- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – £1,816,598 – £20,994,361.
Down 26.1% in the fourth weekend.
Took £396k 21.81% (-23.11% 515k) Friday; £807k 44.44% (-25.96% £1.09m) Saturday; £613k 33.76% (-37.68% £844k) Sunday.
124th biggest fourth weekend between Jurassic World Dominion and Trolls (close to The Woman In Black, Aquaman, Johnny English Reborn and It Chapter One) and 246th biggest inflated fourth weekend between Fantastic Beasts 2 and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (close to The Others, Rain Man, Jumanji and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids).
8th biggest 2024 between Migration and Bob Marley: One Love (close to Kung Fu Panda 4, It Ends with Us, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire); Tim Burton’s fourth biggest between Planet Of The Apes (£17m) and Dumbo (£25.1m).
Selected Tim Burton fourth weekend
Beetlejuice dropped 20% £214,901/£744,679 and £2,140,524 59.39% of £3,604,282/£12,411,267 inflated.
1989’s Batman dropped 33.4% £701,305/£2,398,884 and £9,329,946 77.53% 63.89% of £12,034,291/£40,906,260 inflated
1997’s Mars Attacks dropped 51.8% £378,351/£740,899 and £6,169,117 87.37% of £7,061,157/£13,740,630 inflated
2000’s Sleepy Hollow dropped 36% £749,038/£1,404,667 and £8,718,994 86.79% of £10,046,249/£18,083,248 inflated.
2001’s Planet of the Apes dropped 41.9% £782,750/£1,506,888 and £15,348,851 91.09% of £17,027,825/£32,574,970 inflated
2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dropped 41.4% £1,691,431/£2,862,145 and £30,091,611 79.65% of £37,781,940/£63,531,415 inflated
2008’s Sweeney Todd dropped 55.8% £338,176/£518,320 and £10,436,369 95.27% of £10,930,875/£16,648,563 inflated
2010’s Alice In Wonderland dropped 48.5% £2,496,673/£3,344,283 and £34,817,788 82.57% of £42,169,542/£56,131,558 inflated
2019’s Dumbo dropped 60.4% £927,804 and £21,311,999 84.79% of £25,141,389
1991’s Edward Scissorhands took £4,299,657/£11,238,707 inflated
274th biggest between Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Cinderella (close to Mrs Doubtfire, Hot Fuzz, Fantastic Beasts 3 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and 521st biggest inflated between XXX and The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists (close to Flubber, Dumb and Dumber, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Beverly Hills Cop).
- 2. Speak No Evil £639,777 – £3,993,457.
Down 21.4% in the third weekend
Took £182k 28.39% (-22.88% 236k) Friday; £274k 42.88% (-17.47% £332k) Saturday; £185k 28.64% –(-24.49% £245k) Sunday.
1,000th biggest third weekend between The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor and Salmon Fishing In Yemen (close to The Creator, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Five Nights At Freddy’s and The Expendables) and 1,326th biggest inflated between The Boss Baby 2 and Mannequin (close to 30 Days Of Night, Ghostbusters (2016), Creed and The Strangers).
It’s the third James McAvoy Blumhouse Productions film after 2019’s Glass dropped 51% £944,735 #3 and £8,641,332 of £9,646,964 and 2017’s Split dropped 38% £1,246,171 #4 and £8,261,329 of £11,018,070.
The remake of the 2022 Danish film Gæsterne received positive reviews and has a similar plot to Blink Twice (dropped 37% £331,425 #7 and £2,620,132 of £2,933,902) and 2022’s The Menu dropped 23% £334,430 #5 and £2,602,865 of £3,866,701.
James Watkins previously directed 2012’s The Woman in Black (dropped 31% £2,432,580 #1 and £14,614,604 451 screens of £21,237,668) the biggest British horror film in the UK.
1,693rd biggest between The Legend of Zorro and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (close to Rocky IV. The Golden Child, Hostel and Single White Female) and 2,249th biggest inflated between The Commuter and The Sweetest Thing (close to Zoolander, Paycheck, Mirrors and Don’t Breathe).
