UK Box Office October 2nd -4th 2020 week 40

 

1. Tenet – £628,247  – £15,948,191

Down 3.1% in its sixth weekend; the first film since Joker (£1,668,466) last year to stay at #1 for 6 weeks which was the first film to do so since Avatar in 2010 to remain #1 for 6 weeks (Avatar was #1 for 11 weeks which Tenet will likely overtake, but taking a fraction of the £2,260,319 Avatar took in it’s  #1)

along with 1995’s Star Trek Generations, 1999’s A Bugs Life and 1999’s The World’s Not Enough; (next week it will become the joint third longest #1 alongside 2000’s Toy Story 2 and Gladiator 7 weeks.

With Connected, Death on the Nile and Black Widow delayed Tenet and No Time To Die delayed Tenet could become the longest ever #1 beating 1998’s Titanic the longest ever #1 with 13 consecutive weekends;

But Tenet did drop down to #2 with David Attenborough’s A Life On Our Planet #1 on Monday, while other films remained #1 for the whole period of time.

Lowest #1 since June 9th, 2000 the 6th weekend of Gladiator taking £613,491 and £22,753,751 but has been about 100% ticket inflation since and 1998’s City of Angels (June) £674,705 (2nd weekend); (previous lowest was 1999’s The World is Not Enough £336,718 5th weekend (short Christmas Day weekend December 24th-26th); 1999’s Force of Nature took £493,897 (2nd weekend May 1999);

Dunkirk #1 for 4 weeks; Interstellar #1 for 2 weeks; The Dark Knight Rises #1 for 2 weeks; Inception #1 for 1 week; The Dark Knight #1 for 2 weeks (returned #1 in 5^th week); Batman Begins #1 for 2 weeks; Insomnia #1 for 1 week

Blade Runner 2049 opened with £6,071,625 14% more than Tenet (£5,335,654); while taking much more than Tenet in its second (£3,098,872 Vs £2,151,490) and third (£1,791,027 Vs £1,233,090) weekends in their fourth their box office is remarkably similar as both films despite their hype weren’t able to play beyond their fanbase.

6^th weekend

Batman Begins #6 dropped 31% in 293 screens; (4 films took more than Tenet) #1 Fantastic Four (£3,541,391); Madagascar (£3,272,662); Wedding Crashers (£1,840,352); War of the Worlds (£1,753,266)

The Dark Knight #5 dropped 38% in 396 screens; (7 films took more than Tenet) #1 Step Brothers (£1,681,492); Mamma Mia! (£1,548,894); The Strangers (£1,250,624); Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (£1,025,449); The Dark Knight (£908,618); Get Smart (£710,174); Babylon A.D. (£536,968);  

Inception #6 dropping 36% in 419 screens; (9 films took more than Tenet) #1 The Expendables (£3,935,700); Salt (£2,166,715); Toy Story 3 (£2,107,815); Piranha 3-D (£1,325,324); Marmaduke (£1,243,789); Inception (£1,076,106); Knight & Day (£825,692); The Last Airbender (£591,587); Step Up 3 (£511,366)

The Dark Knight Rises #6 45% drop in 339 screens; (7 films took more than Tenet); #1 Total Recall (£2,493,230); The Watch (£2,235,933); Brave (£1,604,163); Ted (£990,842); The Possession (£979,192); The Dark Knight Rises (£759,838); The Bourne Legacy (£714,020)

Interstellar #10 dropping 65% in 238 screens (5 films took more than Tenet); The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (£9,753,642); Paddington (£2,909,674); The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (£1,089,989); Penguins of Madagascar (£1,051,071); The Imitation Game (£534,554).

Dunkirk #2 dropped 49% in 599 screens (7 films took more than Tenet); American Made (£1,067,075); Dunkirk (£998,531); The Hitman’s Bodyguard (£883,681); Logan Lucky (£705,087); The Emoji Movie (£682,694); Annabelle: Creation (£666,181); Detroit (£658,028).  

Had a similar 6^th weekend close to Quantum of Solace, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, Little Women , Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gravity and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Took +195% Blade Runner 2049 (£213,054); and +167% Parasite (£235,613); +43.7% The Martian (£437,450); +16% Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (£541,886); +6.1% Gravity (£592,321); +4.6% Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (£600,723);

-49.7% A Star Is Born (£1,248,295); -52% Black Panther (£1,308,281); -59.1% Bohemian Rhapsody (£1,534,249); -62.3% Joker (£1,668,466); -68.3% The King’s Speech (£1,986,871); -68% 1917 (£1,950,909); -68.5% Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£1,997,507); -71.5% The Greatest Showman (£2,201,523); 87.8% Avatar (£5,155,844).

Had the 4^th biggest 6^th weekend of 2020 after 1917 (£1,950,909); Jumanji: The Next Level (£1,064,594); Little Women (£659,344); but ahead of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (£541,886); Bad Boys For Life (£432,194) The Gentlemen (£351,323); Parasite (£235,613); Dolittle (£147,740);

In normal circumstance would expected Tenet to take similar to 1917 and Joker in it’s 6^th weekend taking about £1.5m+ Tenet has taken at least 50% less than most people would have expected it to take at the start of the year after 6 weeks.

364^th biggest film in the UK between Bad Boys For Life and Dolittle (close to The Imitation Game, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Django Unchained and Black Swan) and 562^nd biggest inflation inflated between Mulan and Flushed Away (close to The Rock, Trainspotting 2, Lost in Translation and JFK).  

58^th biggest Warner Bros opening between Ready Player One and Kong: Skull Island (close to Mad Max: Fury Road, Batman Begins, The Great Gatsby and The Fugitive) 84^th biggest inflation inflated between Ready Player One and JFK (close to Ocean’s Twelve, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Forever Young and A.I.).

26^h biggest sci-fi film in the UK between Ready Player One and Star Trek Beyond (close to I, Robot, The Matrix, Terminator Salvation and Terminator: Genisys) and 34^th biggest inflation inflated between World War Z and Star Trek Generations (close to Blade Runner 2049, Deep Impact, The X- Files and A.I..

Tenet 6^th weekend took +676.90% Memento; +549.55% Insomnia; +193.64% Interstellar; +114.00% Batman Begins;

But less than 17.32% The Dark Knight Rises; -30.86% The Dark Knight; -37.08% Dunkirk; -41.62% Inception

Tenet has taken +3.16% Batman Begins but -19.16% Interstellar; -49.49% Inception; -65.17% The Dark Knight; -69.14% Dunkirk, -70.76% The Dark Knight Rises

When cinemas closed in March this was the weekend Tenet should have opened, with cinemas reopening in mid-September, as the first weekend of October has been a strong weekend over the last decade for adult dramas; 2019 Joker opened with £12,555,328; 2018 Venom £8,031,342; 2017 Blade Runner 2049 £6,071,625; 2015 The Martian £6,531,734; 2014 Gone Girl £4,109,628; 2012 Taken 2 £7,378,048;

Tenet was the wrong film to reopen cinema as a film with people running around wearing oxygen masks wasn’t going to be the escapism majority of cinemagoers wanted to see at the cinema now,  what they needed was a brainless popcorn crowd pleasers like Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Morbius, F9, Top Gun: Maverick or Hamilton.

