UK/US Box Office October 11th -13th week 41 “Nobody panics when things go “according to plan.”

 

 

1. Joker  – £9,766,608  – £30,030,142

Had the 10^th biggest second weekend in the UK between Avengers: Infinity War and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Took £20.27m in its opening 7 days third biggest this year after Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King; 39^th biggest ever 7 day opening £20.26m (but 21 had extended openings).

The biggest Warner Bros and 15 certificate second weekend; the third biggest comic-book second weekend after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and the second lowest second weekend drop for a comic-book film between MIB 3 and Men In Black;

Had a similar second weekend drop to 2013’s Gravity, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Imitation Game and Saving Private Ryan.

After 10 days on release has become the 123rd biggest film in the UK between War of the Worlds and Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

After 10 days has taken more than Avengers Assemble (£29,851,680); Black Panther (£29,540,019);

Joker strong second weekend again shows how extended opening weekends have impacted on box office after opening weekend as had Joker opened on Wednesday it would have been a 60% drop

26^th biggest Warner Bros film in the UK between It and Man of Steel (Warner Bros 26^th film to take over £30m at the box office since 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and first film since Fantastic Beasts 2.

7^th biggest film of 2019 after Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Captain Marvel, Aladdin and Spider-Man Far From Home after only 10 days

22^nd biggest film in the UK after 10 days on release (12^th of the films above it had extended openings).

After 10 days on release Joker has taken

1.7% less than 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises taking £30,551,765 53.4% of £56,237,758

16.9% more than 2008’s The Dark Knight taking £25,374,829 52.1% of £48,685,166

11.5% more than 2017’s Dunkirk taking £27,017,724 47.7% of £56,585,035

21^st biggest comic-book film in the UK between Spider-Man Homecoming and Man of Steel; by net week will overtake both Deadpool and Deadpool 2 to become the biggest 15 rated comic-book film.

Next from DC is Suicide Squad spinoff Birds of Prey opening in February (teaser trailer was attached to It Chapter Two with trailer attached to Joker) and Wonder Woman: 1984 in June with The Batman and The Suicide Squad opening in summer 2021.

Over the weekend Hugh Grant complained at the volume level Joker was being played at Vue Cinema in London but while Dolby set a fader level at 7 for films to be played at in cinemas they are only played at that level normally in Leicester Square cinemas. In most others its played at closer to half and most aren’t EQ tested regularly so the sound issue is probably most due to distortion caused by films playing lower than they are meant to.

On Saturday Night Live a trailer for Groucho a Joker parody was released

Joker is expected to take upwards of £50m which could see it overtake The Dark Knight and get close to The Dark Knight Rises but it depends on how it holds this over the next two weeks with Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil opening Friday and then Terminator: Dark Fate next Wednesday.

2. Abominable – £2,141,256   – NE

While some saw Abominable opening as disappointing its opening was just as expected as it had a similar story to last year’s Smallfoot opened with a similar £2,324,189 taking £10,932,839.

Being an original Dreamworks Animation film it’s impossible to compare it to How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opened with £5,323,448 earlier this year taking £19,281,679). The only Dreamworks Animation film it could be compared to is 2013’s Turbo (opened £3,892,774 including £1,765,953 previews taking £10,932,902) a critical and box office flop.

Unlike most animated films nowadays Abominable opening wasn’t inflated by weekend previews, but its opening was likely affected with Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon having previews over the weekend in aid of MediCinema.

Abominable opened a week before half-term holidays which will see it competing with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon this weekend.

3. Gemini Man – £1,718,511 – NE

While Will Smith had success this summer with Aladdin it wasn’t a Will Smith film and neither was 2016’s Suicide Squad, his last action film was 2013’s flop After Earth opening with £2,249,532 taking £6,137,273. With MIB 3 the year before (opening £2,935,736 taking £21,750,343) along was from 2007’s I Am Legend (£11,009,365) and 2008’s Hancock (£9,589,095).

20 years ago Will Smith starred in Jerry Bruckheimer’s 1998’s Enemy of the State opened with £1,420,216 (£2,544,407 inflation inflated) taking £11,299,124 (£20,243,096 inflation inflated); Will Smith had just starred in Independence Day and Men In Black and was the worlds biggest actor. As many other 90s actors Will Smith has found it harder to have similar success over the last decade as audiences have moved away from these star-led action films to comic-book movies and like rom-coms this is a genre of films that find it much harder to find an audience.  

