- Black Adam – £3,488,800 – £13,443,131
Down 38.3% in the second weekend; Took £1.1m (down 38%) Friday
175th biggest second weekend between 2012 and Wonder Woman (close to Hannibal, Fast & Furious 6, Twilight Saga: Eclipse and Dune) and 351st biggest inflation inflated between Chicago and Antz (close to Die Hard with a Vengeance, Jurassic Park 3, Speed and Snatch.
33rd biggest comic-book second weekend between X-Men: Days of Future Past and Wonder Woman (close to Deadpool 2, Shang-Chi, Venom and Eternals) and 53rd biggest inflation inflated between Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Venom (close to X-Men: The Last Stand, Batman Returns, The Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four).
9th biggest second weekend of 2022 between Uncharted and Elvis (close to Thor: Love and Thunder and Sonic the Hedgehog 2).
6th biggest DC Extended Universe film between Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman
33rd biggest Warner Bros second weekend between Ocean’s Eleven and Wonder Woman (close to The Matrix Reloaded, I am Legend, Dune and Justice League) and 62nd biggest inflation inflated between Ocean’s Thirteen and A Star Is Born (close to Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (£3,597,469), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (£3,590,738), Lethal Weapon 2 (£3,269,321) and The Bodyguard (£3,239,350).
Held better in the UK than the US thanks to a stronghold on Friday due to half-term taking Took £9,954,331 in opening week and £4,299,328 Mon-Thurs. Black Adam will have a much bigger drop next weekend and then of course the following weekend against Black Panther Wakanda Forever.
Black Adam has the third lowest second-weekend drop (after Joker and Birds of Prey) and slightly less than Wonder Woman doesn’t show it has legs but it was the only film targeting school-aged audiences for half-term as normally there are several films released for half-term, but this year if you were over about 8 Black Adam was the only film they could watch with four horror films and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile for younger audiences. This is highlighted by Black Adam’s second weekend being similar to comic-book flops Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four.
Had the biggest second weekend since Minions: The Rise of Gru (£4.32m) and Thor: Love and Thunder (£4.06m) in July showing how soft BO has been since and won’t top 2021 levels until Black Panther Wakanda Forever opens in two weeks.
66th biggest comic-book film in the UK between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and Shazam! (close to Eternals, Batman and Robin, Fantastic Four and Superman (1978) and 79th biggest inflation inflated between Shazam! and Superman IV (close to Dick Tracey, Blade 2, Green Lantern and Super Mario Brothers).
476th biggest film between The Bad Guys and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (close to What Lies Beneath, True Lies, Jumanji (1996) and Crocodile Dundee II) and 842nd biggest inflation inflated between Inside Man and Jungle Cruise (close to Flashdance, Under Siege, The A-Team and 12 Monkeys).
The problem is films are being called out hits after their opening weekends when their global opening takes close to their budget despite everyone knowing a film like Black Adam will drop 60% in its second weekend. Black Adam’s budget might be $195m but its marketing costs along with reshoots and delays add $150m+ to costs so Black Adam would need to take $600m+ worldwide to be profitable. Since cinemas reopened after the lockdown industry has been calling out films being hits like Tenet and Dune that would have been seen as disappointments previously as both should have taken closer to double their totals.
Over the last 2 years costs across the board have increased from film budgets, marketing, distribution, exhibitor and tickets, while many of these films’ BO are being artificially inflated by IMAX/PLF surcharges taking upwards of 40% of their BO, with Avatar: The Way of Water 80%+ of BO coming from 3D IMAX/PLF with much more than original film for IMAX as are now hundreds more IMAX cinemas globally since 2009. (in the UK there were less than 10 in 2009 and now 52 with these films taking about 10% of their openings from those cinemas.
Impossible to compare Black Adam’s second weekend to recent DC films Wonder Woman 1984 (dropped 91.4% £72,674 COVID) and Birds of Prey (dropped 37.4% £1,773,023), likewise, compare it with Joker (dropped 22.2% £9,766,608) The Batman (dropped 45.3% £7,406,390) instead of Wonder Woman (dropped 43.7% £3,480,956); Aquaman (dropped 54.4% £2,383,993); Shazam! (dropped 46.8% £2,162,719).
Dwyane Johnson and Jaume Collet-Serra recently worked together on 2021’s Jungle Cruise (dropped 12.5% £1,960,317 and £6,162,295 49.3% of £12,487,739,87) There were reports the first test screening of Black Adam assessed as low as Batgirl which was scrapped due to its low score and also similar to Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Selected Dwayne Johnson’s second weekend (not including Fast & Furious or Jumanji)
2019’s Hobbs & Shaw dropped 53.9% £2,938,833 and £12,801,580 62.6% of £20,448,914
2018’s Skyscraper dropped 51.2% £892,723 and £3,813,384 69.9% of £5,454,205
2018’s Rampage dropped 65.6% £1,413,973 and £6,483,777 74.6% of £8,695,722
2016’s Central Intelligence dropped 56% £1,342,004 and £5,680,743 67.1% of £8,459,045
2015’s San Andreas dropped 61.2% £1,794,747 and £8,334,562 73.6% of £11,316,171
Dwayne Johnson Black Adam character is similar to The Scorpion King in 2001’s The Mummy Returns (dropped 48.3% £3,063,383 (£5,978,776 inflated) and £10,839,568 53.1% of £20,390,060 (£39,795,093 inflated) and spinoff The Scorpion King in 2002 (dropped 34.9% £1,048,482 and £3,312,846 (£2,046,313 inflated) 67.1% of £4,944,146 (£9,649,444 inflated).
