due to strong word of mouth and being the weekend before Halloween along with it opening lower than many expected.
Had the 435th biggest second weekend in the UK between Shakespeare in Love and Terminator: Genisys (close to The Ring, The Others, The Conjuring) but less than A Quiet Place (received similarly positive reviews and audience reaction) and The Nun (receiving poor reviews and poor word of mouth)
648th biggest inflation inflated the second weekend between Transformers: The Last Knight and Memoirs of a Geisha (close to Annabelle, Saw, The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case, The Ring Two and Scream 3)
In the US Halloween is already the sixth biggest horror at the box office (after It, The Exorcist, Get Out, The Blair Witch Project and The Conjuring but in the UK it’s only the 41st biggest with Saw, Scream, Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring and Final Destination films series ahead of it.
So why has Halloween performed so well in the US but not so well in the UK, as UK audiences love their horror films as much as US audiences and other recent horror reboots Poltergeist, Omen, Nightmare on Elm Street, Carrie, Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday The 13th performed similarly to their US box office.
- Smallfoot – £1,577,531 – £7,691,245
Up 10.55% in its third weekend; as often happens over half-term holidays films either increase their box office from previous weekends or as with Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween and Johnny English Strikes Back have small declines.
Removing previews from Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween it would have also had a slight increase from last weekend, showing again how previews have changed box office dynamics as had the sequel not had previews probably would have had a better third week than Smallfoot second. Weekend previews inflate their openings but over the long-term only shorten their releases and they also make it impossible to compare openings.
Has become 114th biggest animated film in the UK between Hotel Transylvania and Sausage Party overtaking Warner Animation’s Storks (£6,703,174) depending on how it holds this weekend could overtake last years The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
While these box office numbers don’t seem very impressive compared to Incredibles 2 taking $1.23bn in the summer it is getting as hard to open an original animated film as it is to open an original live-action film in recent years.
Warner Bros had huge success with The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie but when The Lego Movie was first announced few expected much from it, but the film surprised critics and audiences. The Lego Batman Movie followed, and it shared that similar humour and was a similar success six months later The Lego Ninjago Movie failed to live up to expectations (probably needed a bigger gap between films) but of course, Storks and Smallfoot are much different films. Warner Animation Group’s next film The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opens in February.
- Johnny English Strikes Back £1,544,459 – £14,172,794
Down 8.14% in its fourth weekend
Opening 15 years after the first film was released and seven years Johnny English Strikes Back is holding similar to both films but must remember is about 80% ticket inflation different from the first film released in 2003 and 30% from the first sequel released in 2011.
This follows a similar pattern of many films recently including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again many of today’s films are performing similar in the box office of many similar historical films but should be performing much stronger as they don’t take in count inflation increases between the films.
Johnny English dropped 47% in its fourth weekend in April 2003 taking £1,200,895 (dropping #2 against X-Men 2) and £15,592,197 total £19,209,597 (inflation inflated £34,049,443)
Johnny English Reborn dropped 13% in its fourth weekend in October 2011 £1,787,451 taking £17,497,821 total £20,632,010 (inflation inflated £26,794,376). Johnny English Strikes Back opened the same weekend as Johnny English Reborn did in 2011 holding strong thanks to half-term dropping down to third behind The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn opening with £6,758,724 and Paranormal Activity 3 taking £1,843,816 in its second weekend.
After four weeks on release despite Johnny English Strikes Back opening similar to both previous films it has taken less and as with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hasn’t performed nearly as well especially if compare their inflation inflated box office totals. There was an outside chance of Johnny English Strikes Back taking £20m at the box office but it won’t now.
In 2003 Johnny English was the ninth biggest film of the year behind LOTR: The Return of the King, Finding Nemo, Love Actually, The Matrix Reloaded, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Bruce Almighty, X-Men 2 and Calendar Girls.
In 2011 Johnny English Reborn was the eleventh biggest film of the year behind (Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Inbetweeners Movie, The King’s Speech, The Hangover Part II, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Twilight: Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Bridesmaids and Arthur Christmas.