From the start of the pandemic, the West should have followed what Asian countries did as South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and China were better prepared for COVID-19 having dealt with SARS.

It was the idiocy of Warner and Disney to play out a game of chicken with Tenet and Mulan as whatever Christopher Nolan believes he isn’t the messiah and opening Tenet in August predictable did more damage than good. 

China closed cinemas 189 days while the UK closed for 109 days, opening 13 weeks earlier all because of Tenet, but despite his delusion of grandeur it wasn’t big enough to ‘save cinema’ needed to open alongside several similar-sized films (originally it was to open against Top Gun: Maverick and between Ghostbusters and Jungle Cruise in the UK). 

While studios will be blamed for delaying films it’s the fault of the industry having no plan apart from Tenet, no strategy apart from Tenet since before lockdown and has always been reactive never proactive.  Predictably this will cause long-term damage to cinema that won’t get back to pre-lockdown levels before 2022, with China replacing the US as the world’s highest-grossing cinema country.

On Friday MGM/Universal Pictures announced they were delaying the release for No Time To Die again to April 2nd, 2021 (exactly a year after it was originally due to be released) this generated much negativity online after it was announced in the Sunday Times that Cineworld were planning to close their cinemas.

The media blamed the studios but after the soft performance of Tenet and the rising Coronavirus cases across Europe last week (France and the UK had their highest ever days) and with parts of the UK in lockdown and hospitality 10pm curfew how could a film the size of No Time To Die possibly open now.

Has been a lot of media coverage over the last few days first announcing the delay of No Time To Die and then the news on Sunday that Cineworld cinemas were closing almost all of it was negative towards the delay of No Time To Die blaming that on the reason why Cineworld was closing, but it’s interesting to see thar AMC and Cinemark have said they aren’t going to close their cinemas in the US.

While Warner and Disney could take the gamble with Tenet and Mulan, MGM depend on James Bond so much if it’s not as big a hit as previous films it could affect the studios plans to rebuild the studio.

No Time To Die is also the first James Bond film for Universal Pictures and the last four Daniel Craig James Bond films have taken over £300m at the UK, after Spectre took £95,183,468 and Skyfall took £102,816,893 in normal circumstances No Time To Die would be expected to take upwards of £90m. With Tenet taking less than half many expected it would take the beginning of the year MGM and Universal Pictures couldn’t possibly take the gamble.

Tenet was comparable to Blade Runner 2049 as both films were critical darlings but regularly cinemagoers would see Tenet as pretentious style over substance film, while positive reviews often help films find their audience as soon as critics called Tenet the film for Nolan fans this probably turned off many.

Blade Runner 2049 took £18,820,009 and Tenet is likely to take similar, which is less than half what most people expected it to take and could have taken if delayed, As like other Christopher Nolan films that critics said were for Nolan fans they managed to play beyond because non fans saw trailers before other films.

Tenet is the 4th biggest film of the year after 1917, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bad Boys For Life and Warner Bros biggest film of the year; at the start of the year most people would have expected Tenet to take £40m+ and be one of the biggest films of the year but now it’s unlikely to take over £18m.

Showing Tenet was never going to be the saviour of cinema that the industry believing it would the only Christopher Nolan film other than Tenet to be #1 for four weeks was Dunkirk. All other Christopher Nolan films opened in crowded marketplaces and that helped them attract a wide audience.

Tenet was meant to open July 16th against Top Gun: Maverick a week after Ghostbusters, two weeks after Minions: The Rise of Gru and a week before Jungle Cruise, which would have likely seen it open #1 but as with Inception be replaced from #1 by Jungle Cruise as inception was with Toy Story 3.

The problem was UK cinemas were having an extraordinarily strong start of the year in January/February with industry ignoring what was happening in China and other countries who closed cinemas down.

While the reopening of cinemas on July 4th was geared to major exhibitors while most independent cinemas would take months longer to be able to reopen and some only managed to do so after receiving grants from the BFI. While there has been nervousness for the majority to return to major exhibitors people have been far happier to return to independent cinemas as they have implemented far stricter safety measures

Despite exhibitors belief Tenet was never going to be strong enough film on its own as all of Christopher Nolan’s films have had been successful in part due to similar sized films opening between them. Originally Tenet was going to open in the UK the same weekend as Top Gun: Maverick and week after Ghostbusters and week before Jungle Cruise and those films would have hugely benefited Tenet. The problem Tenet also had was critics saying it was a film for Nolan fans this was similar to Blade Runner 2049 when critics compared it to the original so mainstream audiences would see it similarly as pretentious. 

The issue is how cinema industry is going to get people back into cinemas as campaigns like #LoveCinema and #ThisIsOurCinema are a waste of time as won’t bring back the nervous majority.

As these campaigns just target the minority that have returned, cinema reopening has been a massive failure by UK Cinema Association and NATO, and they have poorly handled it from February always being reactive not proactive putting all their faith into Nolan to be their saviour.

Cinema industry had a once in a lifetime chance to relaunch cinema to the world China has seen attendance almost return to normal after two months, but the US and UK won’t get back to pre-lockdown levels before 2022 due to their bull in a china shop rush to reopen far too soon.

Unlike Asia, the reopening of cinemas has been poorly handled in the UK and the US with exhibitors behaving like a bull in a china shop despite all the research telling them it could be 6 months or more for before the majority return and cinemas should be for the many, not the few. 

There doesn’t seem to have been any planning as soon as China closed cinemas in January before their most lucrative time of the year the rest of the world should have been concerned but it was business as normal until mid-March. 6th March ‘not seeing any discernible impact in terms of cinema admissions’ despite Pixar having the worst opening that weekend in the UK for Onward. 

Safety measures should have been put in place at the start of March at that time cinemas in other countries were splitting customers, but exhibitors didn’t want to spook their customers even though they were the same one’s buying trolley loads of toilet paper and pasta.

Cinemas reopened far too soon and should have had much tougher safety measures that were discussed by exhibitors months earlier in a Deadline article, there was talk of checkboard seating, booking online only and temperature scanners before entry and a limited concessions being sold. H

To quote the great Ian Malcolm Warner were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should release Tenet now. If Warner had any sense they would announce Tenet going PVOD in the next few weeks alongside theatrical to avoid many watching it illegally online over the next few months, giving those 80% not willing to return to the cinema anytime soon a chance to see it legally.

Cinemas have been reportedly been losing £5.7m a day over the last 24 weeks and over the last four weeks have probably taken about a quarter of this. With Wonder Woman 1984, Connected, Death On the Nile, No Time To Die and Black Widow also delayed it’s unlikely the UK will see UK box office take more than £5.7m a day until Christmas. As Cineworld cinemas close on Thursday, Odeon will go weekend only and Vue will likely follow.

The press has been mostly positive towards cinemas both Guardian and Independent had articles on the front page on August 21st asking if Tenet will save cinema. While over the last six months it generated huge media coverage, almost all of it positive. Warner put them into the firing line dating Tenet despite no other major releases opening alongside it, which was its biggest mistake as all of Christopher Nolan’s films have had their biggest success opening in a crowded marketplace. 

