- Weapons £1,557,829 – £6,254,096
Dropped 44.7% in its second weekend
Fri £485k 31.15% (-43.4% £857k) Sat £626k 40.21% (-33.69% £944k) Sun £446k 28.64% (-56.27% £1.02m)
648th biggest second weekend between Three Men and a Little Lady and The Meg 2 (close to The Village, The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case, The Fugitive and The Invisible Man) and 1,080th biggest inflated second weekend between Single White Female and Maverick (close to Corpse Bride, Open Water, Children Of Men and Death Becomes Her)
19th biggest second weekend of 2025 between Final Destination: Bloodlines and The Salt Road (close to Nosferatu, A Complete Unknown, We Live In Time and Mickey 17).
28th biggest horror second weekend between The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case and The Invisible Man (close to The Others, The Conjuring, Insidious: The Red Door and The Grudge) and 56th biggest inflated horror second weekend between Sinister and Saw IV (close to The Ring Two, Scream 3, The Faculty and The Amityville Horror (2005).
Recent horrors second weekend
28 Years Later dropped 50.2% £2,379,963 and £9,704,462 62.5% of £15,527,027
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 58.6% £1,660,795 and £6,950,824 60.93% of £11,407,110
Sinners dropped 0.3% £2,417,082 and £7,277,715 45.17% of £16,113,276
Zach Cregger previously directed 2022’s Barbarian, and he also wrote the screenplay along with the upcoming Resident Evil reboot. Many years earlier, he wrote the script for Miss March in 2009, one of the worst films ever made.
2022’s Barbarian performed far stronger in the US than internationally, taking $40.82m and $45.35m worldwide; it took £1,082,037.
Zach Cregger said he was inspired to write the Weapons script by 1999’s Paul Thomas Anderson film Magnolia. The script created a bidding war in 2023 between Netflix, New Line Cinema, TriStar Pictures and Universal Pictures; New Line acquired rights. Pedro Pascal was originally cast in the film, but had to drop out due to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Josh Brolin replaced him.
After receiving positive test screenings, its release date was brought forward from January 2026 to August. It’s been compared with films like What Lies Beneath, The Ring and Sleepy Hollow.
- 2. Materialists £1,287,221 – NE
Took £456,156 from previews Weds/Thurs
Friday £268k 20.82%; Saturday £324k 25.17%; Sunday £236k 18.34%
1,420th biggest opening between Argo and New Year’s Eve (close to Up In The Air, West Side Story, Shallow Hal and Date Night) and 2,114th biggest inflated opening between Son of the Mask and The Possession (close to Lakehouse, Dave, Hot Tub Time Machine and The Usual Suspects).
28th biggest 2025 opening between Ballerina and The Amateur (close to The Bad Guys 2, The Salt Road, Babygirl and Marching Powder)
Celine Song’s second directed film opened over 150% more than her debut 2023’s Past Lives, £515,509 from 213 screens, taking £2,476,499.
Similar films to Materialists include 2007’s 27 Dresses opened £1,752,897/£2,686,652, taking £6,313,791/£9,677,099
2001’s The Wedding Planner opened £917,012/£1,754,283 taking £2,450,178/£4,687,298
Dakota Johnson’s acting career has gone far from 2010’s The Social Network, and unlike other actresses like Sharon Stone after Basic Instinct, she moved on to many other roles after starring in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy 10 years ago. Including 2016’s How to Be Single, Am I OK? And of course, Madame Web. After starring in Madame Web, she said that she would “never do something like it again”. “I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing, and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, Wait, what? But it was a real learning experience, and of course, it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”
2016’s How to Be Single opened £1,876,539/£2,005,694 taking £5,766,935/£6,163,850
It’s interesting that her co-star, Pedro Pascal, has also just starred in a Marvel film that received mixed reactions, but of course, being an actor, the failure isn’t his fault. This year, Pedro Pascal has starred in three films: Eddington (opening this week in the UK), Materialists and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as well as a few episodes of HBO’s The Last of Us and will star in two of the biggest films in 2026: The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday. All the films Pedro Pascal has starred in, he hasn’t been the lead, in a similar way to Scarlet Johansson becoming the biggest global actress despite being the lead in only a couple of her films, so it’s hard to know his star power at the moment.
There have been comments on social media that it’s about “Broke Man Propaganda” Celine Song commented said in an interview for Refinery29 “It really is disappointing to me, ”.. “Through intersectionality, so much of feminism has been about anti-corporate and anti-capitalist and, of course, it was always at the forefront of fighting capitalism, so I’m very concerned about the way that we talk about people who are poor.”…” I find it very cruel to talk about John as a character who loves Lucy, and who is a beautiful character being played beautifully by Chris, to talk about him in such cruel terms as ‘broke boy’ or ‘broke man.’”
