- Sonic The Hedgehog – £4,733,768 NE
291st biggest opening in the UK between Star Trek Beyond and Batman Forever (close to The Greatest Showman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shrek and Wreck-It Ralph) and 394th biggest inflation inflated opening between The Village and Kick-Ass (close to Daddy’s Home 2, Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Pokemon: The First Movie and Kung Fu Panda 3).
50th biggest animated opening between Kung Fu Panda 3 and Frozen (close to How to Train Your Dragon, Coco, Monsters vs. Aliens and Big Hero 6) and 64th biggest inflation inflated between Wreck-It Ralph and Chicken Little.
27th biggest Paramount Pictures opening between Star Trek Beyond and Transformers: The Last Knight.
Video game movies have had mixed success at the box office
2017’s Assassin’s Creed opened £5,285,064 taking £7,996,695
2019’s Detective Pikachu opened £4,951,838 taking £13,368,17
2018’s Rampage opened £4,109,247 taking £8,695,722
2016’s Warcraft: The Beginning opened £3,623,725 taking £5,947,228
2018’s Tomb Raider opened £3,081,916 taking £7,739,354
2016’s The Angry Birds Movie opened £2,138,507 taking £10,408,235
2010’s Prince of Persia opened £1,371,066 taking £8,829,805
Sonic The Hedgehog began development at Sony Pictures in 2011 and was due to be released in 2013 but was put in turnaround in 2016 and Paramount Pictures acquired it in 2017 and it was shot In 2018.
The film was originally set for release in November but after negative reaction to the first trailer (after the positive reaction to Detective Pikachu released earlier in the year) the studio delayed the film to February so they could redesign Sonic A new trailer was released in November and was well received with Sonic’s redesign now receiving praise as it was similar to hoe he looks in the video games.
Opened ahead of half-term holidays opening close to last year’s Detective Pikachu with £4,951,838 taking £13,368,175; unlike previous years Sonic The Hedgehog is the main family film opening for half-term alongside Dolittle and Paw Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue.
Over the last 6 years, February half-term has had several major family films opening but this year’s Sonic The Hedgehog, Dolittle and Paw Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue are unlikely to be as strong.
In 2019
The LEGO Movie 2 opened £4,016,730 taking £18,588,809
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opened £5,323,448 taking £19,281,679
The Kid Who Would Be King opened £666,749 taking £3,680,528
Instant Family opened £2,469,853 taking £10,459,989
In 2018
Coco opened £5,209,214 taking £18,013,336
Early Man opened £2,020,653 taking £11,205,643
Maze Runner: The Death Cure opened £2,247,915 taking £6,667,941
In 2017
The LEGO Batman Movie opened £7,906,468 taking £26,771,191
Sing opened £10,487,380 taking £28,840,000
In 2016
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip opened £4,296,291
Goosebumps opened £2,686,105 taking £8,575,763 taking £15,871,522
In 2015
Big Hero 6 opened £4,293,286 taking £20,123,298
Shaun The Sheep Movie opened £2,095,061 taking £13,124,416
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots opened £687,417 taking £2,326,328
In 2014
The Lego Movie opened £8,051,140 taking £32,887,286
Mr. Peabody and Sherman opened £3,916,559 taking £13,552,917
Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy opened £966,920 taking £5,459,408
Upcoming films based on computer games include Monster Hunter in September, Tomb Raider 2 and Uncharted in March 2021 and Minecraft: The Movie in March 2022; while Nintendo has had plans to create an extended film universe similar to Marvel for many years.
- Parasite – £2,523,518 – £5,092,732
Up 80.5% in its second weekend (including previews) up 132.2% (without previews) adding 291 screens from 137 screens to 428 screens and will expand to 550 screens this weekend.
276th biggest second weekend between Johnny English and Ant-Man (close to Little Women, Black Swan, The Theory of Everything and The Greatest Showman) and 415th biggest inflation inflated between Ant-Man and The Bourne Supremacy (close to American Sniper, Erin Brockovich, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Rocketman).
Took £2.57m over its opening week similar to last years Best Picture Oscar Green Book (£2.55m) opened in 557 screens 306% more screens (opened #2 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World £5,323,448).
With the majority of films, there is historical data to compare the film to, but with Parasite there wasn’t any other similar film. While there have been many films that have expanded most of them started on fewer screens as many Disney animated films and Oscar contenders,
In 2004 The Passion of the Christ expanded after two weeks (week 1 took £229,426 from 46 screens #10; week 2 took £198,355 from 48 screens #10) up 573% adding 275 screens to 323 taking £2,019,935 (£3,248,091 inflation inflated) #1 ahead of Dawn of the Dead £1,944,745; Starsky & Hutch £1,846,576; Welcome to the Jungle £635,485 (Dwayne Johnson’s first lead role) taking £10,604,723 (£17,052,584 inflation inflated).
Over the weekend looked at Vue, Odeon, Everyman cinemas across the UK with many shows sold out, performing much stronger in the south. As Parasite was playing majority one screen probably sold a higher percentage of available than many megamovies that play in five times the amount of screens, having five times the amount of performances.
2001’s Amelie opened with £559,747 (£957,248 inflation inflated) from 82 screens taking 7 weeks to play to its widest of 115 screens (Moulin Rouge #1 in its 5th weekend £1,072,657 from 397 screens); Amelie stayed in the top 10 for 8 weeks and top 15 for 13 weeks taking £4,320,466 (£7,388,623 inflation inflated).
It was a massive gamble for Curzon in October to announce a full theatrical release for Parasite and to date it February 7th at the end of award season week after BAFTAs and weekend of the Oscars, but the gamble paid off; the gamble paid off for The Handmaiden taking £1.4m.