The combination of comic-book movie and Dwyane Johnson film should have attracted a wider demographic, but the problem is the audience demographic for both is the same
Black Adam was originally rated an R and had to reduce the number of characters Black Adam killed in the film from 10 to 5 to get it a PG-13 having to lose several great moments according to producers get the lower rating. This has been noticeable in the film feeling like it needs to be a higher certificate but the studio demanded a PG-13 (12A) and won’t be the film fans want it to be.
Blade Adam will have a bigger third-weekend drop similar to Shazam! (54.7%); The Batman (54.8%); Man of Steel (52%); Justice League (50.3%); Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (51%)
- 2. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile – £1,499,101 – £9,043,676
Up 4.4% in its third weekend due to half-term
59th biggest family film between Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! And Pan (close to Matilda, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Garfield and Dr Dolittle 2) and 103rd biggest family film inflated opening between Thunderbirds and The Secret Garden (1994) (close to The Parent Trap, Big Foot and The Henderson’s, Free Willy 2 and The Witches).
Other live-action animated CGI family third weekend include
2004’s Garfield dropped 11% £663,007 and £5,268,563 60.1% of £8,762,150 (£15,767,967)
1995’s Casper dropped 17.1% £1,039,329 and £7,433,547 46.6% of £15,965,083 (£39,691,653)
1998’s Doctor Dolittle dropped 9 £1,388,865 and £10,315,088 51.9% of £19,854,598 (£39,807,730)
2000’s Stuart Little dropped 25% £1,045,603 and £8,520,448 47.8% of £17,828,403 (£32,739,431)
2002’s Scooby-Doo dropped 49% £1,277,451 and £12,987,089 60.9% of £21,333,007 (£41,635,434)
2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks dropped 20% £1,096,851 and £6,120,606 55.2% of £11,080,538 (£17,728,861)
2007’s Charlotte’s Web down 31% £1,304,946 and £8,982,070 83.6% of £10,738,495 (£17,181,592)
2011’s Yogi Bear up 7% £1,465,863 and £7,635,574 88.2% of £8,625,654 (£11,500,872)
2014’s Paddington dropped 24.2% £2,909,674 and £14,306,197 37.7% of £37,916,343
2018’s Peter Rabbit up 22% £5,610,556 and £21,643,421 52.7% of £41,100,000
2021’s Clifford the Big Red Dog dropped 54% £349,836 (2-day w/e) and £3,823,936 38.1% of £10,052,296
1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit dropped 29.6% £901,811 and £5,604,360 35.9% of £15,612,005 (£54,845,652)
1,367th biggest between Memphis Belle and The Princess Diaries (close to Tomorrowland – A World Beyond, The Scorpion King, Return of the Jedi (R97) and Corpse Bride) and 1,876th biggest inflation inflated between Power Rangers and Defiance (close to Ron’s Gone Wrong, Galaxy Quest, Uncle Buck and Teen Wolf Too).
Sony has had success opening children’s films in Sept/Oct over recent years including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs dropped 11.4% £1,402,854 and £3,436,639 58.4% of £5,881,661; Hotel Transylvania dropped 41% £1,023,722 and £3,375,280 43.7% of £7,722,310 and Goosebumps dropped 60.1% £1,072,028 and £4,180,487 48.7% of £8,575,763.
Those three animated films have stayed in the top 10 much longer than they would have normally due to the lack of any other children’s films. Minions: The Rise Of Gru and DC League Of Super-Pets has been available to watch at home on VOD for the last month but people still have opted to see them in the cinema, this was similarly the case when cinemas reopened the first time when cinemagoers went to see Onward and Trolls World Tour in cinemas and Encanto still attracted audiences in cinemas more than a month after being released on Disney+.
Half-term this week and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is the only family film being released, normally there are about three openings over the weekends ahead of half-term, but this year it hasn’t got any competition for 4 weeks until Disney’s Strange World and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical opens at the end of November (released by Netflix elsewhere in the world.
Children have grown up with the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile books since the first one was released in 1965 but they aren’t as popular in the UK as the US, so it was then surprising it opened better in the UK than the US, but many family films apart from Minions: The Rise of Gru have struggled to find an audience this year in the US.
- 3. The Banshees of Inisherin – £1,270,321 – £4,226,659
Down 22.7% in its second weekend (18% without previews)
Took £500k from Friday (30.4% of opening); the film opened #1 in Ireland
775th biggest second weekend between A Bad Moms Christmas and Eddie the Eagle (close to Ad Astra, Cape Fear, Fury and Victoria and Abdul) and 1,301st inflation inflated between Spies In Disguise and Blame It On the Bellboy (close to Misery, The Krays, A Time To Kill and LA Confidential).
