1. Toy Story 4 – £13,300,000 –  NE

Opened with £3.1m on Friday the biggest ever non holiday animated film Friday opening ever; but was 38% less than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast Friday opening (£4.9m)

Had the second highest opening of the year after Avengers: Endgame (£43.4m); Disney have had 5 of the 10 biggest openings in the UK over the last 12 months; Fantastic Beasts 2 was the last non-Disney film to open with £10m+ at the UK box office.

Had the 44^th biggest opening in the UK between Casino Royale and The Inbetweeners Movie (close to The Simpsons, Despicable Me 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Minions) and 71st biggest inflation inflated opening between Hancock and War of the Worlds (close to The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Ice Age II, Alice In Wonderland and Toy Story 2).

Had the sixth biggest animated opening in the UK (UK after Toy Story 3, Shrek the Third Shrek 2 Despicable Me 2 and The Simpsons)

The third biggest Fri-Sun animated opening after Shrek The Third £16,671,727 and The Simpsons £13,626,853; both released in 2007 with 43%+ ticket inflation since Toy Story 4 has more in comparison with Shrek The Third as they both were sequels and opened in June away from school holidays; 16th biggest 3 day opening between Fifty Shades of Grey and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Disney’s 15th biggest between Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; Disney’s third biggest 3 day opening after Beauty and the Beast and captain America: Civil War

Toy Story 3 took 54.25% of its £21.18m opening Fri-Sun £11.49m inflation inflated £13.94m (21%+ ticket inflation) while 2000’s Toy Story 2 opened with £7.76m but inflation inflated opening £13,947, 127 only 4% less than Toy Story 4 (66%+ ticket inflation)

Toy Story 4 opening joins a selected few wide films that have opened over last 15 years that have had clean box office numbers, with most cinema tickets having odd prices it does feel like totals for these films have been rounded up; Toy Story £13.3m; Avengers: Endgame £43.4m; Captain Marvel £12.75m; Incredibles 2 £9.65m; Black Panther £17.7m; Beauty and the Beast £19.7m do find it strange has been only one non Disney film that has done similar over the last 15+ years Johnny English Reborn £4.96m.

Toy Story 4 is the first Pixar film to open day and date with the US all others have been held back to open ahead of school holidays, while Illumination Entertainment have had success releasing films this way it’s the first time Disney have done so with an animated film. The man upstairs didn’t get the memo Disney were releasing their summer Pixar film early in the UK as the weather was hot and sunny over its opening weekend, which is very rare for a Disney film, the last to suffer this was Monsters University in July 2013 opened with £3,463,917 but held very strongly in its second weekend taking £2,791,078 down 19.4% and went on to take £29,768,407.

 As with The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Toy Story 4 opens without the normal weekend previews have become regular for most children’s films over the decade artificially inflated their openings. Toy Story 3 opened with £21,187,264 in July 2010 including £9,693,440 (46% from previews)

Toy Story opened in March 1996 (5 months after US) with £4,594,454 (£8,965,394 inflation inflated) taking £22,297,733 (£43,510,711 inflation inflated)

Toy Story 2 opened February 2000 (3 months after US) with £7,758,936 (£12,731,709 inflation inflated) taking £44,306,070 (£72,702,233 inflation inflated)

Toy Story 3 opened July 2010 (1 month after US) with £21,187,264 (£25,709,588 inflation inflated) taking £73,405,113 (£89,073,095 inflation inflated)

In 2010 To 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)

21 Pixar films have taken almost £632m in the UK and almost £832m inflation inflated.

2012’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opened with £23,753,171 (£28,299,983 inflation inflated); 2017’s Beauty and the Beast opened with £19,700,000 and 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 with £18,319,721 (£22,229,981 inflation inflated);  all without previews and Toy Story 4 will likely open with £23m+ over its opening weekend.

Previous biggest opening for an animated film without previews was 2007’s Shrek The Third £16,671,727 (£23,835,618 inflation inflated).

Am much more critical with Disney rather than other studios as previous instalments be it Aladdin, Toy Story 3 or The Lion King were excellent films so the film that replaces or follows them needs to be better than came before. With Godzilla: King of the Monsters, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Men In Black International their previous instalments weren’t great so the fact that these aren’t either I’m less critical too. Nine years ago Toy Story 3 ended the trilogy so perfectly so when Toy Story 4 was officially announced in November 2014 it was poorly received by fans.

Toy Story 4 might have received rave reviews but when most of them still say it’s not as good as Toy Story 3 then you have to ask why they made it as like Star Wars these films need to be better than previous instalments good isn’t enough for Pixar as audiences demand excellence.

