1. Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – £6,377,583   – NE

Had the 177^th biggest opening in the UK between Godzilla and Guardians of the Galaxy (close to Mission: Impossible, The Bourne Ultimatum, The World Is Not Enough and Kong: Skull Island) and 255^th biggest inflation inflated between Batman and Back to the Future Part II (close to The Mummy, Fast & Furious, Fast Five and Batman Returns).

Had Universal Pictures 22^nd biggest opening between Mr Beans Holiday and American Pie: Reunion (close to Jason Bourne and Hot Fuzz) and 29^th biggest inflation inflated Universal Pictures opening between Fast & Furious and Fast Five.

Topping the chart only due to Thursday previews (£1.5m) removing previews The Lion King would have been #1 for a third weekend, but until the UK industry doesn’t include preview box office which has inflated many films openings over the last 20 years Hobbs & Shaw is the UK #1.

Ahead of opening expected Hobbs & Shaw to open similar to the fifth Fast and Furious film 2011’s Fast Five (£5,332,096 taking £18,368,657) was the first to star Dwayne Johnson.

While the Fast and Furious series were very successful from the first film in the US they didn’t become globally successful till the fourth film in 2009 Fast and Furious opened with £4,928,784 taking £13,539,304 with 2017’s The Fate of the Furious taking more in its opening weekend (£14,026,301).

Hobbs & Shaw had the fourth biggest opening of the Fast and Furious film series after The Fate of the Furious, Fast & Furious 7 and Fast & Furious 6.

Opening was similar to Mission Impossible films; 2018’s Mission Impossible: Fallout (£7,300,103) and 2015’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (£5,351,344) might of ex

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson can’t stand the sight of each other after making four Fast & Furious movies together after a fight between them on the set of 2016’s Fate of the Furious was made public.

In August 2016 Dwayne Johnson posted on Instagram since delated he praised praise his female co-stars, production crew and the team at Universal Studios for their hard work on the movie. But also said “Some male co-stars conduct themselves as stand-up men and true professionals, while others don’t,”… “The ones that don’t are too chicken sh*t to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses.”.. “When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I’m not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling, you’re right,”

In an interview Dwayne Johnson said, “We were not in any scenes together in Fate of the Furious,”…. “Vin and I had a few discussions, including an important face-to-face in my trailer. And what I came to realise is that we have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach moviemaking and collaborating. It took me some time, but I’m grateful for that clarity. Whether we work together again or not.”…. “I wish [him] all the best and I harbour no ill will there, just because of the clarity we have,”… “Actually, you can erase that last part about ‘no ill will.’ We’ll just keep it with the clarity.

The 9 Fast and Furious films have taken over £150m at the box office since 2001 and over £172m inflation inflated; Fast and Furious 9 is currently shooting for release next May and then Fast and Furious 10 set for release in April 2021 which was expected to be the final film of the series but as with all franchises these days there if Hobbs & Shaw performed strongly will be a sequel in 2022.

2. The Lion King – £5,158,310 – £50,701,448

Dropped 51.5% in its third weekend;

The Lion King is the 37^th member of the £50m club since The Full Monty in 1997 and will become the 19^th film to join the £60m club next weekend.

After having the 6^th biggest second weekend dropped down to 17^th biggest third weekend between Quantum of Solace and Alice in Wonderland taking 23.5% less than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£6,750,000) and 10.4% less than 2016’s The Jungle Book (£5,758,824) taking 1.3% less than Beauty and the Beast took after 17 days (£51,385,248) and 67.8% more than The Jungle Book (£30,201,705).

If The Lion King continues to hold similar to Beauty and the Beast should take £75-£80m close to my estimate); The Lion King opened with 15.4% less than Beauty and the Beast £16,671,764 Vs £19,700,000 but all 17 days of release were during school holidays.

The Lion King should been more leggy than all of the Disney reimaginations due to summer holidays as Pixar summer films have been over recent years and despite opening less than Beauty and the Beast it will take more over its release £80m+ less than £100m+ I expected as believed it would be one of the biggest films of the year.

While Disney have had a record year Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4 and The Lion King will all take about £20m less than I would expected at the start of the year. I am much more critical of Disney than other studios films as they are mostly nostalgic properties that should be perform similar to their original inflation inflated box office.

The Lion King is the 12th Disney reimagination over the last 9 years since Alice in Wonderland (opening with £10,555,220 taking £42,169,542); it is the third of four reimaginations opening this year after Dumbo took £24m in March and Aladdin £36m in May with Maleficent: Mistress of Evil opening in October. Next year sees the release of Mulan and a second reimagination of 101 Dalmatians in less than 20 years.

The original animated film was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £24m (over £80m today) more than double the original Beauty and the Beast animated film took £10.4m two years earlier.

12 Disney reimaginations have taken almost £360m since 2010 and £372m inflation inflated;

2019 was always going to be the year of Disney and not much else with the slate they had but 2020 will be very interesting as with Avatar 2 delayed don’t have as strong slate and rivals have upped their game with very strong slates so Disney won’t have it all their way.