In Bruges opened in the UK in April 2008 dropped 36% in the second-weekend #5 £408,109 from 259 screens and £3,554,199 of £4,729,687; dropped 27% in third w/e #7 £296,972 from 233 screens and £4,065,217; dropped 65% in fourth w/e #8 £103,252 and £4,326,430; took £2.2m from 6 weeks from Ireland ahead of UK release from about 60 screens).
2012’s Seven Psychopaths opened £1,121,679 (including £301,551 previews) taking £3,141,163
2018’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri dropped 31% in the second weekend (25% not including previews) £1,621,878 #6 added 37 screens to 521 and £5,232,135 34.3% of £15,238,741; down 23% third w/e £1,249,691 from 448 screens #7 and £7,605,591 staying in the top 10 for 7 weeks; played in the top 15 for 11 weeks until the end of March taking £143,670 #14 in 11th w/e from 181 screens £14,693,527 96.4% of £15,238,741.
After the success of Three Billboards opening in January ahead of award success, it was surprising The Banshees of Inisherin didn’t have a similar release, as January opening is far more lucrative with BAFTA and Oscar nominations and award contenders having longer legs often playing through till March. By opening in October, it limits its chances of a long cinema release.
As Three Billboards the film had its UK premiere at the London Film Festival after premiering at the Venice International Film Festival last month receiving critical acclaim praising Colin Farrell’s performance and Martin McDonagh’s script seen as a major Oscar contender.
The Banshees Of Inisherin is one of the three films made by Searchlight Pictures seen as award contenders this year with The Menu opening in November directed by Mark Mylod and Empire of Light in December directed by Sam Mendes. All three films were launched at film festivals last month.
- 4. Prey For The Devil – £859,717 – NE
Included £91,066 from previews
Had similar openings as The Faculty, My Little Eye, Red Eye, Arachnophobia and mother! and inflation inflated similar to The Frighteners, Candyman (1992), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and The Lost Boys.
Similar horrors include
2011’s Season of the Witch opened £559,769 #10 taking £1,145,219
2011’s The Rite opened £626,159 #12 taking £1,282,203
2012’s The Possession opened £979,192 #5 taking £3,166,621
2010’s The Last Exorcism opened £1,104,856 #1 from 313 screens taking £3,507,555
2012’s The Devil Inside opened £1,988,461 taking £4,331,239
2020’s Saint Maud opened £263,433 #2 334 screens (COVID) taking £838,387
2005’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose opened £1,346,732 #3 from 359 screens (£2,310,317 inflated) taking £3,575,342 (£6,133,495 inflated); behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Flight Plan.
Other similar horror movies include
2013’s The Conjuring opened £2,156,124 taking £9,337,626
1998’s The Exorcist (re-release) opened £2,186,977 taking £7,143,595 (£14,322,642 inflated)
- 5. Coldplay Music Of The Spheres Live – £745,541 – NE
Two screenings on Saturday in 459 screens with tickets £20+
Had a bigger opening than Westlife: Life From Wembley Stadium in August with £468,214 from 571 screens #8, but less than BTS – Permission to Dance On-Stage Live in March 2022 with £899,126, comparisons are justified as Coldplay concert featured BTS member Jin and the song The Astronaut performed by him and Coldplay.
While Take That concerts. 2015’s Take That Live opened with £965,000; 2017’s Take That: Wonderland Live from the O2 2017 £1,004,918.
The concert broke BO records around the world playing in 81 countries and taking $1m in the US from 833 screens but being Event Cinema with ticket prices three times regular prices it’s BO can’t be comparable with other regular film releases. Event Cinema is a great addition to cinema and exhibitors love it as it boosts BO and admissions despite fewer cinemagoers attending, but as with Secret Cinema, it shouldn’t be included in regular cinema reporting.
The last weekend of October often sees many films opening as films opening for half-term, Halloween and films that have premiered at the London Film Festival, with 5 new wide releases in the top 10 and Bros just missing out.
Also Opened
- Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (20th Anniversary)
Opened #7 with £454,250 from 449 screens
Opened with almost half Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone (20th Anniversary) and it opened at the same weekend last year #6 with £965,008 from 494 screens.
Do find it crazy that re-releases like Harry Potter and all of the many others this year including all James Bond films, E.T and Jaws tickets are regular price so these re-releases will only attract a limited audience. As the cinema re-release is normally part of the marketing campaign ahead of re-releasing the films on home entertainment, they would attract a much wider audience with cheaper prices. In 2017 Disney released Olaf Frozen Adventure in UK cinemas with a screening of Frozen all tickets £1 opening with £1,115,689 #5 from 611 screens.
- Barbarian – Disney
Opened #8 with £380,812 from 423 screens
After receiving positive reviews, a successful US release in September and the strong performance of Smile would have expected Barbarian to open far stronger than Prey For The Devil also opened receiving poor reviews, instead Barbarian opened with less than half of Prey For the Devil.
Normally half-term week is filled with films targetting younger audiences but this year there were four horror films three of them 18s (Smile, Halloween Ends and Barbarian). As Barbarian opened in the US in September there was no reason for it to open at the end of October especially as Smile and Halloween Ends had already been dated.