Originally Tenet was due to open against Top Gun: Maverick and between Ghostbusters and Jungle Cruise and as with Inception opening between Twilight: Eclipse and Toy Story 3 it performed very strongly. Was similar to The Dark Knight Rises opening between Ice Age: Continental Drift and Ted. While Christopher Nolan films are blockbusters they need support from other films unlike Marvel, Star Wars and James Bond. 

Tenet needed to open alongside several similar sized films, and it would have then performed far stronger and taken upwards of £30m.

There are many ultracrepidarians who have talked a lot about this, but they should really just keep their mouth shut and talk about things they know as it seems like everyone believes they are an expert when it comes to cinema and box office. Saying that I’ve been reading and monitoring box office for over 30 years, but I’m often told I don’t know what I’m talking about.

The solution would have been reopening several months later when studios were willing to release several high-profile films close together as was idiocy for exhibitors to reopen cinemas on the back of one film. While Tenet received huge media coverage it was never going to be the saviour of cinema on its own. 

The problem was Tenet was the wrong film to reopen cinema, while it might have been the film that generated huge media coverage after Christopher Nolan’s op-ed in the Washington Post in March this made the film’s release political and heralded by the industry as the saviour of cinema.

Tenet was never going to be the saviour of cinema on its own as most people didn’t want to go to the cinema to watch people running around wearing masks they wanted escapism from normality, What they needed was a brainless popcorn crowd pleasers like Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Morbius, F9, Top Gun: Maverick or Free Guy, So many films are called ‘the film we need right now’ but seeing the new trailer on Monday this looks like it is that film a fun escapism popcorn movie.

In January industry should have seen what happened in China and feared the worst especially as over the weeks that followed many more countries were affected, but as the first two months were strong they failed to react before it was too late. In early March said ‘not seeing any discernible impact in terms of cinema admissions’ despite Onward having the lowest ever opening for a Pixar film in the UK that weekend. 

When cinemas closed industry should have come up with a plan and a strategy that was more than just Tenet. In China, Tenet was only supported to The Eight Hundred despite Christopher Nolan films performing strongly, Interstellar $122m and Inception $68m. A far bigger film needed to open alongside Tenet and if studios weren’t willing to open anything else exhibitors should have stayed closed until they were and then they wouldn’t have closed twice in 6 months.

I’m not singling out exhibitors as many governments globally were incompetent being reactive, not proactive, while Asia was much better prepared for COVID-19 having dealt with SARS. 

Surely the rest of the world should have seen how Asia dealt with COVID-19 and done similar? The industry should have seen what happened in China in January and other Asian countries soon after and prepared for the worst-case scenario. Spanish Flu took a week to travel the globe in 1918 by boat COVID travelled the globe within 24 hours by plane. Cinema industry should have been far better-prepared industry knowing what was coming if they had done their homework watching Contagion to The Rise of Planet of the Apes, that what was happening in China would spread globally quickly and should have prepared.

As with every natural disaster, there has been a historical document made about it first so surely the answer is if an impending disaster is coming to learn from them?

As always with exhibitors, there was much talking but little action, in April Deadline had article ‘Reopening Hollywood: How Theatre Chains Will Try To Restore Customer Confidence In Moviegoing’ had they done everything they spoke of as Asian countries did confidence would have returned far quicker to the 80%+ who currently aren’t comfortable going back to the cinema anytime soon.

Many safety measures were discussed in that article including checkboard seating, (exhibitors have a two seat gap on the sides but there is no gap in front or behind, while it might be a 1m gap this doesn’t make cinemagoers comfortable, with films playing in multiple screens there was no reason why it couldn’t be done. In some German cinemas they removed the seats from each sides.

The other was temperature checks while they aren’t 100% reliable they do make people feel much more confident and comfortable when they drop children off at school or get a haircut. The other would have been to limited the concession sales or make ban food from some screens as the thought of people eating and drinking close by would put many people off, I know it does me in normal circumstances.

A second lockdown will do even more damage to confidence in cinema which was already extremely low after most believed cinemas had reopened far too soon and while from March exhibitors always had Tenet as their canary in the coalmine who will be willing to be the second one after Tenet experiment failed despite what many say.

The 9 Christopher Nolan films have taken almost £258m at the UK box office (almost £300m inflation inflated).

2. Cats & Dogs: Paws Unite! – £456,531 – NE

Had the 28^th biggest opening of the year between Bill & Ted Face the Music and Bloodshot and the 5^th biggest opening since cinemas reopened between Bill & Ted Face the Music and Unhinged.

Third part of the Cats and Dog’s film series opening 19 years after the first film was released, in normal circumstances it would go straight to DVD as it did in the US on digital in September and on DVD in October. `

Cats and Dogs opened in August 2001 with £3,707,358 taking £23,013,391 (£40,134,464 inflation inflated); despite poor reviews the film performed strongly and played for 14 weeks in the top 15 and was one of the biggest films of 2001.

Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore opened in August 2010 with £1,553,005 taking £3,972,149 (£4,819,986 inflation inflated).

Films about cats and dogs have immensely popular over the years in cinemas with films including om 2009’s Marley And Me opening with £4.4m taking £15.4m; 1992’s  Beethoven taking £6.8m; 1993’s Beethoven’s 2nd taking £5.8m; 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose opened £1,300,097 (including £667,168 previews) taking £3.2m and 2010’s Hachi: A Dog’s Tale opened £442,753 taking £1,048,876 and also the two The Secret Life of Pets films, the first opened with £9,580,039 in 2016 taking £35,825,195, the second in £3,490,598 taking £18,638,365.

Children’s films have been the one genre that has dome well over the last 14 weeks since cinemas reopened of course this this summer should have seen Pixar and Illumination battle for animation supremacy with Soul and Minions: The Rise of Gru opening in June/July, with Soul delayed to November and Minions: The Rise of Gru to next July.

Warner announced on Friday the Robert Zemeckis-directed reboot of Roald Dahl’s The Witches starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci originally  due to be released this month will be released om HBO Max on October 23rd.

Roald Dahl’s film adaptations Roald Dahl perform far stronger internationally than in the US (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, James and the Giant Peach and Matilda),  Warner Bros UK released HBO Max’s An American Pickle in August and Sony Pictures are releasing Netflix’s reimagination of Matilda next year in cinemas going straight to Netflix everywhere else.

It will of course be a massive gamble for Warner to release The Witches in cinemas in the UK as have been rumours of a UK wide two-week lockdown over half-term.

3. After We Collided – £390,298 – £3,198,469

Down 24.1% in its fifth weekend;

While most films have underperformed since cinemas reopened 14 weeks ago the two genres of films that have performed well are children’s films (Onward, 100% Wolf, Trolls World Tour and Pinocchio) all held well over the weeks from their low starting points and pre-teen/young teen films as they are a demographic who have been happy to return to the cinema since they reopened in July. 

So, when you have a film like After We Collided that has a small but strong very loyal preteen/young teen following they will go and see the film, After We Collided has probably taken the same box office it would have taken in normal circumstances, the industry has only gone completely over the top with it over the last month as it’s been the one positive that has come out of the last 14 weeks.