3. Toy Story 4 – £1,357,909 –  £55,457,930

Dropped 46.2% in its sixth weekend; surprising to see much bigger declines this weekend for both The Lion King and Toy Story 4 than last weekend

9 years ago Toy Story 3 was also third taking 33% less (£934,423) but had taken 26.1% more (£69,878,376); its difficult to compare the two films as the seventh weekend of Toy Story 3 was the first weekend of September and all 7 weeks of its release were part of the summer school holidays, while first four weeks of Toy Story 4 were during term time. Toy Story 4 still has 4 weeks of summer holidays ahead

Toy Story 4 is now 26^th biggest film in the UK between Casino Royale and Bohemian Rhapsody and 59^th biggest inflation inflated film between Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and The Matrix Reloaded and Disney’s 9^th biggest between Incredibles 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

37th film since The Full Monty in 1997 to take over £50m at the UK box office and Disney’s 12th since 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Took 10.9% less in its sixth weekend as 2015’s Paddington (£2,834,003) and 68.4% more than 2010’s Toy Story 3 (£1,499,524)

This week Toy Story 4 will become the 2nd biggest Pixar film after Toy Story 3 (£73,405,113) overtaking Incredibles 2 £55,764,462   

Comparisons with Toy Story 3 are difficult as its opening was inflated with £9,693,440 from weekend previews and then its following weeks were during summer holidays removing preview box office Toy Story 3 took £41,831,079 after 17 days 14% more than Toy Story 4 with 21.2% ticket inflation.

Since 2010 88 films have taken over £30m and Disney now have 34 (40%); 67 films have taken over £40m Disney 23 (31%); 36 films taken over £50m Disney 13 (+5  from Fox).

The next non-Disney £50m+ film will be next April’s Bond 25 will be the first non-Disney film to do since 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody (now owned by Disney).

2019 was always going to be the year of Disney with Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4, and The Lion King taking over £50m at the UK box office and Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker also doing so by the end of the year.

In comparison rival studios won’t have any film taking over £40m, but next year they have upped their game with much stronger slates the only problem is they are sequel heavy that could go either way. While Disney don’t have Star Wars, Pixar sequels or Avengers films, instead have two original Pixar films while Universal Pictures has sequels Trolls World Tour and Minions: The Rise of Gru opening two weeks after Onward and Soul

So far this year Disney have had 3 films taking over £50m at the box office also doing so by the end of the year. Rival studios won’t have any film taking more than £40m

In 2010 Toy Story 3 was Disney’s biggest ever film in the UK (until Star Wars: The Force Awakens  in 2015) previous highest was 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (£51,998,590)

Toy Story 3 was in the top 5 for 9 weeks (taking £1m+ for 6 weeks) and in the top 10 for 12 weeks (taking £261,359 in its 12th weekend);

Toy Story 3 was #1 for four weeks before The Expendables opened with £3,935,700 but Toy Story 4 has only lasted two weeks and with The Lion King, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Angry Birds 2 unlikely to stay in the top 5 as long as Toy Story 3.

21 Pixar films have taken almost £675m in the UK and almost £875m inflation inflated.

After release 7 sequels over the last 10 years Pixar have said Toy Story 4 will be the last sequel for some time, but they also said Toy Story 2 and then Toy Story 3 was the final film of the series and have said similar about Toy Story 4. While Toy Story 4 is the end of the story for several characters it does also feel like it’s the start of others and after taking over $1bn worldwide Toy Story 5 is surely in early development at Pixar for release in 2023; Pixar’s next two films are Onward opening in March and Soul opening in June with competition from Trolls World Tour and Minions: The Rise of Gru.

4. Spider-Man: Far From Home – £862,507 – £32,909,785

Down 49.6% in its fifth weekend; with the arrival of Hobbs & Shaw it was always expected Spider-Man: Far From Home would suffer one of the biggest decline this weekend.

Overtaken Spider-Man: Homecoming (£30,380,216) to become the second biggest Spider- Man film after 2007’s Spider-Man 3 (£33,458,286)

Had the 10^th biggest MCU 5^th weekend similar to Avengers Assemble (£872,664) and slightly ahead of Captain America: Civil War (£668,009).

The 10^th biggest MCU after 5^th weeks after Avengers: Endgame, Avenger Infinity War, Avengers Assemble, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man 3 and Captain Marvel.

As Spider-Man: Far From Home ended the story arc started with Captain America: Civil War and being the epilogue to Avengers: Endgame as expected is performing similar to Captain America: Civil War (£36,771,782).

Spider-Man: Far From Home is the 102^nd biggest film in the UK between Suicide Squad and The Lego Movie and Sony Pictures UK 9^th biggest between Spider-Man 3 and The Da Vinci Code.

Will become the biggest Spider-Man film in the UK by next weekend overtaking 2007’s Spider-Man £33,458,286 (£47,835,411 inflation inflated).

The 9 Spider-Man films Sony have taken almost £227m in the UK (almost £282m inflation inflated) includes the 7 Spider-Man films and Venom and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse:

The 23 MCU films have taken almost £755m in the UK and almost £782m inflation inflated; 

Andy Serkis signed to direct Venom 2 this week which will be released next year but have yet to announce either Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse or Spider-Man: Far From Home sequels would expect both to be released in 2021.