It is the first Jerry Bruckheimer film for Paramount Pictures since 1990’s Days of Thunder. Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson had success at the studio in the mid-80s with Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2 and Days of Thunder but then Jerry Bruckheimer moved to Disney in the early 90s producing 27 films including Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Coyote Ugly, Pearl Harbor, National Treasure, Pirates of the Caribbean but the failure of 2013’s The Lone Ranger saw Disney move into properties and not interested in the films he produced.

Disney’s production deal ended with Jerry Bruckheimer in 2014 but Paramount Pictures couldn’t wait so they swapped Indiana Jones rights to move him to the studio months earlier but was produced 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Did Paramount acquire Jerry Bruckheimer’s font in the deal with TV spots having the font seen on many of Disney’s Jerry Bruckheimer films.

Top Gun: Maverick was expected to be his first film for the studio, but they delayed its release from this summer to next summer.

Gemini Man was originally developed at Disney in 1997 with Harrison Ford, Chris O’Donnell, Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, Nicolas Cage, Clint Eastwood, and Sean Connery all attached to star and Tony Scott, Curtis Hanson, and Joe Carnahan all attached to direct. Disney crested de-aging software at the time but didn’t think the technology was good enough at the time. In 2016 Skydance Media acquired the rights with Jerry Bruckheimer as producer for Paramount Pictures.

The film will be released in 120fps 3D 4K early buzz said it was the best 3D film in years and needs to be seen in 3D as Gravity, but it was always unlikely the film would screen in more than a handful of screens worldwide in the format as Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk was shown in only a handful of screens in the format worldwide.

 In March Paramount Pictures asked exhibitors to embrace the format but the problem is that as its only one film will exhibitors be willing to install it. In 1993 Steven Spielberg was launching DTS demanding all cinemas to be fitted with it, likewise 3D took off in 2009 ahead if the release of Avatar, but Paramount with their current slate doesn’t have enough power to demand this, if Disney demanded it for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker it would be fitted in thousands of cinemas worldwide.

The problem for Gemini Man was similar to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk the technology overshadowed the film and Joker was generating huge media coverage since its Venice Film Festival premiere at the end of August it was always likely to go MIA. It’s now feeling a long time ago since Ang Lee’s Oscar winning Life of Pi.

Originally conceived in 1997, the film went through development hell for nearly 20 years. Several directors, including Tony Scott, Curtis Hanson, and Joe Carnahan, were all attached at some point and numerous actors, including Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, and Sean Connery, were set to star. In 2016, Skydance Media purchased the rights to the screenplay (which had been through several rewrites) from Disney, and in October 2017, Ang Lee signed on to direct for Skydance with Paramount handling distribution rights. Filming took place from February through May 2018.

As in previous years with The Walk opening week after The Martian and last year with First Man opening week after A Star Is Born its always surprising studios opt to release these films so close together. While no one expected Joker to open as strongly last weekend or hold this weekend as well, the second film is always in danger of been squeezed.

4. Judy – £1,130,442   – £4,722,052

Down 47% in its second weekend;

728th biggest second weekend in the UK between 2 Fast 2 Furious and Southpaw (close to Meet the Parents, Crazy Rich Asians, The Descendants and The Monuments Men) and 903^rd biggest inflation inflated opening between Southpaw and Bad Moms (close to Red Sparrow, Fahrenheit 9/11, King of Thieves and Bridge of Spies).

Similar second weekends

133.9% more than 2011’s My Week with Marilyn took £483,239 and £1,896,461 taking £3.18m

117.9% more than 2005’s Mrs. Henderson Presents took £518,838 and £1,906,152 taking £3,883,657

44.2% more than 2014’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom took £783,624 and £3,051,109 taking £4,303,721

35.5% more than 2015’s Far From The Madding Crowd took £833,804 and £3,588,881 of £6,071,481

24.4% more than 2006’s The Queen took £908,295 and £2,658,523 of £9,381,693

8.7% more than 2017’s Victoria and Abdul took £1,239,085 and £4,831,777 of £9,434,937

51.7% less than 2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel took £2,342,095 and £7,014,101 of £20,308,480

29..8% less than 2015’s The Lady in the Van took £1,609,943 and £6,437,140 of £12,660,028

19..6% less than 2013’s Philomena took £1,407,318 and £4,762,182 of £10,470,225

As with Downton Abbey Judy performed strongly during the week taking £3.59m over its opening week taking £1.5m Mon-Thurs 42% of its opening week box office (this did include two days of previews).