102nd biggest horror between The Strangers and Hostel (close to The Faculty, The Black Phone, Insidious Chapter 3 and Poltergeist (2015).
- 3. Devera Part 1 – £440,626 – NE
Includes £225,588 (51.1%) from previews
Took £94k 21.36% Friday; £70k 15.91% Saturday; £51k 11.59% Sunday
Previous Bollywood openings this year include Kalki 2898 AD £886,366; Fighter (£596k) and the biggest opening not in the English language, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training (£614k).
Released in three different languages Telugu, Hindi and Tamil.
Devera Part 2 is set for release in August 2025
- 4. The Outrun £449,590 – NE
Included £51,775 previews
Took £114k 25.39% Friday; £147k 32.74% Saturday; £188k 41.87% Sunday
Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews describing it as powerful, and unusual, in its depiction of addiction.
It is Saoirse Ronan’s first film since 2022’s See How They Run (opened £1,163,485 #1 690 screens taking £4,845,487)
Previously starred in 2021’s The French Dispatch (opened £867,672 #6 315 screens taking £3,934,943), Ammonite (opened £130,324 #10 54 screens taking £174,852), 2019’s Little Women (opened £3,578,877 #3 582 screens taking £21,283,939); 2019’s Mary Queen of Scots (opened £2,082,160 #2 499 screens taking £9,290,695), 2018’s On Chesil Beach (opened £67,017 #11 31 screens taking £989,898), 2018’s Lady Bird (opened £1,233,508 #3 taking £5,079,887), 2015’s Brooklyn (opened £1,041,278 #3 308 screens taking £5,539,564)
Down 28.8% in its second weekend (19% without previews)
Took £114k 28.75% (-23.33% £144k) Friday; £155k 38.75% (-18.85% £218k) Saturday; £130k 33.73% (-37.99% £229k) Sunday.
39th biggest 2024 second weekend between Priscilla and The Iron Claw (close to Lee, Blink Twice, Imaginary and Monkey Man).
2,124th biggest second weekend between 21 Grams and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (close to The Menu, Selma, The Pope’s Exorcist and Ex Machina) and 2,642nd biggest second weekend inflated between Crank and The Watch (The Orphanage, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Moonlight and Whiplash).
The Substance received positive reviews since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival winning Best Screenplay and also won People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.
Opened in 522 cinemas, was MUBI’s widest-ever release ahead of Priscilla’s 295 cinemas in January (opened £642,404/£1,326,326 (including previews) taking £2,717,948) and How To Have Sex 150 cinemas (opened £134,090 #12 taking £389,465).
Demi Moore starred in several Brat Pack films in the 80s and then Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure, The Scarlet Letter, Striptease (taking £2,166,470/£4,637,417) and G.I. Jane (taking £2,348,806/£4,570,650) but hasn’t had a lead acting role for over 20 years.
The Substance had a strong second weekend despite being limited to evenings and late-night shows. It was helped by strong word of mouth and Demi Moore on the Graham Norton Show last week (1.6m watched the return of his shoe on BBC1. Demi said: “It is almost impossible to fully describe because it is dealing with some serious subject matters. The best way I can sum it up is that it is like The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Death Becomes Her meets a Jane Fonda workout video.”
The film generated a lot of media coverage reports of walkouts in cinemas due to the level of gore.
2,785th biggest between The Hate U Give and Ambulance (close to Sex, Lies and Videotape, Hell or High Water, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and John Wick).
The film has become MUBI’s biggest box office for arthouse the distributor and streamer taking $14.8m worldwide, $13.6m from MUBI territories overtaking $10m Priscilla took earlier this year. The Substance had $17.5m budget.
The Substance was made by Working Title and was originally going to be released by Universal Pictures but The Match Factory acquired rights and sold it to many territories before the Cannes Film Festival where it received a 13-minute standing ovation.
Also opened.