 

5. The Angry Birds Movie 2 – £701,223 – NE

Disappointing opening for Angry Birds Movie 2 despite receiving far better reviews than the first film  opened 67% less. As The Angry Birds Movie 2 plays to a much younger audience than either The Lion King or Toy Story 4 they can’t be used as an excuse while it’s the first of these pre-teen children’s films opening over the in August.

Sony Pictures UK choose to open the film two weeks ahead of its US release to give it longer playing time during the lucrative summer holidays and aimed at a much younger audience than either The Lion King or Toy Story 4 shouldn’t have been affected by either film.

Three years ago 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie opened during school term on May 13th £2,138,507 taking £10,408,235.

The first week of August has regularly had a children’s film targetting younger audiences opening strongly despite the major children’s film holding strong; ; 2017 The Emoji Movie (£2,702,809); 2013 The Smurfs 2 (£3,220,911); 2012 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (£1,537,178; 2011 Horrid Henry: The Movie (£1,290,308); 2009 G-Force (£2,478,524).

But instead opened similar to 2014’s The Nut Job (£666,966) which was surprising as both The Lion King and Toy Story 4 dropped heavily and both films weren’t The Angry Birds Movie 2 target audience which will be more Playmobil: The Movie (despite STX delaying its US release from August to December last week), The Art Of Racing In The Rain, Dora And The Lost City Of Gold and Uglydolls all released over the next two weeks.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £15,821,627 down 17.2% from last weekend £19,106,503

The weekend admissions 2,055,526 down 14.4% from last weekend 2,401,131; average ticket £7.56 up 5% from last year’s £7.22 and Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

16 films opened at weekend taking (£7,237,339); Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 88.1% (6,377,583); The Angry Birds Movie 2 9.7% (£701,223) remaining 14 films shared 2.2% (£158,533)

Top three took 81.5% (£12,893,802) of the top 10; Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 40.3% (£6,377,583); The Lion King 32.6% (£5,158,310x); Toy Story 4 8.6% (£1,357,909)

The weekend down 3.1% from 2018: (£16,330,724); Ant-Man and The Wasp (£4,988,747); Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (£389,726); The Producers (50th Anniversary) (£35,745); #1 Ant-Man and The Wasp £4,988,747 1st week 486 screens (30.5% of top 10)

Up 7.7% from 2017: (£14,684,539); The Emoji Movie (£2,702,809); Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (£1,861,916); England is Mine (£76,895); Maudie (£49,315); #1 Dunkirk £10,023,720 3^rd week 690 screens 44% drop (31.5% of top 10)

Down 32.5% from 2016: (£23,455,514); Finding Dory (£8,122,075); Jason Bourne (£7,600,420); World Cup ’66 – Minute by Minute (£35,959); League of Gods (£8,349); #1 Finding Dory £8,122,075 1^st week 588 screens (34.6% of the top 10)

Up 15.2% from 2015; (£13,728,232); Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (£5,351,344); Hot Pursuit (£311,673); The Cobbler (£57,787); #1 Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation £5,351,344 £7,376,513 1^st week 572 screens (38.9% of top 10)

Up 8.5% from 2014: (£14,570,372); Guardians of the Galaxy (£6,363,110); The Nut Job (£666,966); Step Up 5: All In (£391,129); Mood Indigo (£60,538); Planes 2: Fire and Rescue (£55,903); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy £6,363,110 1^st week 554 screens (43.6% of top 10)

Up 3.2% from 2013: (£15,328,027); The Smurfs 2 (£3,220,911); The Heat (£2,500,522); The Conjuring (£2,156,124); Red 2 (£1,023,349); Only God Forgives (£465,917); From up on Poppy Hill (£33,087); #1 The Smurfs 2 (£3,220,911 1^st week 510 screens (21.1% of top 10)

Down 16% from 2012 (£18,835,047); Ted (£9,333,700); Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (£1,537,178); Brave (Scotland) (£820,084); Sound of My Voice (£3,630); #1 Ted £9,333,700 1^st week 509 screens (49.5% of top 10)

Up 9.1% from 2011 (£14,498,785); Captain America: The First Avenger (£2,981,590); Horrid Henry: The Movie (£1,290,308); The Zookeeper (£936,063); Arrietty (£75,584); #1 Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 £8,523,417 3^rd week 576 screens 46% drop (31.5% of top 10)

Down 27.9% from 2010: (£21,956,519); Karate Kid (£4,882,306); The A-Team (£3,569,505); Gainsbourg (£135,031); #1 Toy Story 3 £8,115,193 2^nd  week 564 screens 62% drop (36.9% of top 10)

Up 27.4% from 2009; (£12,415,474); G-Force (£2,478,524); The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (£1,784,719); Land of the Lost (£642,553); Coco Before Chanel (£423,268); Crossing Over (£3,214); #1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince £2,917,786 3^rd week 568 screens 44% drop (23.5% of top 10)