Celine Song has been hired to write the sequel to 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding, one of many 20-year-old legacy sequels as Freakier Friday and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Many felt 2023’s Anyone But You was a sorta sequel to My Best Friend’s Wedding, as it starred Dermot Mulroney & Rachel Griffiths as parents of the bride.
2023’s Anyone But You opened £1,253,694 taking £11,364,012
1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding opened £1,424,928/£2,790,338 taking £9,003,541/£17,631,013
- 3. Coolie £939,508 – NE
Took £491,654 from previews
The second biggest opening for an Indian in 2025 after L2: Empuraan (£1.2m).
1,837th biggest opening between Dinner for Schmucks and In & Out (close to The Stepford Wives, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Avengers (1998) and The Zookeeper) and 2,459th biggest inflated opening between Long Shot and Billy Bathgate (close to Street Kings, Michael Clayton, Predator 2, What About Bob and Absolute Power).
36th biggest 2025 opening between I Know What You Did Last Summer and Black Bag (close to The Penguin Lessons, A Real Pain, The Accountant 2 and Flight Risk)
- 4. Freakier Friday £915,704 – £4,027,369
Down 47.9% in its second weekend.
Friday £313k 34.21% (-57.87% £743k) Sat £335k 36.61% (-39.6% £555k); Sun £267k 29.18% (-42% £460k)
1,227th biggest second weekend between The Time Traveller’s Wife and In Time (close to Lady Bird, Sweet Home Alabama, The First Wives Club and Mirror Mirror) and 1,794th biggest second weekend between Sphere and Hereditary (close to Forces of Nature, The Young Victoria, Amelie and Water for Elephants).
27th biggest second weekend in 2025 between M3GAN 2.0 and The Amateur (close to The Naked Gun, Karate Kid, Babygirl and Black Bag).
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 40.8% £719,154/£1,290,914 and £2,681,882 41.94% of £6,393,998/£11,477,514
Similar films include
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 29.4% £983,547/£1,745,851 and £3,015,271 55.72% of £5,411,323/£9,605,400
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 53.9% £1,496,629 and £5,524,957 59.86% of £9,229,629
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 39.6% £820,503/£1,579,567 and £1,850,644 37.73% of £4,904,418/£9,441,597
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2 dropped 15.9% £678,115/£1,203,692 and £2,932,318 75.2% of £3,899,320/£6,921,510
1,731st biggest between Howards End and The Strangers (close to Turner & Hooch, The Golden Child, The Pacifier and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) and 2,284th biggest inflated between Superhero Movie and Resident Evil 3 (close to The Nice Guys, Zoolander, The Sweetest Thing and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice).
While Jamie Lee Curtis has starred in several films recently, it’s Lindsay Lohan’s first major role in almost 20 years since 2006’s Just My Luck. She has had many bit parts and cameos in films and TV shows, many of which she has been playing herself.
When Lindsay Lohan starred in Freaky Friday, she had recently starred in Disney’s The Parent Trap and afterwards starred in the original Mean Girls. As many young actors who have had success at a young age have struggled to deal with fame and the press,
It’s always much harder for young actresses who achieve early success and later face highly publicised personal struggles—like Mischa Barton, Britney Spears, and Amanda Bynes—to stage comebacks, while male stars with similar issues, such as Robert Downey Jr., Shia LaBeouf, or Colin Farrell, often bounce back quickly. The double standard is glaring; men are given redemption arcs (“he’s flawed but brilliant”), while women are labelled “trainwrecks” and discarded. Hollywood forgives men’s mistakes as “bad boy behaviour” but punishes women for the same struggles, especially as they age out of the industry’s narrow standards of youth and “likeability.”
The media’s obsession with female stars’ breakdowns—while downplaying or excusing male stars’ scandals—plays a huge role. Women like Lindsay Lohan wait decades for a second chance (if they get one at all), while men like RDJ become blockbuster heroes. The system protects and reinvests in men but rarely extends the same grace to women, leaving talented actresses stranded after their struggles. Until Hollywood addresses its sexist double standards, these heartbreaking disparities will continue.
- 5. The Fantastic Four: First Steps £688,026 – £20,807,289
Down 50.1% in its fourth weekend
Fri: £201k 29.22% (-53.5% £432k), Sat: £274k 39.8% (-47.31% £520k), Sun £213k 30.96% (-50.12% £427k)
588th biggest fourth weekend between The Ring and The Amazing Spider-Man (close to Kindergarten Cop, Crocodile Dundee II, Baby Driver and Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny) and 890th biggest inflated fourth weekend between Grown Ups and 40 Days And 40 Nights (close to National Treasure 2, 28 Days Later, Prince Of Persia and Déjà vu).