If Johnny English Strikes Back was to take £19m+ will likely be the 18th biggest film of the year with Avengers Infinity Wars, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Incredibles 2, Black Panther, Peter Rabbit, Jurassic World 2, Deadpool 2, Mission impossible Fallout and Star Wars Solo currently ahead of it and films including A Star Is Born, The Grinch, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2, Wreck-It-Ralph 2 and Mary Poppins Returns will all take more than £20m.
Bean opened August 1997 with £2,563,326 (£4,956,603 inflation inflated) taking £17,972,562 (£34,752,841 inflation inflated)
Mr Bean’s Holiday opened March 2007 with £6,440,093 (£10,036,343 inflation inflated) taking £21,781,782 (£33,945,074 inflation inflated)
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £20,418,069 up 41.9% from last weekend £14,380,279
The weekend admissions 2,583,146 up 42.2% from last weekend 1,816,544; average ticket up 3.87% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.87 for 2018; but as with the US claiming the ticket price dropped 6% in the summer wouldn’t be surprised UK claims similar at the end of the year to try to make admissions increase for the first time since 2002.
18 films opened at weekend taking £11,044,308; Bohemian Rhapsody 86.3% (£9,530,463): The Hate U Give 8.2% (£911,309): remaining 16 films shared 5.4% (£602,536): Top three took 53.3% (£7,658,262) of the top 10; Bohemian Rhapsody 46.6%; A Star is Born 10.5%; Halloween 8.2%;
The weekend was up 6.07% from 2017 (£19,248,577); Thor: Ragnarok £12,375,804; Jigsaw £1,851,249; Breathe £535,675; Call Me by Your Name £235,760; Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami £98,299; #1 Thor: Ragnarok
Up 9.4% from 2016: (£18,662,678): Doctor Strange £9,288,898; Ethel & Ernest £19,202; #1 Doctor Strange
Down 56.8% from 2015; (£47,258,977); SPECTRE £41,299,090; Tannhauser – Met Opera 2015 (Opera) £162,876; #1 SPECTRE
Up 110.01% from 2014: (£9,722,282); Ouija £1,373,907; Nightcrawler £1,003,822; Mr. Turner £904,947; Horns £396,042; Carmen – Met Opera 2014 £326,430; Aliens (Re: 2014) £27,134; The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman £12,180: #1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Up 62.9% from 2013: (£12,528,593); Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 £3,658,618; Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa £1,940,476; Ender’s Game £1,158,548; One Chance £717,857; The Selfish Giant £81,737; Closed Circuit £19,998; Reef 2: High Tide £26,910; #1 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Down 23.2% from 2012 (£26,591,268); Skyfall £20,180,369; #1 Skyfall
Up 29.8% from 2011 (£15,727,396): The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn £6,758,724; The Help £896,597; The Ides Of March £665,387; Anonymous £183,194; Ghostbusters (Re: 2011) £55,934; Miss Bala £15,480; #1 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Up 58.1% from 2010: (£12,911,776): Saw 3D £3,600,083; Burke and Hare £942,894; The Kids Are All Right £411,960; #1 Saw 3D
Up 54.2% from 2009 (£13,240,462); Michael Jackson’s This Is It £4,877,255; 9 £468,455; An Education £399,122; Dead Man Running £198,442; An American Werewolf in London (re) £35,151; #1 Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Up 29.02% from 2008 (£15,824,329); High School Musical 3 £8,409,375; Saw V £2,436,817; Ghost Town £1,347,678; Incendiary £18,964; #1 High School Musical 3
Up 90.5% from 2007 (£10,717,468); Saw IV £2,482,889; Eastern Promises £623,491; Sicko £156,173; #1 Ratatouille;
Up 127.1% from 2006; (£8,965,508); Saw III £2,522,521; Step Up £1,212,725; A Good Year £376,962; Snuff-Movie £602; #1 Saw III
Up 55.3% from 2005 (£13,142,985); Saw II £2,189,212; The Legend of Zorro £1,899,689; #1 Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Up 170.4% from 2004 (£7,550,271): Finding Neverland £776,124; Exorcist: The Beginning £577,128; House of the Dead £107,045; #1 Shark Tale
Up 98.9% from 2003 (£10,261,167); Intolerable Cruelty £1,555,684; Secondhand Lions £200,851; #1 Finding Nemo
Up 180.5% from 2002 (£7,277,320): Halloween: Resurrection £520,171; K-19 £352,163; High Crimes £208,727; Donnie Darko £191,348; Simone £147,372; Possession £85,004; The Magdalene Sisters £78,151
Up 157.5% from 2001 (£7,926,562); Legally Blonde £1,453,148; The Man Who Wasn’t There £419,609; #1 American Pie 2
Next weekend in 2017: (£14,453,653): Murder on the Orient Express £4,985,600; A Bad Moms Christmas £1,781,738; The Killing of a Sacred Deer £286,448; The Son of Bigfoot £23,213; #1 Murder on the Orient Express
Also opened
- The Hate U Give – 20th Century Fox
£911,309 from 358 screens
Taking £459,000 from four days of previews (Mon-Thurs)
Showing again that Monday openings don’t work despite strong word of mouth and reviews had a disappointing opening over half-term weekend.