Parasite has become the 3rd biggest foreign-language films in the UK after 2004’s The Passion of the Christ (£11.1m) and 2000s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (£9.37m) overtaking 2001’s Amelie £5.1m; 2007’s Apocalypto £4.1m; 2004’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers £3.8m.
At the Golden Globe’s Bong Joon Ho said: “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” This follows on from similar comments last year from Alfonso Cuarón after winning Best Foreign-Language Oscar for Roma saying, “I grew up watching foreign-language films and learning so much from them — films like Citizen Kane, Jaws, Rashomon, The Godfather and Breathless.”
In 2002 131 foreign language films were released in the UK 38% of the films released taking 2.2% of the yearly box office with Y Tu Mama Tambien taking £1.74m was the biggest foreign language film of the year.
Over the following years, the number of foreign language films released has more than doubled but its box office share and its box office hasn’t grown, so similarly to the growth of Event Cinema much of this is due to the number of titles released with box office shared more rather than audience growth.
In 2017; 349 foreign language films were released in the UK taking £28.6m 45.9% % of the films released taking 2.1% of the yearly box office; The Handmaiden taking £1.5m was the biggest foreign language film of the year.
In 2016 368 foreign language films were released in the UK; 44.8% of all film releases, but only took 2.4% of the box office gross, more foreign-language films are being released than ever before, but they are cannibalizing themselves. In 2004 there were 259 films released in the UK but last year there were over 900, but the number of screens in the UK hasn’t grown nearly as much which means box office cannibalization.
After Parasite Oscar success will it make the Cannes Film Festival popular again for studios to launch award contenders early as most Oscar winners over recent years have premiered at the Venice/Toronto/Telluride Film Festivals, the previous Best Picture winner also premiered at Cannes was The Artist in 2011.
The big question is will Parasite success be a one-off for foreign-language films as was the case with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Amélie in 2001 or will bookers at major exhibitors book more foreign-language films in future. More foreign-language films are being released than a decade ago but very few are playing beyond art-house cinemas. Over the same time, there has been huge growth I Event Cinema which exhibitors are more willing to book being one or two shows, normally off-peak mid-week rather than risking a screen for a week.
When multiplexes first came to the UK they came with a promise of a wider range of films, but over the last decade fewer films are being shown and the bigger films are playing on multiple screens. In the early 00’s UK Film Council announced plans for the Digital Screen Network, 200+ screens in cinemas across the country that they would become digital and they would allow smaller and foreign-language films to play on a nationwide release.
(This was at the time when exhibitors rejected digital cinema (had been in the UK very limited since 1995 with Toy Story at the Odeon Leicester Square and Toy Story 2 in 2000 at Odeon Leicester Square, UCI Trafford Centre and Warner Finchley Road). When exhibitors saw that the films shown in digital were popular they moved the digital cinema into the main screens and a few years later started the switch from film to digital.)
Had the Digital Screen Network still been in existence smaller and foreign-language films would have had the chance to find a wider audience?
Parasite is currently the joint (with Birds of Prey) 10th biggest film of the year (2020 BO only); 1917 (£39.22m); Little Women (£14.78m); Bad Boys For Life (£14.37m); The Gentlemen (£11.53m); Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (£11.16m); Jumanji: The Next Level (£9.83m); Dolittle (£8.19m); Jojo Rabbit (£7.54m); The Personal History Of David Copperfield (£5.72m); Birds of Prey/Parasite (£5.1m).
Where will Parasite be charting at the end of the year? Expanding again this weekend adding another 100 screens £10m+ is now expected. This would see Parasite become the highest-grossing Best Picture Oscar winner in the UK since 2014’s 12 Years A Slave and the 12th biggest since 1998.
- Dolittle – £2,135,951 – £8,197,463
Down 58% in its second weekend (31.5% not including previews); holding surprising well despite poor reviews and Sonic the Hedgehog opening) showing again that poor reviews rarely impact children’s films as they don’t read the reviews.
366th biggest second weekend between Christopher Robin and Ocean’s Twelve (close to Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, Gnomeo and Juliet, Ice Age: Continental Drift and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) and 504th inflation inflated biggest second weekend between Christopher Robin and The X- Files (close to Flubber, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, James And The Giant Peach and National Treasure 2).
As with Cats in December poor reviews haven’t put off audiences to seeing the film, but it was helped to be the only family film on release with Jumanji: The Next Level, Spies In Disguise and Frozen 2 played out and Paw Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue targeting younger audiences, but will face tougher competition from Sonic the Hedgehog this weekend as half-term holidays begin.
Second weekend
1998’s Doctor Dolittle dropped 50.4% taking £1,511,007 (£2,707,065 inflation inflation) and £7,209,140 taking £19,671,348 (£35,242,465 inflation inflated) and $294.45m worldwide
2001’s Doctor Dolittle 2 dropped 45.3% taking £880,049 (£1,534,771 inflation inflation) and £3,998,123 taking £8,286,365 (£14,451,100 inflation inflated) and $176.1m worldwide.
With half-term, this week and the wet windy cold weather Dolittle will have a strong week at the box office, but then Disney preview Pixar’s Onward the following weekend ahead of its opening which will see Dolittle drop down the charts. e
- 1917 – £1,950,909 – £39,229,416
Dropped 14.1% in its sixth weekend.
12th biggest sixth weekend in the UK between The Kings Speech and Slumdog Millionaire) top 10 biggest 6th weekends are Avatar, Titanic, Paddington, Toy Story 4, :LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings, Skyfall, Mamma Mia!, The Greatest Showman, Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
Despite not winning any major Oscars last weekend momentum was still wit 1917 as it held very strongly for its sixth weekend. With Sonic The Hedgehog and Emma opening and Parasite expanding boosted by its Oscar win 1917 could have dropped out of the top 5, but instead held its own and probably won’t suffer any box office loss from not winning the Oscars many expected.
