- Sing 2 – £6,867,533 – NE
Biggest animation film opening since 2019’s Frozen 2 (£15,088,012) and the third biggest film opening since the pandemic after No Time To Die and Spider-Man: No Way Home
173rd biggest opening in the UK between Black Widow and Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (close to Aladdin, Peter Rabbit, Maleficent and Mr Beans Holiday) and 270th biggest inflation inflated between The Hangover Part III and Paul (close to Toy Story, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Ratatouille and Hotel Transylvania 2).
29th biggest animated opening between Inside Out and Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (close to Finding Nemo, Ice Age III, Up and Kung Fu Panda 2) and 42nd biggest inflation inflated animated film between Toy Story and Ratatouille (close to Bolt, A Bug’s Life, Chicken Run and Tangled).
Sing 2 is Illumination Entertainment’s 11th film since Despicable Me in 2010 and 4th biggest opening; 2019’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 opened £3,490,598; 2018’s The Grinch £5,019,677; 2017’s Despicable Me 3 £11,154,904; 2017’s Sing £10,487,380; 2015’s Minions £11,558,946; 2013’s Despicable Me 2 £14,822,427; 2012’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax £1,853,294; 2011’s Hop £1,392,740; 2010’s Despicable Me £3,664,376
After Spider-Man No Way Home has been #1 for the last 6 weeks Sing 2 The sequel follows the same UK release strategy of the first film which opened a month after the US on January 27th, 2017, ahead of the half-term holidays to avoid opening Disney’s Moana. Sing opened with £10,487,380 from 555 screens including £4,201,298 previews (£6,286,082 Fri-Sun) taking £28,840,000.
Sing had a competition for half-term from The LEGO Batman Movie opened two weeks later with £7,906,468 taking £26,771,191; the sequel has Uncharted opening two weeks later had the advantage of being trailered with Spider-Man No Way Home also featuring Tom Holland.
It was surprising Sing 2 didn’t have weekend previews ahead of opening to inflate its opening as the original did, but this has been the case with children’s films that have opened since cinemas reopened apart from Peter Rabbit 2, has meant they have had much longer legs.
In the US Sing 2 opened with about a third less than the original and has taken about half as much to date and was the first major animated film to open since cinemas reopened as Encanto had soft buzz ahead of opening while Croods A New Age and The Boss Baby 2 were never going to perform anywhere near the original films.
Sing 2 is the first of three Illumination Entertainment films released this year with Minions The Rise of Gru (delayed from 2021) opening in July (two weeks after Lightyear the first time Pixar and Illumination Entertainment have gone head-to-head with two major franchises out of school holidays) and Mario opening December 23rd.
Sing 2 will likely hold on to #1 this weekend (Moonfall opening #2) helped by not having previews it will have a smaller drop and then will face competition from Uncharted in two weeks.
2. Belfast – £1,896,300 – £6,076,230
Down 18.4% in its second weekend adding 48 more screens now playing in 752 over 100 more screens than Spider-Man No Way Home but with a lower screen average £2,522 Vs £2,619 showing the film is playing far too wide, it would be interesting to see how it’s performing across the country as its opening weekend likely art-house, Everyman and Picturehouse much stronger than major chains.
50% of the audience in opening weekend was 45+ and 59% were female.
Had the 439th biggest second weekend in the UK between Passengers and Charlotte’s Web (close to Pride and Prejudice, Chicago, The Devil Wears Prada and The Impossible) and 671st biggest inflation inflated between Coraline and Shaun of the Dead (close to The Perfect Storm, Oblivion, The Iron Lady and Stan and Ollie).
Belfast is odds on to win Best Picture at BAFTAs and its second-weekend box office was between Slumdog Millionaire (£2,630,820) and Shakespeare in Love (£1,679,818) close to Three Billboards (£1,621,878) and Atonement (£1,379,790) and taking £6m after 10 days it was between 12 Years A Slave (£7,125,073) and Slumdog Millionaire (£5,959,416) close to Three Billboards (£5,232,135) and taking more than 2015’s Brooklyn (£5,486,413) but will take a couple of weeks to top 2013’s Philomena (£10,470,225).