Judy is a current front-runner to receive Best Picture nomination but is more likely to give Renee Zellweger third Best Actress nomination after 2002’s Chicago and 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary.

5. Downtown Abbey – £949,205  – £25,394,967

Dropped 35% in its fifth weekend; 8th biggest film of 2019 between Joker and Dumbo

47th biggest fifth weekend in the UK between Dumbo and Avengers: Endgame (close to Billy Elliot (£1,046,755); Moulin Rouge (£1,072,657); Rocketman (£783,785); Nanny McPhee (£637,277).

After five weeks Downtown Abbey is holding closely to Paddington (£23,959,025) and A Star Is Born (£22,929,874) that took 93% of their totals after 5 weeks if Downton Abbey holds similar will take about £27.5m.

After taking 5.8% more than 2011’s The King’s Speech after three weeks Downton Abbey dropped heavier in its fourth weekend taking 7.2% less (£24,905,378) and 8.2% less than Love Actually (£25,166,894) but has taken 20.1% more than Rocketman (£19,255,598) A Star Is Born (£19,238,711) and 37.1% The Greatest Showman (£16,865,309).

165th biggest film in the UK between The Sixth Sense and I am Legend (close to The Golden Compass, Sex and the City, Ocean’s Eleven and Darkest Hour) and 255^th biggest inflation inflated between The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man 2 (close to Chicago, Sex and the City 2, Nanny McPhee and Meet the Parents) and became the 170th film to take over £25m.

Universal Pictures UK 17th biggest film between The Grinch and Fast & Furious 6 and 23^rd biggest inflation inflated between Bridesmaids and Johnny English Reborn.

After opening with £5,180,865 would have expected Downton Abbey to take over £30m but after dropping 37% in its second weekend to £3,280,442 along with the release of Judy hasn’t had the legs of other grey pound films

2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel dropped 51% taking £747,122 and £15,674,349 77.2% of £20,308,480

2017’s Murder on the Orient Express dropped 41% taking £824,494 and £22,127,760 91.6% of £24,140,635

2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby dropped 37% taking £1,888,986 and £41,991,553 87.2% of £48,150,737

2013’s Philomena dropped 46% taking £289,860 and £9,788,671 93.4% of £10,470,225

2006’s The Queen dropped 47% £269,178 taking £6,314,894 67.3% of £9,381,693

2003’s Calendar Girls dropped 30% £681,748 taking £16,515,918 81.8% of £20,174,133

After taking over $150m worldwide Downton Abbey 2 is already in development with Julian Fellowes expected to return, with such a big ensemble cast will probably take longer to come together than other sequels, this was also the reason why the film was released four years after the TV series ended.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £16,790,889 down 10.6% from last weekend £18,790,335

The weekend admissions 2,219,777 down 11.2% from last weekend 2,502,042; average ticket £7.51 up 5% from last year’s £7.22 and Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

18 films opened at weekend taking (£4,465,659); Abominable 47.9% (£2,141,256); Gemini Man 38.5% (£1,718,511); remaining 16 films shared 13.5% (£605,892);

Top three took 81.1% (£13,626,375) of the top 10; Joker 58.2% (£9,766,608); Abominable 12.7% (£2,141,256); Gemini Man 10.2% (£1,718,511);

Down 1.8% from 2018: (£17,103,615); First Man (£2,415,330); Smallfoot (£2,324,189); Cliff Richard Live: 60th Anniversary Tour (£1,123,885); Bad Times at the el Royale (£491,878); #1 A Star is Born £3,083,089 2nd week 1st #1 612 screens (18.1% of top 10)

Up 38.8% from 2017: (£12,090,714); The LEGO Ninjago Movie (£3,642,038); The Snowman (£1,377,909); The Ritual (£424,352); Loving Vincent (£274,036); The Party (£234,985); Die Zauberflote – Met Opera 2017 (£213,605); #1 The LEGO Ninjago Movie £3,642,038 1^st week 613 screens (30.1% of the top 10)