Down 0.3% from 2008; (£15,871,733); The X-Files: I Want to Believe (£887,209); Space Chimps (£563,543); The Love Guru (£498,829); Man on Wire (£98,508); #1 The Dark Knight £6,737,306 2^nd week 510 40% drop screens (42.4% of top 10)

Up 48.9% from 2007: (£10,622,708); Evan Almighty (£1,152,349); The Hoax (£94,136); Happily N’ever After (£62,622); Wind Chill (£23,769); Seraphim Falls (£17,110); #1 The Simpsons £4,027,220 2^nd week 519 screens 70% drop (37.9% of top 10)

Up 69.9% from 2006; (£9,307,750); Miami Vice (£2,231,684); My Super Ex-Girlfriend (£714,920); Ant Bully (£382,766); #1 Miami Vice £2,231,684 1^st week 408 screens (23.9% of top 10)

N/a xx% from 2005 (£xx); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (£7,972,168); #1 Fantastic Four Charlie and the Chocolate Factory £7,972,168 1^st week (xx% of top 10)

Up 100.5% from 2004 (£7,849,699); King Arthur (£1,908,084); Garfield (£1,147,437); The Stepford Wives (£946,787); New York Minute (£109,106); Anything Else (£39,149); #1 King Arthur £1,908,084 1^st week 400 screens (23.4% of top 10)

Up 44.6% from 2003 (£10,939,690); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (£6,080,369); Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (£1,546,483); Spy Kids 3D Game Over (£979,374); #1 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines £6,080,369 1^st 478 screens (55.6% of top 10)

Up 23.8% from 2002 (£12,774,940); Men In Black 2 (£6,191,428); Lost In La Mancha (42,824); Lovely And Amazing (£35,483); #1 Men In Black 2 £6,191,428 1^st week 512 screens (48.4% of top 10)

Up 47.1% from 2001 (£10,754,826); Cats and Dogs (£3,707,358); Rush Hour 2 (£2,286,253); Final Fantasy: The Spirits.(£43,546); #1 Cats and Dogs £ 3,707,358 1^st week 452 screens (34.4% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2018: (£16,439,374); The Meg (£3,651,111); The Darkest Minds (£388,325); Dog Days (£59,223); Heathers (30th Anniversary) (£43,462); Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (£21,593); #1 The Meg £3,651,111 1^st week 499 screens (22.2% of top 10)

Other Box Office News

July box office was up 11% from 2018 with the World Cup last summer studios avoided opening major releases over the first two weeks but this year with no major sporting events the films weren’t so congested. Next year has the European Championships in June/July with final at Wembley and then Tokyo Olympics more problematic will be Qatar World Cup in November/December 2022 which will have major impact on the Christmas box office.

Box office for 2019 is still 2% down on last year with It: Chapter Two, Downton Abbey, Frozen 2, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Jumanji: The Next Level and Cats box office will probably be flat with last year. At the start of the year with the slate of films expected admissions would finally top 200m in the UK almost 20 years after box office analysts predicted.

2020 has many sequels which can go either way its hard to see what films apart from Bond 25 will take £50m + next year.

 

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – Universal Pictures

Opened with $60.03m; received positive reviews (71% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore

Took $5.8m from Thursday midnights (2011’a Fast Five took $3.8m from Thursday previews)

Opened similar to last year’s Mission: Impossible: Fallout ($61.23m taking $220.15m) which held strongly for the rest of the summer.

Hobbs & Shaw was tracking to open with $65m three weeks ago but after receiving positive reviews might have expected it to open closer to 2011’s Fast Five ($86.19m taking $209.83m). Some have said Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood $20.1m second weekend might have impacted on its opening, but Hobbs & Shaw was targetting a younger teen audience.

Normally the last action film of the summer holds strongly for the remaining weeks of summer but has competition from The Angry Birds Movie 2 in two weeks and Angel has Fallen the week after.

As Captain America: Civil War was Avengers 2.5 Hobbs & Shaw looks very much like Fast & Furious 8.5, with a lack of action films this summer since John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum in May and being the last tentpole of the summer as 2016’s Suicide Squad (opening with $133.7m)

Since appearing in The Mummy in 2001 Dwayne Johnson’s films have taken $3.4bn in the US and $9.79bn worldwide if it wasn’t for the Avengers cast he would still probably be the world’s biggest movie star. While Skyscraper might have underwhelmed last year after Hobbs & Shaw in December stars in Jumanji: The Next Level and next July Jungle Cruise, he was then to appear in Red Notice for Universal in November 2020 which has recently been sold onto Netflix.

There was surprising news on Thursday the first teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s new film was attached to selective screenings of Hobbs & Shaw rather than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Nolan has much in common with Quentin Tarantino saying in 2014 “I’ve only ever been driven by story, I try not to think not too much about why I want to make a film,”

Hobbs & Shaw had a budget of $200m with P&A of $160m+ needs to take $700m worldwide.