Paper Towns also based a young adult novel opened in August with £2,072,789 but 64.1% (£1,328,805) was taken Mon-Thurs and it took 61% of its total box office (£3,405,575) in its opening week.
2017’s young adult adaptation Everything, Everything opened with £453,401 in August 2017 taking £1.76m also starred Amandla Stenberg.
With fewer films released this year was surprising 20th Century Fox dated four films to open over a month (Bad Times at the El Royale, The Hate U Give, Bohemian Rhapsody and Widows).
After two weeks on release, Bad Times at the El Royale has limited showing in cinemas and the same will probably happen for The Hate U Give this weekend as exhibitors will be pulling it before it has a chance to find its audience. In the US The Hate U Give had a platform release over three weeks, was always going to be a harder sell in the UK but they opted to go wide immediately as distributors often do in the UK.
Always surprises me that distributors rarely platform films anymore, but they still do in the US, is it they fear if they don’t go wide the film won’t play wide. Had The Hate U Give opened on half the number of screens would have given it a chance to expand this weekend but with four wide releases opening this weekend was unlikely exhibitors would have given the screens to it.
So within a month will be out of cinemas but then not legally available to been seen until the end of January, why force films that are played out of cinemas within a month to still hold to the 17-week theatrical window? Releasing the film earlier on VOD (6 weeks after opening) would have no impact on box office but it would cut into piracy which people will turn to watch it.
This was similar to Paramount Pictures early VOD idea in 2015 with Paranormal Activity 6 and Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse, they wanted to make the films available on VOD once the film had dropped below 1,000 screens. Last week The Nun dropped under 1,000 screens in its seventh weekend has taken $117m Warner could have then released the film this week on VOD.
- Beetlejuice – Warner Bros (30th anniversary)
Taking £33,825 from 100 screens
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Halloween – Universal Pictures
Down 58.8% in its second weekend taking $31.41m and $126.07m
Has become the biggest slasher horror overtaking the Scream films but average ticket price has increased by over 100% since the first Scream film was released so their inflation inflated totals would be more than double making direct comparisons impossible.
Halloween is the sixth biggest R-rated horror with It #1 (took $60.1m in its second weekend with the 10-day total of $218.8m which puts Halloween’s total into perspective as Halloween is as classic a horror property as It so why did It open almost 40% bigger?
While despite critical acclaim and strong word of mouth why did Halloween drop almost 60% in its second weekend 9similar to The Nun -66%, The Conjuring 2 -63% and Annabelle: Creation -55%) but when it had no new major releases opening against it should have held closer to The Conjuring dropped 46.9%?
Took $25.6m from 62 territories total $45.6m and $172.3m globally;
- A Star is Born – Warner Bros
Dropped 26.3% in its fourth weekend taking $14.03m and $148.61m
Has already overtaken Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again $120.63m
After four weeks A Star Is Born is holding stronger than The Greatest Showman ($95,221,339 of $174,340,174), La La Land ($106,693,300 of $151,101,803), Les Miserables ($130,050,015 and $148,809,770), The Great Gatsby ($128,508,209 and $144,840,419, Chicago ($94,094,784 and $170,687,518 and Mamma Mia! (104,144,505 and $144,130,063)
Holding stronger than
2013’s American Hustle $8,302,205 down 33.1% and $101,265,133 of $150,117,807
2014’s Gone Girl $11,044,357 down 36.9% and $124,037,579 of $167,767,189
But less than
2015’s The Martian $15,732,907 down 26.1% and $166,188,055 of $228,433,663
2013’s Gravity $20,135,387 down 32.9% and $199,649,748 of $274,092,705
And similar to 2017’s Dunkirk taking $10,884,117 down 36.5% and $153,191,668 of $188,045,546
A Star is Born has overtaken The Meg to be Warner Bros second biggest film of 2018 getting close to overtaking Crazy Rich Asians by next weekend and will take $200m+.