- Triangle Of Sadness – Lionsgate
Opened #10 with £308,950 from 125 screens (included £89,829 previews)
Had the second-best screen average in the top 10 showings again that films don’t need to open as widely as they often do to find a wide audience. While opening 126 screens allows for further expansion this weekend as word-of-mouth builds.
The film received its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival, receiving an eight-minute standing ovation, winning the Palme d’Or and positive reviews.
Opened bigger than Ruben Ostlund’s first Palme d’Or winner 2017’s The Square opening with £221,215 (including £63,718 previews).
One of many satires of the ultra-wealthy from Parasite to The Menu in cinemas to Succession and The White Lotus on TV.
- Bros – Universal Pictures
Opened #11 with £215,612 from 482 screens (included £20,004 previews)
After struggling to find an audience in the US last month Bros (opened $4.8m taking $11.61m) despite positive reviews was always likely to suffer a similar fate in the UK as actor Billy Eichner is unknown in the UK and Judd Apatow produced films often struggle to find the similar success they have in the US.
The issue with the film was the studio opted for the Toronto Film Festival premiere in September rather than opening it in August which would have been a far better time to open the comedy. The problem is film festival audiences are far different from regular audiences, so they often get a far different reaction from film festival audiences. Universal suffered a similar fate with Halloween Kills and Dear Evan Hanson last year both having poor reactions at film festivals that set up disappointing openings.
Previous Nicolas Stoller-directed films include 2008’s Forget Sarah Marshall (opened £2.1m taking £7.7m); 2010’s Get Him to the Greek (opened £1.7m taking £7.1m), 2012’s The Five-Year Engagement (opened £1.1m taking £5m); 2014’s Bad Neighbors (opened £8.4m taking £16m) 2016’s Bad Neighbors 2 (opened £1.7m taking £6.4m) and 2016’s Storks (opened £2.2m taking £7.5m). Also wrote many screenplays including Yes Man, Gulliver’s Travels, The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted and Zoolander 2.
Film News
UK admissions topped 90.7m until the end of September up 157.6% from 2021 but down 29.7% from 2019. Much will depend on Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water matching the BO totals of the original films if BO will top £1bn for 2022 and admissions will top 130m which will be down 25% if BO will top industry expectations.
When Black Panther opened in 2018 and Avatar in 2009 they became a global phenomenon attracting audiences beyond their demographics, the sequels are likely to play more to their target demographics and not have the legs of the original films.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever will open about 20% less than the original but Avatar: The Way of Water will likely open to about double, due to the rise in IMAX/PLF screens. That said it opens the weekend of the World Cup Final in Qatar when over 1.2bn people will be watching globally on Sunday.
Key to the success of both will be IMAX BO, in 2009 Avatar opened in the UK in 9 IMAX cinemas (BFI IMAX sold 99% average capacity average price of £12.90 for Black Panther 2 £22 and probably more for Avatar 2) taking about 7% of BO more than 2D took from 300 cinemas and globally opened in 261 IMAX cinemas. Avatar 2 will open in 63+ in the UK, 410+ in the US and 350+ Internationally.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £9,985,347 down 16.9% from last weekend’s £12,015,544: 1,180,817 admissions down 20.6% from 1,487,072
573rd biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,072) between 08 February 2008 #1 National Treasure 2 £2,483,297 (24.9% of top 10) and 17 February 2005 #1 Meet the Fockers £1,893,131 (19% of top 10) and 868th biggest inflation inflated between 21 May 2021 #1 Peter Rabbit 2 £4,605,673 (49.3% of top 10) and 12 March 2004 #1 Mona Lisa Smile £1,190,923 (21.5% of top 10).
Top 3 took £6,258,222 62.7% of the top 10; Black Adam 34.9% (£3,488,800); Lyle, Lyle Crocodile 15% (£1,270,321); The Banshees Of Inisherin 12.7% (£1,643,220);
Down 32.3% from 2021 (£14,743,119); Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone (20th Anniversary) (£965,008); Last Night In Soho (£731,950); Antlers (£251,100); My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission (£218,956); Cliff Richard – The Great 80 Tour (£157,345); Blade (4K Restoration) (£20,342); #1 No Time To Die £3,514,308 5th week 4th split #1 (23.8% of top 10)
Up 754% 2020 (£1,169,275); Blumhouse’s The Craft: Legacy (£119,680); Halloween (Re: 2020) (£71,264); The Nightmare Before Christmas (Re) (£43,172); Burnt Orange Heresy (£14,546); V For Vendetta (Re: 2020) (£5,346); #1 Two By Two: Overboard! £190,761 2nd week down 42% 332 screens
Down 29.6% 2019 (£14,176,042); Terminator: Dark Fate 19.5% (£2,864,941); The Addams Family (£2,117,740); Countdown (£390,873); Black And Blue (£25,840); #1 Joker £3,464,682 37% drop 4th weekend 657 screens