Belfast has taken more than it took in the US as Focus Features strangely opened the film on limited wide 580 screens rather than starting on a limited platform and then slowly expanding as most art-house award contenders normally do. Belfast opened with $1.77m 12th November and then didn’t expand the following weekend (dropped 46.9%) and then doubled its screen numbers in its third weekend to 1,128 up only 1.4% taking $958,770 and then dropped heavily the next four weeks taking $7.2m after 12 weeks.
Belfast can’t be compared with other award contenders released late last year including Spencer taking £2.83m and King Richard taking £1.56m as Belfast might be seen as a small black and white independent film but directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Judi Dench and Jamie Dornan the film generated huge media coverage ahead of release. There was a multitude of interviews across all media in the lead up to its opening while also receiving critical acclaim and being a British film it gets a Brit boost at the box office as many of the big award contenders.
Despite most films now opening day and date UK distributors will hold back their major award contenders to open in January with the key weekend normally the second weekend as normally BAFTA nominations are announced so the film will open and then have a stronghold due to nominations. This year BAFTA nominations are announced on Thursday with Oscars next weekend.
Comparisons have been made with Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar and BAFTA winner Roma about a year in the life of a middle-class family maid in the early 1970s, the film had a limited cinema release before being released on Netflix. As Belfast Roma was shot in black and white.
1987’s Hope and Glory has a similar story about a young boy’s experiences living in London during World War 2 directed by John Boorman (took £845,927) similar to Belfast was about John Boorman’s childhood during the Blitz.
There are also films like Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (1987) about s schoolboy who separated from his parents after the Japanese Occupation of Shanghai (took £1,962,873); 2008’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, 2013’s The Book Thief, 2019’s JoJo Rabbit and the fantasy 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth and 2000’s Angela’s Ashes took £7,753,488 (£12,722,769 inflation inflated).
Kenneth Branagh has directed all sizes of films over the last decade it has been mostly big-budget studio releases since Thor in 2011 his last non-studio release was 2018’s All Is True took £976,123 and 1993’s Much Ado About Nothing took £5.5m (£12.5m inflation inflated); 1988’s Henry V his directorial debut took £652,555;
His next is the much-delayed Murder on the Orient Express sequel Death on the Nile which finally opens on February 11th.
Never understand why films like Belfast open in 700+ screens as they will have long legs so makes more sense to expand over several weeks which used to happen regularly and did with Parasite in February 2020 opened #4 £1.39m from 137 screens expanded into 428 screens; 2nd w/e #2 up 81% taking £2.52m; expanded into 565 screens 3rd w/e taking £1.71m down 31% and then into 579 4th w/e taking £1m #3 down 39% by then COVID was affecting BO or would have played much longer.
Belfast will likely have the most BAFTA nominations announced on February 3 with Oscars announced February 8th with BAFTA awards Sunday 13th March with Oscar ceremony two weeks later
3. Spider-Man No Way Home – £1,778,556 – £90,037,243
Down 23.8% in its seventh weekend; 6th biggest 6th weekend between The Greatest Showman (£1,925,895) and The Kings Speech (£1,685,180) only Avatar (£4,865,081); Titanic (£3,010,921); Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (£2,456,876) and Arthur Christmas (£2,047,463) took more
5th biggest film after 7 weeks between No Time To Die (£92,042,790) and Avengers: Endgame (£87,462,965) with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£119,442,219); Skyfall (£96,333,036); Spectre (£92,717,959) taking more.
After having most of the 50 IMAX cinemas in the UK for the last 7 weeks Spider-Man No Way Home will lose them to Roland Emmerich Sci-fi disaster Moonfall from Friday
While the industry celebrates two £90m+ films within three months they fail to see the damage this is causing to the box office as the audience that saw No Time To Die in October and Spider-Man No Way Home in December aren’t seeing other films. As seen by Clifford The Big Red Dog, The King’s Man, Encanto, West Side Story and The Matrix: Resurrections all taking similar box office of £7-8m, all of which would be expected to take closer to double in normal circumstances if Spider-Man No Way Home hadn’t cannibalized the box office over the last 6 weeks. A side effect of this has seen films having smaller drops that would normally expect over the last few weeks as the January weekend box office has been the lowest for 20 years over the last four weekends.