Up 15.1% from 2016: (£14,587,631); The Girl on the Train (£6,957,945); War on Everyone (£187,564); Tristan und Isolde – Met Opera 2016 (£178,283); My Scientology Movie (£106,720); Blood Father (£68,808); #1 The Girl on the Train £6,957,945 1^st week 612 screens (47.7% of the top 10)

Up 83.5% from 2015; (£9,148,818); Sicario (£1,596,734); The Walk (£795,115); Regression (£214,742); Giselle – Bolshoi 2015 (£128,875); #1 The Martian £3,854,809 2^nd week 582 screens 41% drop (42.1% of top 10)

Up 51.6% from 2014: (£11,071,974); The Maze Runner (£2,041,229); Annabelle (£1,939,963); One Direction: Where We Are – The Concert Film (£1,021,527); The Rewrite (£324,889); Macbeth – Met Opera 2014 (£205,937); ’71 (£205,116); Effie Gray (£67,339); Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (£20,689); The Calling (£8,112); #1 Gone Girl £3,064,545 2^nd week 563 screens 25% drop (33% drop (27.7% of top 10)

Up 235.6% from 2013: (£5,001,792); The Fifth Estate (£502,495); Le Weekend (£324,488); Machete Kills (£165,586); Baggage Claim (£156,159); Romeo and Juliet (£137,448); #1 Prisoners £968,990 3^rd week 449 screens 123 drop (19.3% of top 10)

Up 79.4% from 2012 (£9,355,419); Hotel Transylvania (£1,734,231); Ruby Sparks (£299,382); On the Road (£218,738); #1 Taken 2 £3,743,046 2^nd week 510 screens 49% drop (40.1% of top 10)

Up 45.8% from 2011 (£11,517,788); Johnny English Reborn (£4,965,000); The Lion King 3D (£2,746,763); Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (£495,734); Midnight in Paris (£495,709); Tyrannosaur (£81,790); #1 Johnny English Reborn £4,965,000 1sr week 524 screens (43.1% of top 10)

Up 152.8% from 2010: (£6,639,950); Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (£1,784,309); Life As We Know It (£985,558); The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud (£643,368); Mr Nice (£239,844); #1 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps £1,784,309 1^st week 444 screens (26.8% of top 10)

Up 42.8% from 2009; (£11,750,437); Up (£6,411,836); Zombieland (£1,240,984); Love Happens (£559,724); Halloween II (£522,661); #1 Up £6,411,836 1^st week 511 screens (54.5% of top 10)

Up 202.9% from 2008; (£5,542,578); The House Bunny (£894,188); Mirrors (£834,092); City of Ember (£496,909); Nights in Rodanthe (£193,318); Gomorrah (£171,348); The Mutant Chronicles (£74,788); #1 The House Bunny £894,188 1^st week 346 screens (16.1% of top 10)

Up 96.4% from 2007: (£8,548,001); Ratatouille (£4,444,384); Resident Evil 3 (£931,991); Black Sheep (£246,135); The Invasion (£232,994); Mr. Brooks (£169,664); The Nanny Diaries (£101,794); #1 Ratatouille £4,444,384 1^st week 503 screens (51.9% of top 10)

Up 80.4% from 2006; (£9,304,316); Open Season (£1,666,750); History Boys (£794,672); Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (£669,760); Stick It (£131,043); #1 The Departed £1,957,646 2^nd  week 1sr #1 364 screens 14% drop (21.1% of top 10)

Up 214.8% from 2005 (£5,332,334); Serenity (£958,816); Oliver Twist (£692,494); Kinky Boots (£623,163); Night Watch (£271,857); Tara Road (£73,150); #1 Serenity £958,816 1^st week 355 screens (18% of top 10)

Up 139.3% from 2004 (£7,015,008); Bride and Prejudice (£1,667,616); Resident Evil: Apocalypse (£801,171); Man On Fire (£656,466); #1 Bride and Prejudice £1,667,616 1^st week 376 screens (23.7% of top 10)

Up 30.5% from 2003 (£12,858,833); Cabin Fever (£1,056,338); Kill Bill (£162,857) (platform) (£152,793); #1 Finding Nemo £7,381,962 2^nd week 1sr #1 453 screens (57.4% of top 10)