The nine Fast and Furious films have taken $1.57bn in the US and $5.31bn worldwide; Fast & Furious 9 is set for release May 22^nd, 2020 and Fast & Furious 10 2^nd April 2021 expected to be the final film of Fast and Furious but after Hobbs & Shaw opened with $180m worldwide the franchise could continue with Hobbs & Shaw sequel in 2022.

Opened with $120m from 63 territories internationally and $180.8m worldwide; 2017’s The Fate of the Furious opened with $532.5m worldwide ($432.3 million internationally) and 2015’s Furious 7 opened with $392m worldwide. Both of those film openings were inflated with China, but Hobbs & Shaw doesn’t open in China until August 23^rd.

Hobbs & Shaw had Universal Pictures 5th biggest global opening after The Fate of the Furious, Jurassic World, Furious 7 and Fifty Shades Of Grey and had the biggest non-Disney, non-superhero film opening of 2019 and did it without China;

Global opening was 16% more than last year’s Mission: Impossible: Fallout $155.83m (also without China) took $571m worldwide.

• The Lion King – Disney

Dropped 49.7% in its third weekend taking $38.52m and $431.16m total

21^st biggest film in the US between E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Captain Marvel

Had the 18^th biggest third weekend in the US between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Shrek 2; #10 Incredibles 2 ($46.41m); #11 Beauty and the Beast ($45.42m) #13 The Jungle Book ($43.71m); #15 Finding Dory

Ahead of release expected The Lion King to become one of the biggest films ever in the US and the world instead holding close to Incredibles 2 which took $440.6m after 3 weeks 72.4% of $608.58m total which will see it take $600m+.

The Lion King took 55% more than Aladdin in its third weekend $24.68m Vs $38,.24m held surprisingly strongly after average reviews but with summer holidays drawing to the close over the coming weeks won’t hold as well seen by its second and third weekends dropping much more than Aladdin.

While 2019 has been a Disney summer as 2019 has been a Disney year do still believe that all of their summer films failed to meet the high expectations they had both critically and at the box office. After having the biggest ever US, UK and global opening Avengers: Endgame has just stumbled past Avatar while both The Lion King and Toy Story 4 might be the biggest two films of the summer they didn’t reach the heights many expected.

20 years ago when a film took $100m at the box office was the sign of a films success but have been 749 films taking over $100m. (In 1970 Airport became one of the first films to take over $100m at the US box office will be over $500m today). Have been 211 films taking $200m+; 85 films have taken over $300m and 37 over $400m should now be the sign of a film’s success at the box office.

Disney have 119 films taking over $100m (1987’s Good Morning, Vietnam its 1^st); 60 films taking over $200m (1998’s Armageddon its 1^st) and 19 films taking over $400m (2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest its 1^st).

The originally film took $422.78m (24th biggest film in the US between Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and $803.2m Inflation inflated (20th biggest film in the US between Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace and The Sting).

The Lion King took over $1m at the US box office for 35 weeks (till February 1995) taking $31285m; re-released in IMAX in 2002 taking $15.68m and in 2011 in 3D taking $94.24m with $422.78m total;

Globally took $968.5m 42nd biggest film worldwide between Despicable Me 2 and 2016’s The Jungle Book; would be about $2.5bn worldwide inflation inflated.

Ten years ago Sean Parker said “A million dollars isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion dollars,” the same could be said about global BO with 42 $1bn+ films since 1993 need to take $2bn+ globally now

Decade or more ago $1bn worldwide was cool but with China inflating global BO now 42 members since 1993 as with $100m used to being sign of success both need to be doubled as should really be $1bn US and $3bn+ global club that Avengers Endgame and The Lion King should be members?

2019 was always the year of Disney but 2020 has many questions for Disney without Star Wars or Pixar sequels have 2 original Pixar 2 original films 2 smaller MCU films and 2 smaller reimaginations one being a reimagination of a reimagination won’t have it all their own way? While rival studios have upped their game from 2019 but it is sequel heavy and as seen over recent years they can go either way.

15 Disney reimaginations have taken $3.35bn in the US and $3.59bn inflation inflated since 1996 and $3.15bn for the 13 since 2010 $3.3bn inflation inflated.

Took $72m from 53 territories and $764.9m total and $1.19bn worldwide #19 biggest between Iron Man 3 and Minions; China $119m; UK $62.4m; Brazil $54.6m; France $51.9m; Mexico $45.6m; Russia $39.6m; Australia $34.7m; Korea $33.4m; Germany $33.1m; Spain $28.3m; India $23.3m Netherlands $18m

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Sony Pictures

Dropped 51.3% in its second weekend taking $20.01m and $78.82m

Holding similar to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds took $19.3m in its second weekend ten years ago and $73.02m 60.6% of $120.54m and 2012’s Django Unchained $20.01m and $106.28m 65.3% of $162.8m

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is seen as an original film it is part of Quentin Tarantino film universe and while Tarantino said himself he steals from other films so not completely original as it will attract the same fan-base as his previous films.