Over the years studios have released many films based on young adult novels, they have received strong marketing and generate strong coverage on social media but this rarely becomes bums on seats and after the first film went to Netflix might have expected that the fans would then wait to see the sequel also on Netflix, but there was a lot of disappointment from the fanbase that the original film wasn’t released in cinemas which fuelled the demand for the sequel.

Away from breakout franchises including The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight and Maze Runner most other young adult films have taken similar between 2015’s Paper Towns £3.4m and 2012’s he Perks Of Being A Wallflower £2.1m

The only difference with After We Collided is that it took several weeks to get to that level as it opened in only 42 screens rather than 400+ screen. The only difference with After We Collided to these films is that it was given a 15 certificate and like teen horrors hurts the box office potential for them as older teens won’t be interested in these films,

This forces underage audiences to either buy tickets for other films as was the case with Blue Story or get their oldest looking friend to buy tickets, as teens will always buy tickets for older category films.

Anna Todd One Direction fanfiction has been compared to 50 Shades of Grey fanfiction of Twilight and described as a PG-13 rated version of 50 Shades of Grey. After the first film went straight to Netflix in the UK last July after soft box office in the US in April 2019 the sequel was off the radar of all major exhibitors and distributors as neither saw much box office potential for the film.

Despite currently split up One Direction and Harry Styles especially gets huge social media coverage, he made a surprise cameo appearance on Saturday as the voice of Joe Biden’s Harry Styles meditation tape on Saturday Night Live and generated again similar huge coverage over the crazy rumours that he is to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. So it shouldn’t come to shock to anyone that the fans of his fan fiction would want to see After We Collided.

There is a small but very loyal fanbase for After books in the UK and they were disappointed original film didn’t get cinema release. While most films since the reopening have underperformed After We Collided has probably done as it would have done in normal circumstances as if it’s a film people want to see they will see it no matter what’s happening.

After opening in only 42 screens performing strongly then major exhibitors bookers took notice and added 336 screens going far too wide as so often happens.

Exhibitors have had little to smile about since early March, why they see the performance of After We Collided such a surprise, but it has more to do with film booker choices and using algorithms to predict box office rather than understanding the kind of audience these films play to and understanding the market.

The problem is everyone thinks they are a box office expert, but you need to understand how different films work and that fans know when films open they don’t need expensive marketing campaigns. 

While with a film like After We Collided they completely ignored as the original film flopped and didn’t have a theatrical release in the UK. While it didn’t break box office records across Europe it performed well, and exhibitor bookers would see there was an opportunity with the film as the 42 cinemas who originally booked the film saw. It’s unfair on those exhibitors that After We Collided went so wide and the major exhibitors who refused to book the film originally have taken away potential box office for them.

Always go back to the film Big and Josh saying he doesn’t get it, despite being told if he read the industry breakdown their success in the action figure has climbed from 27% to 45%, while industry algorisms might see this cinemagoers don’t choose their films by algorithms, why William Goldman’s famous quote from his 1983 book Adventures in the Screen Trade still rings true today “Nobody knows anything…… Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess and, if you’re lucky, an educated one.”

When After We Collided opened far stronger than many expected taking £256k from 42 screens three weeks ago, major exhibitors took notice and immediately booked into 336 more screens taking £442,661 up 72% from 378 last weekend.  In its third weekend increased another 30% and is expected to play in over 500 screens next weekend.

The sequel After We Collided was directed by Roger Kumble best known for directing 1999’s Cruel Intentions (took £4,080,631) and The Sweetest Thing (took £2,163,344) but in the years since is best known for directed many TV series including Pretty Little Liars and Suits.

After We Collided will be released in cinemas and on VOD in the US in October; After opened in April 2019 with $6m taking $12.13m but took $57.59m internationally and $69.73m worldwide; After We Collided has taken $30m from 18 territories over the last three weeks.

4. Bill & Ted Face the Music – £146,594 – £1,067,997

Down 32.3% in its third weekend

Even if I had weekend box office numbers for the first two  films to compare it would be impossible to compare Bill & Ted Face the Music with them as 31 years later since Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure the market has changed drastically as has the audience. In 1989 when the first film was released Keanu Reeves was an unknown actor who had small roles in two vastly different films Dangerous Liaisons and Parenthood. While Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was released in the UK by a small independent distributor Castle Pictures, so  the film only had an extremely limited theatrical release in the UK, before finding a much wider audience on video.

Bill & Teds Bogus Journey took £5,290,335 in 1992 with 1,745,985 admissions an average ticket price of £3.03 (£12,606,013 inflation inflated 140% ticket inflation since); it was surprising to see Bill & Teds Bogus Journey was the 16th biggest film of 1992; one of 7 sequels in the top 20 Lethal Weapon 3, Batman Returns, Home Alone; Lost in New York, Alien 3, Patriot Games and three remakes Hook,  Cape Fear and Father of the Bride.

Often films are heralded as “the movie we need right now” but Bill & Ted Face the Music is that film as its 90 minutes of popcorn fun, it’s a Ronseal film as the two Jumanji films were, it does exactly what it says on the can. Bill & Ted Face the Music might be the third film of the series but unlike a Christopher Nolan film audiences don’t need do homework before they go to the cinema and afterwards to try to make sense of the film.

It’s just a shame that more people didn’t go to see it, but it was the kind of film that would always struggle to find an audience at this current time, especially after the film was released in cinemas and VOD three weeks earlier in the US so many people had streamed it illegally before it opened in the UK.  The film was originally due to open on August 28th the same date as the US but was delayed after Tenet was moved there, it might have helped both films had it opened against Tenet as the problem Tenet had was it needed to open against other similar sized films.

After Orion Pictures released the film in cinemas and on VOD same day Warner should have done similar I the UK especially after it’s three-week delay, the problem of course is major exhibitors wouldn’t book it and would have opened in a fraction of the 550+ screens it opened in.

As The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music will remain in the top 10 far longer than it would in normal circumstances due to a lack of new content but will attract a very limited audience both films should be allowed to go to PVOD now and as seen with films like Onward and Trolls World Tour those people who want to see it in the cinema can do but people can legally watch it online. The current theatrical window should be voided until the start of next year at the earlier with films being allowed to go to PVOD within two weeks of theatrical.

5. The Elkins – £131,374  – NE

The one genre of films that has performed well over the last 14 weeks has been children’s films.  Disney re-releasing Onward despite being released on digital and DVD it has performed well over the last 14 weeks taking over £2m. Similarly, Universal Pictures released Trolls World Tour in cinemas and again despite it being released on digital and DVD during lockdown still taken £900k since cinemas reopened.

The first new children’s film Dreambuilders opened July 17 taking £12,407 from 51 cinemas released by Signature Entertainment went on to take £358,188 over 8 weeks. Followed by 100% Wolf opening two weeks later with £33,130 from 146 screens from Vertigo taking £1.4m after 10 weeks. Pinocchio opened 2 weeks later with £108,626 from 272 screens also released by Vertigo taking £829,967 after 8 weeks.

These box office numbers are a long way from what Minions: The Rise of Gru was expected to take this summer and what Trolls World Tour would have taken in April if cinemas hadn’t closed but it does show there has been steady growth over the last 14 weeks from these smaller films that would normally have one week and out and Cineworld and Odeon are doing a disservice to those independent distributors who took a massive gamble opening these films in cinemas for them to say if No Time To Die doesn’t open we are closing out cinemas.

