UK/UK/US Box Office July 26th-28th week 30

 

 

1. The Lion King – £10,660,287 – £36,889,089

Dropped 36.1 % in its second weekend;

Has the 6^th biggest second weekend in the UK between Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Disney’s third biggest second weekend after Avengers: Endgame and Beauty and the Beast; and 17^th biggest inflation inflated second weekend between Toy Story 2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

By next weekend will join Toy Story 4 and Avengers: Endgame as the third Disney film to take over £50m in the UK with Frozen 2 ans Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still to come. The 37th film to do so since The Full Monty in 1997. 

Last week the industry heralded The Lion King’s UK opening of £16.7m as a hit but blockbusters in the UK open with 10%+ of US BO: 2017’s Beauty and the Beast 11.3% but The Lion King had 8.7% while in the US it opened bigger than both 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, as Friday was the start of the summer holidays it surely should of opened bigger?

Took £26.22m in its opening 7 days 4.8% less than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast £27.55m; as Beauty and the Beast opened during term time and The Lion King during school holidays would have expected The Lion King to have a much bigger open week. While many will make excuse for it after having the hottest July since 2003 but an air-conditioned cinema is the perfect escape from 100oC temperatures.

Disney had 65% of the weekends box office but don’t release any more Disney films until October with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will give a chance to other studios with films including Hobbs & Shaw, It: Chapter 2, Downton Abbey and The Joker to find audiences.

Over recent years industry has used the hot weather as an excuse for lower than expected box office but studios release their biggest films of the year in the summer as it is a popular time of the year to go to the cinema.

After opening with 15.3% less than Beauty and the Beast in its first weekend took 11.8% less in its second weekend (10,660,287 Vs £12,334,338) and 7.5% less total after 10 days (£36,889,089 Vs £39,884,575). As The Lion King 10 days were during school holidays would have expected The Lion King would have taken more than Beauty and the Beast which opened during term time for its opening few weeks, so its Friday box office would have been lower than The Lion King.

The Lion King will be more leggy than all of the Disney reimaginations due to summer holidays as Pixar summer films have been over recent years and despite opening less than Beauty and the Beast it will take more over its release £80m+ less than £100m+ I expected as believed it would be one of the biggest films of the year.

While Disney have had a record year Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4 and The Lion King will all take about £20m less than I would expected at the start of the year. I am much more critical of Disney than other studios films as they are mostly nostalgic properties that should be perform similar to their original inflation inflated box office.

 

After cooler summer weather over its opening weekend this was repeated for its second weekend after Tuesday-Thursday had the hottest temperatures since (30c); many use the excuse of hot weather being the reason why people don’t go to the cinema but if that was the case why would studios keep opening their biggest films of the year when temperatures are expected to be the hottest.

The Lion King is the 12th Disney reimagination over the last 9 years since Alice in Wonderland (opening with £10,555,220 taking £42,169,542); it is the third of four reimaginations opening this year after Dumbo took £24m in March and Aladdin £36m in May with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil opening in October. Released on Disney+ Lady and the Tramp in November with The Sword in the Stone also released next year and also Chernabog, Genie, Hunchback of Notre Dame, James and the Giant Peach, Lilo and Stitch, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Prince Charming, Rose Red, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Jungle Book 2, The Little Mermaid, and Tink in development.

Disney used to re-release their animated classic films in cinemas every few years and then release them on video for a limited time and then re-release the film again several years later. Could possible suggest this is what Disney have been done with their reimaginations, with the reimaginations attracting the children who were children when the originals opened in the cinema.

The original animated film was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £24m (over £80m today). two years earlier The original Beauty and the Beast animated film took £10.4m doesn’t sound much in 2017 when 29 films in 2016 took over £10m but in 1992 and the early 90’s it was a rarity with only about five films a year taking over £10m (a year later in 1993 was only 6 films took over £10m) Jurassic Park £46.43m (2017 equivalent box office £110.1m), The Bodyguard £17m (£40.3m), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York £13.92m (£33m), The Fugitive £13.61m (£32.27m), Indecent Proposal £11.88m (£28.16m) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula £11.54m (£27.36m).

In 1992 average ticket price was £3.21 were no extra surcharges 2017’s Beauty and the Beast will have 3D, IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, Screen X, premium) had 3.246m admissions would be the equivalent of £79m (remake took £72.43m); average ticket price of £7.22 up over 137% but of course most tickets for The Lion King more than a third more.

12 Disney reimaginations have taken almost £346m since 2010 and £358m inflation inflated;

2019 was always going to be the year of Disney and not much else with the slate they had but 2020 will be very interesting as with Avatar 2 delayed don’t have as strong slate and rivals have upped their game with very strong slates so Disney won’t have it all their way.