Sam Mendes became the third director to win DGA BAFTA and Globe but not win Best Director Oscar along with Ben Affleck for Argo and Ang Lee for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
Last week 1917 became eOne’s biggest film in the UK but its second to The Kings Speech (£45,009,555) eOne inherited after acquiring Momentum in 2013
74th biggest film in the UK between Captain Marvel and Inside Out (close to Les Miserables and Peter Rabbit) and the 105th biggest inflation inflated between Captain Marvel and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; will shortly become the 72nd film to take £40m+ at the UK box office since Jurassic Park in 1993
Fifth weekend
Took more than
6.7% Joker (£1,668,466); 14.5% Bohemian Rhapsody (£1,534,249); 29.7% Paddington 2 (£1,357,273); 31% Frozen (£1,314,153); 32.7% Black Panther (£1,308,281); 36% A Star Is Born (£1,248,295);
Took less than
2.4% The Kings Speech (£1,986,871); 7.3% Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£1,997,507); 13.2% The Greatest Showman (£2,201,523); 23.8% Skyfall (£2,275,469); 74.4% Paddington (£2,834,003); 45.2% Titanic (£3,403,199); 74.4% Avatar (£5,155,844).
After 37 days total
Took more than
14% The Kings Speech (£33,740,153); 20% Paddington 2 (£31,365,641); 35.1% A Star Is Born (£25,464,451); 40.8% The Greatest Showman (£23,226,869); 49.1% Slumdog Millionaire (£19,984,021).
Took less than
1.2% Titanic (£39,696,854); 7.1% Bohemian Rhapsody (£42,018,993); 14.4% Black Panther (£44,892,064); 15.2% Mamma Mia! (£45,205,845); 19.5% Casino Royale (£46,874,128); 38.5% Joker ( £54,331,476); 46.4% Avatar (£57,441,123); 131% Spectre (£90,634,770); 199% Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£117,295,808).
Away from James Bond Spectre and Skyfall, Sam Mendes directed 2009’s Revolutionary Road (took £2,751,902; 2006’s Jarhead (took £5,155,997; 2002’s Road to Perdition (took £6,471,752 (£11,286,485 inflation inflated); 20 years ago Sam Mendes directed the Oscar-winning American took £21,261,601 (£34,888,354 inflation inflated).
6th weekend
1998’s Saving Private Ryan dropped 27.4% taking £675,992 (£1,187,599 inflation inflated) and £15,149,037 (£26,614,189 inflation inflated) 79.2% of £18,740,016 (£33,573,924 inflation inflated)
2017’s Dunkirk dropped 49% taking £998,531 and £51,679,746 91.3% of £56,585,035
2011’s The King’s Speech dropped 27% taking £1,986,871 and £33,740,153 62.4% of £54,036,062
2009’s Slumdog Millionaire up 15% taking £1,820,119 and £19,984,021 47.6% £41,995,981
After opening with £7,446,302 six weeks ago and holding close to Dunkirk over its first few weeks and has longer legs due to BAFTA and Oscars was a possibility 1917 could take £50m+ seeing it overtaken The King’s Speech total but will come short. That said, of course, taking £40m+ is a fantastic achievement, but the big question will if eOne could ever have a film that could take similar box office In the future, as 1917 box office will surely take over two-thirds of their box office for the year.
- Birds of Prey – £1,773,023 – £5,820,838
Down only 37.4% in its second weekend having the second-best second weekend drop for a DC film (after Joker dropped 22.2% in October) similar to 2017’s Wonder Woman (43.7%) which also had a disappointing opening, but had strong legs.
In comparison dropped Man of Steel 54.7%; Justice League 58.8%; Suicide Squad 62.3%; 68.1% Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice
Had the 455th biggest second weekend between The Emperor’s New Groove and 17 Again (close to Kill Bill Volume One, San Andreas, Bumblebee and The Gentlemen) and 634th biggest inflation inflated the second weekend between The Guru and 12 Monkeys (close to The Conjuring, Shaun of the Dead, Captain America: The First Avenger and Wanted).
59th biggest comic-book second weekend between The Wolverine and Fantastic Four (close to Shazam!, Superman Returns, Watchmen and Green Lantern) and 64th biggest inflation inflated comic-book second weekend between Watchmen and Captain America: The First Avenger.
13th biggest second weekend Warner Bros comic-book film between Shazam! (£2,162,719) and Green Lantern (£1,105,089).
72nd biggest Warner Bros second weekend between San Andreas and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and 90th biggest inflation inflated Warner Bros second weekend between The Conjuring and Swordfish.
Some cinemas have retitled the film as Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey which makes more sense as the film is more about Harley Quinn than the Birds of Prey.
Warner Bros will be hoping for better things from Wonder Woman: 1984 opening in June after Wonder Woman opened with $103.25m taking $412.56m in the US and $821.84m worldwide but only £21.5m in the UK, due to non-film related events that overshadowed its release.