After the release of Toy Story 3 in 2010 Lee Unkrich said Pixar had no plans for a fourth film after the release of Toy Story 3 which felt like the end of the saga saying “it was really important to me with this film that we not just create another sequel, that it not just be another appendage coming off of the other two”.

Despite his comment were still rumours of a sequel and Tom Hanks said in an interview in 2011 that he believed Pixar were working on a sequel to be released in 2015 but in 2013 Disney denied the rumours.

Ahead of the release for Toy Story 4 many have said similar about a Toy Story 5 that the film ends the series perfectly for Woody and Buzz, but it also has several new characters which could launch a spinoff. Pixar have said recently that after Toy Story 4 they have no plans for anymore sequels with their next two for 2020 onward opening March and Soul opening in June.

In the first 10 years of Pixar they released 6 films with only one sequel. Over the last 13 years they have released 15 films, several years released two films and in upping the films 7 of the last 11 have been sequels. When Pixar can make such wonderful original films like Inside Out and Coco really don’t understand why they made so many sequels, its different for the likes of Dreamworks Animation and Illumination as they are not in the same league as Pixar.

This is my similar issue with Disney it saddens me that the most creative studio in Hollywood is reliant on properties, Marvel and reimaginations again it would be understandable if it was a studio like Paramount Pictures doing this but not for Disney. I fear the creativeness that 20^th Century Fox has had over the last decade will also be taken away from them over the net few years as it will make far fewer original films and concentrate on making library reimaginations.

Toy Story 4 is the first Pixar film since the first Toy Story film was released in 1995 not have a short film before it. The reason Pixar gave was everyone at the studio needed to work on the feature films and there wasn’t enough time to make a short, but Pixar created SparkShort to give filmmakers within the studio to make shorts including the delightful short Kitbull released online earlier this year, why couldn’t it or any of the other SparkShort be the short film?

Part of the promotional campaign for Toy Story 4 was to send Buzz Lightyear into space with a promotional by eBay to help raise money for children’s charity Together for Short Lives.

Before release expected Toy Story 4 to take similar box office to 2010’s Toy Story 3 £73.4m but now about 20% less £60m as Toy Story faces competition from The Lion King in a months’ time. It is in a different position than other Pixar films with no school holidays for a month, saying that despite Toy Story 4 being a children’s film it probably plays better to the children of the 80s and 90s rather than their children.

Toy Story 3 is the 8th biggest film ever in the UK where will Toy Story 4 end up?

Sequel fatigue was mentioned as the reasons behind Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Dark Phoenix, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Men in Black International but all ere expected to do worse than their predecessors. Toy Story 4 opened with the usual positive buzz that surrounded most Disney films receiving critically acclaim but in a similar way to Mary Poppins Returns.

While adults were excited to see their friends returning children were less so as they saw the film had a similar plot to previous Toy Story films, a new toy, he gets lost and the gang have to find him again. Films like Toy Story, Mary Poppins, Star Wars: The Force Awakens are just memberries movies.

Toy Story 3 was more than that and played as strongly to children and adults as the best Pixar films do, To Story 4 is more an adult film disguised as a children’s film.

2. Aladdin – £1,201,337 –  £32,598,692

58.3% drop in its fifth weekend;

Do find it strange that Aladdin had a similar fifth weekend box office as Avenger Infinity War (£1,215,206) and Captain Marvel (£1,156,476); this alongside the clean number opening weekend of Toy Story 4 not going to say the c word.

5^th weekends

Despite opening 33% less than 2010’s Alice in Wonderland £7,066,773 Vs £10,555,220 it is holding surprisingly similar taking only 6% less £1,201,337 Vs £1,285,889 (with 21% ticket inflation since).

Taking 28% less than Mary Poppins (£1,668,638) and 26% less than The Jungle Book (£1,628,456);

After taking 4.4% more than Beauty and the Beast in its fourth weekend Aladdin took 53.7% less in its fifth weekend (£2,598,163 Vs £1,201,337 as Beauty and the Beast dropped only 7% due to Easter Holidays.

While older audiences who grew up with the original animated Aladdin had issues with the reimagination feeling as with all the other Disney reimaginations it was unnecessary younger audiences enjoyed it far more, why its holding so strongly having far stronger legs than Alice in Wonderland or The Jungle Book reimaginations.

Tickets went on sale on Tuesday for The Lion King animation reimagination again for people who grew up with the original 1994 animated film will again wonder why a remake is needed after the original was excellent it will again probably play better to younger audiences.