2. Toy Story 4 – £2,525,047 –  £51,622,537

Dropped 6.6% in its sixth weekend

Toy Story 4 is now 33^rd biggest film in the UK between Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and Quantum of Solace and 67^th biggest inflation inflated film in the UK between Black Panther and Wallace The Gromit: The Curse of the WereRabbit.

36^th film since The Full Monty in 1997 to take over £50m at the UK box office and Disney’s 12^th since 2006’s pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Took 10.9% less in its sixth weekend as 2015’s Paddington (£2,834,003) and 68.4% more than 2010’s Toy Story 3 (£1,499,524)

Next weekend Toy Story 4 will become the 2^nd biggest Pixar film after Toy Story 3 (£73,405,113) overtaking Incredibles 2 £55,764,462 by next weekend   

 

Since 2010 88 films have taken over £30m and Disney now have 34 (40%); 67 films have taken over £40m Disney 21 (31%); 36 films taken over £50m Disney 12 (+5  from Fox);

This year Disney will have five films taking over £50m Toy Story 4, Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker but rivals won’t have any film that will take more than £30m+. In 2018 five films also took £50m+  Bohemian Rhapsody, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Incredibles 2 , Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther but two weren’t Disney

In 2010 Toy Story 3 was Disney’s biggest ever film in the UK (until Star Wars: The Force Awakens  in 2015) previous highest was 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (£51,998,590)

Toy Story 3 was in the top 5 for 9 weeks (taking £1m+ for 6 weeks) and in the top 10 for 12 weeks (taking £261,359 in its 12th weekend);

Toy Story 3 was #1 for four weeks before The Expendables opened with £3,935,700 but Toy Story 4 has only lasted two weeks and with The Lion King, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Angry Birds 2 unlikely to stay in the top 5 as long as Toy Story 3.

21 Pixar films have taken £670m in the UK and almost £870m inflation inflated.

In the first 12 years of Pixar released 6 films with only one sequel. Over the last 10 years they have released 12 films 7 sequels. Pixar have said Toy Story 4 will be the last sequel for some time and have also said Toy Story 4 will be the final film of the series but said similar with Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.

Over the last decade Disney have moved into the properties business, but animation continued to make many wonderful original films including Inside Out and Coco.  Pixar have said that they will concentrate on original animated films after Toy Story with Onward and Soul next year are both original films, Disney are releasing both films day and date in the UK as US.  While Illumination have Minions: The Rise of Gru and Sing 2 opening over the next two summers against Pixar which will be much tougher competition for Pixar against original films.

3. Spider-Man: Far From Home – £1,714,153 – £30,564,827

Down 26.3% in its fourth weekend

Overtaken Spider-Man: Homecoming (£30,380,216) to become the second biggest Spider- Man film after 2007’s Spider-Man 3 (£33,458,286)

Had the 7^th biggest MCU fourth weekend 3.1% more than 2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming (£1,661,968) and 3.1% less than Captain Marvel (£1,770,433) showing the audience for MCU films away from Avengers is similar

2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming dropped 29% in its fourth weekend taking £1,560,4582 and £24,540,135

11th biggest MCU film has just overtaken 2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming total box office; 12^th MCU film since 2012’s Avengers Assemble to take over £30m;(ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Iron Man 2, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger).

As Spider-Man: Far From Home ended the story arc started with Captain America: Civil War and being the epilogue to Avengers: Endgame as expected  is performing similar to Captain America: Civil War (£36,771,782); will be the fil that suffers the most against Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw opening on Thursday.

The 9 Spider-Man films Sony have taken almost £245m in the UK (almost £300m inflation inflated) includes the 7 Spider-Man films and Venom and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse:

The 23 MCU films have taken almost £750m in the UK and almost £773m inflation inflated; 

Has become the 122^nd film to take over £30m at the UK box office and Sony Pictures 11th since Men in Black in 1997 (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Men in Black, Spider-Man 3, The Da Vinci Code, Peter Rabbit, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Spider-Man Homecoming).

After a soft start to 2019 Sony Pictures have a strong final 6 months of the year with The Angry Birds Movie 2, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Charlie’s Angels and Jumanji: The Next Level, but next year lose Bond 25 to rival Universal Pictures; four previous films have been Sony Pictures biggest films in the UK (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace) with Peter Rabbit 2 their biggest film likely for 2020.

Morbius opening next July is the next film within Sony Pictures Spider-Man shared universe with Venom 2 expected in October 2020 and  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel and spinoffs to be announced shortly.