Up 81.3% from 2002 (£9,258,248); Red Dragon (£3,180,493); Clockstoppers (£196,802); #1 Red Dragon £3,180,493 1st week 428 screens (34.3% of top 10)

Up 82.1% from 2001 (£9,219,269); American Pie 2 (£5,508,709); The Pledge (£142,100); Atlantis (£79,695) (platform) #1 American Pie 2 £5,508,709 1^st week #1 3rd week 420 screens (59.7% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2018: (£14,380,280); Halloween (£2,656,097); Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (£2,119,165); Hunter Killer (£368,082); Samson Et Dalila – Met Opera 2018 (£176,889); Fahrenheit 11/9 (£56,814); #1 A Star is Born £2,883,000 2^nd week 663 screens 7% drop (20.1% of top 10)

Also opened

• The Day Shall Come – eOne

Opened with £169,898 from 173 screens

Opened with over 70% less than Chris Morris’s For Lions despite receiving much media coverage ahead of release, will eOne repeat what they did with 2017’s Death of Stalin and Four Lions expand its release this weekend.

Chris Morris follow-up to Four Lions opened in May 2010 in the UK taking £608,608 from 115 screens; expanding into 218 screens in its second weekend taking £496,649 and £1,444,364 going on to take £2,928,884.

It was surprising the film is opened in the US two weeks before the UK as the UK will be its key market but eOne had success opening Chris Morris’s former cohort Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin also opening in October (Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci 25 years ago made TV series The Day Today, news spoof fake news show that also launched Alan Partridge which was a spin-off of 1991 On the Hour a spoof radio news magazine show. Chris Morris went on to make Brass Eye and Armando Iannucci The Thick of In and In The Loop.

The Death of Stalin opened in the UK October 2017 with £995,458 from 138 screens expanding to 314 screens in its second weekend taking £812,288 and £5,013,045 total;

Armando Iannucci’s latest film The Personal History of David Copperfield had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019 and has its UK premiere at the London Film Festival opening in the UK in January 2020 by Lionsgate UK ad in February by Fox Searchlight.

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Joker – Warner Bros

Dropped 41.9% in its second weekend taking $55.86m and $193.59m; took 42% of the top 10;

40^th biggest second weekend between Deadpool and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Warner Bros 7^th biggest second weekend after The Dark Knight, American Sniper, The Dark Knight Rises, it Chapter One, Wonder Woman and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone).

46^th biggest comic-book movie in the US between Superman Returns and 1014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Warner Bros #2 biggest film of 2019 after It Chapter Two ($207.04m) overtaking this week; #42 biggest Warner Bros film in the US between Happy Feet and The Exorcist

Took $123.7m from 79 territories and $351.2m internationally and $543.9m worldwide; 179^th  biggest film worldwide between Ted and American Sniper;

108^th biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between Crazy Rich Asians and A.I; 29^th biggest worldwide of 2019 between John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and Glass

UK $36.9m; Mexico: $28.9m; Korea: $28.0m; Russia: $20.4m; Brazil: $18m; Italy: $16.7m; Japan: $15.4m; Australia: $14.9m; Spain: $13m; Indonesia: $11.3m; France: $10.3m; Germany: $9.3m

• Gemini Man – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $20.55m; received poor reviews (26% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore

Took $1.6m from Thursday midnights

953^rd biggest opening between Baby Driver and End of Days and 35^th biggest opening in 2019 between Abominable and The Upside

Will Smith’s 16^th biggest opening in the US between The Pursuit of Happyness and Enemy of the State and Jerry Bruckheimer’s 20^th biggest opening between Déjà vu and Enemy of the State.

Jerry Bruckheimer 44 films have taken $4.91bn in the US and $11.63bn worldwide and Will Smith’s 26 films have taken $3.58bn in the US and $8.75bn worldwide.

Opening close to similar 2012’s Looper opened with $20.8m taking $66.48m and $176.5m worldwide

Will Smith’s 1998’s Enemy of the State opened with $20.03m taking $111.54m and $250.64m worldwide.

The de-aging software used to make Will Smith fight a younger version of himself was also used earlier this year to make Samuel L Jackson younger in Captain Marvel and is also used to make Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci younger in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.