The rebuilding of confidence with people going to the cinema will belong as while exhibitors have talked a lot about the safety measures they come short of the far stricter safety measures seen in Asian countries that helped boost confidence with cinemagoers much quicker and with a mix of local films and smaller releases admissions in many of those countries is slowly getting back to normal.

Over the last 14 weeks, it has been films released by independent distributors including Vertigo, Signature Entertainment, Trafalgar, and Altitude have released the majority of new releases. They took the gamble to release films ahead of the major studios and many of the films have been steady performers with films like 100% Wolf in the top 10 for 10 weeks. In normal circumstances, Vertigo would be lucky if it lasted more than a week in the top 10.

This weekend 9 of the top 15 were released by independent distributors and that would be 10 if Netflix reported box office for The Trail of the Chicago 7 which opened in about 180 independent cinemas including all Everyman and Curzon cinemas and many Showcase, Light and Empire cinemas.

Also released

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• The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Netflix

As always Netflix didn’t report box office figures for The Trial of the Chicago 7, but as the film played in about 180 independent cinemas including Everyman, Curzon, Light, Showcase and Empire cinemas would have expected the film to have taken about £60k which would have seen it in the top 10.

The film will be released on Netflix on October 16^th; before Netflix acquired the film in June for $56m the film was due to be released by Paramount Pictures in the US and Entertainment Film Distributors in the UK in October. Due to COVID-19 and filmmakers wanting to get the film released before the US elections and that adult dramas have struggled to find an audience in cinemas over recent years.

The film has been in development for many years with Steven Spielberg originally attached to direct the Aaron Sorkin scripted film in 2007 he was replaced by Paul Greengrass and spent several more years in development went he also left the project to be replaced by Aaron Sorkin in 2018 who had just directed Molly’s Game.

The film has received positive reviews (91% Rotten Tomatoes) and seen as major Oscar contender.

The film was released on the 10^th anniversary of Aaron Sorkin’s scripted The Social Network.

• On the Rocks – A24

Opened with £93,821 from 69 screens

The comedy-drama starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones and written and directed by Sofia Coppola received a world premiere at New York Film Festival in September getting critical acclaim; released in cinemas on October 2nd before being released on Apple TV om October 23rd.

Bill Murray previously starred in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 Lost in Translation which opened in the UK with £797,071 but had exceptionally long legs taking £9,865,162 12.4x  opening. The 11th longest legged film at the UK box office after The Full Monty, Sense and Sensibility, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Slumdog Millionaire, East Is East, Titanic, Gosford Park, Emma, The King’s Speech and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

• David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet – Altitude

Took £92,052 from encore screening over the weekend after taking £204,615 on Monday which saw it open #1 ahead of Tenet playing in 404 screens. The documentary is released on Netflix this week. There have been several releases over recent weeks that have had a short cinema release and then moved to stream but they mostly played in independent cinemas.

During these times studios would be more willing to give a theatrical release to many films they are either holding back or releasing straight to streaming or DVD if the current theatrical window were voided over the next few months and films could be released on streaming within weeks.

There was a suggestion from many box office experts that Warner should release Tenet digitally now which would allow the people who haven’t been able to see the film either from the film not playing in a cinema near them or that they don’t feel comfortable going back to the cinema to see it legally and not watch the many illegal streams online.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £2,206,665 up 17.8% from last weekend (£1,873,279)

The weekend admissions 306,628 down 16.4% from last week (263,471); admissions last year this week was 2,502,042 (xx% down)

My latest estimate for 2020 box office is £400m about a third of last year’s £1.227bn; UK BO was only £294m after 37 weeks; with Black Widow, Death on the Nile and No Time To Die delayed box office is likely to be the lowest annual box office since 1995 (£383m)

Top 3 took £1,475,076 66.8% of £2,206,665; Tenet 28.5% (£628,247); Cats & Dogs: Paws Unite! 20.7% (£456,531); After We Collided 17.8% (£390,298);

Down 86.3% from 2019 (£16,103,371) of the top 10; Joker (£12,555,328); Judy (£2,086,969); Downtown Abbey (£1,461,074); #1 Joker £12,555,328 1^st week 666 screens (66.8%)

Down 88.7% from 2018: (£19,552,430); Venom (£8,031,342); Johnny English Strikes Again (£4,117,692); A Star is Born (£4,100,196); Aida – Met Opera 2018 (£302,179); Blindspotting (£28,231); #1 Venom £8,031,342 1st week 556 screens (41.1%)

Up 80.6% from 2017: (£11,370,381); Blade Runner 2049 (£6,071,625); The Mountain Between Us (£777,646); Norma – Met Opera 2017 (£224,794); The Glass Castle (£49,425); #1 Blade Runner 2049 £6,071,625 1st week 634 screens (54.4% of the top 10)

Up 83.1% from 2016: (£13,075,476); Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (£3,473,781); Deepwater Horizon (£1,984,340); Supersonic (£542,263); Free State of Jones (£118,635); Swiss Army Man (£80,403); #1 Bridget Jones’s Baby £4,807,165 3rd week 646 screens 26% drop (36.7% of the top 10)

Up 80.6% from 2015; (£11,352,036); The Martian (£6,531,734); The Intern (£758,713); Macbeth (£746,642); Il Trovatore – Met Opera 2015 (£234,387); Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (£151,087); #1 The Martian £6,531,734 1st week 582 screens (57.5% of top 10)

Up 79.4% from 2014: (£10,716,576); Gone Girl (£4,109,628); Dracula Untold (£1,713,283); Bang Bang (£602,193); Dolphin Tale 2 (£536,766); Life After Beth (£53,427); #1 Gone Girl £4,109,628 1st week 549 screens (33% drop (38.3% of top 10)

Up 62.7% from 2013: (£5,923,584); Sunshine on Leith (£770,239); How I Live Now (£232,400); Thanks for Sharing (£188,906); The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (£38,432); The to do List (£13,512);  #1 Prisoners £1,107,641 2nd week 437 screens 19% drop (18.7% of top 10)

Up 83.5% from 2012 (£13,375,585); Taken 2 (£7,378,048); Sinister (£1,435,722); The Perks of Being a Wallflower (£827,983); Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (£13,391); Sparkle (£15,911); #1 Taken 2 £7,378,048 1st week 506 screens (55.1% of top 10)

Down 80.8% 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)

Down 65.4% from 2010: (£6,372,852); Buried (£820,631); Made in Dagenham (£674,059); Back to the Future (Re) (£461,194); Takers (£208,390); The Secret of Kells (£6,151); #1 The Other Guys £976,459 3rd week 427 screens 4% drop (15.3% of top 10)

Down 72.3% from 2009; (£7,977,997); The Invention of Lying (£1,735,326); Toy Story 3D (£1,395,209); Pandorum (£346,097); #1 Fame £1,786,358 2nd week 460 screens (22.4% of top 10)

Down 64.8% from 2008; (£6,269,596); How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (£1,154,607); Brideshead Revisited (£375,270); Fly Me to the Moon 3-D (£311,791); 88 Minutes (£92,761); #1 How to Lose Friends and Alienate People £1,154,607 1st week 451 screens (18.4% of top 10)