In 2016 and 2017 Warner Bros released 2 DC films each year but after critical and box office disappointment Justice League in 2017, Warner Bros released one DC film in 2018 and 2019 Aquaman and Shazam! This year will release to DC films (Wonder Woman 1984 in June) and then release three in 2021 The Batman, The Suicide Squad and Black Adam and three in 2022 Shazam! 2, The Flash and Aquaman 2
For the first time since 2016 Disney are releasing only two MCU films this year, Black Widow and The Eternals but in 2021 will release four MCU films Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel and Thor: Love and Thunder and Sony have recently dated an untitled Marvel film in October.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £16,539,139 up 12.7% from last weekend £14,669,620
The weekend admissions 2,323,584 up 12.7% from last weekend 2,071,980
17 films opened at weekend taking (£7,097,064); Sonic the Hedgehog 66.7% (£4,733,768); Emma 23.1% (£1,635,797);; remaining 15 films shared 10.2% (£727,499);
Top three took 56.8% (£9,393,237) of the top 10; Sonic The Hedgehog 28.6% (£4,733,768); Parasite 15.2% (£2,523,518); Dolittle 12.9% (£2,135,951);
Up 48.8% from 2019; (£11,116,499); Instant Family (£2,469,853); Happy Death Day 2U (£735,454); The Kid Who Would be King (£666,749); A Private War (£223,438); Notting Hill (20th Anniversary) (£1,125); #1 The LEGO Movie 2 £2,472,489 2nd week 652 screens 38% drop (22.2% of top 10)
Down 43.2% from 2018: (£29,122,391); Black Panther (£17,700,000); The Shape of Water (£2,466,217); Father Figures (£250,465); Lady Bird (limited) (£184,254); #1 Black Panther £17,700,000 1st week 585 screens (60.8% of top 10)
Down 8.5% from 2017: (£18,070,709); John Wick: Chapter Two (£2,232,055); The Great Wall (£1,646,516); Hidden Figures (£1,448,214); Moonlight (£621,836); Fences (expansion) (£378,351); Moulin Rouge! (Secret Cinema 2017) (£376,900); The Founder (£231,716); Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical (£107,496); #1 The LEGO Batman Movie £4,435,521 2nd week 618 screens 44% drop (24.5% of top 10)
Down 33.9% from 2016: (£25,026,922); Deadpool (£13,729,803); Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (£4,296,291); Zoolander 2 (£2,089,678); Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (£357,444); A Bigger Splash (£347,704); Concussion (£111,993); Oddball and the Penguins (£23,835); The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (£13,729); Jem and the Holograms (£8,869); #1 Deadpool £13,729,803 1st week 543 screens (54.8% of top 10)
Down 25% from 2015; (£22,051,391); Fifty Shades of Grey (£13,550,290); Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots (£687,417); Love is Strange (£99,755); Grease Sing-along (Re: 2015) (£10,694); #1 Fifty Shades of Grey £13,550,290 1st week 586 screens (61.4% of top 10)
Down 6.2% from 2014: (£17,643,201); The Lego Movie (£8,051,140); The Monuments Men (£1,616,625); Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy (£966,920); Cuban Fury (£966,276); Endless Love (£744,867); Her (£449,307); The Book Thief (limited) (£16,795); Sleepless in Seattle (Re: 2014) (£19,492); #1 The Lego Movie £8,051,140 1st week 547 screens (45.6% of top 10)
Up 9.6% from 2013 (£15,084,507); A Good Day to Die Hard (£4,551,116); This is 40 (£1,229,352); Beautiful Creatures (£1,109,167); Sammy’s Great Escape (£519,049); #1 A Good Day to Die Hard £4,551,116 1st week 484 screens (30.2% of top 10)
Up 21.5% from 2012 (£13,615,154); Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (£1,340,000); Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (£372,205); #1 The Woman in Black £3,501,601 2nd week 433 screens 11% up (25% of top 10)
Up 8.6% from 2011 (£15,233,283); Gnomeo and Juliet (£2,945,627); True Grit (£1,823,254); Yogi Bear (£1,820,405); Just Go With it (£1,628,265); Never Let Me Go (£625,496); #1 Gnomeo and Juliet £2,945,627 1st week 462 screens (19.3% of top 10)
Up 6.8% from 2010: (£15,488,281); Valentine’s Day (£3,732,393); The Wolfman (£2,367,849); Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (£1,502,663); My Name Is Khan (£936,454); A Single Man (£502,009); Pretty Woman: 20th Anniversary (£51,938); #1 Valentine’s Day £3,732,393 1st week 432 screens (24.1% of top 10)
Down 0.4% from 2009; (£16,464,180); Bolt (£5,457,438); Hotel for Dogs (£1,500,298); Friday the 13th (£1,198,653); Notorious (£1,119,587); Pink Panther 2 (£821,726); Under the Sea 3D (£21,357); #1 Bolt £5,457,438 1st week 496 screens (33.1% of top 10)
Up 68.5% from 2008; (£9,817,133); Jumper (£3,068,803); The Bucket List (£602,248); There Will Be Blood – expansion (£540,472); All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (£103,084); #1 Jumper £3,068,803 1st week 406 screens (32.2% of top 10)
Up 26.5% from 2007: (£13,071,799); Hot Fuzz (£5,918,149); Because I Said So (£400,987); The Science of Sleep (£130,139); Casablanca (re:06) (£29,446); #1 Hot Fuzz £5,918,149 1st week 427 screens (45.3% of top 10)
Up 89.2% from 2006; (£8,740,291); Casanova (£550,775); Aeon Flux (£512,426); Good Night, and Good Luck (£405,200); #1 Chicken Little £2,184,760 2nd week 515 screens 31% drop (25% of top 10)
Up 55.4% from 2005 (£10,644,664); The Magic Roundabout (£1,569,843); The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (£1,252,322); Son of the Mask (£725,524); The Sea Inside (£89,507); #1 Meet the Fockers £2,957,466 3rd week 456 screens 36 drop (27.8% of top 10)
Up 77.4% from 2004 (£9,322,973); Cheaper by the Dozen (£1,817,148); The Haunted Mansion (£1,677,927); Looney Tunes: Back in Action (£926,447); Tooth (£209,049); #1 Cheaper by the Dozen £1,817,148 1st week 364 screens (19.5% of top 10)
Up 57.5% from 2003 (£10,500,986); Daredevil (£1,953,136); Treasure Planet (£888,084); The Hours (£616,573); Undercover Brother (£235,527); #1 Two Weeks’ Notice £2,189,331 2nd week 416 screens 17% drop (20.8% of top 10)
Up 10.6% from 2002 (£14,947,751); Ocean’s Eleven (£5,095,062); Ali (limited) (£125,573); #1 Monsters, Inc. £5,757,712 2nd week 504 screens 37% drop (38.5% of top 10)
Next weekend in 2019: (£9,295,306); Cold Pursuit (£631,467); On the Basis of Sex (£458,914); Capernaum (£140,770); #1 The LEGO Movie 2 £2,410,824 3rd week 661 screens 2% drop (25.9% of top 10)
Also Opened
- Emma – £1,635,797 from 611 screens
Disappointing opening for Emma as opening Valentine’s Day and opening two months after Little Women would have expected the same demographic to come out to see Emma too, but maybe after the success of 50 Shades of Grey over the last few years cinemagoers want something a bit darker for Valentine’s Day and Parasite was it?