6th biggest film in the UK (8th film taking over £80m since Avatar in 2009) between Avatar (£94,025,474) and Avengers: Endgame (£88,599,660); 3rd biggest Sony Pictures film in the UK after Spectre (£102,876,981) and Skyfall (£95,179,832) and 18th biggest film in the UK inflation inflated between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2 and Avengers: Endgame (close to Toy Story 3, The Full Monty, Casino Royale and Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
46th biggest historical in the UK by admissions between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2 (£90,699,875) and The Towering Inferno (£88,585,600) close to Toy Story 3, Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Zhivago and The Sting).
The 27 MCU films have taken over £900m in the UK since 2008 (over £930m inflation inflated) with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever the film series will top £1bn at the UK BO next year.
Many expect Spider-Man No Way Home could receive a Best Picture nomination for “saving cinema” but it’s not eligible for BAFTAs after missing the deadline, as BAFTA required all their contenders to be accessible for members to watch on their portal but Sony didn’t put it on their due to piracy.
The reason Spider-Man opened so big and taken so much is simple if it looks like an Avengers film, swims like an Avengers film, and quacks like an Avengers film, then it probably is an Avengers film. As the previous comic-book movies released this year Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Venom Let There Be Carnage and Eternals were always going to be aperitifs for Spider-Man No Way Home, all playing to comic-book fans, not the extended fanbase Avengers films attract.
4. Scream – £788,123 – £6,150,844
49th biggest horror between Immortals and 28 Days Later (close to Annabelle Comes Home, Saw IV, The First Purge and Paranormal Activity 4) and 69th biggest inflation inflated between Annabelle Comes Home and Hostel (close to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, Jeepers Creepers 2 and Hereditary.
3rd weekend
2011’s Scream 4 dropped 46% £396,190 taking £5,096,897 and £5,581,902
2000’s Scream 3 £454,746 dropped 49% taking £5,133,109 and £5,585,267 (£9.16m inflation inflated)
1998’s Scream 2 £523,390 dropped 56.8% taking £5,992,264 and £8,280,725 (£14.68m inflation inflated)
1997’s Scream n/a took £8,247,094 (£14.62m inflation inflated)
Scream has been described as a requel, a film that features events that featured in earlier films but is not a remake or a direct continuation of the plot, this allows the film to have fun with the concept of the film which was what the original trilogy was all about.
Scream was a horror film for people who watched horror films as Randy in Scream explains the rules of horrors, that you can never have sex, never drink and never say “I’ll be right back”, while the rules for the sequel are the body count is always higher, death scenes are more elaborate and never assume the killer is dead (that part is also the in the first film when Billy comes back from the dead for one last scare. While the rules of the third film were the killer is superhuman, anyone can die (which is also the case with Scream 5 as the aim of the film is to start a new trilogy of films) and the past will come back to bite you. The original title for Scream was Scary Movie, the title that was used a few years after Scream to spoof Scream which was also spoofing horror films.
Scream was one of several horrors that featured actors from popular teen US TV shows with I Know What You Did Last Summer opening the following year starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) who then starred in Scream 2. There was also Final Destination, Urban Legend, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and The Faculty many of them written by Kevin Williamson who wrote the original Scream script and also Dawson Creek (many of its teen actors appeared in these teen horrors).
Scream is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett they previously directed horror-comedy Ready Or Not that received positive reviews (88% Rotten Tomatoes) took £1,637,064;
2021’s Candyman #4 dropped 45% taking £418,414 and £3,755,982 73.2% of £5,128,058
2018’s Halloween #7 dropped 53% taking £790,143 and £8,171,544 93.6% of £8,725,496
2018’s A Quiet Place #2 dropped 46% taking £1,024,722 and £8,262,665 taking 70.1% of £11,801,912
Despite Scream being the fifth film it’s not called 5cream or Scream 5 but Scream as it is planned to be the first of a new trilogy so bringing back Sidney, Gale and Dewey were always likely to set up the next generation of younger characters. This was similar to other legacyquels Jurassic World, Star Wars The Force Awakens and Ghostbuster Afterlife with the original cast supporting the younger cast and all of them were unlikely to survive the films.