Unlike Toy Story sequels, Disney reimaginations aren’t really for the children (now adults) who saw the original films in cinemas they are for their children. These reimaginations are similar to what Disney used to do every seven years with their classic animated films re-release them theatrically and then release them for a short time on video and then repeat the cycle again to the next generation.  

Has become 103^rd biggest film in the UK between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the 171^st biggest inflation inflated in the UK between Transformers and Life of Pi (close to Calendar Girls, Monsters University, Bean and Moulin Rouge).

Aladdin its Disney’s 30^th biggest film in the UK between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Incredibles; 24 of those films released over the last decade with only 6 before 2009 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe; Toy Story 2; Monsters, Inc; Finding Nemo;

Over the next few weeks Toy Story 4 and The Lion King will join Aladdin, Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel taking £30m+ this year with Spider-Man: Far From Home the only other film likely to do so this year with the last non-Disney film to take £30m+ Bohemian Rhapsody (now a Disney film). Only Jumanji 2 and Cats are likely to be the other non-Disney films to take £30m+ this year.

Disney will of taken almost £220m from its 6 2019 releases and close to £250m adding 2019’s Mary Poppins Returns box office; while Toy Story 4 might not meet the box office heights of Toy Story 3 it will be its 12^th film to take £50m+ at the box office with The Lion King; £50m+ Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of  Skywalker also doing so this year> Disney could take over £600m+ this year not including 20th Century Fox will be about 50% of the years box office.

Despite mixed buzz ahead of release Aladdin is performing as expected as the 1992 original animated was the second biggest film of 1993 after Jurassic Park despite opening in 1992; took £16,115,822 would be over £52m today.

In 3 weeks’ time Disney release The Lion King reimagination, the original animated film was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £34,077,997 (would be £108,944,735 today, the seventh biggest film in the UK between Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Jurassic Park. Opening the start of the summer holidays it will open bigger than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£19.7m) and could be the biggest film of the year (£100m+).

The 11 Disney reimaginations have taken over £320m at the box of office and over £360m inflation inflated.

3. Men In Black International – £1,005,221 –  £4,964,119

Down 64.3% in its second weekend

803^rd biggest second weekend in the UK between The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Magnificent Seven (close to Gone in Sixty Seconds, This Means War, A Simple Favour and Swordfish) and 643rd biggest inflated opened between Total Recall and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (close to The Full Monty, Non-Stop, Swordfish and Gone in Sixty Seconds)

Opened 4% less than 2012’s Men in Black; 54.4% less than 2002 Men in Black 2 and 61% less than 1997’s Men in Black

Second weekends

1997’s Men in Black took £4,982,150 down 29.5% and £18,903,960 and £36.2m total (£64.21m inflation inflated)

2002’s Men in Black 2 took £3,106,105 down 49.8% and £12,772,993 and £22.01m total (£37.05m inflation inflated)

Men in Black 3 increasing its box office by 3% £3,032,053 and £7,958,460 £21,750,343 total.

Sony Pictures had been trying to get Will Smith to star in both Men in Black and Bad Boys sequels for many years but with Will Smith demanding a huge salary they decided that it would be too expensive for them to pay him to star in both films.

It was surprising Sony Pictures decided this after 20^th Century Fox had also wanted Will Smith to star in Independence Day sequel for many years but decided to cast Liam Hemsworth instead in sequel Independence Day: Resurgence and opened with 18.3% less $41,039,944 Vs $50,228,264 despite opening 20 years later; (Independence Day opened £7,100,000 taking £37,128,685; Independence Day: Resurgence opened £5,067,855 taking £11,975,964)

So it was then very predictable that Men In Black International would open inferior to Men In Black despite opening 22 years later; opening 41.2% less $30,035,838 Vs $51,068,455

It was almost like it was fated to happen with Sony Pictures casting Liam’s brother Chris Hemsworth in Men In Black International; away from starring in Thor in the Avengers films he has had little success at the box office. It was thought that as Chris Hemsworth had great on-screen chemistry with Tessa Thompson in the MCU films this would crossover into the film but that wasn’t to be.

It is strange that the cast of the Avengers films are the biggest actors on the planet due to the success of the MCU films but away from the MCU they have little success starring films separately even Robert Downey, Jr. his last non Marvel original film success was Due Date and Sherlock Holmes films and will star in Sherlock Holmes 3 10 years after Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Only Scarlett Johansson has had success away from MCU with Lucy so its then even more surprising that her spinoff film Black Widow is only starting filing now for release next year 10 years after appearing in her first MCU fil Iron Man 2.

The disappointing opening for Men In Black International follows on from similar disappointing opening for X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Secret Life of Pets 2 allowed Aladdin to hold much stronger than expected in such a crowded marketplace.