Disney had The Secret Lab develop a test short called Human Face Project, but they were never happy with the technology at the time, while Gemini Man went through many directors and actors before Skydance Media acquired the rights from Disney in 2016. The trailers do feel like it’s a 90s film made 20 years later, while the technology might have changed will audiences be as excited to see a 90s action film.

Opened with $31.1m from 58 territories and $39m total; took 26% of its box office from 3D.

• The Addams Family – United Artists

Opened with $30.3m; received mixed reviews (44% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore

Took $1.25m from Thursday midnights

547^th biggest opening in the US between Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and America’s Sweethearts and 24^th biggest film of 2019 between Downton Abbey and Men in Black International

5^th biggest opening in the US for MGM/United Artists between The World Is Not Enough and 2007’s Halloween; biggest ever for United Artists Releasing

The Addams Family was previously made as a live-action film in 1991 was produced by Orion Pictures but Paramount Pictures acquired the film after Orion went bankrupt; opened with $24.2m taking $113.5m and $191.5m worldwide. The sequel Addams Family Values released two years later wasn’t nearly as successful opened with $14.11m taking $48.9m.

• Abominable – Universal Pictures 

Dropped 49.1% in its third weekend taking $6.07m and $48.87m

Abominable is the 36^th biggest Dreamworks Animation film between Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

3^rd weekends

2018’s Smallfoot dropped 37% taking $9.06m and $57.37m taking $83.24m

2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs dropped 36.9% taking $15.8m and $81.5m taking $124.87m

2010’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole dropped 36.7% taking $6.88m and $39.27m taking $55.67m

2011’s The Lion King 3D dropped 51.6% taking $10.61m and $79.2m taking $94.24m

2012’s Hotel Transylvania dropped 36.3% taking $17.24m and $102.13m taking $148.31m

2013’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 dropped 34.3% taking $13.77m and $77.61m taking $119.79m

2014’s The Boxtrolls dropped 44.6% taking $6.63m and $40.99m taking $50.83m

2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2 dropped 38.5% taking $20.42m and $116.94m taking $169.7m

2017’s The LEGO Ninjago Movie dropped 39.9% taking $7m and $44.07m taking $59.28m

Abominable is Dreamworks Animations 37^th animated film since Antz in 1998 taking $5.64bn in the US and $15.13bn worldwide.

Took $14.1m from 51 territories (including $60m from China) $60.1m total and $108.1m worldwide; 35^th biggest Dreamworks Animation film between Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

 

• Downton Abbey – Focus Features

Dropped 38.9% in its fourth weekend taking $4.88m and $82.66m

2^nd biggest Focus Features film ever between Brokeback Mountain and Coraline will overtake 2005’s Brokeback Mountain $84.0m by the end of the week to become their biggest film ever in the US.

4^th weekends

2017’s Murder on the Orient Express dropped 48.6% taking $6.76m and $84.83m of $10.82m

2008’s Mamma Mia! dropped 34.9% taking $8.2m and $104.14m of $144.13m    

Took $4.1m from 37 territories and $70m total and $152.7m worldwide# #4 biggest Focus Features film worldwide between Johnny English Strikes Again and Darkest Hour; #1,093 biggest worldwide between Another 48 Hrs. and A View to a Kill; #50 biggest film internationally of 2019 between Yesterday and Wonder Park.

• Ad Astra – 20th Century Fox

Dropped 53% in its fourth weekend taking $1.87m and $46.96m

#41 biggest 2019 film between Abominable and Five Feet Apart; #228 biggest 20^th Century Fox film in the US between Kingdom of Heaven and Red Sparrow; #1,824 biggest film in the US between Jersey Boys and Shooter.

Ad Astra is already 20^th Century Fox’s 3^rd biggest film of 2019 between Dark Phoenix and Breakthrough showing how disappointing the year has been and will come short to Alita: Battle Angel $85.71m

4^th weekends

1997’s Contact dropped 35.6% taking $6.4m and $75.64m of $100.92m

2013’s Gravity dropped 32.9% taking $20.13m and $199.64m of $274.9m              

2014’s Interstellar up 2.6% taking $15.74m and $147.03m of $188.02m  

2015’s The Martian dropped 26.1% taking $15.73m and $166.18m of $228.43m

2016’s Arrival dropped 36.6% taking $7.26m and $73.04m of $100.54m

2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 44% taking $4.11m and $81.53m of $92.05m               

2018’s First Man dropped 55.1% taking $2.18m and $41.97m of $44.93m              

Took $2.9m from 43 territories and $73.3m total and $120.3m worldwide; France $7.9m; UK $7.5m; Japan $7.4m; Russia $5.8m; Spain $5.3m; Korea $4.8m; Australia $3.8m; Mexico $3.7m; Germany $3.7m; #47 biggest 2019 film worldwide between Hustlers and The Upside; #1,353 biggest film worldwide between Insidious Chapter 3 and Lethal Weapon and #171 biggest 20^th Century Fox film worldwide between Parental Guidance and Volcano.

