- Dog Man £3,252,536 – NE
Took £414k 12.73% Friday; £1.58m 48.6% Saturday; £1.258m 38.7% Sunday.
520th biggest opening between The Incredible Hulk and The Suicide Squad (close to Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, The Devil Wears Prada, Mean Girls (2024) and Ali G Indahouse) and 788th biggest inflated opening between 300: Rise of An Empire and Mean Girls (2024) (close to The Addams Family (1991), The Muppets, Antz and The Good Dinosaur).
26th biggest opening of the last 52 weeks between The Wild Robots and A Quiet Place: Day One (close to Bad Boys: Ride or Die, The Fall Guy, Back to Black and A Complete Unknown).
90th biggest animated film opening between The Wild Robot and The Smurfs 2 (close to Onward, Toy Story, Chicken Little and Elemental) and 112th biggest inflated opening between The Wild Robot and Antz (close to The Rugrats Movie, Coraline, Beauty and the Beast (1992) and Pocahontas).
26th biggest Dreamworks Animation opening between the Wild Robot and Shrek (close to Turbo, Over The Hedge, Flushed Away and Trolls Band Together) and 31st biggest inflated Dreamworks Animation opening between the Wild Robot and Trolls Band Together (close to Bee Movie, Antz, Captain Underpants and Puss in Boots).
A spinoff to 2017’s Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie opened £2,495,744 #2 (including £1,228,837 previews) taking £8,100,263 despite receiving positive reviews was squeezed by the stronghold of Despicable Me 3 and The Emoji Movie opened the following weekend £2,702,809 #2. Spinoff Dog Man should open between £2.5m-£3m and play strongly over the next few weeks with half-term next week and Dog Man being the only family film opening.
With half-term starting Monday Dog Man will drop about 30% and then see a minimal drop in its third weekend.
A decade ago, there used to be a couple of family films opening ahead of February half-term but over recent years there has only been one opening last year Migration opened £3,577,676; in 2023 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish £4,950,495; in 2022 Sing 2 £6,867,533. 2020 was the last year with two family films opening ahead of February half-term Dolittle opened £5,085,520 taking £15,943,992 and Sonic The Hedgehog £4,733,768 taking £19,280,822.
Previous February family half-term films
In 2019
The LEGO Movie 2 opened £4,016,730 taking £18,588,809.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opened £5,323,448 taking £19,281,679.
The Kid Who Would be King opened £666,749 taking £3,680,528
Instant Family opened £2,469,853 taking £10,459,989.
In 2018
Coco opened £5,209,214 taking £18,013,336.
Early Man opened £2,020,653 taking £11,205,643.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure opened £2,247,915 taking £6,667,941.
In 2017
The LEGO Batman Movie opened £7,906,468 taking £26,771,191.
Sing opened £10,487,380 taking £28,840,000.
In 2016
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip opened £4,296,291.
Goosebumps opened £2,686,105 taking £8,575,763 taking £15,871,522.
In 2015
Big Hero 6 opened £4,293,286 taking £20,123,298.
Shaun The Sheep Movie opened £2,095,061 taking £13,124,416.
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots opened £687,417 taking £2,326,328.
In 2014
The Lego Movie opened £8,051,140 taking £32,887,286.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman opened £3,916,559 taking £13,552,917.
Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy opened £966,920 taking £5,459,408.
- 2. A Complete Unknown £832,218 – £9,967,699
Dropped 32.7% in its fourth weekend.
Friday £231k 27.8% (-33.8% £349k); Sat £357k 42.9% (-30.1% £511k) Sun £244k 29.3% (-34.8% £374k).
453rd biggest fourth weekend between Iron Man and Apollo 13 (close to The English Patient, Bend It Like Beckham, Bob Marley: One Love and Sense and Sensibility) and 741st biggest inflated fourth weekend between CON: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader and Mermaids (close to Tropic Thunder, Phone Booth, The Queen and Big).