The failure of film like Men In Black International must be concerning for rivals to Disney as next year they release many sequels to try to compete with Disney they have failed to do so this year having  similar large gaps between them including Bad Boys for Life (25 years after Bad Boys); Legally Blonde 3 (19 years after Legally Blonde); Top Gun: Maverick (34 years after Top Gun); Untitled Ghostbusters (36 years after Ghostbusters); Coming 2America (32 years after Coming to America).

Many recent films had long gaps between them have also underperformed including Tron Legacy (28 years), Mary Poppins Returns (54 years) and Bladerunner 2049 (35 years) the only real success was 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road (29 years); as the question is what is the audience these sequels are targetting its it teens who saw the original films who are now in their 50’s or millennials.

After disappointing first 6 months of 2019 Sony Pictures (8th biggest distributor in the UK)  have a much stronger slate for the rest of 2019 including Spider-Man: Far from Home, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt), The Angry Birds Movie 2, Zombieland 2: Double Tap, Charles’s Angels, Jumanji Sequel, Little Women reboot.

4. Rocketman –  £783,785 – £21,096,176

Down 52.1% in its fifth weekends.

Took 72.1% less than Mamma Mia! (£2,803,272); 64.5% Bohemian Rhapsody (£2,211,454); 57.7% A Star Is Born (£1,853,867); 61.6% The Greatest Showman (£2,042,450); 69.1% Chicago (£1,918,232); 12.9% Avengers: Endgame (£900,524).

After holding strongly over its opening four weeks (similar to A Star Is Born) dropped much more heavily than Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born and The Greatest Showman in its fifth weekend which was always going to be its problem opening in the highly congested summer instead of later in the year.

Ahead of Rocketman release some thought it could be bigger than Bohemian Rhapsody but that was never likely but £30m+ should have been in its sights which would have been its biggest film since 2010’s Shrek Forever After but dropping heavily this weekend and with Yesterday opening this weekend Rocketman will be dropping down the charts over the coming weeks taking less than £25m.

Over recent years since losing Marvel and DreamWorks Animation they have one £20m+ success a year normally been either Transformers or Mission Impossible sequels.

After joining the studio in 2017 Jim Gianopulos we have seen glimpses with films like A Quirt Place and Rocketman but 2020 we will see his full slate which will be the studios best since 2011 including Hostile Makeover, Sonic The Hedgehog, A Quiet Place 2, The SpongeBob Movie Top Gun: Maverick, GI Joe and Coming to Americas 2. While of course not in the same league as Disney these films will allow the studio to compete against the other studios.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2012 (close to The Hangover Part III and Maleficent) and the 361st biggest inflation inflated between How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Flubber (close to Moana, Spice World and Bend It Like Beckham)

13th biggest Paramount Pictures film in the UK between Monsters vs. Aliens and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (has become Paramount Pictures biggest non animated original film in the UK) 21st biggest inflated Paramount Pictures film between Kung Fu Panda 2 and Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn.

Rocketman won’t now take £30m+ but should overtake last year’s Mission Impossible: Fallout ending with about £25m+ depending on how it holds against Toy Story 4;

Fifth weekends

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 3% taking £2,042,450 and £19,965,506 41.3% of £48,300,000; 

2018’s A Star Is Born dropped 16% taking £1,821,004 and £22,929,874 78.2% of £29,299,129;

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 27% taking £2,211,454 and £39,003,704 70.9% £54,947,598;

The films soundtrack dropped to 15th on the album chart in its fourth week; Elton John’s Diamonds album 7th and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 93rd; while The Greatest Showman dropped to 8th in its 78th week and Bohemian Rhapsody is 9th in its 35th week on release.

5. Brightburn £509,030 –  NE

Taking £212,000 from previews Wednesday/Thursday  gave it a head start on Child’s Play which opened #9 taking £247,572

Was originally announced in December 2017 as untitled James Gunn horror project before he was dropped by Marvel Studios from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (he was later reinstated).