• It: Chapter Two – Warner Bros

Dropped 41% in its sixth weekend taking $3.13m and $207.04m;

It the 7^th biggest film of 2019 between Aladdin and Joker; #3 biggest horror in the US between The Exorcist and Get Out.

#195 biggest film in the US between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Batman Begins; #36 biggest Warner Bros film in the US between Sherlock Holmes and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Stephen King has published 54 novels including 7 under the name Richard Bachman, 6 non-fiction books and almost 200 short stories. Over 40 have been adapted into films taking over $1.69bn in the US and $2.16bn worldwide.

Took $2.3m from 75 territories taking $238.5m and $445.7m worldwide; #253 biggest film worldwide between La La Land and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel; 13^th biggest worldwide in 2019 between How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and  The Secret Life of Pets 2; #49 biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between Ocean’s Eleven and A Star is Born; UK: $23m; Mexico: $21.4m; Germany: $20m; Russia: $17.4m; France: $11.5m; Brazil: $11.5m; Italy: $10.6m; Australia: $10.5m; Spain: $9.7m; Indonesia: $5.5m; Colombia: $4.32m; Korea: $4.25m

• Judy – Roadside Attractions

Down 30% in its third weekend despite adding 169 screens taking $3.21m and $14.93m

Renee Zellweger has been praised for her performance as Judy Garland and is expected to be nominated for Best Actress with the film taking $12m+.

• Jexi – Lionsgate

Opened with $3.1m; received poor reviews (15% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore

• Parasite – Neon

Opened with $384,216 from 3 screens; received critical acclaim (99% Rotten Tomatoes)

• Lucy in the Sky – Fox Searchlight

Expanded into 161 screens in its second weekend up 45.1% taking $78,451 and $160,063               

After opening with $54,058 from 37 screens last weekend was surprising Fox Searchlight expanded the film any further after receiving poor reviews. After two weeks of limited release its unlikely they will expand any further especially as they open Jojo Rabbit this weekend on limited release.

UK Box Office Predictions

After Joker held so strongly in its second weekend the battle for battle for #1 will be much closer than expected with Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil this weekend. As after dropping only 22% in its second weekend even if Joker dropped 50% in its third weekend it will take £5m+.  

Five years ago Maleficent opened with £6,590,071 but that included two days of previews during half-term holidays taking £2,767,018, without previews Maleficent opened with £3,823,053 expectations are much lower for the sequel. While Maleficent did have tough competition of Edge of Tomorrow and A Million Ways to Die in the West opening in May 2014 the sequel has more direct competition with Abominable and A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon also for children over half-term.

Early buzz for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil was positive but early reviews have been poor currently with 41% Rotten Tomatoes score compared with 53% for first film, but reviews have little impact on films like these. The mixed reaction could be the reason why Disney brought forward its release by nine months from May 2020 as surrounded by The Lion King and Frozen 2 if Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil fails to match the first film it would be quickly forgotten but would be much more noticeable with Disney slate next year.

In the US Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil was expected to have up to 30% drop from the original film which would see it open in the UK with £4.5m+. With the rivalry between Disney and Warner Bros very strong now it would be a massive coup for Warner Bros for Joker to hold #1 against Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil.

With those two fighting out for #1 A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Abominable will be fighting out for third place; 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie (opened with £2,095,061 in February ahead of half-term holidays taking £13,675,389). The sequel had previews over last weekend in aid of MediCinema it will be interesting if preview box office is added to its opening box office.

Zombieland: Double Tap also opens, opening almost 10 years to the day the original film opened; Zombieland opened with £1,240,984 taking £3,375,412 opening #2. The sequel is likely to have the normal 30%+ sequel drop opening with £900k and will be the film most squeezed by Joker.