As with other long-gap sequels, The Matrix Resurrections wasn’t going to perform like the previous films did as audience tastes have changed over the 25 years since the original film and the question is always who its target audience is. As Scream features a mix of the old and new cast from the original films it should attract a mix of both of those who saw the original film and also their children similar to Ghostbuster Afterlife, Jurassic World and Star Wars The Force Awakens.
Of course, the reason studios make many of these is in the hope its success will allow further films by introducing new characters as was the case with the Scream and calling it Scream rather than Scream 5. As 11 years on from making Scream 4, the aim is to make them accessible to old and young and allow them to pass the baton on to the next generation, with Harrison Ford dying Star Wars The Force Awakens, Harold Ramis “dying” in Ghostbusters Afterlife.
- Nightmare Alley – £330,830 – £1,227,979
Down 39.9% in its second weekend; Guillermo del Toro’s last film 2018’s The Shape of Water dropped 63% (42% not including previews) #7 in its second weekend taking £900,402 and £4,427,458 of £7,312,082.
Guillermo del Toro has directed a wide range of films from Hellboy to Pacific Rim but is still best known for directing Oscar-winning 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth dropped 17% in its second-weekend #9 £246,342 from 81 screens taking £764,458 30.2% of £2,532,777.
Opened the same weekend as award favourite Belfast that generated far stronger media coverage Nightmare Alley was always likely to struggle to find an audience would have made far more sense to switch its release with The Eyes Of Tammy Faye opening this weekend which won’t find an audience in UK cinemas.
Similar to Belfast’s unusual opening in the US Nightmare Alley also strangely opened wide on December 17th in 2,145 screens taking only $2.81m and dropped heavily over the following weekends it only increased 123.6% last weekend in the US after adding 713 screens to 1,103 taking $511,373 and being released in black and white taking $10.3m to date; Nightmare Alley is Searchlight Pictures most expensive film ($60m).
Searchlight Pictures acquired US rights for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande at the Sundance Film Festival which will be released on Hulu, they also acquired three other films that will thy also go to Hulu as after recent films The Night House, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Antlers and The French Dispatch all struggling at the box office could future Searchlight Pictures also skip theatrical release and go straight to streaming.
After Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 there was the belief that Disney would keep Searchlight operating as normal while limiting the production of films for 20th Century Studios as the only films the studio has made since Disney acquired Fox have been made for Disney+ films with all others in production before they acquired the studio.
Also Opened
- Parallel Mothers – Pathe
Opened with £301,877 from 186 screens
The new film from director Pedro Almodóvar, the first Pathe film to be released by Warner Bros after their distribution deal ended with 20th Century Fox in June 2021.
Some of Pedro Almodóvar previous film openings
Pain & Glory opened £307,131 from 125 screens
2016’s Julieta opened with £356,191
2011’s The Skin I Live In opened with £325,349
2006’s Volver opened with £433,283
2002’s Talk To Her opened with £174,757
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £12,668,619 up 56.5% from last weekend £8,091,792
The weekend admissions were 1,684,657 up 56.5% 1,076,036 from last week; using the average price of £7.52 which is calculated by CAA calculating admissions for 2021 for the UK 74m with UK BO of £556.9m; This is up 11.4% from 2020 (£6.75) when it should be lower as VAT was 5% for UK cinemas from July 2020 till September 30, 2021, and is 12.5% till March but exhibitors haven’t reduced prices to customers unlike the majority of the hospitality sector).