BAFTA awards are on Sunday Timothée Chalamet received his fourth BAFTA nomination for A Complete Unknown after receiving the Rising Star Award in 2017, Best Actor for 2017’s Call Me By Your Name and Best Supporting Actor for 2018’s Beautiful Boy. His up against Adrien Brody (The Brutalist ); Colman Domingo (Sing Sing); Ralph Fiennes (Conclave); Hugh Grant (Heretic) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice).
Recent musician biopics’ fourth weekends
2024’s Back To Black dropped 45.7% £770,973 #4 and £10,507,088 85.5% of £12,291,912
2024’s Bob Marley: One Love dropped 38.6% £830,382 and £15,169,496 88.3% of £17,126,572
2006’s Walk the Line dropped 22% £741,385 #6 and £6,235,636 of £9,737,493
2022’s Elvis dropped 24% £1,003,820 #3 and £16,156,229 of £27,492,430; had long legs stayed in the top 5 for 7 weeks and top 10 for 11 weeks.
2019’s Rocketman dropped 24% £1,633,127 #3 and £19,255,598 of £23,502,881: top 5 for 5 weeks and top 10 for 7 weeks
2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 33% £3,021,648 #3 and £34,854,038 of £55,376,188.
736th biggest between The Village and The Banshees Of Inisherin (close to House of Gucci, One Life, Jerry Maguire and The Truman Show) and 1,188th biggest inflated between The Birdcage and Cruella (close to Natural Born Killers, 127 Hours, Howards End and The Untouchables).
Upcoming musician biopics include Micheal (Micheal Jackson), Deliver Me From Nowhere (Bruce Springsteen), And Sam Mendes’s four Beatles films, and Ridley Scott directed Bee Gees biopic which was due to be his next film after Gladiator II but has recently been delayed.
- 3. Mufasa: The Lion King £700,619 – £30,340,896
Dropped 37.7% in its eighth weekend.
The 45th biggest eighth weekend between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and The Lion King (2019) (close to Toy Story 3, Mamma Mia 2, Babe and Four Weddings and a Funeral) and the 99th inflated eighth weekend between The Wedding Singer and Lost in Translation (close to Casper, Pulp Fiction, Muriel’s Wedding and The Commitments).
Eighth weekends
*1994’s The Lion King dropped 37.6% £332,421/£815,199 and £18,994,253 of £22,525,524/£55,239,516
Disney’s reimagination sequels have failed to repeat success.
2013’s Maleficent dropped 40.3% £186,583 and £18,308,514 of £19,453,353; Sequel 2019’s Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil dropped 80.4% £17,935 and £14,583,092 of £14,773,607.
2010’s Alice in Wonderland dropped 44.1% £278,855/£373,525 and £41,915,826 of £42,169,542; sequel 2016’s Alice Through The Looking Glass took £9,915,284.
The biggest Disney re-imagination eighth weekends:
2017’s Beauty and the Beast dropped 49.8% £418,813 and £71,180,862 of £72,430,579
2019’s The Lion King dropped 44% £686,991 and £73,143,510 of £75,938,299/£83,826,626
2016’s The Jungle Book dropped 26.8% £570,486/£613,600 and £44,581,352 of £46,235,032
2019’s Aladdin dropped 18.4% £355,707 and £35,225,791 of £36,710,978
2023’s The Little Mermaid dropped 46.5% £367,971 and £26,540,056 of £27,275,784
Disney have two more reimaginations set for release in 2025 Snow White and Lilo & Stitch with Moana set for release in 2026 and Tangled in development. While Snow White has received much negativity coverage nostalgia for the original film will bring in audiences as they have done for all other first-part reimaginations.
153rd biggest between Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (close to Notting Hill, The BFG, Monsters University and King Kong) and 315th biggest inflated between Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and The Boss Baby (close to A Fish Called Wanda, I, Robot, The Living Daylights and Happy Feet).
- 4. Macbeth: David Tennant And Cush Jumbo £691,142 – £1,527,870
Took £742,686 Wednesday.
Donmar Warehouse Macbeth directed by Max Webster and starring David Tennant And Cush Jumbo received widespread critical acclaim during its recent sold-out run between December 2023 and February 2024 and won three WhatsOnStage Awards this week.