Down 61.2% from 2007: (£5,687,298); The Heartbreak Kid (£1,236,288); The Kingdom (£919,537); And When Did You Last See Your Father (£133,347); Daywatch (£95,574); Feast of Love (£38,463); #1 The Heartbreak Kid £1,236,288 1st week 409 screens (21.7% of top 10)

Down 78.4% from 2006; (£10,215,688); The Devil Wears Prada (£3,267,580); The Departed (£2,298,313); Accepted (£349,897); #1 The Devil Wears Prada £3,267,580  1st week 447 screens (31.9% of top 10)

Down 65.4% from 2005 (£6,378,025); A History of Violence (£1,135,345); Goal! (£857,253); Four Brothers (£789,718); Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (£280,414); #1 Pride and Prejudice £1,473,0623rd week 412 screens 24% drop (23.1% of top 10)

Down 69.2% from 2004 (£7,170,652); Saw (£1,239,813); Layer Cake (£1,090,561); Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (£628,808); Man About Dog (£134,924); The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (£125,748); De-Lovely (£117,789); Dead Man’s Shoes (£44,361);  #1 Wimbledon £1,499,011 2nd week 446 screens 12% drop (20.9% of top 10)

Down 74.2% from 2003 (£8,536,497); Bad Boys 2 (£3,175,258); Down With Love (£599,047); Bright Young Things (£327,293); Finding Nemo (platform) (£152,793); #1 Bad Boys 2 £3,175,258 1st week 383 screens (37.2% of top 10)

Down 72.1% from 2002 (£7,906,650); Lilo & Stitch (£1,516,249); My Little Eye (£893,633); Boat Trip (£425,325); One Hour Photo (£420,500); Sweet Sixteen (£144,388); #1 Lilo & Stitch £1,516,249 1sr week 280 screens (19.1% of top 10)

Down 59.6% from 2001 (£5,465,628); Amelie (£559,747); Driven (£144,591); Original Sin (£96,622); #1 Moulin Rouge £1,072,657 5th week #1 3rd week 397 screens 20% drop (19.6% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2019: 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); 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);

UK Box Office since the restart

848 cinemas were reopened before lockdown last weekend 659 cinemas had reopened 78% of cinemas have now reopened with most cinemas now from all of the major cinema chains with 164 independent cinemas still haven’t reopened.  The reopening of cinema on July 4^th was geared to major exhibitors leaving independent cinemas struggling until grants from the BFI before they were able to reopen, some independent cinemas received the grants last week that will help them reopen over the next few months.

UK cinemas have now been open for 14 weeks with box office up 1,183% from £189,000 to   £2,425,745 but with a similar increase in the percentage of screens opened than the first weekend (from 42 cinemas+ drive-ins (460 screens) to 670 cinemas+ drive-ins (5,564 screens up 1,075%) last weekend) (Tenet took 28.4% of the weekend’s box office, last year #1 Joker (£12,555,328) 66.8%

Week 1 £189,000 from 460 screens (73 cinemas) 141 films on release

Week 2; Up 76.2% £333,002 (182 films) from 1,059 screens (123 cinemas 85 from the UK the rest from Ireland and drive-ins) up 130.2%; The Empire Strikes Back (40th Anniversary opening with £50,406 from 1012 screens)

Week 3: Down 7.5% £308,154 (191 films) from 151 cinemas and  1,286 screens up 21.4%

Week 4: Up 30.7% £402,752 (214 films) from 185 cinemas and 1,734 screens Up 34.8%

Week 5: Up 61.8% £651,914 (218 films) from 3,016 screens (326 cinemas reopened) up 74%; Unhinged opened with £175,263 from 243 screens)

Week 6: Down 17.4% £538,716 (236 films) from 338 cinemas and 3,393 screens up 12.5%: American Pickle opened with £27,732 from 162 screens

Week 7: Up 85.2% £997,837 (269 films) from 366 cinemas; Inception: 10th Anniversary opened £207,675 from 313 screens

Week 8: Up 10.9% £1,107,153 (264 films) from 3,889 screens (491 cinemas) up 21.5%

Week 9: Up 462.2% £6,224,288 (204 films) from 3, 856 (629 cinemas); Tenet opened with 85.7% (£5,335,654)

Week 10:  Down 39.8%  £3,746,637 (198 films) 658 cinemas (198 films on release; 487 England

Week 11: Down 25% £2,812,496 from 5,522 screens

Week 12: Down 7.4%  £2,603,624 from 5,401 screens; 613 cinemas

Week 13: Down 18.9% £2,112,443 from 5,564 screens 620 cinemas

Week 14: Up 14.8% £2,425,745 from 5113

This time last year UK box office was xx% more taking £18,790,335; Joker 66.8% (£12,555,328); Judy 11.1% (£2,086,969); Downtown Abbey 7.7% (£1,461,074);

In Tenet’s opening week UK box office was £7.85m 50% down from what it took the same weekend last year (£17m) and the last weekend of August is normally a soft weekend being the last weekend of the summer holidays and a weekend distributors would dump films out. So with the release of Tenet, the biggest film to be released the last weekend of August for 20 years should have been much closer to last years box office levels especially as the opening included £2m from previews.

Unlike Asia, the reopening of cinemas has been poorly handled in the UK and the US with exhibitors behaving like a bull in a china shop despite all the research telling them it could be 6 months or more for before the majority return and cinemas should be for the many, not the few.

San Francisco cinemas will be allowed to reopen from October but unlike other cinemas that have reopened in the US, concessions will not be allowed to be sold. It will be interesting to see if exhibitors still reopen cinemas as with 1,200%+ mark-up on popcorn concessions are where exhibitors make their real money and why they see eating and drinking inside an auditorium as a necessity and see themselves as part of the hospitality sector.

There doesn’t seem to have been any planning as soon as China closed cinemas in January before their most lucrative time of the year the rest of the world should have been concerned but it was business as normal until mid-March. 6th March ‘not seeing any discernible impact in terms of cinema admissions’ despite Pixar having the worst opening that weekend in the UK for Onward.

The problem with the UK exhibitors has been dependent on US films to fill their cinemas and many ‘British’ films that are made by the US studios. The countries that have had success relaunches have had strong success from local releases including China and South Korea. China, Korea & Japan are now stable because unlike other countries including the USA and UK government demanded far stricter safety measures when cinemas reopened, and exhibitors are now reaping the benefits.

Rather than putting all their eggs in Tenet, exhibitors should have talked with all distributors to get them to release their British and non-US films and built a marketing campaign around them, with discounted tickets and free downloads of other films. With Rank selling of Pinewood Studios, Odeon cinemas, film distributor they could have had the infrastructure in place to compete with the studios as Rank did in the 40s to 60s.

The National Lottery has invested hundreds of millions into the British film industry over the last 26 years but rather than investing per project this money should have been spent building the infrastructure of a self-sufficient film studio. They did try with the National Lottery franchises in the mid-90s investing £92m over 6 years but was poorly handled.

Asian countries dealt with COVID far quicker as immediately brought in draconian measures the West feared to implement including a far better big brother track and trace in February, as the West couldn’t do similar lockdown needed to be much longer.