Top 3 took £10,542,389 83.2% of the top 10; Sing 2 53.9% (£6,867,533); Belfast 14.9% (£1,896,300); Spider-Man No Way Home 14% (£1,778,556);
2021 n/a cinemas closed
Up 35.9% from 2020 (£9,319,783); Queen & Slim (£507,302); A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (£493,770); Porgy And Bess – Met Opera 2020 (£409,359); The Lighthouse (£384,284); The Rhythm Section (£171,837); Richard Jewell (£158,868); La Boheme – ROH, London 2019/20 (£58,051); #1 1917 £2,798,457 4th week 38% drop 721 screens (30.1% of the top 10)
Down 5.6% from 2019; (£11,997,508); How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (£5,323,448); Green Book (£1,672,562); Escape Room (£820,218); Can You Ever Forgive Me? (£518,230); Carmen – Met Opera 2019 (£293,456); #1 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World £5,323,448 1st week 556 screens (44.3% of top 10)
Down 27% from 2018: (£17,354,267); Maze Runner: The Death Cure (£2,247,915); Early Man (£2,020,653); Downsizing (£1,131,687); 12 Strong (£421,515); Tosca – Met Opera 2018 (£404,994); Last Flag Flying (£16,867); #1 Darkest Hour £2,672,022 3rd week 2nd week #1 over 3 weeks 641 screens 15% drop (15.4% of top 10)
Down 50.9% from 2017: (£25,816,418); Sing (£10,487,380); T2 Trainspotting (£5,146,791); Hacksaw Ridge (£1,490,158); Denial (£229,067); #1 Sing £10,487,380 1st week 554 screens (40.6% of top 10)
Down 11.8% from 2016: (£11,333,473); Dirty Grandpa (£2,047,207); Spotlight (£1,060,435); Turandot – Met Opera 2016 (£375,950); Youth (£265,217); 13 Hours (£238,231); The 33 (£26,208); #1 The Revenant £2,278,262 3rd week 616 screens 41% drop (20.1% of top 10)
Dow 10.4% from 2015; (£14,145,093); Big Hero 6 (£4,293,286); Kingsman: The Secret Service (£4,241,292); Inherent Vice (£363,133); Les Contes D’Hoffmann – Met Opera 2015 (£238,597); Trash (£79,178); Son of a Gun (£21,065); #1 Big Hero 6 £4,293,286 1st week 501 screens (30.3% of top 10)
Up 39.6% from 2014: (£9,072,053); That Awkward Moment (£961,167); I, Frankenstein (£811,365); Lone Survivor (£751,564); Out of the Furnace (£191,011); Lost Illusions – Bolshoi 2014 (£58,510); #1 The Wolf of Wall Street £2,385,585 3rd week 515 screens 34% drop (26.3% of top 10)
Up 21.4% from 2013 (£10,437,105); Flight (£1,401,214); Bullet To The Head (£429,317); Hyde Park On Hudson (£136,783); Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (£78,747); #1 Les Miserables £2,785,143 4th week 562 screens 31% drop (26.6% of top 10)
Up 31.2% from 2012 (£9,656,063); The Descendants (£1,797,939); The Grey (£1,094,338); A Monster in Paris (£1,043,531); Like Crazy (£93,981); #1 War Horse £2,081,490 3rd week 510 screens 35% drop (21.5% of top 10)
Down 18.4% from 2011 (£15,525,216); Tangled (£5,106,612); The Mechanic (£921,554); Hereafter (£601,728); How do you Know (£374,933); Biutiful (£156,029); Barney’s Version (£109,266); #1 Tangled £5,106,612 1st week 445 screens (32.9% of top 10)
Up 8.8% from 2010: (£11,642,410); Edge Of Darkness (£1,172,927); Precious: A Novel By Sapphire (£260,921); The Princess And The Frog (platform) (£15,651); #1 Avatar £4,865,081 7th week 424 screens 6% drop (41.7% of top 10)
Up 35.6% from 2009; (£9,343,240); Revolutionary Road (£1,013,548); Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist (£398,194); #1 Slumdog Millionaire £2,359,854 4th week 3d #1 416 screens 16% increase (25.2% of top 10)
Up 31.3% from 2008; (£9,648,055); Cloverfield (£3,485,956); Over Her Dead Body (£995,690); Penelope (£769,840); Underdog (£330,914); Things We Lost in the Fire (£42,438); Asterix at the Olympic Games (£9,969); #1 Cloverfield £3,485,956 1st week 386 screens (36.1% of top 10)
Up 59.2% from 2007: (£7,954,979); Blood Diamond (£1,471,104); Venus (£317,426); Bobby (£285,057); #1 Rocky Balboa £1,705,180 2nd week 411 screens 53% drop (21.4% of top 10)
Up 72.7% from 2006; (£7,333,608); Munich (£1,209,970); Rumour Has It (£816,743); Hidden (Caché) (£169,234); #1 Fun with Dick and Jane £1,381,737 2nd week 419 screens 29% drop (18.8% of top 10)