It was filmed live for the cinema at the Donmar Warehouse.
Last May Macbeth: Ralph Fiennes And Indira Varma opened with £184,758 #10 and £399,419 from 395 screens.
Cinema tickets prices for Hamlet were only slightly cheaper (£22) than the live theatre performance (£25)
Recent Event Cinema Live theatre openings include:
2024’s Prima Facie – NT Live 2022 (Re: 2024) £556,471 #4 and £1,487,622 of £2,970,867
2022’s Prima Facie – NT Live 2022 £447,014 #6 and £1,837,876 of £4,972,829
2019’s Fleabag – NT Live 2019 £177,285 #12 £2,157,564 of £4,106,771
It never makes any sense that films can have 7 days of previews as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had and all BO is included within its opening but Event Cinema screenings that have screenings mid-week aren’t included in its opening weekend as Macbeth’s opening should be £1,527,870, not £691,142 and it would have opened #2. Of course, can’t compare Event Cinema screenings with regular films as standard ticket prices for Macbeth are about three times as much as regular ticket prices.
- 5. September 5th £638,912 – NE
Took £122,036 from Thursday previews.
Took £134k Friday 20.97%; £223k 34.9% Saturday; £139k 21.7% Sunday.
2,348th biggest opening Last Chance Harvey and Balls of Fury (close to Cemetery Junction, The Commitments, In Bruges and Clueless) and 2,685th inflated opening between Quiz Show and Paradise Lost (Hotel Rwanda, Talk To Me, August: Osage County and The Piano).
Despite receiving positive reviews, the lack of award recognition will cause the September 5th struggle to find an audience. It’s a tense powerful film especially, powerful film, especially when it dawns on the ABC control room that y when it dawns on the ABC control room the terrorists are watching their TV coverage in the room.
When September 5th premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September it was seen as the film to beat for Oscars.
Similar films based on real events include 2012’s Argo opened £1,287,770 taking £7,488,365/£9,310,495) and 2016’s Spotlight opened £1,060,435 taking £5,851,006 /£6,253,707.
While Steven Spielberg directed 2006’s Munich opened £1,209,970/£1,980,177 taking £4,719,662/£7,723,964.
September 5th feels like a companion film to Steven Spielberg’s Munich as it tells it from the ABC Sport control room as they were the only ones who had access to the Olympics as it was the first to be televised… There’s a shocking realisation by the control room when they realise the terrorists are watching their TV coverage in the rooms and can see exactly what the police are preparing for. Likewise, the need to be the first to announce the news made them report hostages were alive and safe despite not having confirmation… And then having to say minutes later they were all dead.
Also opened.
- Love Hurts – £140,082 #14 from 471 screens.
It is Ke Huy Quan’s first film since winning Best Supporting Actor for 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once and produced by David Leitch so no wonder the trailer looks like previously directed films John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy with action scenes playing over a romantic pop song. Love Hurts should have opened similar to 2015’s John Wick £539,602 and 2021’s Nobody £574,399.
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £7,787,566 up 20.4% from last weekend’s £6,468,250: 987,942 admissions up 24.1% from 796,093 admissions.