While Marvel recently announced Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder to be released over the next two years with several more spinoff MCU TV shows launching on Disney+. Will they be as successful as Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home? As both Black Widow and Shang-Chi are being made 10 years after many expected them to happen after Black Widow died in Avengers: Endgame and Shang-Chi as Disney’s reimagination of Mulan is being made for Chinese market.

4. Andre Rieu 2019 Maastricht Concert – Shall We Dance? – £1,492,154

The most popular Event Cinema over the last five years has been André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert; 2018’s André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert, ’Amore £1,783,222; 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. .

Event Cinema/Secret Cinema took £19.1m Jan-June this year 3% more than the first half of 2018 and thanks to Take That Greatest Hits Live and Casino Royale Secret Cinema June was the biggest month ever; Event Cinema has added 2.6m+ admissions to the year but every Event Cinema ticket sold added 3 admissions (due to 100%+ surcharges on regular ticket prices) while Secret Cinema adds 11; over 1000% more than regular ticket prices so actual admissions are closer to 660k.

Last year Event Cinema/Secret Cinema added over 6m admissions to the UK which saw admissions grow to the highest for almost 40 years.

Part of the problem with Event Cinema now is the sheer number of titles released now which must be about 100 a year which dilutes the brand as due to the cost of seeing them in the cinema. Event Cinema has also squeezed the independent film sector in the UK as exhibitors are more willing to give Event Cinema one evening weekend slot rather than a week for an independent film.

5. Yesterday – £613,000 –  £11,066,534

Down 20.9% in its fifth weekend has held strongly over the weeks after opening due to strong word of mouth but still probably has been as successful as many would have expected.

Last week Yesterday took $100m worldwide which has seen it preform similar to 2013’s About Time taking $87.1m worldwide than 2003’s Love Actually took $246.94m worldwide or 1993’s Four Weddings and a Funeral $245.79m

But has become Danny Boyle’s biggest film worldwide since 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire taking $377.91m and his third biggest worldwide after 2000’s The Beach $144.05m.

Yesterday sums up the top 5 box office with all films about nostalgic memberries to the past as Richard Curtis films are

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £19,106,503 down 22.1% from last weekend £24,533,644

The weekend admissions 2,401,131 down 27.7% from last weekend 3,323,043; average ticket £7.56 up 5% from last year’s £7.22 and Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

13 films opened at weekend taking (£2,968,743); Andre Rieu 2019 Maastricht Concert – Shall We Dance? 50.2% (£1,492,154); Horrible Histories: The Movie 20.5% (£609,490); The Current War 15.3% (£454,676) remaining 9 films shared 13.9% (£412,422)

Top three took 77.9% (£14,899,487) of the top 10; The Lion King 55.8% (£10,660,287); Toy Story  3 13.2%) (££2,525,047) Spider-Man: Far From Home 8.9% (£1,714,153)

The weekend down 25.5% from 2018: (£25,665,576); Mission: Impossible Fallout (£7,300,103); Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation (£3,449,876); Andre Rieu’s 2018 Maastricht Concert: Amore (£1,486,528); Apostasy (£66,002); #1 Mission: Impossible Fallout £7,300,103 1st week 584 screens (28.4% of top 10)

Down 13.4% from 2017: (£22,066,254); Dunkirk (£10,023,720); Andre Rieu’s 2017 Maastricht Concert (£1,439,604); #1 Dunkirk £10,023,720 1^st week 638 screens (45.4% of top 10)

Up 12.9% from 2016: (£16,914,463); The BFG (£5,288,529); Star Trek Beyond (£4,740,040); Andre Rieu’s 2016 Maastricht Concert (£1,414,075);  #1 The BFG £5,288,529 1^st week 680 screens (31.2% of the top 10)

Up 12.11% from 2015; (£17,039,800); Inside Out (£7,376,513); Southpaw (£1,662,296); The Legend Of Barney Thomson (£163,395); #1 Inside Out £7,376,513 1^st week 608 screens (43.3% of top 10)

Up 95.9% 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); #1 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes £3,752,511 2^nd week 574 screens 57% drop (38.5% of top 10)

Up 41.3% from 2013: (£13,514,255); The Wolverine (£4,694,092); Frances Ha (£150,689); #1 The Wolverine £4,694,092 1^st week 522 screens (34.7% of top 10)

Up 57.1% from 2012 (£12,156,512); Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (£1,853,294); Searching for Sugar Man (£68,857); #1 The Dark Knight Rises £7,275,558 2^nd week 589 screens 49% drop (59.8% of top 10)

Up 12.6% from 2011 (£16,959,452); Cars 2 (£3,541,664); Horrible Bosses (£2,077,239); Beginners (£146,096); #1 Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 £8,523,417 2^nd week 581 screens 64% drop (50.2% of top 10)