Was going to be promoted at Comic Con but it was pulled after James Gunn was removed from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and its release date was moved; the first trailer was released in December receiving positive respond describing it a Superman horror film

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £18,378,720 up 59.3% from last weekend £11,536,988

The weekend admissions 2,500,968 up 60.2% from last weekend 1,560,431; average ticket £7.22 down from last year’s £7.49 but Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

11 films opened at weekend taking (£14,226,648xx); Toy Story 4 93.5% (£13,300,000); Bight Burn 3.6% (£509,030); Childs Play 1.7% (£247,572); remaining 8 films shared 1.1% (£170,045)

Top three took 84.3% (£15,506,558) of the top 10; Toy Story 4 (72.4%) (£13,300,000); Aladdin 6.5% (£1,201,337); Men In Black International 5.4% (£1,005,221);   

The weekend up 82.5% from 2018: (£10,066,964); Ocean’s 8 (£4,347,070); In the Fade (£25,963); Overboard (£19,304); #1 Ocean’s 8 £4,347,070 1st week 641 screens (43.2% of the top 10)

Up 92.5% from 2017: (£9,547,804); Transformers: The Last Knight (£4,635,570); Hampstead (£453,522); The Book of Henry (£72,128); The Graduate: 50th Anniversary 4K Restoration (£28,946); #1 Transformers: The Last Knight £4,635,570 1^st week 577 screens (48.5% of top 10)

Up 3.1% from 2016: (£17,839,552); The Secret Life Of Pets (£9,580,039); Independence Day: Resurgence (£5,067,855); Elvis & Nixon (£56,790); The Meddler (£19,327); #1 The Secret Life Of Pets £9,580,039 1^st week 592 screens (53.7% of the top 10)

Up 14.5% from 2015; (£16,046,393); Take That Live 2015 (£965,000); Mr. Holmes (£741,080); Entourage (£632,754); The Longest Ride (£419,047); #1 Jurassic World £11,133,912 614 screens 2^nd week 34% drop (69.4% of top 10)

Up 121.8% from 2014: (£8,284,805); The Fault in Our Stars (£3,434,334); Jersey Boys (£415,608); 3 Days to Kill (£324,560); Chinese Puzzle (£22,617); The Art of the Steal (£7,867); #1 The Fault in Our Stars £3,434,334 1^st week 511 screens (41.4% of top 10)

Up 55.6% from 2013: (£11,810,188); World War Z (£4,535,899); Snitch (£268,229); Before Midnight (£244,231); A Haunted House (£153,805); Spike Island (£55,961); #1 Man Of Steel £5,073,356 2^nd week 575 screens 55% drop (42.9% of top 10)

Up 171.6% from 2012 (£6,765,529); Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (£1,119,117); The Five-Year Engagement (£1,058,897); Chernobyl Diaries (£495,875); Lay the Favourite (£112,706); Think Like a Man (£81,516); #1 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter £1,119,117 1^st week 460 screens (16.5% of top 10)

Up 89.1% from 2011 (£9,716,933) Bridesmaids (£3,445,395); Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon (£82,464); #1 Bridesmaids £3,445,395 1^st week 482 screens (21.8% of top 10)

Up 339.2% from 2010: (£4,184,382); Killers (£1,053,074); Wild Target (£282,498); Our Family Wedding (£96,385); Please Give (£49,940); MacGruber (£34,367); #1 Killers £1,053,074 1^st week 446 screens (25.1% of top 10)

Up 34.6% from 2009; (£13,653,796); Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen £8,349,739; #1 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen £8,349,739 1^st week 516 screens (61.1% of top 10)

Up 135.1% from 2008; (£7,818,976); Adulthood (£1,203,319); Teeth (£235,658); The Edge of Love (£180,837); The Ruins (£123,507); The Escapist (£79,579); #1 The Incredible Hulk £1,870,800 2^nd week 483 screens 43% drop (23.9% of top 10)

Up 205.9% from 2007:(£6,006,969); Captivity (£329,193); La Vie En Rose (£205,659); Lucky You (£56,346); #1 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer £2,254,179 2^nd week 481 screens 46% drop (37.5% of top 10)

Up 325.2% from 2006; (£4,322,278); Lakehouse (£761,465); The Wind that Shakes the Barley (£390,720); Fearless (£369,947); Ultraviolet (£147,337); Aquamarine (£109,232); Half Light (£23,930); #1 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift £1,019,854 2^nd week 415 screens 44% drop (23.6% of top 10)

Up 139.7% from 2005 (£7,664,880); Batman Begins (£4,427,802); Bombon – El Perro (£33,768); We Don’t Live Here Anymore (£28,954); #1 Batman Begins £4,427,802 1^st week 514 screens (57.7% of top 10)

Up 139.3% from 2004 (£7,678,849); Mean Girls (£1,393,494); Jersey Girl (£226,970); The Whole Ten Yards (£61,405); #1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban £3,374,330 3^rd week 534 screens 23% drop  (43.9% of top 10)

Up 245.1% from 2003 (£5,325,585); 2 Fast 2 Furious (£2,747,875); Basic (£248,088); I’ll Be There (£14,829); #1 2 Fast 2 Furious £2,747,875 1^st week 424 screens (51.6% of top 10)