Opened similar to recent The Personal History of David Copperfield (£1,524,147); Far From The Madding Crowd (£1,450,297); and The Duchess (£1,402,200) but less than The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (£2,222,051) Emma was co-produced by Blueprint Pictures who made The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Over the years there have been many adaptations of Jane Austen novels on the big and small screen including 1995’s Persuasion and 1999’s Mansfield Park (no BO data);
1995’s Sense & Sensibility opened with £629,000 from 102 screens taking £13.53m (£25,907,059).
1996’s Emma opened with £402,155 from 141 screens (£769,529 inflation inflated) taking £5.28m (£10.5m inflation inflated)
2005’s Pride & Prejudice opened with £2,529,947 (£3,878,178 inflation inflated) taking £14,562,448 (£22,322,903 inflation inflated)
2016’s Love and Friendship opened with £263,094 from 80 screens taking £1,736,768
Also having modernised version of Emma with 1995’s Clueless (opened £638,212 (£1.3m inflation inflated) taking £3.9m (£7.6m inflation inflated); 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and 2013’s Austenland modern-day versions of Pride & Prejudice.
While on the small screen 1995’s Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and most recently Sanditon.
The success of Little Women (opening with £3,578,877 and £2,731,410 without previews has taken over £21m to date) helped the release of Emma as it targeted the same demographic along with being Valentine’s Day weekend; over recent years Universal Pictures has had huge success over Valentine’s Day with 50 Shades of Grey trilogy.
Emma is the first of four films being released this year starring model turned actress Anya Taylor-Joy, Radioactive (biopic about Marie Curie), the long-delayed X-Me film The New Mutants and Edgar Wright’s latest Last Night in Soho. Her breakthrough role was 2015’s The Witch directed by Robert Eggers and will appear in his latest film alongside Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård The Northman, starting filming soon.
Emma was produced by Working Title who have had mixed success at the box office last year while had success with Danny Boyle’s Yesterday weren’t nearly as successful with their other films Cats, Mary Queen of Scots and the Kid Who Would Be King. Working Title has three more films due for release in 2020 Radioactive, Last Night in Soho and another remake Rebecca.
- Ghost (30th Anniversary) – £78,805 from 247 screens
1990 was a similar year to 2020 with films with many sequels many of which underperformed but it was original films including Ghost, Pretty Woman and Home Alone that lit up the box office.
- The Lost Boys £61,613 from 94 screens
Warner Bros have been upgrading many of their classic films into 4K and giving them a selective cinema release, last year they released Batman and The Matrix to celebrate their 30th and 20th anniversaries and this week re-released The Lost Boys, the classic 80s teen horror.
As both Ghost and The Lost Boys have been widely available on DVD always surprises me that tickets for the are regular prices, as many would love to see these films again on the big screen.
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Sonic The Hedgehog – Paramount Pictures
Opened with $57m; received mixed reviews (63% Rotten Tomatoes) and A CinemaScore
Had the biggest opening for a film based on a video game in the US; Sonic The Hedgehog is the only family film in cinemas until Pixar’s Onward expected to open with $40m+ in three weeks’ time.
Opened similar to last year’s Detective Pikachu $54.36m taking $144.1m and $431.7m worldwide.
Was tracking to open with $40m-$45m a few weeks ago
2020 has been seen as Paramount Pictures comeback year with the first complete slate of films made under Jim Gianopulos. A Quiet Place II (March 20), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (May 22), Top Gun Maverick (June 26), Without Remorse (September 18). The Trial of the Chicago 7 (September 25) and The Tomorrow War (December 25).
Paramount Pictures has had a disappointing time at the box office over the last six months with Gemini Man, Terminator: Dark Fate, and Rhythm Section all performing badly.
1,467th biggest film in the US between The Lincoln Lawyer and The Butterfly Effect 2,353rd inflation inflated film between Rhinestone and Madeline and 199th biggest Paramount Pictures film between Baywatch and Fences.
Took $43m from 40 territories; Mexico $6.7m; UK $6.2m; France $4.3m; Germany $3.3m; Brazil $3m; Australia $2.8m; Spain $2m; Italy $1.9m; Ukraine $1m; Colombia $1m; 1,605th biggest film worldwide between Joy and Life and 182nd biggest Paramount film worldwide between The Devil Inside and Nacho Libre.