Up 0.5% from 2005 (£12,600,625); Meet the Fockers (£7,917,661); Assault on Precinct 13 (£748,846); Creep (£477,687); Sideways (£349,642); #1 Meet the Fockers £ 7,917,661 1sr week 456 screens (62.8% of top 10)
Up 52.6% from 2004 (£8,304,070); Big Fish (£1,644,011); Cold Creek Manor (£136,556); Sylvia (£123,981); The Emperor’s New Clothes (£5,656); #1 Scary Movie 3 £1,894,077 2nd week 417 screens 46% drop (22.8% of top 10)
Up 24.1% from 2003 (£10,207,853); Catch Me If You Can (£3,720,957); Banger Sisters (£201,731); #1 Catch Me If You Can £3,720,957 1st week 459 screens (36.4% of top 10)
Up 57.2% from 2002 (£8,058,230); Shallow Hal (£1,277,183); Gosford Park (£837,169); Training Day (£739,718); #1 Vanilla Sky £1,743,556 2nd week 427 screens 41% drop (21.6% of top 10)
Next weekend in 2020 (£14,669,621); Dolittle (£5,085,520); Birds of Prey (£2,833,297); Parasite (£1,397,387); Kinky Boots – The Musical (£503,256); Underwater (£191,869); #1 Dolittle £5,085,520 1st week 600 screens (34.6% of top 10)
US Box Office
Spider-Man No Way Home – Sony Pictures
Dropped 21% in its seventh weekend taking $11m and $735.88m
4th biggest film in the US between Avatar and Black Panther (the 5th film to take over $700m since Avatar in 2009) and the 2nd biggest comic-book movie between Avengers Endgame and Black Panther; 13th biggest inflation inflated between Forrest Gump and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Seventh weekends
2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming #7 dropped 29.3% taking $4.25m and $314.05m 94% of $334.2m
2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home #12 dropped 46.9% taking $2.8m and $376.67m 96.4% of $390.53m
2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron #8 dropped 42% taking $3.67m and $444.77m 96.9% of $459m
2018’s Avengers Infinity War #5 31.1% taking $7.23m and $655.13m 96.5% of $678.81m
2019’s Avengers Endgame #8 dropped 39.4% taking $4.87m and $824.34m 96% of $858.37m
But Spider-Man No Way Home can only really be compared to Christmas releases as films between Christmas and the New Year perform differently than any other time of the year often increasing the weekend after Christmas.
2009’s Avatar #1 dropped 10.5% taking $31.28m and $595.75m 79.4% of $749.76m
2015’s Star Wars The Force Awakens #3 dropped 21% taking $11.11m and $895.76m 95.6% of $936.6m
2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #8 dropped 26.8% taking $5.27m and $520.2m 97.7% of $532.17m
2017’s Star Wars The Last Jedi #11 dropped 35.1% taking $4.25m and $610.79m 98.4% of $620.18m
2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle #1 dropped 32.3% taking $10.93m and $352.57m 87.1% of $404.54m
2019’s Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker #7 dropped 42.3% taking $3.21m and $507.07m 98.4% of $515.2m
Sony Pictures biggest film in the US overtaking 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 ($404.5m)
Spider-Man No Way Home is the 8th Spider-Man film made by Sony Pictures since 2002;
Original trilogy directed by Sam Raimi starring Tobey Maguire between 2002 and 2007
Spider-Man took $407.02m; $418m international and $825.02m);
Spider-Man 2 took $373.58m; $415.39m international and $788.97m WW);
Spider-Man 3 took $336.53m and $558.45m and $894.98m WW);
The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 with a sequel in 2014 directed by Marc Webb starring Andrew Garfield
The Amazing Spider-Man took $262.02m $495.9m and $757.93m WW;
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took $202.85m and $506.12m and $708.98m WW);
Spider-Man then became part of the MCU directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland between 2017 and 2021
2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming $334.2m and $545.96m internationally $880.16m WW);
2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home took $390.53m and $747.39m internationally $1.13bn WW)
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse took $190.24m and $185.29m and $375.54m WW with Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Part 1 and Morbius set for April 2022 release.