Down 34.3% from 2010: (£29,078,984); Toy Story 3 (£21,187,264); The Rebound (£360,015); Splice (£110,225); #1 Toy Story 3 £21,187,264 1^st week 562 screens (72.8% of top 10)

Down 40.1% from 2009; (£13,633,561); The Proposal (£3,249,640); Antichrist (£99,092); #1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince £5,176,950 2^nd week 586 screens 74% drop (37.9% of top 10)

Up 1.1% from 2008; (£18,905,622); The Dark Knight (£11,191,824); Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (£929,246); Baby Mama (£111,945); #1 The Dark Knight £11,191,824 1^st week 502 screens (59.2% of top 10)

Down 31.8% from 2007: (£28,049,335); The Simpsons (£13,626,853); Transformers (£8,718,561); Sherrybaby (£36,036); Lonely Hearts (£3,362); #1 The Simpsons £13,626,853 1^st week 499 screens (48.6% of top 10)

Up 65.6% from 2006; (£11,474,975); The Break-Up (£2,412,097); Stormbreaker (£1,244,892); Garfield 2 (£739,560); #1 Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest £3,868,216 3^rd week 520 screens 36% drop (33.7% of top 10)

Up 61.1% from 2005 (£11,856,897); Fantastic Four (£3,541,391); Dark Water (£480,199); Kicking and Screaming (£240,452); #1 Fantastic Four £3,541,391 1^st week 406 screens (29.9% of top 10)

Up 114.1% from 2004 (£8,920,625); Thunderbirds (£1,350,974); Two Brothers (293,237); Before Sunset (£139,278); Cowboys and Angels (£18,806); #1 Spider-Man 2 £3,590,463 2^nd week 503 screens 59% drop (40.2% of top 10)

Up 184.4% from 2003 (£6,716,741); Sinbad (£828,550); Agent Cody Banks (£534,312); Goodbye, Lenin! (£135,311) #1 The Hulk £1,384,426 2^nd 500 screens 61% drop (20.6% of top 10)

Up 100.1% from 2002 (£9,549,998); Austin Powers in Goldmember (£5,585,978); The Crocodile Hunter (£266,803); Sunshine State (£25,888); #1 Austin Powers in Goldmember £5,585,978 1^st week 446 screens (58.5% of top 10)

Up 170.9% from 2001 (£7,051,741); Swordfish (£1,615,206); Dr. Dolittle 2 (£1,610,907); Intimacy (£54,288); #1 Jurassic Park 3 £1,802,580 2^nd week 462 screens 62% drop (25.5% of top 10)

Next weekend in 2018: (£16,330,724); Ant-Man and The Wasp (£4,988,747); Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (£389,726); The Producers (50th Anniversary) (£35,745); #1 Ant-Man and The Wasp £4,988,747 1^st week 486 screens (30.5% of top 10)

Also opened

• Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans – Altitude

Opened with £609,490 from 527 screens

Opened similar to The Kid Who Would be King £666,749

Horrible Histories is the world’s best-selling children’s history book series with more than 100 titles in the series, selling over 32 million copies in more than 31 countries and in over 37 languages since 1993.

Despite the popularity of Horrible Histories over the last 26 years it was always going to be a challenge to launch this as a film franchise after receiving poor reviews and opening in a crowded marketplace.. Might have been better to hold back to middle of August when the smaller inferior children’s films open including Ugly Dolls and Playmobil.

• The Current War – Entertainment Film Distributors

Opened with £454,676

Opened slightly bigger than expected after the poor reviews probably due to it being one of only a fee films on release targetting older audiences but won’t last more than a week in the charts.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 receiving mixed reviews and was originally due to be released by The Weinstein Company in November 2017 but its release along with several others was cancelled after the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations.

It was bought by Lantern Entertainment who sold US rights to 101 Studios, but Entertainment Film Distributors acquired UK rights when the film was owned by Weinstein Company opening in the UK three months before its US release in October.

Since the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival the director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has added five additional scenes and cut ten minutes from the running time.

As with all Entertainment Film Distributors releases they are heavily promoting the film but its unlikely to find an audience in the UK even with the strong British cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult and Tom Holland (pre-Spider-Man role he shot in 2016).

 

• The Intruder – Sony Pictures

Opened with £51,300 from 130 screens

It is a loose remake of the film 2004’s Cold Creek Manor(opened with £136,556 and took $29.11m worldwide).

Screen Gems acquired world rights to the film then called Motivated Seller at the Cannes Film Festival

Domestic thrillers were very popular in the late 80s and 90s with films including Pacific Heights, Unlawful Entry and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

The Intruder adds the racial element to the plot, in those films it was a white man, woman terrorising a white family in The Intruder it’s a white man terrorising an African American couple, as Get Out did two years ago.