• Megalopolis – Entertainment Films
Opened £357,190 #7 526 screens
Megalopolis was a passion project for Francis Ford Coppola he first conceived the idea in 1977, developing it alongside making studio films due to make it in 1991 delayed making studio films Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Jack and The Rainmaker to help finance the film. It’s the first film he has directed since 1997’s The Rainmaker since then he has done over 300 rewrites of Megalopolis script.
Francis Ford Coppola has compared Megalopolis to James Joyce’s Ulysses, which many have said was unfilmable as it is so complex. It’s been compared to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, Christopher Nolan’s Inception and Interstellar, Alex Proyas’ Dark City, Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits, The Matrix, Solaris, Gattaca, Fight Club, and Ex Machina.
Megalopolis has received mixed reviews (50% on Rotten Tomatoes) after having its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It was a passion project for Francis Ford Coppola first conceived the idea in 1977, developing it alongside making studio films to make it in 1991 delayed making studio films Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Jack and The Rainmaker to help finance the film. It’s the first film he has directed since 1997’s The Rainmaker since then he has done over 300 rewrites of Megalopolis script. 1996’s Jack opened £560,834/£1,200,488 taking £2,399,278/£5,135,752; 1992’s Bram Stokers Dracula opened £2,640,584/£6,515,086 taking £11,548,429/£28,493,320
Vanity projects are rarely successful include Barry Levinson’s Toys, Guy Ritchie’s Swept Away, Kevin Spacey’s Beyond the Sea, Kevin Costner’s The Postman, Renny Harlin’s Cutthroat Island, Eddie Murphy’s Harlem Nights, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate and Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply.
Lionsgate caused controversy by creating a trailer with fake quotes from famous film critics slating Francis Ford Coppola’s previous films but were made up. The intention was to show other Coppola films also received polarised reviews, using the tagline “Genius is often misunderstood.”
Comparisons to Megalopolis are 1997’s The Fifth Element £1,510,073/£2,938,520 taking £7,088,854/£13,794,527; 2015’s Tomorrowland – A World Beyond £1,482,178 taking £4,971,372; 1996’s 12 Monkeys £1,363,967/£2,919,627 taking £6,106,751/£13,071,748; 2023’s Babylon £1,323,683 taking £3,564,557.
1999’s Fight Club £1,177,219/£2,214,626 taking £5,018,967/£9,441,857; 1997’s Conspiracy theory £1,165,055/£2,267,134 taking £3,049,354/5,933,878.
Featured an ensemble cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, D. B. Sweeney and Dustin Hoffman
Vanity projects are rarely successful include Barry Levinson’s Toys, Guy Ritchie’s Swept Away, Kevin Spacey’s Beyond the Sea, Kevin Costner’s The Postman, Renny Harlin’s Cutthroat Island, Eddie Murphy’s Harlem Nights, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate and Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply.
Lionsgate caused controversy by creating a trailer with fake quotes from famous film critics slating Francis Ford Coppola’s previous films but were made up. The intention was to show other Coppola films also received polarised reviews, using the tagline “Genius is often misunderstood.”
Distributors have previously used negative reviews on film promos when films received negative reviews.
Entertainment Films acquired UK theatrical rights in May and Lionsgate acquired US rights in June, Coppola retained VOD and TV rights in the hope of selling to a global streamer. Francis Ford Coppola self-funded the $120m film and will pay marketing costs.
- Shaun Of The Dead (20th anniversary) – Universal Pictures
Opened £314,481 #9 from 502 screens
Took £117k 45.7% Friday and £144k 56.25% Saturday
Shaun of the Dead originally opened in April 2004 £1,603,410/£2,828,287 from 367 screens taking £6,764,667/£11,932,330 inflated.
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £5,558,555 down 9.9% from last weekend’s £6,171,771: 723,652 admissions down 7.1% from 779,264 admissions.