28th biggest MCU fourth weekend between Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: Brave New World (close to Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Eternals and Thunderbolts).
65th biggest fourth weekend comic-book between Superman Returns and The Amazing Spider-Man (close to X-Men, Batman, Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer and The Suicide Squad) and 79th biggest inflated comic-book fourth weekend between The Suicide Squad and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (close to X-Men: Apocalypse, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Superman IV (£178,068/£660,094) and Justice League).
Despite critics calling Fantastic Four: First Steps a “return to form” for the MCU, it has held as softly as most MCUs since Avengers: Endgame, which was so predictable..
While more embarrassingly, it had the 9th biggest X-Men fourth weekend between 25-year-old X-Men and X-Men and the dreadful 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer and only £10k more than 2005’s Fantastic Four. While inflated, it would be 10th between X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
To further the embarrassment for Fantastic Four: First Steps, its fourth weekend was less than £30k more than the fourth weekend of 1987’s Superman IV.
So, you could compare Fantastic Four: First Steps with Wild Wild West, which opened I August 1999 in the UK Pedro Pascal starred in the hugely popular TV shows The Mandalorian and The Last of Us and recently Gladiator 2, so comparable to Will Smith starring in Men In Black two years before Wild Wild West.
August 1999 — The Cautionary Steampunk Tale
Wild Wild West opened 26 years ago this month with sky-high expectations: Will Smith fresh off Men in Black, Barry Sonnenfeld behind the camera, and Warner Bros. betting on a summer tentpole.
Instead, audiences recoiled. The $170M budget was roasted in reviews, the soundtrack single outperformed the movie, and the film quickly became Hollywood shorthand for “style over story.”
By August ’99, it was clear: a giant mechanical spider couldn’t hold up a blockbuster.
August 2025 — Déjà Flop
Fast-forward: Disney’s Freakier Friday and Fantastic Four: First Steps are the latest examples of the same phenomenon — giant marketing pushes, early critic spin, but word of mouth collapsing by weekends two and four.
Like Wild Wild West, these films promised spectacle, legacy IP, and a big brand push. But audiences sniffed out the thin scripts and bailed fast.
Weapons, meanwhile, is pulling a Sixth Sense ’99 move: opening strong and holding firm on word-of-mouth, not hype.
2005’s Fantastic Four dropped 31% £566,573/£958,723 and £10,978,408 89% of £11,782,585/£19,812,754; took $154.7m/$277.8m and $333.53m/$600m worldwide
2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer dropped 51.9% £658,804/£1,039,736 and £11,360,295 92.5% £19,257,058; took $131.9m/$270.7m and $301.9m/$505.1m
2015’s Fantastic Four dropped 64.4% £249,205/£275,473 and £5,653,567/£6,210,298; took $56.1m/$76.6m and $301.9m/$412.2m WW.
26th biggest MCU between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Widow (close to Thor: The Dark World, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Captain America: Brave New World and Ant-Man and the Wasp).
The 37 MCUs have taken £1.2bn since 2008 and £1.4bn, inflated
294th biggest between Shakespeare In Love and Johnny English Reborn (close to Mrs. Doubtfire, Fantastic Beasts 3, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves and Doctor Dolittle) and 541st biggest inflated between The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell Of Fear and Heat (close to Dumb and Dumber, Beverly Hills Cop, A Few Good Men and Terminator Salvation).
47th biggest comic book film between Iron Man 2 and Batman Forever (close to X-Men 2, Aquaman, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse) and 64th biggest inflated comic book between Venom and Black Adam (close to Superman Returns, Thor: The Dark World, Fantastic Four (2005) and X-Men: First Class).
The next MCU won’t be released until Avengers: Doomsday. It has massive shoes to fill after the huge BO of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, so will it be able to match their success? Dating the next two Avengers films in December, Disney will be hoping to repeat the huge success of Spider-Man: Far From Home, but that was a vastly different film, as it was the greatest hits of Spider-Man, attracting a much wider demographic. Avengers: Doomsday will surely be much more front-loaded than Disney’s Star Wars films, which also opened in December.
———-
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £7,946,311, down 20% from last weekend’s £9,926,226: 1,026,655 admissions, down 20% from 1,282,458 admissions.
2025 BO is up 16% ahead of 2024; it will drop down over the next few weeks as Fantastic Four will take nowhere near last year’s Deadpool Vs Wolverine.