40th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 24 January 2025 #1 A Complete Unknown £1,667,821 (21.3%) and 07 June 2024 #1 Bad Boys: Ride Or Die £3,873,533 (51.9%)
146th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 221 weeks between 26 January 2024 #1 Mean Girls £1,496,629 (19.2%) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25%)
890th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,192) between 01 March 2013 #1 Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters £1,502,782 (19.3%) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25%) and 1,084th inflated between 26 January 2024 #1 Mean Girls £1,496,629 (19.2%) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25%)
The top 3 took (£4,785,373) 49.5% of the top 10; Dog Man 41.8% (£3,252,536); A Complete Unknown 10.7% (£832,218); Mufasa: The Lion King 9% (£700,619)
411th biggest percentage share #1 (41.77%) between 29 January 2010 #1 Avatar £4,865,081 (41.79%) and 08 May 2009 #1 Star Trek £5,950,203 (41.74%)
789th biggest admissions #1 (420,224) between 22 December 2006 #1 Happy Feet £2,048,266 (420,589) and 19 January 2024 #1 Mean Girls £3,251,159 (420,046)
Up 7.1% from 2024; (£7,274,501); The Iron Claw (£754,152); Peppa’s Cinema Party (£490,693); Turning Red (£57,385); #1 Migration £2,468,390 2nd week dropped 31% 678 screens (33.93% of top 10)
Down 6.8% from 2023; (£8,352,776); Magic Mike’s Last Dance (£1,529,155); Titanic (Re: 2023) (£870,646); Epic Tails (£259,637); Women Talking (£117,380); #1 Puss In Boots: The Last Wish £3,066,908 38% drop 697 screens 2nd week (36.72% of top 10)
Down 43.1% 2022 (£13,675,065); Uncharted (£4,705,948); Death On The Nile (£1,898,357); Marry Me (£700,513); The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert (£79,987); #1 Uncharted £4,705,948 1st week 579 screens (34.4% of top 10)
2021 Lockdown
Down 46.9% 2020; (£14,669,621); Dolittle (£5,085,520); Birds Of Prey (£2,833,297); Parasite (£1,397,387); The Personal History Of David Copperfield (£530,339); Underwater (£191,869); #1 Dolittle £5,085,520 1st week 600 screens (34.7% of top 10)
Down 42.1% from 2019: (£13,436,944); The LEGO Movie 2 (£4,016,730); Alita: Battle Angel (£3,198,180); All is True (£266,767); If Beale Street Could Talk (£252,462); Boy Erased (£118,585); #1 The LEGO Movie 2 £4,016,730 1st week 572 screens (29.9% of top 10)
Down 45.8% from 2018; (£14,358,030); Fifty Shades Freed (£6,132,414); Tad The Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas (£302,312); The Mercy (£301,138); The 15:17 to Paris (£290,577); Status Update (£137,886); #1 Fifty Shades Freed £6,132,414 1st week 592 screens (42.7% of top 10)
Down 65.5% 2017: (£22,550,899); The LEGO Batman Movie (£7,906,468); Fifty Shades Darker (£7,557,485); The Space Between Us (£258,401); Fences (£102,688); 20th Century Women (£60,203); Prevenge (£30,118); Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (£14,692); #1 The LEGO Batman Movie £7,906,468 1st week 600 screens (35.1% of top 10)
Down 68.9% 2016: (£25,026,922); Deadpool (£13,729,803); Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (£4,296,291); Zoolander 2 (£2,089,678); Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (£357,444); A Bigger Splash (£347,704); Concussion (£111,993); Oddball and the Penguins (£23,835); The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (£13,729); Jem and the Holograms (£8,869); #1 Deadpool £13,729,803 1st week 543 screens (54.8% of top 10)
Down 32.3% 2015; (£11,507,851); Shaun The Sheep Movie (£2,095,061); Jupiter Ascending (£1,349,938); Selma (£792,365); The Interview (£283,811); #1 Big Hero 6 £2,540,116 2nd week 513 screens 41% drop (22.1% of top 10)
Down 34.4% 2014: (£11,863,126); Mr. Peabody and Sherman (£3,916,559); RoboCop (£2,410,948); Dallas Buyers Club (£1,086,938); The Invisible Woman (£132,021); #1 Mr. Peabody and Sherman £3,916,559 1st week 507 screens (33.1% of top 10)
Down 38.9% 2013: (£12,741,358); Wreck-It Ralph (£4,526,380); I Give It A Year (£1,450,023); Warm Bodies (£895,509); Hitchcock (£606,817); #1 Wreck-It Ralph £4,526,380 1st week 501 screens (35.5% of top 10)