52nd biggest weekend of the last 53 weeks between 10 May 2024 #1 Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes £3,802,189 (63.58%) and 06 October 2023 #1 The Exorcist: Believer £1,677,878 (30.4%)
163rd biggest since cinemas reopened out of 202 weeks between 19 August 2022 #1 Nope £1,147,638 (19.39%) and 16 July 2021 #1 Black Widow £1,801,017 (32.06%)
1,085th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,173) between 16 June 2017 #1 Wonder Woman £1,868,607 (32.52%) and 20 April 2018 #1 Rampage £1,413,973 (24.81%) and 1,134th inflated between 27 August 2021 #1 Free Guy £1,607,761 (29.62%) and 24 December 2004 #1 The Polar Express £688,859 (21.66%)
The top 3 took (£3,086,194) 53.8% of the top 10; Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 32.79% (£1,822,714); Speak No Evil 11.53% (£813,890); Outrun (8.09%) £449,590
Year to date BO is 10% down from 2023. While September looks soft October has Joker: Folie à Deux and then November sees the release of Paddington in Peru, Gladiator 2, Wicked and Moana 2 far stronger than last year.
652nd highest #1 percentage (31.8%) between 19 July 2002 #1 Scooby-Doo (31.82%) and 08 April 2011 #1 Rio (31.78%)
1,067th biggest admissions #1 (230,141) between 03 November 2023 #1 Trolls Band Together (231,031) and 01 March 2013 #1 Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (230,135)
Down 23.9% from 2023; (£7,302,788); The Creator (£2,255,034); Saw X (£1,925,011); A Little Life (£317,703); Stop Making Sense Remastered (£317,632); The Exorcist (50th Anniversary) (£84,128); Hocus Pocus (30th Anniversary) (£66,713); #1 The Creator £2,255,034 1st week 651 screens (30.88% of top 10)
Down 19.3% 2022 (£6,887,976); Smile (£1,860,452); Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (£807,817); #1 Smile £1,860,452 1st week 519 screens (22.3% of top 10)
Down 80.2% 2021 (£28,089,047); No Time to Die (£25,916,476); #1 No Time to Die £25,916,476 773 screens 1st week (92.3% of top 10)
Up 163.1% 2020; (£2,112,443); Rocky (Re: 2020) (£10,820); Rocky 2 (Re: 2020) (£4,468); Rocky 3 (Re: 2020) (£2,794); Rocky 4 (Re: 2020) (£996k); #1 Tenet £648,517 569 screens 19% drop 5th week (30.7% of top 10)
Down 39.1% 2019; (£9,120,747); Ready or Not (£947,958); The Goldfinch (£320,849); #1 Downton Abbey £2,682,080 3rd week 18% drop 722 screens (29.4% of top 10).
Down 25.6% 2018: (£7,468,933); Night School (£1,596,377); The Wife (£392,635); #1 Night School £1,596,377 1st week 452 screens (21.37% of top 10)
Down 42.9% 2017: (£9,737,689); Goodbye Christopher Robin (£781,110); Flatliners (£486,721); Home Again (£484,124); #1 Kingsman: The Golden Circle £4,187,105 2nd week 620 down 51% (42.9% of the top 10)
Down 57.5% 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)
Down 22.1% 2015; (£7,140,352); Miss You Already (£487,247); Solace (£340,537); Captive (£52,227); Life (£38,237); 99 Homes (£38,078); McFarland (£12,773); #1 Everest £1,996,439 2nd week 1st #1 598 screens 37% drop (27.9% of top 10)
Down 30.7% 2014: (£8,023,248); Billy Elliot The Musical Live 2014 (£1,904,098); The Equalizer (£1,890,146); What We Did on our Holiday (£811,087); Maps to the Stars (£131,057); I Origins (£14,953); #1 Billy Elliot The Musical Live 2014 £1,904,098 1st week 509 screens (33% drop (26.6% of top 10)
Down 13.5% 2013: (£6,429,080); Prisoners (£1,365,527); Blue Jasmine (£833,798); Runner (£764,886); Filth (£247,860); The Wicker Man (Re: 2013) (£14,817); Girl Most Likely (£90,810); Austenland (£12,384); #1 Prisoners £1,365,527 1st week 400 screens (21.2% of top 10)