The 41st biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks was between 28 February 2025 #1 Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy £4,130,747 (48.95%) and 24 January 2025 #1 A Complete Unknown £1,667,821 (21.27%)
163rd biggest since cinemas reopened out of 248 weeks between 12 May 2023 #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £5,349,346 (66.98%) and 23 December 2022 #1 Avatar: The Way of Water £4,974,004 (63.27%)
894th biggest top 10 of the last 24 years (out of 1,219) between 21 January 2005 #1 Closer £1,587,136 (19.96%) and 06 September 2013 #1 About Time 1,761,079 (22.17%) and 1,095th inflated between 15 September 2006 #1 Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby £1,033,759 (21.13%) and 11 September 2009 #1 District 9 £1,184,392 (19.84%)
The top 3 took £3,784,556 (47..6%) of the top 10; Weapons 19.6% (£1,557,828); Materialists 16.2% (£1,287,220); Coolie 11.82% (£939,508)
1,120th biggest percentage share #1 (19.60%) between 05 October 2001 #1 Moulin Rouge £1,072,657 (19.63%) and 04 December 2020 #1 Elf (Re: 2020) £48,244 (19.58%)
1,145th biggest admissions #1 (201,530) between 31 May 2024 #1 IF £1,570,568 (202,916) and 20 April 2012 #1 Battleship £1,282,091 (201,270)
Down 40.15% from 2024; (£13,276,771); Alien: Romulus (£3,741,287); Coraline (15th Anniversary) (£1,260,124); Spider-Man 3 RE (£156,781); Lone Star (4K Restoration) (£9,731); #1 Alien: Romulus £3,741,287 1st week 672 screens 28.18% of top 10)
Down 18.13% from 2023; (£9,706,381); Blue Beetle (£1,189,812); Strays (£598,619); Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From TX #1 (£201,115); Serpico (50th Anniversary (£21,060); #1 Barbie £2,697,820 5th week 39% drop 778 screens (27.79%)
Up 34.23% 2022 (£5,920,000); Dragon Ball Super: SUPERHERO (£663,290); Fisherman’s Friends: One and All (£656,293); Orphan: First Kill (£434,601); Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Director’s Edition 4K) (£58,858); The World Is Not Enough (Re: 2022) (£6,933); #1 Nope £1,147,638 2nd week 38% drop 685 screens (19.4% of top 10)
Up 6.14% 2021 (£7,486,527); People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan (£896,992); Snake Eyes (£542,265); The Night House (£315,610); Reminiscence (£260,272); Around the World In 80 Days (£120,726); Pig (£47,976); #1 Free Guy £2,267,660 2nd week 11% drop 652 screens (30.3% of top 10)
Up 696.35% from 2020: (£997,837); Inception: 10th Anniversary (£207,675); Pinocchio (£108,626); Broken Law (£52,748); Babyteeth (£38,977); The Fast And The Furious (Re: 2020) (£8,306); #1 Inception: 10th Anniversary £207,675 1st week 313 screens (20.81%)
Down 50.56% from 2019; (£16,071,094); Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (£7,544,445); Dora & The Lost City of Gold (£1,165,865); Good Boys (£844,169); Uglydolls (£266,074); #1 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood £7,544,445 1st week 663 screens (46.7% of top 10)
Down 47.53% from 2018: (£15,143,203); Disney’s Christopher Robin (£2,553,810); The Equalizer 2 (£1,980,754); The Festival (£1,423,410); #1 Disney’s Christopher Robin £2,553,810 1st week 649 screen 16.9% of top 10)
Down 17.25% from 2017: (£9,602,351); The Hitman’s Bodyguard (£1,982,951); The Dark Tower (£910,529); Everything, Everything (£453,401); An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (£201,130); #1 The Hitman’s Bodyguard £1,982,951 1st week 467 screens (20.6% of the top 10)
Down 38.81% from 2016: (£13,012,003); David Brent: Life on the Road (£1,460,290); Lights Out (£1,126,543); Swallows and Amazons (£676,175); Nine Lives (£636,804); Tickled (£25,602); #1 Finding Dory £2,868,459 4th week (2nd #1) 627 screens up 12% (22.1% of the top 10)
Down 29.46% from 2015; (£11,265,417); Pixels (£2,660,772); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (£1,448,298); Trainwreck (£931,981); Absolutely Anything (£487,147); Mistress America (£164,691); Precinct Seven Five (£21,441); #1 Pixels £2,660,772 1st week 511 screens (23.6% of top 10)