The Intruder is likely to open similar to Breaking In opened last May with £0.42m taking £1.24m  

Unlawful Entry opened in October 1992 with £850,039 taking £1,701,717

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle opened April 1992 with £2,709,000 taking £6,306,436

Pacific Heights opened February 1991 with £689,850 taking £1,159,398

It’s still surprising distributors will still give films like The Intruder a theatrical release two months after opening in the US as it has very limited box office prospects, but it’s all due to their lucrative Sky TV deal a film that gets even a token theatrical release will get more than a straight to video title.

Other Box Office News

UK BO took £630m in its first 6 months down 5.4% (£665.8m in 2018) from 429 releases but almost 40% of the box office was taken from 6 films as Disney took hold of the box office taking over £250m with Toy Stuey 4 , The Lion King, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Frozen 2 and Star Wars; The Rise of Skywalker could top £600m for the year including box office also from 20^th Century Fox, which will be about 50% of 2019 box office.

Average ticket price last year was £7.22 but using these figures box office divided by admissions average would be up almost 5% from last year to £7.56.

At the start of the year expected 2019 admissions would top 200m with the very strong slate especially from Disney but now it looks like it will come in under last year which will be very disappointing especially as most people believe next year despite the many sequels won’t be as strong as this year.

 

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• The Lion King – Disney

Dropped 60% in its second weekend taking $76.62m and $351.87m total

The Lion King is the latest film to enter the $100m losers club having the fourth biggest second weekend drop.

The first unofficial member was 2009’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon opened with $142.84m dropping $99.97m to $42.87m second weekend; the first official member was 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II opened with $169m dropping $121m in July to $42m second weekend.

The problem over the last decade is these films are opening bigger but will also then have much bigger second weekend drops as despite the hype around them have become very front-loaded films.

Had the 10^th biggest second weekend in the US (Jurassic World is the only non-Disney film and it pushed out 2009’s Avatar $75.61m from the top 10).

Ahead of release thought despite that its completely unnecessary  audiences predictably have enjoyed it far more than critics and as with Toy Story 4 expected The Lion King to open with $200m+ and hold similar to previous Disney reimaginations but without any competition has dropped bigger than The jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin

The originally film took $422.78m (24th biggest film in the US between Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and $803.2m Inflation inflated (20th biggest film in the US between Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace and The Sting). After the strong holds of previous Disney reimaginations thought it could match its inflation inflated total but now down to $650m+.

The Lion King took over $1m at the US box office for 35 weeks (till February 1995) taking $31285m; re-released in IMAX in 2002 taking $15.68m and in 2011 in 3D taking $94.24m with $422.78m total;

Original The Lion King opened in June 1994 had a one-week platform release Disney used to do with their animated films in New York and at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles taking $1,586,753 (opening #10); (in 1994 average ticket price was less than half today); expanded the following week into 2,552 screens taking $40,888,194.

Globally took $968.5m 42nd biggest film worldwide between Despicable Me 2 and 2016’s The Jungle Book; would be about $2.5bn worldwide inflation inflated.

Disney now has taken $7.67bn worldwide to date overtaking their previous record high in 2016 ($7.61bn) overtaking last years $7.61bn; with a slate filled with nostalgic properties 2019 was always going to be the year of Disney with many expecting them to take over $12bn worldwide with Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still to come.

There are big questions however for Disney’s slate for 2020 with no Star Wars, Avengers or Pixar sequel or Avatar 2 as originally was planned, their slate is still nostalgic focussed are rival studios having many sequels leaving many questions to be asked

Took $142.8m from 53 territories and $611.9m total and $962.7m worldwide #47 biggest between Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle; China $114.8m; UK $45.1m; Brazil $42.1m; France $40.1m; Mexico $37.1m; Russia $31.8m; Australia $28.9m; Korea $28m; Germany $22.4m; Spain $21m; India $19m; Netherlands $12.3m.

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Sony Pictures

Opened with $41.08m received positive reviews (85% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore

Received similar CinemaScore to previous Quentin Tarantino films; Pulp Fiction B+; Jackie Brown B; Kill Bill Vol. 1 B+; Kill Bill Vol. 2 A-; Grindhouse B+; The Hateful Eight B

The B CinemaScore’s will probably mean it will have a heavy decline next weekend against Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw was surprising it opened ahead of Hobbs & Shaw than a week after as Inglourious Basterds opened strongly 10 years ago late August with $38.5m taking $120.54m was surprising Sony didn’t opt for a similar release date.

While Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is seen as an original film it is part of Quentin Tarantino film universe and while Tarantino said himself he steals from other films so not completely original as it will attract the same fanbase as his previous films as is the case with MCU?