While the West worried about privacy, civil liberties and GDPR Asian countries did what had to be done, as these countries got infected sooner than the West and have dealt with other COVIDs before the West should have done exactly what they did if they wanted to avoid the second wave.

The West should have followed in the footsteps of Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea, showing how successful they have been Vietnam’s COVID safety video has been watched over 63m times on YouTube.

The short-term loss for long-term gain only need to see how China implemented far stricter safety measures when they reopened, and people returned at far higher numbers than the US or UK and capacity is being increased to 75% now.

I have followed the Coronavirus outbreak and how it has affected the cinema industry since January, so my comments are in hindsight I believed in late January when China shut their cinemas days before their New Year, the most lucrative time of the year for cinema in China, that the west should have prepared for the worst then, but I believe as cinema attendance was very strong in January and February the industry was in denial of the incoming pandemic, the fault must go with the industry bodies who weren’t prepared and have been reacting to issues ever since.

With a quarter of the UK under lockdown now and few parts of the country that returned into lockdown have come out of lockdown and a lockdown threatened by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for the last few weeks and the soft performance of Tenet how could a distributor possibly open any major films over the next few months. A second lockdown is expected in Scotland from Friday and many expect a similar lockdown across the rest of the UK very soon as cases continue to increase dramatically.

I have been a broken record since before lockdown when I said cinemas shouldn’t have reopened before October and reopening cinemas in July would cause long-term damage, this has happened with the news Cineworld is to close their cinemas on Thursday and Odeon cinemas will only be open Fri-Sun.

Cineworld’s 127 UK cinemas that include Picturehouse cinemas take about a third of the box office, but it would be interesting to know what percentage of sales comes from Cineworld  Unlimited and if that increased over the last 14 weeks as I would image it’s the subscription cinema customers who have been going much more since cinemas reopened than regular cinemagoers.

The problem has been the dependency UK has on US product and even ‘British’ films are mostly funded by the US despite hundreds of millions spent by the lottery over the last 26 years, this should have been spent on building self-sufficient UK studio rather than per project investment?

As the countries that have had successful relaunches of cinema have had strong local successes including The Eight Hundred, Peninsula and Father There is Only One 2 opening alongside US films, why aren’t the UK releasing Dream Horse, Our Ladies and Blithe Spirit now?

It’s easy for exhibitors to blame US studios not to release their films but are many more British films that could be released and have the support of exhibitors to promote and marketing them as part of a feel-good British your country needs you to go back to the cinema campaign?

US Box Office

• Tenet – Warner Bros

Down 21% in its fifth weekend taking $2.7m and $45.1m total (14% of total worldwide box office) Tenet is expected to take about $65m just a little bit more than inception opened with 10 years ago and less than it was expected to open with at the start of the year; took $355k down 25% from IMAX taking $5.1m (12.4% of US BO).

NATO showed again how slow they have been in dealing with Coronavirus sending a letter to Congress on Wednesday saying, “Movie theatres may not survive”, the letter was signed by exhibitors, filmmakers, Directors Guild of America, and the Motion Picture Association. This letter should surely have been sent over 3 months ago, but at that time NATO believed that Christopher Nolan would be the saviour of cinema, but Tenet was never going to “save” cinema on its own.

Problem was there was no plan no strategy behind the reopening, soon as cinemas shut in March all films release dates should have been TBC and exhibitors and studios made a reopening plan consisting of a slate of films, the problem as always exhibitors are reactive, not proactive.

Much of the blame has to go on Christopher Nolan as had he not been adamant Tenet had to open this summer then cinemas wouldn’t have reopened as quickly and not been in this predictable position with no new major releases for almost 2 months.

When cinemas shut in March exhibitors and studios should have worked together in implementing a reopening strategy, a once in a lifetime chance to relaunch cinema globally, but instead, the reopen feels like it was cobbled together at the last moment.

The trade bodies NATO, UKCA, UNIC should have been working on the reopening getting studios and exhibitors working together globally immediately cinemas lockdown, but the same incompetence that has been part of many global governments is within these organisations as they have been reacting to issues rather than being proactive.

Movie theatres will temporarily close movie theatres due to rising COVID-19 cases in Montreal and Quebec City for 28 days in October under government order. Canadian movie theatres reopened in July/August ahead of the release of Tenet.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been standing firm against the demands of exhibitors to allow movie theatres to reopen, saying on Monday ‘We’re still in a pandemic’, in June he told exhibitors what was required before he would allow movie theatres to reopen and that was to install MERV 13 filters but still many haven’t got them fitted. In AMC Theatres safety video they say they have upgraded to MERV 13 filters but then in small letters, it says wherever possible and they aren’t letting customers known which theatres have them fitted.

NATO’s John Fithian can moan all he wants about New York movie theatres still not being open but he should be telling the exhibitors to do what is required to the highest level, not the minimum required which it seems to be, as that is the difference between the safety measures in the US and the UK compared to Asia and why admissions are getting back to normal far quicker in Asia and have barely grown in the US and the UK.

NATO’s John Fithian has also used New York movie theatres not being reopened as the excuse for why the movie theatre business is in crisis and close to bankruptcy, but both Regal and AMC Theatres were in trouble ling before Coronavirus due to their high levels of debt. Even if there wasn’t a lockdown this year many analysts predicted that both Regal and AMC would be struggling as 2020 box office was expected to be much lower than last year.

One-in-five Americans have said they will not go to a movie theatre until there is a vaccine and 80% of cinemagoers won’t return for at least 6 months which leaves only the cinephiles who would go to the cinema no matter what, but cinema should be for the many, not the few and studios make their biggest films to be seen by the widest audience possible.

One analyst said on Monday that studios should take a hit on these films to help out exhibitors. Studios would be more accommodating to release more films now if exhibitors would agree to flexible theatrical window and films opening over the next 6+ months can go to PVOD within 28 days if they fail to find an audience in cinemas. But it’s complete idiocy to say that studios should open these films now as shown with Tenet the majority of cinemagoers aren’t ready to return as they don’t feel comfortable going back to the cinema, so exhibitors need to do much more to make the majority feel comfortable.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, formerly the executive director of the Detroit health department said in a New York Times article last week “I hate to be a killjoy, but I think we need to forgo these things for now so we can get back faster to a world where we can enjoy them”…. “Anything indoors is a risk, he said, and we’re moving toward flu season when people will be gathering indoors more.”

John Swartzberg (infectious disease specialist and clinical professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley) said “How important is this versus the risk of it? No matter how exacting the cleaning protocols sound or how limited the number of patrons, there is no zero-risk scenario. The virus doesn’t know whether you’re at a museum, the grocery store or a movie theatre — it just transmits more easily in enclosed spaces where you have many people coming together”. … “If you choose to go, look for theatres that are very spacious, have limited occupancy and enhanced air filtration systems, although it’s hard to really know what you’re getting with the air — you’re at the mercy of how well the engineers have set it up.”

Dr Rimoin (professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles) said “Wear the best mask you can, or even goggles or a face shield. “You may feel silly, but they reduce your risk,” Dr Rimoin said. Keep that mask on throughout the movie — meaning yes, skip the popcorn. In fact, forgo any snacks, and if you must have a drink, sip it through a straw underneath your mask… But you’d be better off avoiding the concession stand — and the need to stand in line with other people entirely.”