Down 38.3% 2012: (£12,616,654); The Woman in Black (£3,153,020); The Muppets (£2,650,664); Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace 3D (£1,528,156); The Vow (£1,091,469); A Dangerous Method (£186,775); Big Miracle (£149,796); #1 The Woman in Black £3,153,020 1st week 412 screens (25% of top 10)
Down 48.9% 2011; (£15,233,283); Gnomeo and Juliet (£2,945,627); True Grit (£1,823,254); Yogi Bear (£1,820,405); Just Go With it (£1,628,265); Never Let Me Go (£625,496); #1 Gnomeo and Juliet £2,945,627 1st week 462 screens (19.3% of top 10)
Down 39.1% 2010: (£12,786,495); The Princess and the Frog (expansion) (£2,219,769); Astro Boy (£1,091,872); Invictus (£1,068,388); Youth in Revolt (£743,932); #1 Avatar £4,338,774 7th week over 8 weeks 417 screens 11% drop (34% of top 10)
Down 6.6% 2009; (£8,335,147); The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (£2,213,495); He’s Just Not That Into You (£1,913,542); The Secret of Moonacre (£308,099); Doubt (£253,097); Vicky Cristina Barcelona (£243,684); Punisher: War Zone (£94,365); #1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button £2,213,495 1st week 425 screens (26.5% of top 10)
Down 22.1% 2008; (£9,992,789); National Treasure 2 (£2,483,297); Juno (£2,002,120); The Water Horse (£760,340); Definitely, Maybe (£698,041); There Will Be Blood (£215,490); The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (£106,911); Arctic Tale (£7,619); #1 National Treasure 2 £2,483,297 1st week 491 screens (24.8% of top 10)
Down 20.8% 2007: (£9,827,338); Music and Lyrics (£1,929,058); Charlotte’s Web (£1,892,120); Epic Movie (£1,368,657); Hannibal Rising (£1,044,033); Goal! 2 (£326,807); The Reef (£208,259); #1 Music and Lyrics £1,929,058 1st week 432 screens (19.6% of top 10)
Down 28.1% 2006; (£10,821,573); Chicken Little (£3,173,867); Final Destination 3 (£2,219,978); Big Momma’s House 2 (£1,735,839); The Little Polar Bear 2 (£80,915); #1 Chicken Little £3,173,867 1st week 400 screens (29.3% of top 10)
Down 26.8% 2005: (£10,644,664); The Magic Roundabout (£1,569,843); The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (£1,252,322); Son of the Mask (£725,524); The Sea Inside (£89,507); #1 Meet the Fockers £2,957,466 3rd week 456 screens 36 drops (27.8% of top 10)
Down 5.2% 2004; (£8,214,642); School of Rock (£2,742,356); Something’s Gotta Give (£1,215,563); The Dreamers (£117,181); Charlie (£92,336); #1 School of Rock £2,742,356 1st week 376 screens (33.4% of top 10)
Down 30.5% 2003 (£11,208,480); Two Weeks’ Notice (£2,636,050); Final Destination 2 (£1,675,057); The Wild Thornberrys (£1,430,610); Punch Drunk Love (£151,494); #1 Two Weeks’ Notice £2,636,050 1st week 414 screens (23.5% of top 10)
Down 49.5% from 2002: (£15,433,492); Monsters, Inc. (£9,200,257); From Hell (£891,862); Just Visiting (£121,414); #1 Monsters, Inc. £9,200,257 1st week 503 screens (21.6% of top 10)
2024 Next week: (£14,740,526); Bob Marley: One Love (£6,950,773) Madame Web (£2,273,544); The Taste Of Things (£235,241); Les Miserables (2024 Re-Issue) (£169,006); #1 Bob Marley: One Love £6,950,773 1st week 688 screens (47.15%of top 10)
January UK BO
January 2025 BO was up 10% from last year’s £94.1m Vs £85.2m but January last year was a 4-week month while this year was a 5-week month. While BO was up 36% in the first week and up 22% in the second weekend it has dropped off over the weeks since.
#1 Nosferatu £12.7m
#2 Mufasa: The Lion King (US) took £12.1m of £29.6m
#3 A Complete Unknown £9.1m
#4 We Live In Time £8.4m
#5 Sonic The Hedgehog 3 took £8.2m of £24.3m
#6 Wicked took £4.9m of £60.7m
#7 Moana 2 took £4.8m of £41.1m
#8 Babygirl £4.2m
#9 Better Man took £3.8m of £6.7m
#10 A Real Pain £2.9m
Gower Street is predicting £180.6m UK and Ireland box office for February with 80%+ from Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy and Captain America: Brave New World and it will be about 90% with Dog Man and The Monkey.