Down 27.3% 2012: (£7,641,350); Looper (£2,427,994); Resident Evil: Retribution (£792,265); The Campaign (£772,102); Holy Motors (£66,087); #1 Looper £2,427,994 1st week 449 screens 12% drop (31.7% of top 10)
Up 6.9% 2011; (£5,198,264); Abduction (£900,782); The Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary Concert) (£550,955); The Debt (£417,977); Shark Night 3D (£416,770); What’s Your Number? (£320,331); Melancholia (£132,437); Red State (£105,753); #1 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy £1,064,901 3rd week 465 screens 49% drop (20.4% of top 10)
Down 15.9% 2010: (£6,612,218); Eat Pray Love (£1,165,234); The Town (£1,005,039); 3-D The Hole (£906,722); #1 The Other Guys £1,292,144 2nd week 444 screens 35% drop (19.5% of top 10)
Down 20.7% 2009; (£7,010,262); Fame (£2,408,242); Surrogates (£961,271); The Soloist (£373,151); Creation (£199,477); The Crimson Wing (£746); #1 Fame £2,408,242 1st week 459 screens (34.3% of top 10)
Down 11.9% 2008; (£6,302,076); Taken (£1,165,986); Righteous Kill (£768,803); Death Race (£683,038); I’ve Loved You So Long (£116,990); Appaloosa (£90,673); Redbelt (£10,303); #1 Tropic Thunder £1,345,392 2nd week 461 screens 46% drop (21.3% of top 10)
Down 10.4% 2007: (£6,203,477); Halloween (£620,844); Michael Clayton (£601,196); The Brave One (£497,838); Mr Woodcock (£483,017); War (£207,091); Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution (£15,600); Hot Rod (£44,241); Across the Universe (£27,471); #1 Run, Fat Boy, Run £988,788 4th week 398 screens 18% drop (15.9% of top 10)
Down 31.9% 2006; (£8,159,980); Click (£1,797,073); Hoodwinked (£1,764,419); World Trade Centre (£1,667,589); Life and Lyrics (£95,724); #1 Click £1,797,073 1st wk. 402 screens (22.1% of top 10)
Down 12.9% 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 £1,473,062 3rd week 23% drop 412 screens (23.1% of top 10)
Down 22.5% 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 22.6% 2003 (£7,175,270); Once Upon a Time in Mexico (£846,100); Young Adam (£228,692); Ned Kelly (£211,643); #1 Calendar Girls £1,761,985 4th week 2nd #1 439 screens 5% drop (24.5% of top 10)
Down 20.9% from 2002: (£7,031,358); Road to Perdition (expansion (£1,318,382); Van Wilder (£707,783); Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (£124,269); #1 Signs £1,877,796 3rd week 431 screens 29% drop (26.8% of top 10)
Down 21.1% from 2001 (£7,048,276); Mike Bassett: England Manager (£835,219); Enigma (£796,776); The Score (£736,742); The Brothers (E59,542); #1 A.I. £1,556,911 2nd week 430 screens 32% drop (22.1% of top 10).
2023 Next week: (£5,519,804); The Exorcist: Believer (£1,677,878); The Great Escaper (£598,135); Blackberry (£117,263); #1 The Exorcist: Believer £1,677,878 1st week 554 screens (30.4% of top 10).
US Box Office
- The Wild Robot – Universal Pictures
Opened $35.79m; received positive reviews (98% Rotten Tomatoes and A CinemaScore
Took $1.95m from Thursday midnights.
Opened in IMAX, 900 PLF screens, all Dolby Cinema, Screen X, and 4DX and 20% 3D screens; 43% of the BO came from IMAX/PLF screens.
Universal Pictures showed The Wild Robot at CinemaCon and world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, which has $78m budget Universal Pictures has been very passionate about the film positioning it for award season. The trailer has had more than 300m views globally.
It was tracking to open between $20m-$25m opening far stronger due to strong word-of-mouth.