Down 31.74% from 2014: (£11,641,259); The Expendables 3 (£1,689,927); Hector and the Search for Happiness (£240,222); The Rover (£73,696); Blood Ties (£20,258); #1 The Inbetweeners 2 £4,309,832 2nd week 509 screens 66% drop (37.1% of top 10)
Down 33.33% from 2013: (£11,919,587); Kick-Ass 2 (£2,482,187); Planes (£1,735,940); 2 Guns (£1,423,738); Bachelorette (£19,396); #1 Kick-Ass 2 £2,482,187 1st week 483 screens (20.8% of top 10)
Down 54.55% from 2012 (£17,483,535); Brave (UK expansion) (£5,269,402); The Bourne Legacy (£4,620,289); The Expendables 2 (£1,985,082); The Wedding Video (£333,079); Take this Waltz (£70,358); #1 Brave £5,269,402 3rd week (1st #1) 553 screens 818% increase (30.1% of top 10)
Down 63.98% from 2011; (£22,058,353); The Inbetweeners Movie (£13,216,736); Cowboys & Aliens (£1,777,320); Spy Kids: All the Time in the World 4D (£703,078); Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (£356,271); The Guard (UK release) (£163,751); #1 The Inbetweeners Movie £13,216,736 1st week 453 (59.9% of top 10)
Down 44.15% from 2010: (£14,228,206); The Expendables (£3,935,700); Piranha 3-D (£1,325,324); Marmaduke (£1,243,789); The Illusionist (£164,950); The Human Centipede (£6,145); #1 The Expendables £3,935,700 1st week 453 screens (27.6% of top 10)
Down 3.65% from 2009; (£8,247,544); The Time Traveller’s Wife (£1,410,333); Aliens in the Attic (£1,323,575); Bandslam (£628,957); A Perfect Getaway (£418,703); Imagine That (£109,722); #1 The Time Traveller’s Wife £1,410,333 1st week 425 screens (17.1% of top 10)
Down 27.43% from 2008; (£10,950,396); You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (£1,520,637); Wild Child (£1,177,472); Star Wars: The Clone Wars (£895,300); Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (£90,878); #1 The Dark Knight £2,302,866 4th week 499 screens (3rd week #1) 44% drop (21.1% of top 10)
Down 45.30% from 2007: (£14,527,913); The Bourne Ultimatum (£6,553,704); Bratz: The Movie (£1,247,588); Eagle vs. Shark (£47,845); #1 The Bourne Ultimatum £6,553,704 1st week 458 screens (45.11%)
Up 18.15% from 2006; (£6,725,494); Snakes on a Plane (£1,069,608); John Tucker Must Die (£845,633); Harsh Times (£281,609); A Scanner Darkly (£242,990); #1 Snakes on a Plane £1,069,608 1st week 354 screens (15.9% of top 10)
Up 20.59% from 2005: (£6,589,529); Bewitched (£1,053,432); Unleashed (£498,058); The Perfect Man (£186,460); #1 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory £1,691,431 4th week 516 screens 41% drop (25.6% of top 10)
Down 13.67% from 2004 (£9,205,066); The Bourne Supremacy (£2,720,016); Catwoman (£557,583); Yu-Gi-Oh (£112,980); #1 The Bourne Supremacy £2,720,016 1st week 418 screens (29.55% of top 10)
Down 24.49% from 2003 (£10,523,339); American Pie: The Wedding (£4,151,788); Freddy vs. Jason (£785,870); #1 American Pie: The Wedding £4,151,788 1st week 426 screens (39.45% of top 10)
Up 23.71% from 2002 (£6,423,296); #1 Men In Black 2 £1,403,344 3rd week 49% drop 512 screens (21.85% of top 10)
Down 28.32% from 2001 (£11,086,365); Planet of the Apes (£5,445,983); #1 Planet of the Apes £5,445,983 1st week 446 screens (49.1% of top 10)
2024 Next week: (£10,544,299); Kneecap (£1,035,664); Blink Twice (£746,328); The Crow (£410,308); The Amazing Spider-Man RE (£146,633); Pulp Fiction (30th Anniversary 4K Re-Issue) (£108,369); Cuckoo (£106,957); Between The Temples (£27,752); #1 Alien: Romulus £2,021,921 2nd week 46% drop 691 screens (19.18% of top 10)
August BO
August used to be a very lucrative month for UK cinemas over a decade ago, but it hasn’t been since then due to two key reasons:
Day-and-Date Releasing:
In the past, studios could schedule films locally, allowing for staggered releases. For example, a Pixar film opening in mid-June in the US might be delayed until July in the UK, ensuring it plays throughout the summer holidays.
The Decline of British Films:
Despite hundreds of millions in Lottery investment over the last 30 years, the British film industry lacks a sustainable infrastructure. Many distributors that once released British films—such as PolyGram and eOne—no longer exist, while others (like Entertainment Films) are a shadow of their former selves.