In the first quarter, they are predicted to be £253.4m up only 4% from last year as Snow White is unlikely to match Dune: Part Two. BO.
US Box Office
- Dog Man – Universal Pictures
Down 62% in its second weekend $13.8m and $54.2m
833rd biggest second weekend between Rocketman and Murder on the Orient Express (close to The Garfield Movie (2024), Dungeons & Dragons, Turbo and Storks).
Based on Dav Pilkey’s graphic novel series selling over 60m copies last year’s instalment was the #1 bestselling children’s book of the year.
2017’s Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie dropped 48.9% $12.18m and $44.44m of $73.91m and $125.42m WW
Most recently Dreamworks Animation
2024’s The World Robot dropped 47.2% $18.89m and $64.18m of $143.89m and $324.77m worldwide
Dreamworks Animation films have taken $6.6bn in the US and $17.6bn worldwide since 1998.
2024’s Kung Fu Panda 4 dropped 48% $30.14m and $107.89m of $193.59m and $547.69m worldwide
2023’s Trolls Band Together dropped 40.6% $17.8m and $64.76m of $103.97m and $210.65m worldwide
2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish up 35.3% (Christmas) $16.81m and $61.22m of $186.09m and $485.25m worldwide
2022’s The Bad Guys dropped 32.2% $16.23m and $44.58m of $97.45m and $250.9m worldwide
Took $6.6m from 41 territories and $11.9m and $66m worldwide; has a staggering international opening.
- Companion – Warner Bros
Dropped 68% in its second weekend $3m and $15.46m
Dropped more than expected in its second weekend after getting strong word of mouth but being Super Bowl weekend and having direct teen horror competition with Heart Eyes opening younger audiences are fickle and will quickly go to the next film.
Comparison horrors included Ready or Not (took $28.7m and $57.6m WW); Barbarian (took $40.8m and $45.3M WW) and Heretic (took $27.9m and $59.7m WW)
Took $3.7m from 60 territories $11.2m total and $26.7m worldwide.
- Mufasa: The Lion King – Disney
Down 36% in its eighth weekend $4m and $235.29m
164th biggest eighth weekend between Basic Instinct and Zero Dark Thirty (close to The Grinch, Iron Man, Happy Feet and Tangled)
177th biggest between Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and The Exorcist; 525th biggest inflated between Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Remember the Titans; 10th biggest 2024 between Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; 57th biggest Disney between Doctor Strange and Signs.
Eighth weekends
2019’s The Lion King dropped 37.5% $4.32m and $529.23m of $543.63m and $1.662bn worldwide
1994’s The Lion King dropped 28.9% $7.07m and $232.39m of $312.8m/$1.12bn and $771.1m/$2.1bn WW
Audiences will come out in large numbers to photorealistic animated remakes of the classic animated films as they will come out In similar numbers to see Snow White and Lilo & Sitch this year. Snow White is tracking to open with $63m+ lower than 2014’s Maleficent’s $69m while 2019’s The Lion King opened $192m and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast $175m.
Would expect Snow White to open higher $80m+ as nostalgia for the beloved original will bring audiences as they have done for all other reimaginations. The budget for Snow White is close to $300m shot in the UK it received 25.5% tax credits as many Disney films have done.
Over the past 15 years Disney received $2bn (£1.6bn) of taxpayers’ money in return for filming in Britain (25.5% tax credits) Disney made $127.8bn in pre-tax profits during that time.
The Little Mermaid dropped 35% $2.39m and $293.96m of $298.17m and $569.62m worldwide.