Detective Pikachu opened with $103m from 62 territories last year
- Birds of Prey – Warner Bros
Dropped 48% in its second weekend taking $17.11m and $59.27m
Had the fourth smallest DC Extended Universe second weekend drop after Aquaman (23.2%); Joker (41.9%); Wonder Woman (43.3%) but took -71% Wonder Woman ($58,520,672); -69% Joker ($55,861,403); -67% Aquaman ($52,114,571); -61% Suicide Squad ($43,536,013);
While these films are DC Extended Universe films its hard to compare them with Birds of Prey which wasn’t your average comic-book film, which is why critics and cinemagoers who have seen it have enjoyed it.
1,363rd biggest film in the US between Mouse Hunt and Ender’s Game; 2,216th biggest inflation inflated between Baby Boom and Missing in Action and 222nd biggest Warner Bros film between The Goonies and Chariots of Fire.
Took $23m from 78 territories and $83.6m total international and $142.9m worldwide; Mexico $7.9m; Russia $6.1; UK $7.6m; Brazil $4.9m; France $4.9m; Australia $4.98m; Indonesia 3.5m; Korea $2.8m; Germany $3.1m; Taiwan $2.9m; Italy $2.4m; Spain $2.6m;
1,175th biggest film worldwide between Blades of Glory and Surf’s Up; 80th biggest comic-book film worldwide between Blade 2 and Blade: Trinity and 192nd biggest Warner Bros film worldwide Music and Lyrics and Conspiracy Theory.
- Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island – Sony Pictures
Opened with $12.9m; received poor reviews (9% Rotten Tomatoes) and C- CinemaScore
In 2014 Blumhouse Productions signed a 10-year deal with Universal Pictures but Fantasy Island was made outside this deal as Sony Pictures owned the rights to the TV series.
Blumhouse Productions films have taken $2.34bn in the US and $4.54bn worldwide since 2009’s Paranormal Activity.
Fantasy Island stars Lucy Hale who previously starred in Blumhouse’s Truth Or Dare which took $41.41m in the US, $53.91m internationally and $95.33m worldwide with $5m budget.
Opening similar to many previous Blumhouse horror films released over recent years Happy Death Day, Truth or Dare, Happy Death Day 2U and Ouija.
Opened with $7.6m from 35 territories
- The Photograph – Universal Pictures
Opened with $12.6m; received positive reviews (75% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore
- Bad Boys For Life – Sony Pictures
Dropped 6% in its fifth weekend taking $11.3m and $181.32m
Fifth weekends
2003’s Bad Boys 2 dropped 48% taking $3.14m and $128.85m 93% of $138.6m ($215.38m inflation inflated) and $273.33m WW ($589 WW inflation inflated)
Bad Boys 2 was the 10th biggest film of 2003 having the 10th biggest opening of the year
The biggest films of 2003 were The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($377.1m); Finding Nemo ($339.71m); Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($305.39m); The Matrix Reloaded ($281.57m); Bruce Almighty ($242.82m); X2: X-Men United ($214.84m); Elf ($167.54m); Chicago ($167.51m); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ($150.37m); Bad Boys II ($138.6m).
1995’s Bad Boys dropped 32.4% taking $2.91m and $54.35m 83.4% of $65.8m ($141.74m inflation inflated) and $141.4m WW ($305m WW inflation inflated)
The biggest films of 1995 were Batman Forever ($184.1m); Apollo 13 ($172.1m); Toy Story (146.2m); Pocahontas ($139.21m); Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls ($103.97m); Casper ($100.32m); Die Hard with a Vengeance ($92.73m); Crimson Tide ($91.38m); Goldeneye ($91.34m); Waterworld ($88.24m).
Will Smith’s 27 films have taken $3.86bn in the US; $5.74bn internationally and $9.43bn worldwide.
251st biggest film in the US between The Simpsons Movie and What Women Want; 559th biggest inflation inflated between Ocean’s Twelve and Halloween and 21st biggest Sony Pictures film between Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 3D and Men in Black 3.
Jerry Bruckheimer’s 34 films have taken $4.26bn in the US, $6.5bn international and $10.71bn worldwide; most of his biggest hits were released in the 80s and 90s including Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Bad Boys, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Coyote Ugly and Remember the Titans.
Took $11.1m from 63 territories and $187m internationally and $368m worldwide; UK $18.7m; Germany $16m; Mexico $12.3m; Australia $12m; Russia $11.7m; France $11.6m; Spain $6.8m; Saudi Arabia $6.2m; United Arab Emirates $5m; Taiwan $4.5m.
342nd biggest film worldwide between Mad Max: Fury Road and There’s Something About Mary; 31st biggest Sony Pictures film worldwide between Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Hitch.
- 1917 – Universal Pictures
Down 12% in its eighth weekend taking $8.09m and $144.41m
401st biggest film in the US between The Fast and the Furious and Doctor Dolittle; 823rd biggest inflation between Bolt and Working Girl; 54th biggest Universal Pictures film between The Fast and the Furious and Mamma Mia!.
Has become Sam Mendes biggest non-Bond film in the US overtaking his Oscar-winning American Beauty (opened $9,505,313 wide taking $130,058,047) that won Best Picture and Director 20 years ago.
Eighth week
1998’s Saving Private Ryan dropped 33.7% taking $4.5m and $173.07m 79.9% of $216.11m and $481,840,909 worldwide
2017’s Dunkirk dropped 57.4% taking $1.86m and $183.02m 97.3% of $188.04m and $525,245,546 worldwide
Took $13.6m from 66 territories internationally and $155m total and $322.5m worldwide: UK $51.5m; France $14.4m; Australia $14.2m; Spain $9.6m; and Holland $8.9m.
439th biggest film worldwide between Green Book and Robin Hood; 53rd biggest Universal Pictures film between Green Book and Robin Hood.