After a disappointing first five months of the year with only one $100m+ film Ready Player One, five of their last six films have taken over $100m
Took $17.6m from 75 territories and $104.6m total and $253.3m worldwide; #553 biggest film worldwide between Wild Hogs and High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- Venom – Sony Pictures
Dropped 41% in its fourth weekend taking $10.65m and $187.13m total #43 biggest comic-book film in the UK between Men in Black II and Batman Forever
Venom has been claimed to be more profitable for Sony than many of the Spider-Man films
2002’s Spider-Man took $822m WW with $139m budget; 2004’s Spider-Man 2 took $784m WW with $220m budget; 2007’s Spider-Man 3 took $891m with $260m budget; 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man took $758m WW with $230m budget; 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took $709m with $255m budget; 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming took $880m WW with $175m budget.
But this doesn’t include global marketing costs for the films likely to top $100m for each and then rentals are about 50% of BO in China only 25%.
Took $17.3m internationally from 65 territories $321.1m total and $508.4m worldwide #191 biggest film globally between Meet the Fockers and Ghost; opens in Japan and China next month now expected to top $600m worldwide similar to last year’s Logan.
- Hunter Killer – Lionsgate
Opened with $6.65m; Received poor reviews 36% Rotten Tomatoes but audience reaction was far more positive with an A- CinemaScore
Gerard Butler has had much success with action films critics hate but audiences enjoy and Hunter Killers Rotten Tomatoes score Vs CinemaScore as he did also earlier this year with Den of Thieves (sequel already announced) opened in January with $15,206,108 taking $44,947,622 and last October Geostorm opened with $13,707,376 taking $33,700,160 taking $187.9m internationally.
Next year stars in Angel Has Fallen sequel to London Has Fallen sequel to Olympus Has Fallen; Olympus Has Fallen opened with $30,373,794 taking $98,925,640 and London Has Fallen opened with $21,635,601 taking $62,678,608
Took $3.2m from 16 territories and $9,87m worldwide
- The Hate U Give – 20th Century Fox
Down 32.9% in its fourth weekend taking $5.1m and $18.3m total; #400 biggest 20th Century Fox film between The Marine and Anywhere But Here
Took $1.25m from 7 territories (UK $1.2m); $1.34m total and $19.64m globally
- Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween – Sony Pictures
Dropped 25.1% in its third weekend taking $7.28m and $38.13m
Goosebumps took $9.86m and $56.76m in the third weekend of its $80.08m total
As with many sequels has taken about a third less than the previous film but as the first film wasn’t a huge success it was a surprise Sony Pictures rushed the sequel and then hide Jack Black from the marketing. Maybe this was contractual opening a couple of weeks after The House With A Clock In Its Walls, but by doing so lessened the interest of the sequel to fans of the original.
Took $10.3m from 41 territories and $24.2m total globally $62.5m; Goosebumps took $150.1m globally
- First Man – Universal Pictures
Dropped 41.6% in its third weekend taking $4.86m and $37.8m
After First Man opened with only $16m Universal Pictures said they expected the film to have a long run at the US box office but lost almost 700 screens in its third weekend this is now very unlikely. First Man opened the Venice Film Festival at the end of August receiving critical acclaim but was immediately overshadowed the next day with the premiere of A Star Is Born as its theatrical release was. (was always expected)
Why no one at Universal Pictures could see this happening was more surprising than its performance as it happens time and again when studios open similar films close together, only have to go back three years with The Walk Vs The Martian to know the exactly the same was to happen with First Man Vs A Star Is Born.
William Goldman famously said “Nobody knows anything…… Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess and, if you’re lucky, an educated one.” But you have to give films the best chance they have and that is not opening it against your biggest rival which was A Star Is Born.