Up 166.8% from 2002 (£6,888,015); The Musketeer (£131,338); Kissing Jessica Stein (£102,234); Hardball (£79,864); Before You Go (£58,387); o #1 Spider-Man: The Movie £4,255,920 2^nd week 509 screens 55% drop (61.8% of top 10)

Next weekend in 2018: (£6,480,095); Sicario 2: Soldado (£698,466); Tag (£475,373); Adrift (£405,240); Patrick (£299,862); The Bookshop (£65,558); Leave No Trace (£50,445); Zoo (£12,516); #1 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom £2,001,876 3^rd week 4^th week on release 633 screens 38% drop (30.9% of top 10)

Also opened

• Child’s Play – Verve

Opened with £247,572 from 305 screens 

Disappointing opening for Child’s Pay in the UK not helped with Brightburn having a two-day head start paying to a similar audience.

Surprisingly there was no cinema accidently screening Child’s Play to children instead of Toy Story 4 as often happen when a horror film opens against a children’s film. The marketing for Child’s play was a parody of Toy Story.

Child’s Play films were surrounded by controversy  in the UK after Child’s Play 3 was seen as the “inspiration” for two murders in the United Kingdom

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Toy Story 4 – Disney

Opened with $120.9m; received 98% Rotten tomatoes and A CinemaScore

Took $12m from Thursday previews the second biggest previews for an animated film after last year’s Incredibles 2 $18.5m; 9 years ago Toy Story 3 took $4m but midnights started close to midnight rather than Toy Story 4 starting at 5pm;

Took $47.29m on Friday the 38^th biggest opening between Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Deadpool; Toy Story 3 #48 between Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire;  15.1% more than Toy Story 3 but 33.5% less than Incredibles 2 ($71.26m) and 13.4% less than Finding Dory ($54.74m).

Opened 9% bigger than Toy Story 3 but with 20% ticket inflation since it was released the film suffered with some of the sequel fatigue that all the other sequels have suffered with this summer. Normally Disney films open with 15%/20% more than tracking but Toy Story 4 opened slightly lower than tracking which is surprising for a Disney film especially that received such positive reviews.

Toy Story 4 opened on 4,575 screens second widest release ever after Avengers: Endgame which opened in 4,662 cinemas; but both probably played about three times the number of screens.

2018’s Incredibles 2 had the biggest opening day animated film $71.2m and the biggest animation film  US opening of all-time with $182.6m;

Early tracking Toy Story 4 was expected to open between $100m-$150m but with advance bookings in its first 24 hours on Fandango breaking previous records for Incredibles 2 last year is likely to open bigger than Incredibles 2 ($182.68m) which didn’t have any competition until Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation opened a month later.

Toy Story trilogy has taken $883.35m in the US and $1.97bn worldwide

20 Pixar films have taken $5.47bn in the US and $13.22bn worldwide since 1995

Disney have had huge success opening their summer Pixar film Father’s Day weekend since 2015 with Inside Out, Finding Dory, Cars 3 and Incredibles 2 so why did they open To Story 4 a week later? Never understand why when a studio has success opening films on a certain date do they then decide to move it.

Was similar to Illumination Entertainment this year with The Secret Life of Pets 2 opening two weeks before Toy Story 4 rather than several weeks after as they have done since Despicable Me in July 2010. While The Lion King opened July 19^th it will play to an older audience so opening the weekend before Illumination Entertainment regular slot) would have given it a three week gap to Toy Story 4 while also being trailered with it.

Toy Story 2 ($97.38m) opened 97% bigger than Toy Story ($29.14m) and Toy Story 3 ($110.3m) opened 92% bigger than Toy Story 2 ($97.38m)

Finding Dory ($70.25m) opened 92% bigger than Finding Nemo ($135.1m)

Incredibles 2 ($70.4m) opened 159% bigger than Incredibles ($182.6m)

If Toy Story 4 opened 92% bigger than Toy Story 3 would be looking at opening of $210m+

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

What amazes me is the industry now has so much box office and audience data available to their fingertips but seem to make more childish dating errors than ever before. After the disappointing opening of X-Men: Dark Phoenix the Hollywood Reporter article said Fox didn’t know another franchise was opening against it, ho is that possible today?

I sat in the projection room at Fox watching on to senior executive discuss dating plans for their upcoming slate always amazing me at some of their decisions knowing the films opening against them. A film success now can be made by its Thursday midnights on Friday morning Toy Story 4 midnights were reported takin $12m less than the $18.5m Incredibles 2 took last year ad those estimates of a possible $200m+ opening shrank down to $140m+.