This failure dates back 30 years to the mismanagement of Lottery Franchises. Shockingly, only three were awarded, and Entertainment Films was never granted one. Of those three, only DNA Films remains active today.
These franchises were designed to integrate distribution, production, and exhibitors to become self-sufficient over time. However, poor execution meant the system never achieved its potential.
We’re like The Producers’ Max Bialystock, begging for scraps: “It’s just a little cheque, it’s still good, it’s still good!”
Studiocanal co-productions and Universal’s UK shoots don’t make a thriving industry—they make a tax-break rental space. We’ve conflated shooting locations with cultural output, and the numbers don’t lie:
Local share of UK box office: 21% (2023)—half of France’s 40%.
Lottery-funded “hits”: Where’s our Anatomy of a Fall? Our A Prophet?
The greatest trick the Lottery ever pulled was convincing us the BFI could handle nine-figure cheques.”
US Box Office
- Weapons – Warner Bros
Dropped 44% $24.45m in its second weekend, taking $88.5m
250th biggest second weekend between The Cat in the Hat and Shazam! (close to Mad Max: Fury Road, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, The Great Gatsby and It Ends with Us)
2022’s Barbarian dropped 38.4% $6.5m and $21.11m of $40.84m and $45.35m worldwide
Sinners dropped 4.8% $45.7m and $123.23m of $278.57m and $363.87m worldwide.
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 62.5% $19.34m and $89.48m of $138.13m and $285.33m worldwide.
28 Years Later dropped 67.5% $9.75m and $50.4m of $70.44m and $150.44m worldwide
2017’s Get Out dropped 15.4% $28.23m and $78.07m of $176.04m and $255.4m worldwide
IMAX took $13.6m worldwide; $10.5m US and $3.3m international.
938th biggest between Heaven is for Real and Back to School; 14th biggest 2025 between Dog Man and Disney’s Snow White; 39th biggest horror between Halloween Kills and The Haunting; 165th biggest Warner Bros between Blade Runner 2049 and Space Jam.
Comscore reported year to date US BO $5.6 bn +8% from 2024 down 23% from 2019 $7.2 bn; summer $3.26bn up 3% over2024i; it will be less than $4bn.
Took $18.4m from 73 territories $59.7m total, and $148.8m worldwide; UK $8.3m; Mexico $5.5m; France $4m; Spain $3.9m; Australia $3.8m.
- Freakier Friday – Disney
Dropped 50% in its second $14.28m and $54.56m
810th biggest second weekend between Tomorrowland and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (close to Smallfoot, Snow White, The Princess Diaries and Bad Moms)
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 39.5% $13.43m and $58.41m of $110.23m and $160.84m worldwide
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 44% $13.67m and $42.07m of $86.05m and $130.19m worldwide
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 59.3% $11.66m and $50.1m of taking $72.58m and $104.97m worldwide
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 37.8% $14.21m and $52.9m of $108.24m and $165.33m worldwide
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement dropped 43.1% $13.05m and $61.21m of $95.17m and $134.73m worldwide
Took $9.3m from 47 territories $31.5m total, and $86.3m worldwide; Mexico $5.7m; UK $5.5m; Australia $2.6m; Argentina $1.8m; Colombia $1.4m.
- Nobody 2 – Universal Pictures
Opened $9.25m; received positive reviews (78% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore
Took $1.3m from Thursday previews
2021’s Nobody opened $6.82m, taking $27.56m and $57.51m worldwide
Despite getting better reviews than the original film, it was a sequel nobody wanted to see.
Opened $4.9m internationally
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Disney
Dropped 43% in its fourth weekend $9.03m and $247.68m
415th biggest fourth weekend between Lethal Weapon 3 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (close to The Bourne Identity, A Quiet Place Part II, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Casino Royale).
28th biggest MCU fourth weekend between Thor and Ant-Man and the Wasp (close to Thor: Ragnarok, Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World and Eternals).
EntTelligence said it had an average ticket price of $15.77, average PLF $18.95.
37 MCUs have taken $11bn in the US and $14.2bn, inflated.
2005’s Fantastic Four dropped 45.3% $6.91m and $136.25m of $154.69m/$277.8m and $333.53m/$598.9m WW
2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer dropped 53.6% $4.23m and $123.88m of $131.91m/$220.7m and $301.9m/$505.1m WW
2015’s Fantastic Four dropped 53.2% $1.78m and $53.74m of $56.1m/$76.62m and $167.9m/$229.22m WW
Took $9.3m internationally from 44 territories $221.7m total, and $468.7m worldwide; UK $27.9m; Mexico $26.2m; France $14.3m; Brazil $12.8m; Australia $10.6m
- The Naked Gun = Paramount Pictures
Dropped 41% in its third weekend $4.91m and $42.09m
The trailer was released in March, having 135m views in seven days. The second trailer had 148m views in its first week. Showing again that high trailer views don’t always turn into a big opening box office.