486th biggest opening between 10,000 BC and Rampage (close to Cowboys & Aliens, Robots, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Enchanted).
EntTelligence reported it had 2.7m admissions; 39% of the weekend’s BO; 62% before 5 pm and 53% under 13.
The third biggest September animated opening after Hotel Transylvania 2 ($48.4m) and Hotel Transylvania ($42.5m).
1999’s The Iron Giant opened $5.73m/$12.2m taking $23.31m/$49.47m worldwide
2008’s WALL•E opened $63.08m taking $223.8m and $527.4m worldwide
2014’s Big Hero 6 opened $56.21m taking $222.52m and $657.87m worldwide
Dreamworks Animations have taken $6.4bn in the US and $17.2bn worldwide.
Took $9.9m from 29 territories $18.1m total and $53.1m worldwide
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Warner Bros
Dropped 37% in the fourth weekend $16.22m #2 and $250.13m.
1988’s Beetlejuice dropped 17.6% $7.14m/$18.74m #1 and $32.08m/$84.15m of $74.66m/$195.83m inflated; had a $15m budget compared to $100m+ for the sequel.
105th biggest fourth weekend between Jurassic World Dominion and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (close to It. Deadpool, I Am Legend and The Ring).
151st biggest between Men in Black and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; 456th biggest inflated between Charlie’s Angels and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider; 6th biggest 2024 between Twisters and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; 6th biggest comedy between The Hangover Part II and Bruce Almighty; 33rd biggest Warner Bros between Batman and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Beetlejuice was the 10th biggest film in 1988; 1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit $156,45m; 2 Coming to America $128.15m; 3 Good Morning, Vietnam $122.23m; 4 Big $114.96m; 5 Crocodile Dundee II $109.3m; 6 Three Men and a Baby $90.52m; 7 Die Hard $83m; 8 Moonstruck $80.03m; 9 Cocktail $78,2m; 10 Beetlejuice $73.7m.
Tim Burton’s 20 films have taken $3.02bn in the US and $5.5bn worldwide.
Took $19.1m worldwide from IMAX; $15m US and $4.1m internationally.
Biggest September fourth weekends
2017’s It Part 1 dropped 43.2% $16.9m #2 and $290.77m of $327.48m and $702.78m worldwide
2019’s It Part Two dropped 39.8% $10.24m #4 and $193.76m of $211.59m and $473.09m worldwide
2021’s Shang-Chi dropped 39.9% $13.03m #1 and $196.2m of $224.54m and $432.24m worldwide
2018’s The Nun dropped 45.5% $5.42m #5 and $109.01m of $117.45m and $366.05m worldwide
Took $13.6m from 77 territories $123.2m total and $373.51m worldwide; UK $27.6m; Mexico $17.1m; France $11.3m; Australia $7.7m; Spain $7.7m.
403rd biggest worldwide between The Adventures of Tintin and Fifty Shades Freed; 12th biggest 2024 between Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Twisters; 17th biggest comedy between Rain Man and The Hangover 3; 75th biggest Warner Bros between Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Mad Max: Fury Road.
- Transformers One – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 63% in the second weekend $9.15m #3 and $39.02m
217th biggest animated film between Strange World and Treasure Planet; 2,379th biggest between Something Borrowed and Primary Colors; 3,700th biggest inflated between One Crazy Summer and Quick Change; 28th biggest 2024 between Trap and The Wild Robot; 291st biggest Paramount Pictures between Rugrats Go Wild and Crawl.
The seven live-action Transformers films have taken $1.7bn in the US and $5.3bn worldwide since 2007’s Transformers. Transformers One is the first animated film of the series since 1986’s The Transformers: The Movie (opened $1.77m taking $5.84m).