2019’s Aladdin dropped 17.9% $6.17m and $331.78m of $355.5m and $1.054bn worldwide
1996’s 101 Dalmatians dropped 0% $3.19m and $129.81m of $136.18m and $320.68m worldwide
2000’s 102 Dalmatians dropped 0% $1.16m and $62.6m of $66.95m and $183.61m worldwide
2014’s Maleficent dropped 22.5% $3.23m and $228.3m of $241.41m and $759.85m worldwide
2019’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil dropped 59.7% $535,962 and $112.37m of $113.9m and $491.7m worldwide
2010’s Alice in Wonderland dropped 38.1% $2.26m and $327.53m of $334.19m and $1.025bn worldwide
Took $8.5m and $435.9m from 55 territories and $671.1m worldwide; France $40.5m; UK $37.7m; Germany $30.5m; Mexico $30m; Italy $23.5m.
162nd biggest worldwide between Justice League and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; 7th biggest 2024 worldwide between Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; 51st biggest Disney worldwide between The Sixth Sense and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
- Love Hurts – Universal Pictures
Opened $5.8m; received poor reviews (23% Rotten Tomatoes) and C+ CinemaScore.
Took $1.1m from Thursday midnights; Monkey Man $1.4m.
Men at 54% with 18-34 50%; 25-34 at 33% with a third of the BO from PLF screens
Ke Huy Quan previously starred in the Oscar-winning 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once opened $6.05m (wide) taking $77.19m and $135.4m WW.
2021’s Nobody opened $6.82m taking $27.56m and $57.51m WW
Love Hurts was produced by David Leitch previously directed.
2014’s John Wick opened $14.41m taking $43.03m and $86.08m WW
2017’s Atomic Blonde opened $18.28m taking $51.68m and $100.01m WW
As well as 2018’s Deadpool 2; 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw; 2022’s Bullet Train and 2024’s The Fall Guy.
Opened internationally with $1.1m from 31 territories.
- Heart Eyes – Sony Pictures
Opened $8.3m; received positive reviews (85% Rotten Tomatoes) and B- CinemaScore
Took $850k from Thursday midnights similar to Companion ‘s $1.1m.
Has been compared to self-aware horrors like Scream with a twist similar to Scream films as well as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, Cherry Falls and Valentine.
50/50 male-female split on Heart Eyes; 35% men 25+; 28% women 25+; 22% women under 25 and 14% men under 25 (71%); 18-34 67%; 16% from PLF similar to Companion last week audiences aren’t interested in seeing the film in larger formats.
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In China, the animated film Ne Zha 2 became the first film to take over $1bn in one country after 12 days on release (currently $1.2bn expected to take $2bn+) including $63.9m from IMAX. It does show that films like 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens taking $936.6m; 2019’s Avengers: Endgame $858.4m and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home $815m should have taken $1bn+. As the fourth biggest film 2009’s Avatar took $785m ($1.12bn inflated) while 1997’s Titanic #9 $574.35m ($1.54bn) would be over $2bn including IMAX/PLF/3D surcharges.
Many expected Avatar: The Way of Water to take $1bn+ in 2022 instead took $684m. So, the question is will there ever be $1bn film in the US? The only possibilities are from the next Avengers films as it’s unlikely to come from new Star Wars or Avatar sequels.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy had the best advance sales than Barbie in July 2023 according to exhibitors. The problem exhibitors rarely make public presale data so it’s hard to make direct comparisons.
Odeon reported last Thursday said they had sold 70,000 tickets, outselling Barbie with about 20% for Thursday and about a third for Valentine’s Day. Curzon said advance sales were 20% more than Barbie.
The target demographic for Mad About The Boy is older than Barbie will be women 35+ mums with their mums while Barbie was mums with daughters. It’s unlikely to play much younger.
2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary opened £5,720,292/ £11,012,253 taking £41,692,598/£80,263,286
2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason opened £10,435,193/£18,523,049 taking £35,954,611/£63,821,436
2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby opened £8,111,077/ £8,724,060 taking £48,050,641/£51,681,998
Mad About The Boy is expected to open similarly to Bridget Jones’s Baby but surely 9 years later should be opening much higher.
While Mad About The Boy is perfectly dated for Valentine’s Day it’s the start of February half-term and as with Fifty Shades of Grey opening 10 years ago, it’s not a film.