1988’s The Naked Gun up 5% $5.81m and $34.96m of $78.75m/$227.2m
1991’s The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear dropped 24.4% $5.53m and $65.33m of taking $86.93m/$237.7m
1994’s Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult dropped 24% $4.05m and $37.53m of $51.13m/$144.3m
Took $5m internationally from 57 territories $30.9m total, and $72.9m worldwide
and $58.4m worldwide.
- The Bad Guys 2 – Universal Pictures
Dropped 29% in its third weekend $7.52m and $57.246m
2022’s The Bad Guys dropped 41% $9.57m and $57.37m of $97.45m and $250.38m worldwide
185th biggest animated film between Anastasia and The Boss Baby: Family Business;
Took $13.7m internationally from 67 territories, total $60.2m and $117.4m worldwide; UK $11.8m; France $6.7m; Spain $5m; Mexico $4.7m; Korea $2.4m.
UK Box Office Top 10
Box Office Preview
With no major releases, Weapons will hold #1 for a third weekend, but dropping 40%+ could see the UK BO have its first under £1m+ #1 since 2022’s See How They Run £984,779.
This makes major exhibitors’ refusal to accept Netflix’s terms for showing The Thursday Murder Club in cinemas even more illogical. As there are still 40% of UK households that don’t subscribe to Netflix, and refusing to book the film will only hurt exhibitors, as Netflix has little interest in theatrical. Major UK exhibitors should have gone to Netflix as soon as they announced the film and told them they wanted to book it.
The Thursday Murder Club will be playing in selective independent chains like Everyman from Friday; Netflix won’t report BO. Major exhibitors behaved similarly with Sky Cinema films, but then are perfectly happy to book Doctor Who as Event Cinema when it is being broadcast at the same time on BBC1.
After the Materialists took 40% of its opening from previews, it will likely drop 60% in its second weekend, taking about £500k as will Coolie also drop heavily in its second weekend, as it was also front-loaded with previews. While Freakier Friday and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will also drop about 50% in their third and fifth weeks, as neither is good. Freakier Friday feels more like a video sequel to the 2003 Freaky Friday, while The Fantastic Four: First Steps is another all hype no no-substance MCU film Marvel has made so many of over recent years.
So with all of these drop-offs offs you would hope a film like The Life of Chuk could find an audience in cinemas over its 5-day opening, as it won an audience award at the Toronto Film Festival and is a wonderful film that predictably received snotty reviews from critics about it being too schmaltzy, they call The Life of Chuck too schmaltzy and then praise films like Freakier Friday which is nothing but schmaltzy nostalgia?
The Life Of Chuck is based on the novella by Stephen King, as Stand By Me, Apt Pupil and The Shawshank Redemption. It features an ensemble cast featuring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. Mia Sara and Mark Hamill have two surprising characters, both played iconic roles in the past as Luke Skywalker and Sloane Peterson.
After Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck’s acting careers took off, Mia Sara’s like many young actresses after they star in a huge hit, struggled to find similar success, and The Life of Chuck is her first major film role since 1994’s Time Cop. It was similar to Alicia Silverstone starring in the hugely popular and still popular 30 years later, Clueless, but then she was poorly advised to sign a two-picture production deal with Sony, with only one Excessive Baggage opening in 1997, the same year she starred in Batman and Robin, suffering a similar fate as so many young promising female actresses going back to Lindsay Lohan in Freakier Friday.
The Life of Chuck feels similar to many inspirational films like Forrest Gump, and if made 31 years ago, like Forrest Gump would have found a much bigger audience. But as with Shawshank Redemption, The Life of Chuck will be a film people discover years after its cinema release.
It would also be comparable to 2004’s Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind opened £1,045,501/£1,855,822, taking £4,874,405/£8,652,340. As well as 2000s, Being John Malkovich opened £296,282/£533,308 55 screens, taking £1,660,642/ £2,989,156, and 2009’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button opened £2,213,495/£3,222,588, taking £8,962,672/£13,048,596.
As well as Boyhood and The Green Mile, it is films like The Life of Chuck exhibitors should be getting behind and supporting. In 2003, Odeon Cinemas launched a campaign to support smaller films like Antwone Fisher
Mike Flanagan has previously directed other Stephen King adaptations, including Gerald’s Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), as well as Oculus, Before I Wake, and Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Opening in three weeks
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – Universal Pictures
Historical drama sequel to 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era and final film in the Downton Abbey franchise, starring Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth McGovern, Penelope Wilton, and directed by Simon Curtis from a screenplay by Julian Fellowes.