In 2016 the roles were reversed with La La Land overshadowing many far more deserving films, but Academy members fell for it as it was nostalgia to Hollywood classic musicals; receiving 14 Oscar nominations winning six.
Fourth weekends
Apollo 13 dropped only 20.3% taking $12.45m and $111.24m total $173.83m.
In Hidden Figures (fourth week of expansion) dropped only 10.9% taking $14m and $104.02m total $169.6m
While Bridge of Spies dropped only 30.4% taking $5.83m and $54.72m of $72.31m total
Fourth weekends of October openings
Gravity dropped 32.9% taking $20.13m and $199.64m of $274.09m total
Gone Girl dropped 36.9% taking $11.04m and $124.03m of $167.76m total
The Martian dropped 26.1% taking $15.73m and $166.18m of $228.43m
Took $6.3m from 50 territories taking $36.6m and $74.5m total; similar films Hidden Figures took $235.9m; Apollo 13 took $355.23m and Bridge of Spies took $165.47m while Damien Chazelle’s La La Land took $446.09m worldwide.
- Smallfoot – Warner Bros
Dropped 27.6% in its fifth weekend taking $4.76m and $72.6m; #129 biggest animated film in the US between Barnyard: The Original Party Animals and Flushed Away and will shortly overtake Storks and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
Holding slightly stronger than 2016’s Storks taking $4m in its fifth weekend and $64.63m ($72.67m total) and The Lego Ninjago Movie taking $2.26m and $54.7m ($59.28m total) and should take $80m+
Smallfoot took $17.3m from 78 territories and $95m total and $167.5m worldwide will shortly overtake Storks global total $183.3m.
- Johnny English Strikes Again – Universal Pictures
Opened with $1.63m opening in only 544 screens; received 32% Rotten Tomatoes score
Johnny English opened July 2003 – $9,134,085 taking $28,082,366
Johnny English Reborn opened October 2011 – $3,833,300 taking only $8,305,970
Took $7.1m from 57 territories international $107.7m total and $109.3m worldwide; in 2003 Johnny English took $160.58m worldwide 82.5% ($132.5m) outside the US; in 2008 Johnny English Reborn took $160.07m worldwide 94.8% ($131.77m) outside the US.
The third film will come short of matching the total box office of the first two films so as with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has Johnny English Strikes Again really been the success Universal Pictures were expecting. It was always unlikely to find an audience in the US as the first two films failed to find an audience as like Bridget Jones’s Diary the US don’t the humour.
- The Old Man & the Gun – Fox Searchlight
Down 15.7% in its fifth weekend adding 240 screens taking $1.76m and $7.17m
After starting strongly on platform release the Robert Redford film has failed to build momentum as it expands. Managed to climb into the top 10 last week but failed to build on that adding another 240 screens.
The marketplace is very crowded for films targeting older audiences with A Star Is Born and First Man squeezing The Sisters Brothers, Colette, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Wife, Beautiful Boy and Suspiria also on release.
- Beautiful Boy – Amazon Studios
Up 46.4% in its third weekend adding 146 screens taking 592,897 and $1,435,094
Has received positive reviews and is one of Amazon Studios Oscar contenders this year expands into 350 screens this weekend.
Up to last November, Amazon Studios released their films through other studios and have released six films since none have met with much success at the box office. Their biggest film to date was Oscar winner Manchester By the Sea released by Roadshow Attractions in 2016.
Unlike Netflix, Amazon Studios are seemingly happy to stick to the strick theatrical window exhibitors demand.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/3OwvqKwTKmE” frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; encrypted-media” allowfullscreen></ifram
- The Sisters Brothers – Annapurna
Drops 367 screens down 63.3% in its fifth weekend taking $278,498 and $278,498
- Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Fox Searchlight
Adds 20 screens up 120.6% in its second weekend taking $356,365 and $586,504
- Suspiria – Amazon Studios
Opened with $179,806 from 2 screens
After Beautiful Boy opened strongly on limited release two weeks ago Suspiria had a similar strong opening on limited release having the best theatre screen average of the year; but with Halloween this week surprising it didn’t go wider but with the film Halloween performing strongly must have been concern that if they went wide it might have been cannibalized.