These comments are similar to most medical experts and what Dr Anthony Fauci said on the Daily Show three weeks ago when Trevor Noah asked if there was a need to wear a face mask in a cinema if there were only two other people far away, he said that he would keep the mask on all of the time just to be safe because he’s indoors.

While normally a 30% drop would be very impressive for a film Tenet started at such a low point and it’s dropped over the last two weekends have been bigger than The New Mutants which received terrible reviews and much worse word of mouth and negative media coverage for the last two years.

The short-term loss for long-term gain only need to see how China implemented far stricter safety measures when they reopened, and people returned at far higher numbers than the US or UK and capacity is being increased to 75% now. Japan and South Korea implemented far stricter safety measures when their cinemas and have seen a far quicker increase in admissions as territories that had weaker safety measures.

It was predictable exhibitors current safety measures wouldn’t make the majority feel safe going back to the cinema anytime soon as it was predictable the Tenet experiment was going to fail. If a studio is going to risk opening another major release before November exhibitors need to go much further on safety measures or else shut down again till late 2021.

This is different to China, Korea & Japan were admissions have been growing strongly over the weeks of cinemas reopening as their government demanded far stricter safety measures when cinemas reopened, and exhibitors are now reaping the benefits. Which was a very predictable short-term loss for long-term gain, but the problem is exhibitors only think short-term.

8^th biggest film of 2020 between Onward and The Gentlemen; 1,926^th biggest film in the US between The Great Wall and The Giver; 315^th biggest Warner Bros film between The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Hall Pass; 2,897^th biggest inflation inflated between Invictus and    The Wedding Date.

Took $355k from 293 IMAX screens in the US 25% drop and $5.1m total; 12.4% of the total box office;

While Warner and Disney played out a $1bn game of chicken with Tenet and Mulan since the start of lockdown in March. At the start of the year, these two films could have taken $2bn+ between then, but now they will likely take a quarter as much. Universal, Paramount and Sony Pictures went for different approach delaying many of their films a year to 2021.

Dunkirk took $520m WW; Interstellar $654m WW: The Dark Knight Rises $1.08bn WW; Inception $834m WW; The Dark Knight $1bn WW: Batman Begins $359m WW; Insomnia $114m WW.

Took $14.2m from 59 territories (down 29% from last weekend) $262m total and $307m worldwide; China $64.3m; UK $20.9m; France $20m; Germany $16.1m; Japan $15.9m; Korea $14.2m

Took $1.4m in IMAX in 43 markets taking $29.3m globally worldwide from IMAX 11.3% of the total global box office and 32% of its box office came from PLF/Premium Large Formats including IMAX and Dolby Cinema.

Tenet is the 3^rd biggest film of the year in the world between Bad Boys For Life $424.61m and Sonic the Hedgehog $306.76m.

292^nd biggest international film between Sex and the City and The Mummy; 2^nd biggest film internationally in 2020 between The Eight Hundred and Bad Boys For Life; 53^rd biggest Warner Bros film internationally between Sex and the City and It: Chapter Two.

474^th biggest film worldwide between Ransom and The Pursuit of Happyness; 85^th biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist and The Blind Side; (Batman Begins #71; Dunkirk #26; Inception #21; The Dark Knight #6; The Dark Knight Rises

• Hocus Pocus – Disney (2020 re-release)

Opened with $1.92m from 2,570 screens (taking $650k from Friday)

Hocus Pocus originally opened in July 1993 with $4.12m taking $39.51m over the years since received a cult following on video. Earlier this year it was announced Disney will make a sequel for Disney+ with the original cast (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) expected to star directed by Adam Shankman (previously directed musicals Hairspray and Rock of Ages).

2,111^th biggest film in the US between Private Parts and The French Connection; 1,603rd biggest inflation inflated between Underworld: Evolution and Meet Joe Black; 278^th  biggest Disney film between Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and Three Fugitives

• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – Disney/Fox

Dropped 63.1% taking $335k and $2.25m

Re-released in cinemas for its 40^th anniversary as it was in the UK in July opening with £50,406 from 101 screens.

The film was previously re-released as part of the 30^th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope in February 1997 opening with $21.97m from 2,111 screens taking $65.23m and $125m worldwide.

It was originally released in May 1980 opening with $4.91m opening in 126 screens taking $209.39m and $400.08m worldwide

Originally Disney planned to re-release The Empire Strikes Back in a restored 4K but ended up re-releasing it in 2K with the 4K going to Disney+

• The New Mutants – Disney/Fox

Dropped 14.7% in its sixth weekend taking $1.06m and $20.95m total

After Disney delayed Black Widow to May 2021 it means 20^th Century Fox end 20 years of X-Men with The New Mutants being the biggest Marvel film of 2020 and it’s holding better than all MCU films. It could still become the biggest comic-book film of 2020 as it’s still not certain Warner Bros will keep the Christmas Day release date for Wonder Woman 1984 after they delayed Dune on Monday.

The 15 20^th Century Fox X-Men films have taken over $2.45bn in the US; $2.89bn international and $6.07bn worldwide; X-Men films were the 7^th biggest franchise series worldwide after MCU, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, James Bond, and Batman.

3,546^th biggest film between A Room with a View and Looney Tunes: Back in Action; 4,400^th biggest inflation inflated between He Said, She Said and Shaun the Sheep; 13^th biggest film of 2020 between The Grudge and The Photograph; 94th biggest comic-book movie between Hellboy and The Spirit; 2^nd biggest 20th Century Studios film after The Call of the Wild and 388^th biggest 20^th Century Fox film between The X-Files: I Want to Believe and The Hills Have Eyes II.

Took $0.9m from 18 territories $21m total and $41.9m worldwide; France $3m; Mexico $2.2m; UK $2.1m; Germany $1.4m; Spain $1.4m; Russia $1.1m; Australia $1m

3,024^th biggest film internationally between Nixon and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules; 25^th biggest 2020 film internationally between Scoob! And Trolls: World Tour; 92^nd biggest comic-book film between Astro Boy and The Punisher.

3,145^th biggest film worldwide between Taxi 5 and Holmes & Watson; 14^th biggest film worldwide between Fantasy Island and After We Collided; 91^st biggest comic-book film between The Punisher and Astro Boy; 309^th biggest 20^th Century Fox film worldwide between A Good Year and Revenge of the Nerds.

UK Box Office Top 10

UK this weekend

Opening this week is horror Saint Maud and Kajillionaire both unlikely to attract wide audiences but will still manage to enter the low end of the top 10. Also released is Event Cinema’s Romeo And Juliet – Bolshoi Ballet 2020 which will struggle to attract the audience these events normally have done in previous years.

UK Coming Soon

• War With Grandpa – Entertainment Film Distributors

family comedy starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Oakes Fegley, Laura Marano, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Walken and directed by Tim Hill based upon the novel by Robert Kimmel Smith.

The film was made in 2017 and was originally due for release in February 2018 by Weinstein Company and delayed several times before rights were reclaimed by producers and US rights were sold again to 101 Studios in June, but Entertainment Films retained UK rights.