Opening in UK Next Week

• Terminator: Dark Fate – 20^th Century Fox

Sixth instalment of the Terminator film series and a direct sequel to 1984’s The Terminator and 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day; starring Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna, Diego Boneta and Edward Furlong and directed by Tim Miller from a story by James Cameron who also produces (the first since Terminator 2: Judgment Day  James Cameron has been involved),

2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, 2009’s  Terminator Salvation and 2015’s Terminator Genisys are seen as alternate timelines.

Terminator: Dark Fate opens 25 years after the first Terminator was released as James Cameron took back ownership of the rights to the Terminator franchise which he sold to Gale Anne Hurd for $1. The rights were originally shared between Hemdale producers of the original film and James Cameron, Hemdale sold its half share to Carolco in 1990 for $10m and they made 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

But when Carolco also got into financial trouble in the late 90s after making Cutthroat Island and Showgirls rights were sold to C2 for $15m in 1997 and they produced 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. C2 sold the rights in 2007 to Halcyon for $25m and they produced 2009’s Terminator Salvation but soon afterwards Halcyon filled for bankruptcy selling Terminator rights for $29.5 million to Pacificor who sold the rights to Annapurna Pictures in 2012.

With James Cameron taking back ownership of Terminator franchise in 2019 there was a small window to make another film and Annapurna Pictures partnered with Skydance with Paramount Pictures signed as distributor of Terminator 5 in 2013 for a summer 2015 release date. At the time Paramount Pictures also dated two sequels for May 19, 2017 and June 29, 2018 but they were cancelled after the poor performance of Terminator Genisys both at the box office and critically.

Teaser trailer was released in May with the first trailer released on August 29^th the anniversary of the original Judgment Day in the second film

20^th Century Fox open Terminator: Dark Fate on October 23^rd a week before US over half term holidays which was the same day they released so successfully Bohemian Rhapsody last year but it’s a very different film, targetting different demographic opening against much tougher competition. Terminator: Dark Fate opens days after Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Zombieland: Double Tap and with Abominable and Joker also out half-term is going to be very crowded.

As  Terminator: Dark Fate follows on from T2: Judgment Day need to compare it to the 1991 film with £2.58m but with ticket inflation of 150% since would be £6.4m+ today; Terminator: Dark Fate will of course be released in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, PLF all having surcharges while T2: Judgment Day was released in 70mm at the Odeon West End and Odeon Marble Arch but had no surcharges.

 

• Black And Blue – Sony Pictures

Action thriller starring Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo, Mike Colter, Reid Scott, and Beau Knapp and directed by Deon Taylor; had its world premiere at the Urbanworld Film Festival in September.

Always surprises me when studios open films like Black and Blue day and date with the US as the genre action film will have very limited appeal in the UK as do most films made by Screen Gems.

• Countdown – STX

Horror thriller starring Charlie McDermott, Anne Winters, Elizabeth Lail, Peter Facinelli and directed by Justin Dec. Opens ahead of Halloween has competition from Zombieland 2: Double Tap opening this weekend and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and The Addams Family for younger audiences.

• The Addams Family – Universal Pictures

Animation comedy horror film based on the comics of the same name by Charles Addams featuring voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney and directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan.

Rights were originally acquired by Illumination Entertainment in 2010 but in 2013 it was announced MGM would produce the film and Universal Pictures release it internationally as part of their distribution deal with the studio.

The Addams Family was previously made as a live-action film in 1991 was produced by Orion Pictures and was released by Columbia TriStar films in the UK opened with £1.85m taking £3.7m taking $113.5m in the US and $191.5m worldwide. The sequel Addams Family Values released two years later.

The Addams Family opens the week after half-term holidays due to Universal Pictures also releasing Dreamworks Animation’s Abominable, but it does allow it to open ahead of Halloween.

After opening with over $30m in the US last weekend MGM dated The Addams Family for October 2021 this week.  

Opening in US Next Week

• Black And Blue – Sony Pictures

Low budget thrillers made by Screen Gems have performed decently over recent years with films including When the Bough Breaks, The Perfect Guy, and No Good Deed, early reviews for Black and Blue have been mixed.

Expected to open in low teens

• Countdown – STX

Being the only horror film opening for Halloween might spark up some interest