Down 51.1% 2018: (£20,418,070); Bohemian Rhapsody (£9,530,463); The Hate U Give (£911,309); La Fanciulla Del West – Met Opera 2018 (£186,621); Die Walkure – ROH, London 2018/19 (£185,066); Beetlejuice (30th Anniversary) (£33,825); #1 Bohemian Rhapsody £9,530,463 1st week 659 screens (46.6% of top 10)
Down 48.1% 2017: (£19,248,577); Thor: Ragnarok (£12,375,804); Jigsaw (£1,851,249); Breathe (£535,675); Call Me by Your Name (£235,760); The Shining (Re: 2017) (£1,448); #1 Thor: Ragnarok £12,375,804 1st week 611 screens (64.3% of the top 10)
Down 46.5% 2016: (£18,662,678); Doctor Strange (£9,288,898); Ethel & Ernest (£19,202); #1 Doctor Strange £9,288,898 1st week 602 screens (49.7% of the top 10)
Down 78.9% 2015; (£47,258,977); Spectre (£41,299,090); Tannhauser – Met Opera 2015 (£162,876); #1 Spectre £41,299,090 1st week 651 screens (87.4% of top 10)
Up 2.7% 2014: (£9,722,282); Ouija (£1,373,907); Nightcrawler (£1,003,822); Mr Turner (£904,947); Horns (£396,042); Carmen – Met Opera 2014 (£326,430); Aliens (Re: 2014) (£27,134); The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (£12,180); The Woman in Black (Re: 2014) (£4,743); #1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3rd week 2nd #1 over 3 weeks 514 screens 26% drop (14.7% of top 10)
Down 43.3% 2013: (£17,605,847); Thor: The Dark World (£8,668,172); Philomena (£1,509,726); Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia (£102,955); Drinking Buddies (£18,379); #1 Thor: The Dark World £8,668,172 1st week 510 screens (49.2% of top 10)
Down 62.5% 2012 (£26,591,268); Skyfall (£20,180,369); #1 Skyfall £20,180,369 1st week 587 screens (75.9% of top 10)
Down 36.5% 2011 (£15,727,396); The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (£6,758,724); The Help (£896,597); The Ides Of March (£665,387); Anonymous (£183,194); Ghostbusters (Re: 2011) (£55,934); #1 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn £6,758,724 1st week 512 screens (42.9% of top 10)
Down 22.7% 2010: (£12,911,776); Saw 3D (£3,600,083); Burke and Hare (£942,894); The Kids Are All Right (£411,960); #1 Saw 3D £3,600,083 1st week 382 screens (27.8% of top 10)
Down 24.6% 2009; (£13,240,462); Michael Jackson’s This Is It (£4,877,255); 9 (£468,455); An Education (£399,122); Dead Man Running (£198,442); An American Werewolf in London (re) (£35,151); #1 Up Michael Jackson’s This Is It £4,877,255 1st week 498 screens (36.8% of top 10)
Down 53.3% 2008; (£21,398,860); Quantum of Solace (£15,384,217); Hunger (£136,413); Midnight Meat Train (£20,444); #1 Quantum of Solace £15,384,217 1st week 540 screens (71.9% of top 10)
Down 6.8% 2007: (£10,717,468); Saw IV (£2,482,889); Eastern Promises (£623,491); Sicko (£156,173); #1 Ratatouille £3,589,762 3rd week up 19% 525 screens (33.5% of top 10)
Up 11.4% 2006; (£8,965,508); Saw III (£2,522,521); Step Up (£1,212,725); A Good Year (£376,962); #1 Saw III £2,522,521 1st week 373 screens (28.1% of top 10)
Down 24.1% 2005 (£13,142,985); Saw II (£2,189,212); The Legend of Zorro (£1,899,689); #1 Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit £3,593,266 3rd week 495 screens 23% drop (27.3% of top 10)
Down 32.2% 2004 (£7,550,271); Finding Neverland (£776,124); Exorcist: The Beginning (577,128); House of the Dead (£107,045); Saved! (£80,772); #1 Shark Tale £2,435,188 3rd week 503 screens 24% drop (32.2% of top 10)
Up 9% 2003 (£9,161,054); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (£1,357,534); In America (£284,259); In the Cut (£279,068); Alien – Director’s Cut (£208,081); #1 Finding Nemo £3,393,575 5th week 4th #1 501 screens 13% drop (37.1% of top 10)
Up 40% 2002 (£7,135,820); 28 Days Later (£1,500,079); Mr Deeds (£879,441); Changing Lanes (£808,268); They (£225,867); #1 28 Days Later £1,500,079 1st week 318 screens (21.1% of top 10)
Up 26% 2001 (£7,926,562); Legally Blonde (£1,453,148); The Man Who Wasn’t There (£419,609); #1 American Pie 2 £1,626,438 3rd week 417 screens 42% drop (20.5% of top 10);
Next weekend 2021 (£12,060,491); Eternals (£5,456,577); Spencer (£492,643); The Card Counter (£48,989); Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (Re: 2021) (£12,303); #1 Eternals £5,456,577 1st week 642 screens (45.2% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Black Adam – Warner Bros
Dropped 59% in the second weekend $27.47m and $110.91m
240th biggest second weekend between Kong: Skull Island and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (close to Batman Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Batman Begins and X-Men Origins: Wolverine).
653rd biggest film between Glass and Spy!; 1,217th biggest inflation inflated between Sommersby and Sex and the City 2; 12th biggest 2022 film between Lightyear and The Lost City; 74th biggest comic-book movie between Ghost Rider and Superman II; 103rd biggest Warner Bros film between The Last Samurai and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Bigger second weekend drops to Dwayne Johnson’s Rampage (-44%), Skyscraper (-54%), and San Andreas (-53%) and DC films The Batman (-50%); Justice League (-56%) but better than Green Lantern (-66%) and 2016’s Suicide Squad (-67%).