Downton Abbey: A New Era is part of the Gosford Park Cinematic Universe
2001’s Gosford Park opened with £837,169, taking £12,259,248 and £22,268,006 inflation-adjusted. This led to the Downton Abbey TV series on ITV, launched in 2010 and ran for 52 episodes until 2015.
Since the final episode was broadcast on ITV on Christmas Day 2015 had been rumours of a spinoff film. In July 2018, it was announced that a film would be made, and Universal Pictures would release the film worldwide.
The film opened in September 2019 with £5,180,865 from 728 screens, taking £28,248,361; it took £9,882,483 in its opening week, taking 52.4% (£5,180,865) Fri-Sun and £4,701,618 Mon-Thurs.
2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era opened £3,072,762, taking £14,894,086.
Would have normally expected Downton Abbey: A New Era to open bigger than the original film, but older audiences were predictably very slow to return to cinemas after COVID.
Julian Fellowes’ latest TV drama, The Gilded Age, first series was released on HBO and Sky Atlantic in January, which has been seen as a prequel to Downton Abbey, and a fourth series will be shown next year.
7.6m watched the first episode of the first series in 2010 on ITV, 9m watched the first episodes of season two and season three, 9.2m watched the first episode of series 4 and 8.4m watched the first episode of series 5. The final episode of Downton Abbey was broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Day 2015 with an audience of 6.9m, with another 4m watching on catch-up for a total of 10.9m. It was the most-watched TV programme on Christmas Day; the first time ITV had managed to do so in 15 years.
Films based on British TV shows have had mixed success at the box office the hits mostly based on comedy series The Inbetweeners Movie, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Ali G Indahouse, Kevin & Perry Go Large, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Bean, Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie, and In the Loop. Films based on drama series, including The Avengers, Edge of Darkness, The Saint, Spooks, State of Play, The Sweeney, The Singing Detective and Widows have had more mixed success.
2015’s The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opened with 40% more than The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, £3,771,852 vs £2,222,051, but took 23% less, £15,575,797 vs £20,308,480. So Downton Abbey 2 could open bigger than the first film but will have shorter legs, taking 20% less about £23m-£25m.
Other films targeting the grey pound include
2017’s Murder on the Orient Express opened £4,985,600, taking £23,900,453; it took £8,612,958 in its opening 7 days, taking 42% of its box office (£3,627,358) Mon- Thurs; dropped second weekend 12.2% taking £4,376,429 and £12,989,387 54.3% of £23,900,453.
2017 Victoria and Abdul opened £1,846,970, taking £9,434,937
2013’s Philomena opened £1,509,726 taking £10,470,225; dropped 6.7% second weekend taking £1,407,318 and £4,762,182 45.4% of £10,470,225
2011- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy opened £2,814,860, taking £14,133,500
2006 The Queen opened £856,273 taking £9,381,693; increased 6.1% second weekend £908,295 taking £2,658,523 28.3% of £9,381,693
2003 Calendar Girls opened £1,762,505 taking £20,174,133; increased 5.3% second weekend £1,855,986 taking £5,679,683 28.1% of £20,174,133
- The Long Walk – Lionsgate
Dystopian thriller based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King by Richard Bachman starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill and directed by Francis Lawrence.
Plans to adapt the novel started in 1988 with George A. Romero. In 2007, Frank Darabont acquired rights to the film adaptation. Frank Darabont previously adapted and directed Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and The Mist (2007).
In 2018, New Line was going to produce the film, but it was delayed until Lionsgate announced in 2023 that they would make the film with Francis Lawrence directing.
Previously directed 2005’s Constantine, 2007’s I Am Legend, 2011’s Water for Elephants, 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; 2014’s 2014 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1; 2015’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2; 2018’s Red Sparrow; 2022’s Slumberland; 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and will next direct 2026’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
It’s Mark Hamill’s second Stephen King film that he has starred in this year, after the wonderful Life of Chuck.
- Spinal Tap II: The End Continues – Sony Pictures
Mockumentary comedy starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner and directed by Rob Reiner; sequel to 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap.
It was announced in 2022, and in 2023, it was announced that Paul McCartney, Elton John and Garth Brooks, who featured in the trailer released in July.
The original film has been a cult classic for over 40 years. The question is there an audience for the sequel 41 years later, and can it possibly be as good as the original film?
Rob Reiner has directed some classic films over the last 41 years, including The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. Then came North in 1994, and he has struggled with the films he has directed over the last 21 years.