- Jumanji: The Next Level – Sony Pictures
Down 1% in its tenth weekend taking $5.51m and $305.52m
Jumanji: The Next Level took 21.1% less than Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in its tenth weekend dropped 28.8% taking $5.65m and $387,28m 95.7% of $404.51m and $962.07m worldwide; down 2.5% $5.65m Vs $5.51m.
Jumanji: The Next Level is an old-fashioned sequel giving the audience the same but more than they had but with the characters in different situations and different than they were, with the nice twist that Danny Glover and Danny DeVito switch into Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson avatars, while the other characters from the last film have also flipped.
As with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the sequel is a Ronseal film, does what it says on the tin, it’s just a popcorn movie entertaining audiences for two hours and not having to do homework before and after as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to understand it.
So it’s no wonder to me that Jumanji: The Next Level has stayed in the top 10 for many more weeks than The Rise of Skywalker and holding so well, that said as the characters said at the end of the film they hope they don’t go to Jumanji again, as repeating it three times will be stretching it a little too much. After taking almost $800m worldwide Sony Pictures will surely be wanting to do a third film against the next Star Wars film in 2022.
There must have been a similar concern was in 2017 when Sony Pictures dated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to open the week after Star Wars: The Last Jedi that it would be cannibalized by it, why they opted to open Jumanji: The Next Level the week before The Rise of Skywalker. While both Star Wars films took much more than the two Jumanji films both were enjoyed more by audiences.
The success of Jumanji: The Next Level will, of course, boost the success of Dwayne Johnson’s next film Jungle Cruise opening in July which looks like The Mummy meets Jumanji.
Dwayne Johnson’s 43 films have taken $4.34bn in the US and $7.86m internationally and over $12.21bn worldwide;
83rd biggest film in the US between Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and Independence Day
209th biggest inflation inflated film between Tarzan and Sister Act and 7th biggest Sony Pictures film between Spider-Man: Homecoming and Skyfall.
Took $1.9m from 55 territories and $473m total and $779m worldwide; UK $46.3m; China $41.2m; Australia $31.5m; France $25.6m; Germany $25.2m; Russia $21m; Mexico $21m; Indonesia $15.2m; Spain $14.3m; Italy $13.9m.
97th biggest film worldwide between Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and 9th biggest Sony Pictures film worldwide between Spider-Man 2 and The Da Vinci Code.
- Dolittle – Universal Pictures
Dropped 23% in its fifth weekend taking $5.05m and $70.5m
1.165th biggest opening in the US between Shaft (2000) and Moonraker; 1,950th biggest inflation inflated between Get Him to the Greek and The Lawnmower Man; 148th biggest Universal Pictures film between The Best Man Holiday and Born on the Fourth of July.
Fifth weekends
1998’s Doctor Dolittle dropped 23% taking $7.29m and $117.96m 84.5% of $144.15m in the US ($266.94m inflation inflated) and $294.45m worldwide ($546m inflation inflated WW)
2001’s Doctor Dolittle 2 dropped 41.2% taking $4.4m and $93.28m 82.6% of taking $112.95m in the US ($187.32m inflation inflated) and $176.1m WW ($293m WW inflation inflated)
Took $8.8m from 64 territories internationally and $110.6m total and $181.1m worldwide: the UK $10.5m; Mexico $8.7m; Australia $7.4m.
913th biggest worldwide between Bad Moms and Eagle Eye; 119th biggest Universal Pictures film worldwide between Cape Fear and Dante’s Peak.
- Parasite – Neon
Up 254% in its 19th week taking $5.5m and $43.2m
Added 941 screens from last weekend playing in 2,001 the most screens the film has played in over its 19 weeks on release and the first-week Parasite climbed into the top 10, despite the film being released on digital a month ago and being released on DVD two weeks ago.
Parasite has taken $131.01m internationally since it opened last May in France and Korea, for months the film has been available illegally online, but still, audiences have chosen to pay their $15 to see it in cinemas after its Oscar win last weekend.
This shows again if it’s a film audiences want to see they will go to see it in the cinema, so industry really shouldn’t be concerned over a shortened theatrical window as if it’s a film people want to see in the cinema they will still go to see it. This has been seen by the films Netflix have given a theatrical release, while no box office is reported the cinemas showing the films have reported strong box office.
Took $12.8m from 43 territories and $161m total internationally and $204.3m worldwide
- Downhill – Searchlight Pictures
Opened with $4.67m; receiving poor reviews (41% Rotten Tomatoes) and D CinemaScore
Had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival; Downhill is the first Fox Searchlight film to be released under its new name Searchlight Pictures.
Fox Searchlight rarely released films in over 2,000 screens, normally opening on a platform and then slowly expanding as was the case with JoJo Rabbit recently but as with Ready or Not last year, Downhill opened wide In over 2,000 screens after receiving poor reviews and will drop heavily over the weeks ahead.
UK Box Office Predictions
None of the new releases will likely have any impact on the top half of the top 10 as both The Call Of The Wild and Brahms: The Boy II will struggle to find an audience.
Reviews for The Call of the Wind have been mostly positive (70% Rotten Tomatoes) but all have highlighted the CGI dog, in the 90s Disney made several films based on Jack London’s novels but used real animals.
As with so many other films that used motion capture to create animals the end result looks fake including the Disney reimaginations The Jungle Book and The Lion King and Cats, (for me also Paddington and Christopher Robin). While animal adventure films were popular at the cinema a few decades ago, it’s unlikely The Call of the Wind will be despite opening on Wednesday giving it a 5-day opening across half-term. Younger audiences will prefer to see the blue hedgehog instead.
Last weeks top five will likely remain quite similar with Emma likely to switch with Birds of Prey and The Call Of The Wild, Brahms: The Boy II and Like A Boss open in the bottom half of the top 10 along with possibly Event Cinema’s Swan Lake – Bolshoi 2020.