Spider-Man also appeared in Captain America Civil War, Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Endgame MCU films and also in the end credit scene in Venom Let There Be Carnage with Spider-Man 4 currently in a development likely to be released in November 2023 with The Marvels in February, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 in May, Ant-Man 3 in July. (Ant-Man featured the first mention of Spider-Man in the MCU during the end credit scene).
Took $21.1m from 63 territories $1.003bn total and $1.738bn worldwide; the UK took $120.1m; Mexico $74.4m; Korea $61.5m; France $61.2m; Australia $55.2m; Brazil $53.8ml Russia $46m; Germany $45.1m; India $36.2m; Japan‘s $29.7m; 6th biggest film worldwide between Avengers: Infinity War and Jurassic World (46th film to take over $1bn worldwide since Jurassic Park in 1993).
Scream – Paramount Pictures
Down 41% in its third weekend taking $7.22m and $62.01m
1,384th biggest films in the US between Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Alien; 2,244th biggest inflation inflated between Paranormal Activity 4 and Evolution; 189th biggest Paramount Pictures film between Terminator: Dark Fate and The Saint.
Third weekends
1996’s Scream increased 10.4% #3 taking $10.01m and $39.08m taking $103.04m and $173.04m worldwide (#5 behind Michael and Jerry Maguire, had a very strong word of mouth and held very strongly staying in the top 10 for 9 weeks)
1997’s Scream 2 dropped 34.% $9.08m #6 and $71.1m taking $101.36m and $172.36m WW
2000s Scream 3 dropped 45.9% $7.51m #1 and $34.71m taking $89.14m and $161.83m WW
2011’s Scream 4 dropped 69% $7.77m #5 and $35.49m taking $38.18m and $97.23m WW
Took $6.5m from 55 territories and $44.1m total international and $106.2m worldwide; UK$8.3m; Australia $3.8m; France $3.7m; 1,592nd biggest film worldwide between Kramer vs. Kramer and Sisters; 180th biggest Paramount Pictures film worldwide between Shaft and Along Came a Spider.
Sing 2 – Universal Pictures
Dropped 19% in its sixth weekend taking $4.66m and $134.37m
Despite being released on VOD Sing 2 is still holding strong weekend
Sing 2 is the highest-grossing animated movie in the US since 2020, that said it has taken half of what the original had taken over similar time and Sing 2 didn’t have any competition.
87th biggest animated film between Chicken Little and Rio 2; 466th biggest film in the US between Identity Thief and Superman; 921st biggest inflation inflated between Dragon and The Legend of Tarzan; 9th biggest 2021 film between A Quiet Place: Part II and Ghostbusters: Afterlife; 63rd biggest Universal Pictures film between Identity Thief and Ride Along.
2016’s Sing sixth-weekend #7 down 28.8% taking $6.4m and $257.59m 95.2% taking $270.44m and $634.2m WW
Took $17.4m from 62 territories $133.6m total and $267.9m worldwide; 104th biggest animated film worldwide between Bambi and Cinderella; 581st biggest inflation inflated between American Gangster and We’re the Millers; 15th biggest 2021 film worldwide between A Quiet Place: Part II and Cruella; 75th biggest Universal Pictures film worldwide between American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk;
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
After Sing 2 strong £6,867,533 opening last weekend similar to 2017’s Fri-Sun BO of Sing taking £6,286,082 after taking £4,201,298 40% of its £10,487,380 opening from previews (Sing took £3,800,408 in its second weekend down 64% (40% without previews) and Sing 2 will likely have a similar 30-40% second-weekend drop taking £4m-£5m and could hold #1 for a second weekend
The big new release is Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi disaster Moonfall opens from the trailers it what you expect from the director of 1994’s Stargate, 1996’s Independence Day (opening £7,100,000), 1998’s Godzilla (opening £4,176,960), 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow (£7,321,633), 2009’s 2012 (£6,489,809) and 2016’s Independence Day: Resurgence (£5,067,855), a brainless popcorn movie the kind of film that used to be hugely popular in cinemas 15+ years ago.