I mentioned film dating as in Australia The Secret Life of Pets 2 opened the same day as Toy Story 4, for many Pets 2 is seen as a Toy Story rip off so it was strange that Universal Pictures even dated it for the same summer as Toy Story 4 but to open it the same weekend who possibly thought that was a good idea? Universal Pictures brought Pets 2 release forward a month in the UK in doing so opened against Aladdin and in the US opened two weeks before Toy Story 4.

In Australia

Toy Story 4 opened 5.8% less than Toy Story 3 ($6,477,569); The Secret Life of Pets 2 opened with ($4,141,000) 35.2% less than The Secret Life of Pets 2 ($5,600,798); last year Incredibles 2 opened with $7,898,856 21.9% than Toy Story 4 showing that opening the two films against each other cannibalized the two films openings.

Nine years ago Universal Pictures opened Despicable Me four weeks after Toy Story 3 and over the years since have always opened their Illumination Entertainment film successfully so never understand when studios have success opening a particular film or genre on a certain time of year do they then change dates for sequels as Warner Bros did with Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island while keeping Godzilla vs. Kong in March next year.

Opened with $120m from 37 territories and $244.5m worldwide having the second biggest international opening for an animated film after 2009’s Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $151.6m; its already 606 biggest film worldwide between Back to the Future Part III and Rush Hour;

Ahead of release Toy Story 4 was expected to open with $240m worldwide but normally Disney films will open ahead; opened Mexico $23.4m; UK $15.0m; China $13.4m; Brazil $9.6m; Korea $8.5m; Argentina $6.9m; Australia $6.1m

While Toy Story 4 disappointed in chia as previous films weren’t successful but were hugely successful in Latin America having the third biggest opening of all time in Mexico and in Brazil was the biggest animation film of all time and the fifth biggest film of all time; why did Toy Story 4 open so well in Latin America?

• Child’s Play – United Artists

Opened with $14.09m; received 62% Rotten Tomatoes score and C+ CinemaScore

The five Child’s Play films took $126.12m in the US and $176m worldwide; its 31 years ago since the first film was released and 15 years ago since the last film so impossible to compare with current box office.

• Aladdin – Disney

Dropped 23.5% in its fifth weekend taking $13.24m and $288.55m

36th biggest fifth weekend between Aladdin (1992) and Shrek; (#31 Beauty and the Beast; Alice in Wonderland #174 and The Jungle Book #14).

94^th biggest film in the US between Monsters, Inc. and Home Alone; Disney’s 32^nd biggest film in the US between The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Monsters University

It’s not a surprise Aladdin is performing strongly despite mixed buzz ahead of release as the original animated film was the biggest film in 1992 taking $217.35m in the US (#170 biggest film in the US between The Da Vinci Code and Alvin and the Chipmunks) taking $504.1m worldwide; 2019’s Aladdin #167 biggest film in the US between Doctor Strange and The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Adjusted for inflation Aladdin is 102nd biggest film in the US taking $472.5m a similar box office to Mrs Doubtfire which opened the following year #202 biggest worldwide between Ghost and Rio 2.

27 years ago Aladdin had two weeks of platform release before expanding first into 1,131 screens in its third weekend (#2 to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York #1) and then 2,255 screens in its 7th weekend (#2 to A Few Good Men #1) taking $19.28m and $13.88m. Aladdin didn’t  become #1 until its 8th weekend (#1 for 4 out of 5 weeks of January having minimal drops until end of February 16th week).

Advance booking for The Lin King opened on Monday in the US (Tuesday in the UK) having the second best sales of the year after Avengers: Endgame; Fandango had the best advance sales for any film apart from Star Wars or Marvel Cinematic Universe beating 2017’s Beauty and the Beast.

Took $32.9m from 55 territories and $522.6m total and $813.1m worldwide #79 biggest film worldwide between Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and Coco; China $53.4m; Japan $50.7m; Korea $49.5m; UK $41.2m; Mexico $31.3m; Spain $22.1m; Australia $20.3m; Russia $19.3m; Brazil $18.7m; Indonesia $17.9m; Italy $16.6m; Germany $15.1m; France $14.5m; Philippines $10.8m

• Men In Black International – Sony Pictures

Dropped 64.4% in its second weekend taking $10.7m and $52.64m

22 years after the first Men in Black film Men In Black International is expected to open similar to the previous three films

Second weekends

1997’s Men in Black dropped 41.1% taking $30.6m and $139.58m taking $250.69m and $589.29m worldwide

2002’s Men in Black 2 dropped 53.2% taking $24.41m and $132.68m taking $190.41m and $441.81m worldwide

2012’s MIB 3 dropped 48.6% taking $28.07m and $111.07m taking $179.02m and $624.02m worldwide

The four films have taken $672m in the US and $1.83bn worldwide

Took $30.2m from 65 territories and $129.4m and $182.1m worldwide; China $41.4m; Russia $7.9m;  Mexico $7.2m; Australia $4.7m; France $4m.