The nine Quentin Tarantino films have taken almost $600m at the US box office and $715m inflation inflated and $1.475bn worldwide

• Spider-Man: Far From Home – Sony Pictures

Dropped 36.5% in its fifth weekend taking $7.9m and $360.47m

196^th biggest 5^th weekend between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1; #26 Spider-Man; #153 Spider-Man 2; #142 Spider-Man: Homecoming; #130 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

5^th weekends

2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming dropped 33.3% taking $8.84m and $294.95m 88.2% of $334.2m

2007’s Spider-Man 3 dropped 47.1% taking $7.57m and $318.34m 94.5% of $336.53m

2004’s Spider-Man 2 dropped 39.4% taking $8.61m and $344.44m 92.2% of $373.58m

2002’s Spider-Man dropped 36.7% taking $14.31m and $353.82m 87.6% of $403.7m

Spider-Man: Far From Home has become the 10^th biggest MCU film between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming; Spider-Man: Far From Home will come short of Captain America: Civil War $408.01m which started the Spider-Man story arc in 2016 and may also come short of 2002’s Spider-Man $403.7m.

The seven Spider-Man films have taken $2.463bn in the US and $6.29bn worldwide; Spider-Man: Far From Home has become the first Spider-Man film to take over $1bn worldwide an is the biggest Spider-Man film internationally but still behind 2004’s Spider-Man 2  $373.58m and 2002’s Spider-Man $403.7m US box office

Took $9.5m from 67 territories and $715m total and $1.08bn; #29 biggest film worldwide between The Dark Knight Rises and Toy Story 3; China $205.2m; South Korea $58.8m; United Kingdom $41.2m; Mexico $31.6m; Brazil $27.6m; Japan $27.2m; Australia $25.2m; France $22.9m; Russia $21.5m; Germany $17.3m.

• Toy Story 4 – Disney

Dropped 29.7% in its seventh weekend taking $7.34m and $410.24m

Toy Story 4 continues to hold similar to Toy Story 3 taking 30.2% more than Toy Story 3 in its fourth weekend $7.34m Vs $5.12m and 5.3% more $410.34m Vs $389.76m with ticket inflation of over 20% since and production and marketing costs also up has suffered similar sequel fatigue as many of the other sequels this summer.

43^rd biggest 7^th weekend between American Sniper and Return of the Jedi; #50 Incredibles 2 ($7.27m); #128 Toy Story 3 ($5.12m); #56 Toy Story 2 ($7.15m); #60 Toy Story ($7.06m).

Toy Story is the 4^th biggest Pixar film in the US after Incredibles 2 ($608.58m); Finding Dory ($486.29m) and will shortly overtake Toy Story 3 ($415m); but ahead of release would have expected Toy Story 4 to beat Finding Dory box office and get close to Incredible 2.

29^th biggest film in the US between Wonder Woman and Iron Man 3 and 16^th biggest Disney film between Toy Story 3 and Iron Man 3.

Toy Story films have taken $1.29bn in the US and $2.93bn worldwide

20 Pixar films have taken $5.88bn in the US and $14.18bn worldwide

Toy Story took $191.79m in the US and $374.6m worldwide

Toy Story 2 took $245.85m in the US and $597.4m worldwide

Toy Story 3 took $415m in the US and $1.067bn worldwide

Took $17.4m from 36 territories and $549.2m and $959.3m worldwide; #50 biggest film worldwide between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; Mexico $71.5m; UK $69.6m; Japan $62m; Brazil $32.2m; China $29.1m; Argentina $28.3m; Australia $28.2m; France $26m; Korea $24.6m; Spain $22.5m

• Aladdin – Disney

Dropped 30.1% in its tenth weekend taking $2.12m and $350.47m

64^th biggest tenth weekend between Walk the Line and Meet the Parents; #66 1994’s The Lion King ($3.01m); #94 Beauty and the Beast ($2.54m);

53^rd biggest film in the US between Deadpool and Inside Out and Disney’s 12^th biggest film in the US between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain Marvel

Took $4m from 28 territories and $675.2m total and $1.025bn worldwide #38 biggest film worldwide between Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Alice in Wonderland; Japan $105.1m; Korea $88.6m; China $53.3m; UK $45.9m; Mexico $32.5m; Spain $27.9m; Australia $24.3m; Russia $21.1m; Brazil $20.4m; Germany $19.2m; France $18.4m; Indonesia $18.1m

UK Box Office Predictions

Gurinder Chadha’s Blinded By the Light received strong media coverage ahead of release and positive reviews, strong word of mouth with extensive talker screening and opening soon after musical films including Rocketman and Yesterday.

17 years ago Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it Like Beckham opened with £2,001,795 taking £10,914,247 and would hope Blinded By the Light could perform similarly but despite the strong word of mouth these films often have trouble finding an audience but will likely perform similar to Fisherman’s Friends opened with £1,154,865 in March taking £7,380,488.

22 years ago another small British feel-good comedy opened in August taking a modest £1,600,000 but due to very strong word of mouth overtaking the previous biggest British comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral became the biggest film in the UK until Titanic the following year taking £52,232,058 The Full Monty. So many films have tried to be the next The Full Monty including Bend if Like Beckham, Calendar Girls (opening with similar £1,762,505 in 2003 taking £20,174,133).