- London Fields – GVN Releasing
Opened with $168,575 from 613 had the second worst openings for a wide release in the US ahead of 2008’s Proud American opened with $96,076
The film was originally selected to be shown at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival but was pulled after the director sued the film’s producers using his name to promote a version of the film he didn’t approve. The producers then countersued the director and also Amber Heard for breach of contract she countersued over her nudity contract, she settled was closed in September but the director has yet to be sorted.
The film received 0% Rotten Tomatoes score The New York Times called it “quite simply, horrendous a trashy, tortured misfire from beginning to end,”
UK Box Office Predictions
After strong word of mouth, Bohemian Rhapsody should hold strongly #1 despite dropping over 50% in its second weekend taking £4m+ and A Star Is Born will again hold well in its fifth weekend.
The Nutcracker And The Four Realms could go either way in the US expected to open with $25m which would see it take £2m+ in the UK but with the Brit boast £2.5m+ (but with a review embargo until a day before release is never a good sign and the film had a troubled production) Trailers have the Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe vibe to them but a Christmas film opening only days after Halloween?
Embargo doesn’t end until Wednesday night less than 24 hours before previews which is never a good sign and Disney once masters of original films have had a lot of trouble with these kinds of films recently in 2015 Tomorrowland and Wrinkle in Time earlier this year.
Reviews for Slaughterhouse Rulez have been poor but might generate a little interest being a teen horror and opening on Halloween
Momentum/eOne have previously opened Mike Leigh films on about 100 screens before expanding wider in the following week’s reviews haven’t been as positive as previous films and will likely play stronger north of Watford.
Opening in the UK
- Slaughterhouse Rulez – Sony Pictures
Horror starring Asa Butterfield, Finn Cole, Hermione Corfield, Michael Sheen, with Nick Frost and Simon Pegg and directed by Crispian Mills
The first film from Stolen Picture film and TV production company formed by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had success with Cornetto Trilogy with director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End) and had success without him with 2011’s Paul.
The premise of Slaughterhouse Rulez boarding school comes under attack by monsters sounds great but so did Lesbian Vampire Killers (opened with £648,634 in March 2009 taking £1,669,480). Both have a similar plot to the far superior Shaun of the Dead (opened April 2004 with £1,603,410 taking £6,463,463) and Attack of the Block (opened May 2011 with £1,133,859 taking £2,412,985)
Was originally set for release early September but was delayed to October 31st in the hope that it might attract an audience over Halloween.
- Juliet, Naked – Universal Pictures
Comedy-drama starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O’Dowd and directed by Jesse Peretz based on Nick Hornby’s novel; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews 80% Rotten Tomatoes score
- Peterloo – eOne
Drama starring Maxine Peake, David Bamber, Alastair Mackenzie and Pearce Quigley written and directed by Mike Leigh, based on the Peterloo Massacre of 1819.
Received world premiere at Venice International Film Festival and UK premiere at London Film Festival in Manchester (the first time the London Film Festival had a premiere outside London no surprise as is called the London Festival) receiving mostly positive reviews from UK critics but US critics thought it was long and dull probably why Amazon Studios delayed its release from October to April next year.
Recent Mike Leigh films
Mr Turner opened this weekend in 2014 with £904,947 (from 129 screens) taking £6,726,514
Another Year opened with £355,626 (from 105 screens) taking £1,605,545
Happy-Go-Lucky opened April 2008 with £383,365 (from 77 screens) taking £1,571,154
Vera Drake opened January 2005 with £266,010 (from 65 screens) taking £2,178,874; (playing to a maximum of 85 screens on its release)
- The Nutcracker And The Four Realms – Disney
Fantasy adventure starring Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Misty Copeland, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman and directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston based on E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker.
Joe Johnston was hired last December for extensive reshoots (32 days) sharing director credit on the film.
Matthew Macfadyen was on The One Show in August after a clip of the trailer was shown he was asked what the film was about but couldn’t remember much about the film apart from the extensive reshoots.
The film was shot in the UK with a budget of £104m
The last film version of The Nutcracker was released in 1993 starring Macaulay Culkin flopped.