2007’s Transformers dropped 47.5% $37.02m #2 and $224m of $319.24m and $709.7m worldwide
2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen dropped 61.2% $42.32m #1 and $293.35m of $402.1m and $836.3m worldwide
2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon dropped 51.9% $47.1m #1 and $261.07m of $352.39m and $1.12bn worldwide
2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction dropped 63% $37.05m #1 and $175.39m of $245.43m and $1.1bn worldwide
2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight dropped 62.2% $16.88m #3 and $101.98m of $130.16m and $605.42m worldwide
2018’s Bumblebee dropped 3.5% $20.9m #3 and $67.18m of $127.1m and $467.98m worldwide
2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts dropped 66.1% $20.68m #4 and $101.3m of $157.06m and $438.96m worldwide
Being rated PG Transformers One it was aimed at a much younger audience than the live-action films, but they haven’t seen any of the live-action Transformers films but were hoping audiences would come out to see it as they have done with the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse animated films.
Took $16.6m internationally from 61 territories and $32.8m and $72m worldwide; has a staggered international opening; Mexico $2.2 million; Australia $1.5 million; and Japan $820k.
- Speak No Evil – Universal Pictures
Down 27% in its second weekend $4.25m #5 and $28.09m
It’s the third James McAvoy Blumhouse Productions film after
2016’s Split dropped 43.8% $14.42m #1 and $98.54m of $138.29m and $278.45m worldwide
2019’s Glass dropped 49.4% $9.54m #1 and $88.66m of $111.04m and $246.9m worldwide
Recent Blumhouse Production films
2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s dropped 52.6% $8.99m #2 and $127.2m of $137.27m and $297.14m worldwide
2022’s M3GAN dropped 47% $9.7m #3 and $73.19m of $95.15m and $180.08m worldwide
2021’s The Black Phone dropped 36.5% $7.78m #6 and $62.43m of $90.12m and $161.44m worldwide
But this year’s Blumhouse films have had much lower openings.
Night Swim dropped 39.7% $2.79m #8 and $23.85m of $32.49m and $54.72m worldwide.
Imaginary dropped 49.9% $2.78m #7 and $23.6m of $28m and $43.67m worldwide.
Blumhouse Productions have taken $3.23bn in the US and $6.13bn
Took $5.3m from 77 territories internationally $29.6m total and $57.7m worldwide; UK $3.7m; Mexico $2.2m; Spain $1.7m; Italy $1.1m; Australia $969k.
- Megalopolis – Lionsgate
Opened $4m; received mixed reviews (49% Rotten Tomatoes) and D+ CinemaScore.
Took $700k from Thursday previews
Shares IMAX screens with The Wild Robot; took 35% ($1.4m) from IMAX; 41% from IMAX/PLF
Expectations have been low for the Francis Ford Coppola film since its Cannes Film Festival premiere received average reviews. Over the last few weeks, the $120m budget film was tracking to open between $5m-$7m. Francis Ford Coppola self-financed the film, which took 40 years to make.
Lionsgate acquired US rights in June months after it was screened to studios, distribution and marketing costs are being funded by Francis Ford Coppola. Lionsgate have a long history with Coppola handling home entertainment for Apocalypse Now Final Cut, The Conversation, The Cotton Club Encore, Tucker: The Man and His Dream and One From the Heart: Reprise.
Had advance screening at the New York Film Festival on September 23rd in 66 IMAX screens
It’s the third $100m budget film released by Lionsgate after Midway and Moonfall, neither were BO hits. Lionsgate has had a poor month with Borderlands, The Crow, The Killer’s Game and Never Let Go all disappointing at the BO highlighting again the struggles of independent studios making original films attracting audiences in cinemas. But Lionsgate won’t lose money on releasing Megalopolis unlike many of the other films they recently released getting a distribution fee of $3m-$5m.
- Saturday Night – Sony Pictures
It opened $270,487 from 5 screens; and had the second-best screen average of the year after Kinds of Kindness ($75,4k). The film will expand over the next few weeks, many films perform strongly on platform opening but lose momentum when expanded when the films add screens far too quickly.
The film has generated strong buzz since its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival receiving positive reviews (79% Rotten Tomatoes). The big question is will it play internationally?