Bring The Soul: The Movie the second BTS Event Cinema film released this year after Love Yourself In Seoul BTS World Tour opened with £518,810 has a much more lucrative release during the school holidays has screenings on Wednesday and then encore screenings on Saturday which could see it open close to double Love Yourself In Seoul BTS World Tour.

The Art Of Racing In The Rain based on the 2008 novel by author Garth Stein (was New York Times best seller for 156 weeks as was 2005’s Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan but while Marley & Me opened with £4,414,169 taking £15,123,080 its likely to open closer to 2019’s A Dog’s Journey opened £499,207 taking £1.2m or 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose opened £1,300,097 taking £2.84m.

After The Angry Birds Movie 2 only managed to open with £701,223 last week its unlikely Playmobil: The Movie will open any better.

The big battle will be over #1 as Hobbs & Shaw will drop 60%+ in its second weekend while The Lion King 40%+ which could see a closely fought battle between the two of them taking about 60% of the weekends box office.

Opening in UK Next Week

• Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – Sony Pictures (Wednesday 14^th)

Comedy-drama starring ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, alongside Emile Hirsch,  Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, and Al Pacino and written and directed by Quentin Tarantino (his ninth film)

It is the first Quentin Tarantino film not to be produced by Harvey Weinstein after he cut ties with The Weinstein Company following sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein in October 2017.

In November 2017 Sony Pictures acquired distribution rights agreeing to all of Quentin Tarantino demands which included final cut, $95m budget and 25% of first-dollar gross and the film, rights revert back to him after 10 to 20 years.  With these terms many wondered if Sony Pictures could make money from the film as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood would need to be more successful than any previous Quentin Tarantino film.

Was originally set to be released on August 9 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Tate–LaBianca murders but was seen as poor taste so was brought forward two weeks. At the time Sony said it was to give the film more summer playtime but in doing so opens the week before Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

After Inglourious Basterds opened strongly 10 years ago late August with $38.5m taking $120.54m was surprising Sony didn’t opt for a similar release date.

Had world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival May 21, 2019; received positive reviews from critics (92% Rotten Tomatoes score); Quentin Tarantino asked the audience nit to reveal spillers for the film “The cast and crew have worked so hard to create something original, and I only ask that everyone avoids revealing anything that would prevent later audiences from experiencing the film in the same way,”; but then why premiere the film over two months before release?

The film received much controversy including Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie barely getting any screen time compared to the two male leads. A reporter asked Quentin Tarantino at the Cannes press conference why her cast Margot Robbie but then gave her a few lines with his response “I reject your hypothesis,” Margot Robbie said, “I think the moments I was on screen gave a moment to honour Sharon,”…  “I think the tragedy was the loss of innocence. To show the wonderful sides of her could be done without speaking. I did feel like I got a lot of time to explore the character without dialogue, which is an interesting thing. Rarely do I get an opportunity to spend so much time on my own as a character.”

Quentin Tarantino did say later than lots of characters in the film had longer scenes but were cut, that might appear in a future cut, but as he had final cut in  the film he didn’t think they were worth including?

Are rumours Quentin Tarantino will release an extended 4-hour version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood later this year on Netflix.

While Roman Polanski’s wife Emmanuelle Seigner sparked more controversy for the film including a dramatized version of her husband without asking him “I am just saying that it doesn’t bother them [in Hollywood] to make a film which takes Roman and his tragic story… while at the same time they have made him a pariah. And all without consulting him of course,”

The nine Quentin Tarantino films have taken almost $650m at the US box office and $1.47bn worldwide and over £172m in the UK and over £350m inflation inflated.

As with 2015’s The Hateful Eight one of Quentin Tarantino demands is that the film had selective release on 35mm opening at the Odeon Leicester Square and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood had its UK premiere at the cinema showing a 35mmm its release at the cinema will also be on 35mm. While many directors still want to shoot on film Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan are the only two studios will give in to their request that their films should also be available on film. Audiences reacted positively to the 35mm print screened at the premiere as 35mm to many is still vastly superior to digital.

After dilly-dallying for years with digital projection the Industry was far too quick to go fully digital as  should have waited until technology was superior as exhibitors won’t upgrade the projectors as fast as home technology improves with many homes having 4K and with 6K and 8K launching over the next year ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

What made trip to the cinema unique was the technology was always superior to what people had at home but now with 4K Dolby Vision TVs and 4K content on streaming platforms home cinema and cinema are interchangeable for many. Why pay £20 to see a film in the cinema when they can wait three months to see t at home for much less with similar technology.

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opens next Wednesday without any of the baggage his previous film had The Hateful Eight three years ago when Cineworld, Picturehouse and Curzon refused to book it for its opening weekend.

As with the Vue refusing to book A Star is Born in October those exhibitors refusing to book The Hateful Eight had little impact on its £2.78m opening in January 2016 which was similar to 2013’s Django Unchained £2.8m. While 2009’s Inglourious Basterds opened with £3.6m including £1.69m. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has a similar August opening to Inglourious Basterds and also has two days of previews so should opening similar.