2016’s The Boy opened March 2016 with £726,003 taking £2,409,921
Horror films have so far underperformed at the box office this year, but The Turning and The Grudge weren’t expected to find an audience
Like A Boss is likely to open similar to last years What Men Want with £836,612 taking £2,785,973
Last week much was made about the growth of Event Cinema last year taking over £50m at the box office, while Event Cinema has been a fantastic addition to cinema it needs to be seen separately from regular cinema, with tickets for Swan Lake – Bolshoi 2020 more than 100% more than regular tickets. While the Event Cinema box office also now includes Secret Cinema, tickets are 10 times industry average.
While Parasite has had huge success at the box office over the last two weeks its only one of hundreds of foreign language films released each year many of which open in a handful of screens and never get the chance to find their audience, as exhibitor bookers will prefer to book an Event Cinema screening mid-week over taking the risk with a foreign language film.
Opening in the UK Next Week
- The Invisible Man – Universal Pictures
Sci-fi horror produced by Blumhouse Productions starring Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer and Oliver Jackson-Cohen and written and directed by Leigh Whannell.
It’s a modern reimagining of both the novel by H. G. Wells and the 1933 film adaptation; development began in 2007 to be part of Universal’s planned monsters cinematic universe. After 2017’s The Mummy received poor reviews and underperformed at the box office, Universal Pictures ended their plans for a shared universe and project moved to Blumhouse Productions.
In late 2019 The Invisible Woman was put in development as a spinoff with Elizabeth Banks attached to direct.
Other female lead Blumhouse Production horrors
2019’s Black Christmas opened £283,507 taking £475,617
2017’s Happy Death Day opened with £998,388 taking £2,678,427
2018’s Truth or Dare opened with £931,250 taking £2,400,490
2019’s Happy Death Day 2U opened with £735,454 taking £1,318,935
2014’s Ouija opened with £1,373,907 taking £3,207,638
2016’s Ouija: Origin of Evil opened with £779,626 taking £2,524,013
- Dark Waters – eOne
Legal thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper, and Bill Pullman and directed by Todd Haynes based on the 2016 article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich, published in The New York Times Magazine.
20 years on from Oscar-winning Erin Brockovich, Dark Water is a powerful film telling a more important story as PFOA is still in the blood of 99% of life on Earth; Many are called out Oscar snubs for Little Women but more surprising is Mark Ruffalo wasn’t nominated for Dark Water.
Dark Water received positive review (89% Rotten Tomatoes); the film opened in the US in November performed well on limited release, but as so many films expanded far too quickly going from 94 screens to 2,012 playing wide for only two weeks and not given a chance to find an audience.
While there was much outrage over Little Women not receiving Best director nomination there were many other films including Dark Water that failed to get any nominations at all. 19 years ago Erin Brockovich received five Oscar nomination and Julia Roberts won Best Actress.
Dark Water will struggle to find an audience in the UK and opening after award season is over and feels like an afterthought despite Mark Ruffalo recently coming to promote the film in Europe.
- Downhill – 20th Century Fox/Disney
Black comedy remake of the film Force Majeure by Ruben Östlund starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell and Miranda Otto and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash; received mixed reviews (48% Rotten Tomatoes)
Had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival; it is the first Fox Searchlight film to be released under its new name Searchlight Pictures.
- True History of the Kelly Gang – Picturehouse Entertainment
Biographical western starring George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Orlando Schwerdt, Thomasin McKenzie, Sean Keenan, Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe and directed by Justin Kurzel based on 2000 novel by Peter Carey.
Had world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival receiving positive reviews
Opened in Australia in January 2020 and opens in the US in April.
Despite the cast and received critical acclaim the film will struggle to find an audience in the UK as did 2003’s Ned Kelly opened with £211,643 taking £505,836 being a film about a historical Australian that isn’t well known elsewhere, would be like selling a British film about Dick Turpin to foreign audiences.
- Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Curzon
Historical drama starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel and written and directed by Céline Sciamma; received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival winning the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award and Best Screenplay; received critical acclaim (98% Rotten Tomatoes)
The film was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
Opening in the US Next Week
- The Invisible Man – Universal Pictures
Was tracking earlier this month to open with $20m which would be the biggest opening for a horror film since It Chapter 2 which is surprising given the popularity of horrors, but shows the lack of quality horrors released since.
Doctor Sleep took $72m worldwide; Black Christmas took $18m worldwide; The Grudge $42 m and The Turning ($15m)
While Elisabeth Moss is well known from the small screen starring in The Handmaid’s Tale and Mad Men has had little success in films, most recently starring in The Kitchen and Us and will be seen later in the year in The French Dispatch and Next Goal Wins.
The trailers have received positive buzz
Blumhouse Productions has had success with women in the lead including
2017’s Happy Death Day opened $26.03m taking $55.68m and $125.47m worldwide
2018’s Truth or Dare opened $18.66m taking $41.41m and $95.33m worldwide
2019’s Happy Death Day 2U opened $9.49m taking $28.05m and $64.5m worldwide
2014’s Ouija opened $19.87m taking $50.85m and $103.59m worldwide
The difference with The Invisible Man is that it’s R-Rated compared with those which were PG-13
Most recently
2019’s Black Christmas opened $4.24m taking $10.42m in the US and $18.52m
- Greed – Sony Pictures Classics
Comedy starring Steve Coogan, David Mitchell, Isla Fisher, Shirley Henderson, Asa Butterfield, Dinita Gohil, Shanina Shaik and Sarah Solemani and written and directed by Michael Winterbottom.
Received world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival receiving mixed reviews (where Sony Pictures acquired rights) and received its UK premiere at the London Film Festival.