Always find it a bit strange to open a Christmas film at the start of November but as Disney also has Ralph Breaks the Internet opening Thanksgiving and Mary Poppins Returns for Christmas and with Illuminations Entertainment’s The Grinch opening next week and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in two weeks’ time it had to open early November.
The trailers make the film look like The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe meets Alice In Wonderland.
- Widows – 20th Century Fox (opening Tuesday)
Crime drama starring an ensemble cast Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson and directed by Steve McQueen based upon the 1983 ITV series, the script was written by Gillian Flynn wrote Gone Girl and most Sharp Objects.
Had world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and opened the London Film Festival earlier this month; received positive reviews from critics 95% Rotten Tomatoes score with many praising the performances of Davis, Kaluuya and Debick.
Jennifer Lawrence was approached to pay one of the leads, but scheduling conflicts stopped her as she was making Red Sparrow and Mother!
Widows is Steve McQueen’s first film since the Oscar-nominated opened in January 2014 with £2,511,349 taking £20,001,093
Trailers feel like a grown-up Ocean’s Eight but was surprised the film opens on Tuesday and also so close to Bohemian Rhapsody but needed to distance it from The Girl In The Spider’s Web opening two weeks later.
Opening in the US
- Bohemian Rhapsody – 20th Century Fox
Biographical drama starring Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Joseph Mazzello, Allen Leech, and Lucy Boynton and directed by Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher (but Bryan Singer received sole credit on the film)
Bryan Singer was fired as director of the film in December after being absent from the production on multiple occasions and clashing with the cast and crew and Dexter Fletcher replaced him.
Received mixed reviews 49% Rotten Tomatoes US critics were much harsher than the UK.
2015’s Straight Outta Compton $60.2m) (taking $161.19m) and ahead of 2017’s All Eyez on Me opened with $26.4m (taking $44.9m); 2005’s Walk the Line $22.34m (taking $119.51m)
Was expected to open $25m-$30m but then on Tuesday Fandango was reporting it was their highest advance selling musical this year beating both A Star Is Born (opened with $42,908,051) and Mamma Mia: Here We Go (opened with $34,952,180). Estimates are now for between $35m- $40m and could go higher.
Tracking for A Star Is Born was $30m ahead of release but reviews were far more positive but as with the UK opening that won’t stop Queen fans from seeing it; in Fandango poll of 1,000 moviegoers, 94% were Queen fans and 93% can’t wait to see it and 70% were fans of musicals.
- Nobody’s Fool – Paramount Pictures
Comedy starring Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Mehcad Brooks, Amber Riley and Whoopi Goldberg and written and directed by Tyler Perry (his first studio film)
Expected to open with $10m-$17m but Tyler Perry films have a habit of overperforming (but this has little buzz) the film continues the rise of Tiffany Haddish career after Night School followed her hit last year Girls Trip.
Tiffany Haddish recently starred in Night School with Kevin Hart opening with $27.25m taking $69.12m; next year stars in Limited Partners and The Kitchen and vocally in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and The Secret Life of Pets 2.
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – Disney
While Disney has had huge success with their re-imagination of Disney classic animated films their original fantasy films have underwhelmed, this year A Wrinkle in Time managed to squeeze past $100m in the US and $132.67m worldwide but with a budget of over $100m it was far from a success.
Always surprises me that Disney was probably the most creative studios in Hollywood for decades having many original live-action and animated film successes but over the last decade they have become dependent making properties rather than films; Disney will be #1 studio again this year and won’t have any original films. A Wrinkle In Time was a reboot of a 2003 TV movie and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms retells The Nutcracker story that has been made many times.
A Wrinkle in Time opened with $33.12m in March but probably looking closer to 2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass opening with $26.85m
Early tracking was expected to open $20m-25m
- Boy Erased – Focus Features
Drama starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Joel Edgerton who also wrote and directed the film based on Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir; had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and also screened at the Toronto Film Festival receiving positive reviews 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Focus Features acquired rights in June 2017 after abiding war between Netflix, Annapurna Pictures, Focus Features, and Amazon Studios
- A Private War – Aviron
Biographical drama starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, and Stanley Tucci and directed by Matthew Heineman based on the 2012 article “Marie Colvin’s Private War” in Vanity Fair Magazine by Marie Brenner; had the world premiere at Toronto Film Festival receiving positive reviews 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.