• Dora and the Lost City of Gold – Paramount Pictures

Adventure continuing Nickelodeon’s TV series Dora the Explorer starring Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, and Danny Trejo and directed by James Bobin.

Pre-school Indiana Jones/National Treasure received positive reviews described as an old school family adventure similar to 1980s films like The Goonies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

The Hollywood Reporter review  went viral for all the wrong reasons when he said “The director seems to be trying to keep the hormones at bay, but there are some things you just can’t disguise, perhaps human nature first and foremost. Dora seems committed to projecting a pre-sexualized version of youth, while throbbing unacknowledged beneath the surface is something a bit more real, its presence rigorously ignored.”

Dora’s target audience will be same as The Angry Birds Movie 2, Playmobil and Uglydolls

• Good Boys – Universal Pictures

Comedy starring Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams and written and directed by Gene Stupnitsky; had its world premiere at South by Southwest in March receiving positive reviews.

Likely to perform similar to last years Blockers opened with £1,349,627 taking £4,239,132; many have compared it with 1999’s American Pie opened with £2,094,122 taking £13,833,890 and 2007’s Superbad £1,484,456 taking £6,064,632 being a similar good-natured teen gross-out comedy.

• Uglydolls – STX Entertainment

Animated musical comedy featuring voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Pitbull, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, Wang Leehom, Emma Roberts, Bebe Rexha, Charli based on the toys of the same name.

In 2011 Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights to Uglydolls but four years later in 2015 STX announced it would be the first film from their new family and animation division and Robert Rodriguez was signed to direct, write and produce the film.

STX were hoping that Ugly Dolls would perform similar to 2016’s Trolls opening with $46.58m taking $153.7m also based on a popular toy and also includes songs from Kelly Clarkson who voices one of the characters; Justin Timberlake had the global summer hit single Can’t Stop The Feeling viewed over 1 billion times on YouTube to date.

Kelly Clarkson’s song Broken & Beautiful video from Uglydolls has been viewed 2.8m times on YouTube.

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Atlantic Records were hoping for similar success with the soundtrack as The Greatest Showman which is still in the top 3 68 weeks after release in the UK and still in the top 30 on the Billboard charts after 84 weeks.

Uglydolls performed similar to 2017’s My Little Pony opening with $8.6m taking $20.15m

STX will be hoping that it might find an audience late summer but with The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Playmobil already out its unlikely to find an audience.

Toy to film adaptions have had mixed success at the box office from The Lego Movie to Bratz; Sony Pictures are currently developing Masters of the Universe reboot for 2010 release previously made in 1987 by Cannon taking $17.6m.

Opening in US Next Week

• The Angry Birds Movie 2 – Sony Pictures

Animated comedy sequel to 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie featuring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Jones, Rachel Bloom, Nicki Minaj, Awkwafina and Sterling K. Brown and directed by Thurop Van Orman.

Opens in the UK two weeks before the US to give it longer playing time during the summer holidays playing to a younger audience than Toy Story 4 or The Lion King as the original film did.

August is the 10th anniversary of the release of the original computer game

Teaser trailer was released in February and the full trailer a month later.

2016’s The Angry Birds Movie opened May 13th $38.15m taking $107.5m and $352.3m worldwide.

• 47 Meters Down: Uncaged – Entertainment Studios

Survival horror sequel to 2017’s 47 Meters Down starring John Corbett, Nia Long, Sophie Nélisse and Corinne Foxx and directed by Johannes Roberts.

47 Meters Down opened with $11.2m taking $44.3m

The original film was based at Dimension Films titled In the Deep with US rights sold to Entertainment Studios but not before they had released screeners online.

• Blinded By the Light – Warner Bros

Comedy-drama film starring Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir and Nell Williams and directed by Gurinder Chadha.

Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews from critics (92% Rotten Tomatoes) with many describing it as the feel-good film of the year; Warner Bros/New Line acquired the film at the Sundance Film Festival

eOne will be hoping with it will follow in the success of Yesterday featuring songs from Bruce Springsteen along with films like East is East and Gurinder Chadha’s most famous film Bend it Like Beckham.

But despite strong buzz and having an extensive these films still find it hard now to find an audience and is more likely to perform similar to 1999;s East Is East opening with £435,627 but not have its legs.

• Good Boys – Universal Pictures

20 years after American Pie opened Universal Pictures will be hoping for similar success with Good Boys which feels like Superbad meets Blockers meets American Pie. 

The same weekend 12 years ago Superbad opened with $33.05m taking $121.46m as did The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005 and Sausage Party in 2016.

Despite the language the film thoughtful message shines similar to Blockers last year (one review described it as the live-action South Park film you didn’t think you needed) opening with $20.55m taking $60.31m

• Where’d You Go, Bernadette – United Artists

Mystery comedy-drama starring Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Emma Nelson, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Zoë Chao and Laurence Fishburne and directed by Richard Linklater based upon the novel by Maria Semple.

Originally set for release May 11, 2018 but was delayed to October 19, 2018, March 22, 2019, August 9 and then August 16, 2019.