Had world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May received positive reviews from critics (92% Rotten Tomatoes score) Quentin Tarantino asked the audience nit to reveal spillers for the film “The cast and crew have worked so hard to create something original, and I only ask that everyone avoids revealing anything that would prevent later audiences from experiencing the film in the same way,”; but then why premiere the film over two months before release?

The film received much controversy including a journalist asking why Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie barely getting any screen time compared to the two male leads Quentin Tarantino’s response “I reject your hypothesis,” Margot Robbie said, “I think the moments I was on screen gave a moment to honour Sharon,”…  “I think the tragedy was the loss of innocence. To show the wonderful sides of her could be done without speaking. I did feel like I got a lot of time to explore the character without dialogue, which is an interesting thing. Rarely do I get an opportunity to spend so much time on my own as a character.”

The nine Quentin Tarantino films have taken almost $650m at the US box office and $1.47bn worldwide

• Spider-Man: Far From Home – Sony Pictures

Dropped 41.3% in its fourth weekend taking $12.45m and $344.7m

4^th weekends

2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming dropped 40.1% taking $13.26m and $278.16m 83.2% of $334.2m

2007’s Spider-Man 3 dropped 50.6% taking $14.33m and $303.97m 90.3% of $336.53m

2004’s Spider-Man 2 dropped 39.4% taking $15.01m and $302.28m 80.9% of $373.58m

2002’s Spider-Man dropped 36.7% taking $28.5m and $326.34m 80.8% of $403.7m

Spider-Man: Far From Home has become the 12^th biggest MCU film as it moves towards Captain America: Civil War $408m the film that started the story arc that featured in the two Spider-Man films and introduced Spider-Man three years ago.

The seven Spider-Man films have taken $2.447bn in the US and $6.25bn worldwide; Spider-Man: Far From Home has become the first Spider-Man film to take over $1bn worldwide an is the biggest Spider-Man film internationally but still behind 2004’s Spider-Man 2  $373.58m and 2002’s Spider-Man $403.7m US box office

Took $21m from 67 territories and $694.2m total and $1.03bn; #32 biggest film worldwide between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Despicable Me 3; China $204.7m; South Korea $58m; United Kingdom $38.2m; Mexico $30.6m; Japan $26.4m; Brazil $26.2m; Australia $24.5m; France $21m; Russia $20.8m; Indonesia $16.9m.

• Toy Story 4 – Disney

Dropped 32.8% in its sixth weekend taking $10.45m and $396.21m

Toy Story 4 continues to hold similar to Toy Story 3 taking 17.2% more than Toy Story 3 in its fourth weekend $8.91m Vs $10.45m and 4.4% more $379.41m Vs $396.21m but with ticket inflation of over 20% since and production and marketing costs also up has suffered similar sequel fatigue as many of the other sequels this summer.

34^th biggest 6^th weekend between Avengers: Infinity War and Shrek; #18 Incredibles 2 ($16.26m); #60 Toy Story 3 ($8.91m); #16 Toy Story 2 ($12.52m); #9 Toy Story ($15.58m).

Toy Story is the 4^th biggest Pixar film in the US after Incredibles 2 ($608.58m); Finding Dory ($486.29m) and will shortly overtake Toy Story 3 ($415m); but ahead of release would have expected Toy Story 4 to beat Finding Dory box office and get close to Incredible 2.

36^th biggest film in the US between Frozen and   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Toy Story films have taken $1.279bn in the US and $2.88bn worldwide

20 Pixar films have taken $5.87bn in the US and $14.14bn worldwide95

Toy Story took $191.79m in the US and $374.6m worldwide

Toy Story 2 took $245.85m in the US and $597.4m worldwide

Toy Story 3 took $415m in the US and $1.067bn worldwide

Took $19.4m from 40 territories and $522.3m and $917.9m worldwide; #57 biggest film worldwide between Shrek 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody; Mexico $70.7m; UK $64.9m; Japan $51m; Brazil $31.4m; China $29.1m; Australia $27.7m; Argentina $27.1m; France $24.5m; Korea $24.4m; Spain $21.5m. $19.9m

• Aladdin – Disney

Dropped 25.6% in its ninth weekend taking $3.03m and $346.18m

53^rd biggest ninth weekend between American Sniper and Spider-Man: Far from Home and Disney’s 23^rd  biggest film in the US between Inside Out and The Lion King.

Many have said that its Will Smith’s biggest ever film but while Aladdin stars Will Smith its not a Will Smith film like Independence Day and Men in Black as most people who went to see Aladdin didn’t see it because it was a Will Smith movie they saw it because it was a Disney reimagination.