Bridget Jones 4 will have 1m+ admissions for its opening 4 days; play in 700+ cinemas with about 2,000+ screens, 4+ shows a day over 4 days 16,000+ shows with about 3.5m+ seats available.
Bridget is perfectly dated for Valentine’s Day, next week is half-term it’s unlikely anyone under 35 will be interested in seeing Bridget so younger audiences either have Dog Man or Brave New World.
Reviews have been predictably mixed as it depends on if they grew up watching the Bridget Jones films over the last 24 years.
10 years ago, Fifty Shades of Grey opened Valentine’s Day weekend at £13,550,290 ((took £4.61m Friday) taking £38,570,543/£42,368,752; Fifty Shades Darker opened £7,906,468 and Fifty Shades Freed £6,132,414.
What’s the normal breakdown of presales for films over weeks ahead of opening compared with on-the-day walk-in sales? Presale data is rarely made public for films in the UK.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy was released on Peacock in the US not having a theatrical release while the first film was moderately successful in the US (probably helped by being trailered with What Women Want, Miss Congeniality and The Wedding Planner) the two sequels flopped so the fourth would have also failed to find an audience in the US as the British style cringing comedy doesn’t work that well in the US.
It will be the first time since the first Captain America film opened in July 2011 MCU has a major film opening against it and will not open #1 in the UK. While buzz is strong for Bridget it’s soft for Brave New World.
Captain America: Brave New World will open with about £6m similar to Winter Soldier.
2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger opened £2,981,590/£3,295,877 taking £9,379,436/£10,368,114
2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier opened £6,037,850/£6,674,295 taking £19,261,224/£21,291,533
2016’s Captain America: Civil War opened £14,466,681/£17,157,656 taking £36,771,782/£43,611,771
It’s the first MCU film to have a major film opening against it and will be the first film since Captain America: The First Avenger not to open #1; Winter Soldier #1 for 2 weeks and Civil War for 3 weeks.
Immediate premier reactions to Brave New World were mostly positive expectations were low after buzz had been soft for months and received much negativity due to poor test screenings and extensive reshoots.
The Marvels Brave New World is a follow-up TV series rather than an MCU film which could alienate some and confuse others with Steve Rogers not being Captain America as he was last seen in Avengers Endgame back in the 40s.
It was originally due to be released in May 2024, then July 2024 and finally moved to February 2025. According to reports the film had poor test screenings and three major sequences were cut, and it had extensive reshoots.
The first footage was screened at CinemaCon in April 2024 more footage was screened at CineEurope in June 2024, and the teaser trailer was released in July 2024 comparisons have been made of 70s political thrillers like 1972’s The Candidate, 1973’s The Day of the Jackal, 1984’s The Parallax View and 1976’s All the President’s Men.
Being half-term and the only children’s film on release Dog Man will drop 25%-30% in its second weekend taking £2.3m-£2.5m similar to last year’s Migration £2,468,390 and £6,664,960 31% of £21,480,998
Teen horror Heart Eyes will struggle to find an audience an 18 despite positive reviews.
Opening in three weeks
- Mickey 17 – Warner Bros
Sci-fi black comedy based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo and written, and directed by Bong Joon-ho.
Has its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025.
Was originally set for release in March 2024, but was delayed due to the SAG strike and post-production delays to January 2025 and then April 18th before moving forward a month to 7th March, moved to March to get IMAX screens for two weeks.
After three of Bong Joon-ho’s previous films premiered at the Cannes Film Festival; 2008’s Shaking Tokyo; 2017’s Okja and 2020’s Parasite many expected Mickey 17 to also premiere at Cannes as its far more high-profile festival than Berlin. Had it opened at Cannes Mickey 17 would have only had one week with IMAX screens due to Thunderbolts and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
It was test-screened in June 2023 when the film was 75% complete and received positive reactions, Robert Pattinson plays twin roles similar to Fight Club and the cinematography was similar to David Fincher’s films.
2020’s Parasite opened £1,397,387 (137 screens taking £12,030,000 (COVID lockdown shortened its release)
1999’s Fight Club opened £1,177,219/£2,214,626 322 screens taking £5,018,967/£9,441,857