But now with MCU films destroying cities over the last 14 years they haven’t been as popular with 2015’s San Andreas opening with £4,628,394and 2017’s Geostorm with £1,625,895. Moonfall will benefit from playing in most of the 50 IMAX cinemas in the UK.
After BAFTA nominations are announced on Thursday Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast will likely have a small third-weekend drop taking £1.7m could Universal Pictures possibly expand the release any further from its’ 752 screens as it’s currently playing in almost 80% of cinemas in the UK and Ireland.
Jackass Forever the fourth film of the franchise opens 12 years after the last official film which is a very long time for these kinds of films but previous films have performed well in the UK
2003’s Jackass; The Movie opened £1,314,740 (£2,137,933 inflation inflated) taking £3,860,921 (£6,278,345 inflation inflated)
2006’s Jackass: Number Two opened £735,274 taking £1,684,673 (lasted only 2 weeks in top 10)
2010’s Jackass 3D opened #2 £1,696,909 taking £5,576,683
2013’s Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa opened £1,940,476 including £546,025 previews taking £6,343,622
Spider-Man No Way Home will have the biggest drop in its 8th weekend since the second weekend down 40%+ losing IMAX screens and could see its weekend box office drop below £1m for the first time.
The Souvenir: Part II will likely open similar to the first film released in August 2019 opened #18 with £108,710 from 43 screens; the film has received critical acclaim 93% Rotten Tomatoes slightly between than the first film getting 89% Rotten Tomatoes. While The Eyes Of Tammy Faye will struggle to find an audience as
Opening next week
- Uncharted – Sony Pictures
Action-adventure is based on the video game starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Victor Sullivan, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle and Antonio Banderas and directed by Ruben Fleischer.
The film started development in 2008 with many directors attached including David O. Russell, Dan Trachtenberg, Neil Burger, Seth Gordon, Shawn Levy and Travis Knight and many actors were attached to the film before Tim Holland was cast in May 2017.
It was originally due for release in June 2016 and was delayed many times before moving to February 11th, 2022.
Video games comparisons with Uncharted that have been turned into films with mixed results include Tomb Raider, Max Payne, Assassin’s Creed, Resident Evil and Prince of Persia as video games to films have had mixed results.
Successful video game movies include Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Sonic The Hedgehog (sequel opening in April), Mortal Kombat (sequel in development), Tomb Raider (sequel in development) and Rampage.
Uncharted has a huge advantage as it was trailered before Spider-Man No Way Home and opens ahead of the very lucrative February half-term and is the main film for teenagers with Sing 2 playing to a younger audience.
Likely to perform similar to
2019’s Pokemon Detective Pikachu opened £4,951,838 taking £13,368,175
2018’s Rampage opened £4,109,247 taking £8,695,722
2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened £8,154,548 (including £4,114,058 previews) taking £36,968,605
- Death on the Nile – Disney
Thriller featuring an ensemble cast including Kenneth Branagh, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Based on the 1937 novel by Agatha Christie and is a follow up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express which was a huge success; opened in November 2017 with £4,985,600 taking £24,224,914.
The film has been delayed for over two years originally set for release December 20th, 2019, due to COVID and the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney in 2019.
Had the film been released in 2019 it could have had similar success as Murder on the Orient Express but the long delay will probably see it taking about half as much.
Death on the Nile was shot with 65mm Panavision as Murder on the Orient Express it was released in the UK in 70mm in three cinemas, Death on the Nile will be released in 70mm at the Odeon Leicester Square.
- Marry Me – Universal Pictures
Musical comedy-drama starring Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley, and Sarah Silverman (based on the graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby) directed by Kat Coiro.
Was originally developed by STX but was picked up by Universal Pictures in 2019
Jennifer Lopez has had much success from rom-coms over the years including 2002’s Maid in Manhattan (opened £2,424,584 (£4,106,503 inflation inflated) taking £8,076,118 (£13,678,470 inflation inflated), 2005’s Shall We Dance (opened £1,080,140 taking £3,776,565), 2010’s The Back-Up Plan, 2019’s Second Act (opened #13 £403,211)
Most recently starred in 2019’s Hustlers and her performances in 1998’s Out of Sight and 2003’s Gigli are what is best known for away from her music career.
Marry Me will be released on day and date in the US on Peacock