The industry seems to have lowballed expectations of film openings since cinemas reopened after COVID despite all costs increasing since from production, marketing, distribution, and exhibitor costs along with ticket price increases. As with other similar films, 35%+ came from IMAX/PLF formats.
2019’s Shazam! dropped 54.3% $24.45m and $94.22m of $140.48m and $366.08m WW
2018’s Aquaman dropped 23.2% by $52.11m (Christmas) and $189.04m of $335.1m and $1.138bn WW
IMAX took $10.8m (7.7%) globally and included $4.5M (6.2%) internationally from 343 screens.
Took $39m from 76 territories and $139.2m and $250.1m worldwide; UK ($15.3m); Mexico ($9.3m); Brazil ($8.4m), France ($8.2m) and Australia ($7.8m).
Took $2.3m from IMAX internationally and $8.2m total with $18m globally.
650th biggest film worldwide between Space Jam and The Peanuts Movie; 15th biggest 2022 worldwide between Elvis and The Bad Guys; 71st biggest comic-book film between The Incredible Hulk and Unbreakable; 110th biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between Space Jam and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
- Ticket To Paradise – Universal Pictures
Dropped 40% in the second weekend $9.85m and $33.58m
2,625th biggest film between Nell and The Constant Gardener; 3,590th biggest inflation inflated between Reversal of Fortune and The Bonfire of the Vanities; 33rd biggest 2022 film between The Northman and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile; 137th biggest rom-com between All About Steve and Forget Paris; 341st biggest Universal Pictures film between R.I.P.D. and King Ralph.
Rom-coms have struggled at the box office over the last decade as they were 32 years ago when they were at their peak when Julia Roberts starred in Pretty Woman.
Selective George Clooney films
1996’s One Fine Day up 28.9% (Christmas) $8.02m and $19.43m of $46.15m and $97.52m WW; disappointed in the US opening the week after Jerry Maguire in December 1996
2003’s Intolerable Cruelty dropped 48% by $6.51m and $22.72m of $35.32m and $120.8m WW
2009’s Up In The Air dropped 4.9% by $10.72m and $44.37m of $83.82m and $166.84m WW
1998’s Out of Sight dropped 42% by $3.81m and $29.98m of $37.56m and $77.74m WW
Selective Julia Roberts films
1990’s Pretty Woman is up 10.6% by $12.47m and $28.33m of $178.4m and $463.4m WW
1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding 30.7% $15.01m and $49.22m of $127.12m and $299.28m WW
1999’s Runaway Bride dropped 40.7% by $20.77m and $73.82m of $152.25m and $309.46m WW
2001’s America’s Sweethearts dropped 49% by $15.4m and $59.1m of $93.6m and $138.3m WW
George Clooney and Julia Roberts previously worked together on 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (took $16m) 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve and 2016’s Money Monster dropped 52.6% $7.01m and $27.04m of $ 41.01m and $93.28m WW
Producers of the film described it as a kind of sequel to 1990s rom-coms like Notting Hill (dropped 31.2% $15.01m and $49.41m of $116.08m and $363.88m WW) and 1994’s Four Wedding and a Funeral up 5.5% $4.16m (after 4 weeks platform) and $12.71m 94m of $52.7m
Took $73m internationally over five weeks ahead of the US and was released on VOD in the UK last week.
Took $2.9m from 78 territories $87.98m total and $121.56m; 1,458th biggest worldwide between Sahara and Intolerable Cruelty; 33rd biggest 2022 between Death on the Nile and Everything Everywhere All At Once; 68th biggest rom-com between The Wedding Singer and Intolerable Cruelty; 192nd biggest Universal Pictures film between Last Christmas and Intolerable Cruelty.
- Prey For The Devil – Lionsgate
Opened $7.18m; received poor reviews (20% Rotten Tomatoes) and C+ CinemaScore
Opened in a crowded marketplace for horrors with Smile holding strongly for its fifth weekend and third weekend of Halloween Ends, this horror feels more suited for Labor Day weekend when similar horrors The Possession ($17.73m); Apollo 18 ($8.7m); The Last Exorcism ($20.36m); Halloween (2007) ($26.36m); The Wicker Man ($9.61m); Feardotcom ($5.71m); Jeepers Creepers ($13.1m).
Likely to be very front-loaded dropping heavily next weekend
- Smile – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 36% in the fifth weekend taking $5.43m and $92.76m
484th biggest fifth weekend between Date Night and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (close to Batman v Superman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, San Andreas and It Chapter Two); 1,534th biggest inflation inflated between The Fly and The Money Pit; 18th biggest 2022 between DC League of Super-Pets and Where the Crawdads Sing; 29th biggest horror between The Others and Halloween Kills; 115th biggest Paramount Pictures film between The Fighter and Star Trek: First Contact.