In a similar way Suicide Squad wasn’t a Will Smith film or any of the MCY films are individual actors films, the last success Will Smith had was 2012’s MIB 3 (so it was then surprising Sony moved ahead with the sequel without him as Fox also did with Independence Day so no wonder Men in Black International underwhelmed).

Gemini Man, Bad Boys For Life and King David will show if Will Smith is really back to be the global star he was 20 years ago.

Aladdin’s global box office was quite predictable as the original film took $217.35m in 1992 ($504m worldwide) #102 biggest film inflation inflated taking $473m in the US; with 27 years of ticket inflation can double its box office which would see it of taken similar box office as its reimagination this year.

Took $7.2m from 33 territories and $663.8m total and $1.009bn worldwide #40 biggest film worldwide between The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Dark Knight; Japan $101.3m; Korea $84.6m; China $53.3m; UK $45.5m; Mexico $32.5m; Spain $27.5m; Australia $24.2m; Russia $21m; Brazil $20.4m; Germany $18.8m; France $18.2m; Italy $17.5m.

UK Box Office Predictions

Previews on Thursday could determine if Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw opens ahead of The Lion King or below; the eight Fast and Furious films have taken over £100m at the UK box office. While they were always very successful in the US it was the fourth film in 2009 Fast & Furious when they became big hits in the UK opening with £4,928,784 taking £13,539,304.

Hobbs & Shaw is a Fast and Furious sequel in all but name as many MCU solo MCU films that also include several Avengers as those films don’t open as big as Avengers films Hobbs & Shaw is unlikely to open similar to the last two films Fast & Furious 7 opening with £12,765,033 and The Fate of the Furious £14,026,301.

Saying that it does star Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham two cinema favourites along with Idris Elba and The Meg opened last August with £3,651,111 so an opening similar to last year’s Mission Impossible: Fallout £7,300,103 is likely.

With The Lion King and Toy Story 4 targeting older children The Angry Birds Movie 2 and with cooler wetter weather should open bigger to the first one which opened two weeks before school holidays.  With Sony opening The Angry Birds Movie 2 this weekend they might have upset Quentin Tarantino fans delaying Once Upon a Time in Hollywood two weeks but boosted The Angry Birds Movie 2 box office dramatically.

The Lion King and Toy Story 4 will likely have slightly bigger drops than last weekend but still hold strongly.

Opening in UK Next Week

• Blinded By the Light – eOne

Comedy-drama film starring Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir and Nell Williams and directed by Gurinder Chadha.

Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews from critics (92% Rotten Tomatoes) with many describing it as the feel-good film of the year.

eOne will be hoping with it will follow in the success of Yesterday featuring songs from Bruce Springsteen along with films like East is East and Gurinder Chadha’s most famous film Bend it Like Beckham (opened with £2,001,795 taking £10,914,247).

August has been a lucrative time to open British comedies over the years with films including The Inbetweeners and The Full Monty opening in August becoming huge successes as studios release lower profile films from the second weekend of August as the box office starts to shrink before expanding again after Labor Day.

But despite strong buzz and having an extensive these films still find it hard now to find an audience and is more likely to perform similar to 1999;s East Is East opening with £435,627 but not have its legs.

It would be great if films like Blinded By the Night would get the cinema audience these films would get a decade or more ago but despite having extensive talker screening programs it will find it hard to find an audience especially so soon after Yesterday. So many films that have extensive talker screening programs fail to find a wide audience.

Warner Bros/New Line acquired the film at the Sundance Film Festival and release it the week after in the US

• Playmobil – Studiocanal

Live-action animated adventure comedy film based on the German building toy Playmobil featuring voices of Anya Taylor-Joy, Gabriel Bateman, Daniel Radcliffe, Jim Gaffigan, Meghan Trainor and Adam Lambert and directed by Lino DiSalvo.

Had world premiere at the Annecy Int’l Animated Film Festival in June receiving poor reviews; STX acquired US rights in April 2019 and release it in the US at the end of August but its expected to perform similar to Uglydolls which was a poor man’s Trolls while Playmobil is a poor man’s The Lego Movie.

Opening the week after The Angry Birds Movie 2 its unlikely to find wide audience but in August as Christmas holidays

• The Art Of Racing In The Rain – 20^th Century Fox

Comedy-drama starring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried and the voice of Kevin Costner and directed by Simon Curtis based on the 2008 novel by author Garth Stein (was New York Times best seller for 156 weeks similar to 2005’s Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan, the film starring Jennifer Aniston was hugely successful for the studio in 2008).

It is the first 20th Century Fox film to be marketed on the Walt Disney Studios website since the studio was acquired by Disney in March;  

The Art Of Racing In The Rain is the first real film made by 20^th Century Fox owned by Disney as previous films Dark Phoenix and Stuber were complete before it was acquired by Disney.