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Ahead of Joker: Folie A Deux’s Venice Film Festival world premiere buzz was strong, and expectations were high to open similar to 2019’s Joker opened £12,555,329 #1 666 screens (3-day opening no previews); took £3.81m Friday taking £58.5m/£64.6m inflated. Buzz dropped off after its premiere receiving mixed reviews, but they were similar to Joker (63% Rotten Tomatoes Vs Joker 69%).
Buzz for Joker 2 feels similar to how Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was ahead of its Cannes world premiere as it dropped off after receiving mixed reviews (opened £7,144,441 #1 743 screens compared to 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opening £12,227,799 #1 539 screens.
In the US Joker: Folie A Deux was expected to open $100m+ ahead of the Venice premiere and has dropped off over the month since and is expected to open with $ 60m-$70m. According to Movio presales for IMAX/PLF are 46% Vs 24% for Joker with 13% very frequent cinemagoers (26 trips to the cinema over the last 6 months).
Joker: Folie A Deux is expected to open between £6m-£7m and remain #1 for about 2 weeks compared to 6 weeks for Joker as it has competition from family films Transformers One and The Wild Robot and Venom: The Last Dance over the next three weeks.
The teaser trailer was released in April featuring a cover of What the World Needs Now Is Love had 167 million views in its first 24 hours the most watched Warner Bros trailer. But the trailer was viewed far less. Different to how it was for the weeks after Joker opened when Gemini Man, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. Terminator: Dark Fate and Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep all came short of expectations.
The first film was originally conceived as a standalone film but after taking 1.078bn worldwide Todd Philips started development on a sequel. It’s a DC Elseworlds project outside of the DC Cinematic Universe. It was shot entirely in IMAX.
With the arrival of Joker: Folie A Deux all holdovers will drop about 50%; after four weeks #1, Beetlejuice 2 will drop 50% taking about £1m.
Opening in three weeks
- Venom: The Last Dance – Sony Pictures
Sequel to 2018’s Venom and 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the fifth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Starring Tom Hardy. Chiwetel Ejiofor. Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham and directed by Kelly Marcel.
In August 2018 Tom Hardy said he was signed to star in three Venom films with plans to make a crossover film with Spider-Man. Spider-Man had a cameo in Let There Be Carnage with footage from Spider-Man: No Way Home.
It was originally due to be released on 12th July 2024 delayed to November 8th and then to October 2025 due to the SAG strike.
The first teaser trailer was released in June.
The first two films opened in a much more crowded marketplace. The Last Dance opens three weeks after Joker: Folie à Deux, likely not have the legs of the first film and family films Transformers One and The Wild Robot playing to younger audiences.
2018’s Venom opened £8,031,342 #1 556 screens; against Johnny English Strikes Again £4,117,692 and A Star is Born £4,100,196 also opening; taking £20,123,186
2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened £6,167,833 #2 597 screens (#1 No Time To Die 3rd week £8,404,165 and Halloween Kills #3 £1,598,062; Ron’s Gone Wrong #5 £868,053; The Last Duel #6 £325,523 also opening; taking £18,027,072.
- The Room Next Door – Warner Bros
Drama starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore alongside John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.
It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival winning the Golden Lion and receiving positive reviews (95% Rotten Tomatoes).
Warner Bros acquired selected international rights including the UK in June, Sony Pictures Classics has US rights.
Pedro Almodóvar’s last film was in 2022’s Parallel Mothers opened £301,877 #6 from 186 screens taking £1,109,127.
Some of Pedro Almodóvar’s 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
- The Front Room – Universal Pictures
Psychological horror starring Brandy Norwood, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap, and Neal Huff and directed by the Eggers Brothers based on the 2016 short story by Susan Hill.
Opened in the US in September by A24 receiving mixed reviews; opened $1.58m taking $2.91m
Robert Eggers previously directed.
2022’s The Northman opened £897,737 #4 528 screens taking £4,349,002
2016’s The Witch (opened #7 £447,626 from 179 screens taking £883,088)
2020’s The Lighthouse (opened #10 £384,284 from 83 screens) both received critical acclaim and had incredibly low budgets.