Comparisons have been made with The Black Phone dropping 34.7% taking $3.5m and $78.61m out of $89.88m; $159.56m worldwide
Other similar horror fifth weekends
2022’s Barbarian dropped 22.3% by $2.19m and $36.54m of $36.54m
2002’s The Ring dropped 31.2% by $10.66m and $100.68m of $129.12m; $259.34m WW
1996’s Scream dropped 0% by $7.34m and $59.47m of $103.04m
2004’s The Grudge dropped 45.6% by $3.81m and $104.42m of $110.35m; $187.28m WW
2020’s The Invisible Man took $70.41m after 3 weeks COVID lockdown week 4
Took $7m (down 35%) from 62 territories $94m total and $186.82m worldwide
940th biggest worldwide between The Horse Whisperer and Knowing; 21st biggest 2022 film between DC League of Super-Pets and The Lost City; 36th biggest horror between The Grudge and Alien; 103rd biggest Paramount Pictures film between Tropic Thunder and The Lost City.
- Till – MGM
Up 654% in the third weekend adding 1,954 screens taking $2.74m and $3.56m; received A+ CinemaScore
Had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival early this month receiving critical acclaim (98% Rotten Tomatoes).
Opened on platform release on October 14th taking $242,269 from 16 screens expanding into 104 screens in its second weekend taking $363,541. Films often perform well on a platform opening and limited release but then expand far too quickly and going from 104 screens to 2,058 in its third weekend was too fast.
- Lyle, Lyle Crocodile – Sony Pictures
Dropped 36% in the fourth weekend $2.74m and $32.47m
2,710th biggest films between Mother’s Day and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones; 3,659th biggest inflation inflated between Abduction and Darkness; 35th biggest 2022 between Ticket to Paradise and The Bob’s Burgers Movie; 154th biggest animation/live action between Monster Trucks and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties; 362nd biggest Sony Pictures film between Darkness Falls and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
Sony had success with family films in Sept/October with 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs took $124.87m; 2012’s Hotel Transylvania $148.31m; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 $119.79m; 2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2 $169.7m and Goosebumps $80.08m.
On the back of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’s disappointing BO Sony Pictures delayed Harold and the Purple Crayon from January to June next year’s opening against Indiana Jones 5.
Other live-action animated animal CGI family films fourth weekends include
2004’s Garfield dropped 59.7% by $3.03m and $62.98m of $75.36m; $203.17m WW
1999’s Stuart Little dropped 30% by $11.21m and $95.32m of $140.03m; $300.13m WW
2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks dropped 46.4% $15.54m and $176.28m of $217.32m; $365.35m WW
2014’s Paddington dropped 36.9% by $5.22m and $57.12m of $76.27m; $282.37m WW
2018’s Peter Rabbit dropped 21.6% by $10m and $84.06m of $115.25m; $351.26m WW
2021’s Clifford the Big Red Dog dropped 62.4% $1.88m and $45.81m of $48.94m; $107.34m WW
1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit up 3.8% $8.91m and $84.05m of $156.45m; $329.8m WW
Took $6m from 40 territories $18m total and $50.6m worldwide; the film expands slowly internationally over the next two months; 55th biggest 2022 film worldwide between Ambulance and Marry Me; 159th biggest live-action animated film between Zathura and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow; 348th biggest Sony Pictures film between You Got Served and About Last Night (2014).
- The Banshees Of Inisherin – Searchlight
Up 190% taking $535,170 in the second weekend expanded into 58 screens from 4 and $785,930
Expands into 800+ screens next week
Second weekend
In 2008 In Bruges increased 111.1% adding 84 screens to 112 taking $970,211 and $1,581,747; expanded into 163 screens in the third weekend down 23.9% $738,318 and $2,744,872.
2017’s Three Billboards added 49 screens to 54 up 242.1% taking $1,102,166 and $1,536,391; added 561 screens in the third weekend up 299.5% taking $4,403,003 and $7,614,532; then dropped off the next two weeks despite adding almost 1,000 more screens. It expanded again in January after receiving Oscar nominations, going on to take about a third of its BO after Oscar nominations taking $54.51m.
2012’s Seven Psychopaths dropped 21.6% taking $3,273,480 and $9,161,472 of $15,024,049
- Armageddon Time – Focus Features
Opened $70,275 from 6 screens
Despite receiving positive reviews (78% Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz since its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival in May and received its US premiere at New York Film Festival earlier this month, the film struggled to find an audience on limited release.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Black Adam will hold #1 for the third weekend, normally the third weekend of a comic-book movie has a lower drop than the second weekend, but Black Adam saw a much lower second-weekend drop due to half-term. Black Adam will drop between 45%-55% taking £1.6m-£1.9m
Also seeing a big drop will be Lyle, Lyle Crocodile down 40%-45% taking £800k-£950k and will see it battling out with The Banshees Of Inisherin for second dropping 25%-30% taking £900k-£950k
Prey For The Devil will see a heavy second weekend drop-down of 50%+ taking £350k-£450k which could see Smile return into the top 5
As often happens when a major release opens in a week (Black Panther Wakanda Forever) it’s a soft weekend before with no major releases amongst the 36 films being released their combined BO is unlikely to be more than either Lyle, Lyle Crocodile or The Banshees Of Inisherin which highlights the problem with cinema today audiences have become far more selective with the films they see.