It will be interesting to see what Disney’s plans are for 20^th Century Fox as imagine will be similar to Touchstone Pictures in the 80s to 00s making mostly adult target films, that have been Disney’s Achilles heel since moving into the property business with their last Disney made original hit  2009’s The Proposal.

Interestingly film rights were originally acquired by Universal P:ictures in 2009 and then Disney acquired the film in 2016 moving to 20^th Century Fox in 2017.

Animal films have been successful at the box office over the years including

2019’s A Dog’s Journey opened £499,207 taking £1.2m

2017’s A Dog’s Purpose opened £1,300,097 (including £667,168 previews) taking £2,840,210

2016’s A Street Cat Named Bob opened £985,557 taking £4,182,976

2018’s Show Dogs opened £546,405 taking £2,820,827

2018’s Patrick opened £299,861 taking £1,205,535

2009’s Marley & Me opened £4,414,169 taking £15,123,080

2006’s The Shaggy Dog opened £831,250 taking £2,705,604

Pet children’s films have been popular for decades in cinemas  with films including Beethoven (and the many sequels), Bolt, Cats and Dogs, The Shaggy Dog, 101 Dalmatians, Oliver & Company, My Dog Skip, Eight Below, White Fang, Lassie, The Lady and the Tramp, Snow Dogs and The Incredible Journey.

• The Sun Is Also A Star – Warner Bros

Teen drama starring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton and directed by Ry Russo-Young  based on the young adult novel by Nicola Yoon.

Received mixed reviews and opened poorly in the US in May with $2.51m taking $4.95m.

Studios keep making films based on young adult novels in the hope they might breakout as they did with films like 2014’s The Fault in our Stars opened £3,434,334 taking £11,006,752 and 2016’s Me Before You opened £1,790,657 and £9,588,072 and of course bigger success including Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games.

You can never really tell with young adult film adaptations how they might perform as they often generate strong social media coverage but most of the time audiences don’t come out to see them as they prefer just t talk about the films.  

Recent films have failed to find an audience 2018’s Love, Simon, The Hate U Give, 2017’s Everything, Everything and 2014’s If I Stay.

As with horror films the budgets are cheap for most of these young adult adaptations and if they are successful can be very lucrative for the studio after performing so badly in the US  its theatrical release must surely just be for its Sky TV deal as so many films lately.

• Bring The Soul: The Movie – Trafalgar Releasing

The second BTS Event Cinema  film released this year after Love Yourself In Seoul – BTS World Tour opened with £518,810 the second film will likely open slightly bigger as opens during school holidays.

Opening in US Next Week

All four films opening are all original based on books

• The Art Of Racing In The Rain – 20th Century Fox

Children’s films featuring dogs have been popular over the years at the box office

2018’s Show Dogs opened $6.02m taking $17.85m

A Dog’s Purpose opened in January 2017 with $18.22m taking $64.5m

2015’s Max opened $12.15m taking $42.65m

2009’s Marley & Me opened $36.35m taking $143.15m

2006’s The Shaggy Dog opened $16.31m taking $61.12m

1996’s Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco opened $8.6m taking $32.77m

1993’s Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey opened $8.11m taking $41.83m

But it is the third doggy film released this year after A Dog’s Purpose opened in January with $11.25m taking $42m and A Dog’s Journey opened in May with $8.03m taking $22.54m

• Dora and the Lost City of Gold – Paramount Pictures

Adventure continuing Nickelodeon’s TV series Dora the Explorer starring Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, and Danny Trejo and directed by James Bobin.

 

• The Kitchen – Warner Bros

Crime thriller starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d’Arcy James,  Common, and Bill Camp and written and directed by Andrea Berloff, based on the Vertigo comic book miniseries. (plot sounds very similar to last year’s Widows).

After starring in her breakthrough role in 2017’s Girls Trip Tiffany Haddish featured in five films (Uncle Drew, Night School, Nobody’s Fool, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and The Secret Life of Pets 2) but The Kitchen looks from the trailers at least a film deserving of her talents starring again in s female lead film and one of a few studio films directed by a woman this year.

But adult adaptations of unknown comic-books have had mixed success at the box office over the years while RED was successful The Losers and Jonah Hex were not. While Melissa McCarthy received critical acclaim for her performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? it wasn’t a success at the box office and the least said about The Happytime Murders the better.

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Lionsgate

Horror monster film starring Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, and Lorraine Toussaint and directed by André Øvredal, based on the children’s book series by Alvin Schwartz.

First footage was screened during the Superbowl in February with the first trailer released in March and second in June.