Cinema needs to be more than the top 20 films when there will probably be over 900 releases this year. As mass audiences go from one comic-book movie (Black Adam) to the next (Black Panther Wakanda Forever) the latter takes more in its opening weekend than half of the films released this year. The industry needs to get audiences to see a wider range of films, those who have subscription cinemas (Cineworld Unlimited) and (Odeon Limitless) do with many of them seeing 100+ films a year but the vast majority of cinemagoing are seeing two or three films a year Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water. The problem is industry doesn’t seem to care about increasing admissions anymore as they did 20 years ago as it’s been about BO office growth via ticket inflation since.
What I never understand is exhibitors are in the popcorn business not the film business so the more tickets they sell the more popcorn they are likely to sell. Costco sells their petrol about 20p cheaper and there are always queues around the block as people go there for the cheap petrol and then spend hundreds instore on other items. This is similar to why supermarkets sell petrol cheaper as they use it to get customers through the door, but the problem is if the door entry price is £15+ many won’t go through the door or won’t go as often.
Guy Hands famously told Odeon bosses when he brought the cinema chain, they weren’t in the cinema business but the popcorn-selling business. Cineworld sold vastly more popcorn than normal Saturday on Cineworld Day and probably all exhibitors sold much more popcorn on National Cinema Day in September.
The Bodyguard is the latest film to be re-released this weekend celebrating its 30th anniversary, it was a massive hit in 1992 opening with £2,348,330 having very long legs taking £1m+ for 5 or weekends (9 inflation inflated) taking £17,001,069 (£48,090,251 inflated) but won’t’ likely open similar to either Jaws (£524,233) or E.T. (40th Anniversary) £438,715 (both boosted by IMAX screens) due to audiences not willing to pay full price for a film they can watch at home. If exhibitors have dynamic pricing, going up for tentpoles they also need to go down for other films. The only problem with that, is they just won’t book them or drop them after a week.
Opening next week
- The Menu – Disney/Searchlight
Black comedy horror starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo and directed by Mark Mylod.
Had a world premiere at the Film Festival receiving positive reviews (87% Rotten Tomatoes).
In 2019 was due to star Emma Stone and directed Alexander Payne with the script on the annual blacklist, in 2020 Searchlight acquired rights and Anya Taylor-Joy and Mark Mylod replaced Emma Stone and Alexander Payne.
The film is a social commentary about the wealthy elite and class warfare, the guests paying $1,250 a head for dinner alongside the minimum wage staff making the food. It’s a horror movie for people who don’t like horrors.
- Confess, Fletch – Paramount Pictures
Crime comedy third instalment in the Fletch series after 1985’s Fletch and 1989’s Fletch Lives (1989) starring Jon Hamm, Lorenza Izzo, Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, Roy Wood Jr. and John Slattery and directed by Greg Mottola.
Received positive reviews (85% Rotten Tomatoes) and had a limited cinema release in the US and its UK release will be even more limited as the first two Fletch films (starring Chevy Chase) weren’t as successful in the UK as the US.
Fletch Lives opened in May 1989 #3 with £123,397 from 151 screens (#1 Mississippi Burning £194,422 and #2 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 £150,186) taking £401,451) compares similarly to National Lampoon’s Winter Holiday in April 1990 with £54,657 from 52 screens six months after opening in the US as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
- Armageddon Time – Universal Pictures
The drama starred Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Anthony Hopkins and was written, and directed by James Gray.
Had a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival receiving a 7-minute standing ovation and received positive reviews (87% Rotten Tomatoes).
A personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the American dream one of two from a Jewish perspective opening over the next few months the other Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans opens in the US later this month and in the UK in January, it also received a standing ovation after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September receiving critical acclaim.
The question is while these films are very personal stories for the filmmakers, they often struggle to find an audience in cinemas with other films like Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Bardo, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, Joanna Hogg’s Souvenir, and Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, saying that Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast found an audience when it was released earlier this year (opening £2,322,572 taking £15,586,647). The difference is Belfast opened in the prime January Oscar slot generating huge media coverage ahead of release, but a film like Armageddon time won’t get anywhere near the media coverage and opening in November will unlikely have a long cinema release.
The film generated some controversy with the casting of Anthony Hopkins in the lead as his not Jewish but directed James Gray said it was his story. It is more people who are taking offence for offensive sake, as it often happens with the casting of a role chosen by their bankability in attracting an audience over their religion.
James Grey has directed a wide range of films since Little Odessa in 1994, including most recently The Lost City of Z and Ad Astra.
- Strange World – Disney (Wednesday)
The 61st Walt Disney animated film featuring voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu and directed by Don Hall.
There has been a lack of family films this year why Minions: The Rise of Gru and DC League of Super-Pets held well in cinemas for many weeks after being released on VOD. Strange World is the first family film to open in the UK since Lyle, Lyle Crocodile last month, but faces immediate competition from Matilda the Musical opening two days later, Roald Dahl film adaptations have been hugely popular in the UK.
Buzz has been soft for Strange World likely to perform similarly to Encanto rather than hits like Ralph Breaks the Internet, Moana and Frozen and will likely have a 31-day theatrical window as Encanto last year released on Disney+ Christmas Day.