• The Secret Life of Pets 2 – Universal Pictures

Dropped 57.9% in its third weekend taking $10.17m and $117.56m;

In 2016 The Secret Life of Pets opened 4 weeks after Finding Dory allowing it to play much stronger than its sequel will do opening two weeks before Toy Story 4.

Nine years ago Universal Pictures opened Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 4 weeks after Toy Story 3 managing to hold its own opening with $56.39m against Toy Story 3 $21.01m

The Secret Life of Pets dropped 41.8% in its third weekend taking $29.6m and $260.98m 70.8% of $368.38m total; if The Secret Life of Pets 2 held similar will take about $155m 50% of The Secret Life of Pets and similar amount worldwide.

With Pixar concentrating on original animated films after Toy Story 4 Illumination Entertainment will have better success next summer opening Minions: The Rise of Gru in their regular two weeks after Pixar’s Soul.  

Illumination Entertainment films have taken $2.56bn in the US and $6.45m worldwide

Took $10.8m from 42 territories $77.1m total and $194.7m worldwide; 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets took $875.45m worldwide including $507.1m worldwide with Toy Story 4 opening next weekend the sequel

• X-Men: Dark Phoenix – 20th Century Fox

Dropped 62.2% in its third weekend taking $3.53m and $60.09m;  

Dropped 1,667 screens in its third weekend but didn’t drop as much as either last week’s two new releases Men in Black International and Shaft. After opening so poorly and having a big second weekend was more surprising was still playing in 2,054 was probably so Disney can open the extended cut of Avengers: Endgame in the screens next week.

When you see the performances of both Bohemian Rhapsody (taking $218.42m in the US and $903.65m worldwide) and The Greatest Showman (taking $174.34m in the US and $434.99m worldwide. Do believe Dark Phoenix would have performed better whenever it was released if there hadn’t been the dark cloud over the studio’s employees since Disney acquired the studio in March. If an employee worried about if they have a job in 3 months’ time they aren’t likely to have their mind on the prize.

With films like X-Men: Dark Phoenix loosing more than a third of its screens in its third weekend and will be played out of cinemas within a month its still madness they have to keep to the antiquated 3-month theatrical window as they will have no second-run potential. If they were given an VoD release after a month would give them the second-run release they don’t get anymore and stop many going illegally as they will be also available from China within a month.

When 20^th Century Fox first planned Dark Phoenix it was soon after the disappointing X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016 which opened in the shadows of Batman Vs Superman and Captain America: Civil War and was planned to be made as two films but the studio decided as Warner Bros did with Justice League to make it into just one film which is one of the reasons why the film feels disjointed as Justice League was.

The 12 X-Men films have taken $2.42bn in the US and $6.01bn worldwide  .

X-Men films deserve more respect than they get as had 20^th Century Fox not taken a chance making the first X-Men film in 2000 when comic-book movies were on life-support with Judge Dredd, Barb Wire and Batman and Robin Sony Picture’s wouldn’t of mad Spider-Man and Marvel wouldn’t of risked everything launching the MCU.

Took $14.7m from 55 territories and $172.8m and $233m worldwide; #643 biggest film worldwide between The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011); China $58m; Mexico $9.6m; France $9m; UK $8.5m; Russia $6.7m; Brazil $6.6m; Korea $6.4m; Indonesia $5.4m

• Rocketman – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 40.5% in its fourth weekend taking $5.6m and $77.28m;

Has become Paramount Pictures 144^th biggest film in the US between The Adventures of Tintin and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

Fourth weekends

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 12.7% taking $14m and $152.15m 69.6% of $218.42m and $903.65m worldwide

2018’s A Star is Born dropped 26.3% taking $14.03m and $148.61m 69.1% of $215.28m and $434.18m worldwide

(Bohemian Rhapsody seemed to of mirrored the box office of A Star is Born so would have been interesting to see if the audience was similar).

2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again dropped 34.9% taking $5.86m and $103.87m 86.2% of taking $120.53m and $394.74m worldwide

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 9.5% taking $12.46m and $95.22m 54.6% taking $174.34m and $434.99m worldwide

Took $5.5m from 59 territories and $76.1m total; Rocketman has performed strongly in the Uk but

• Anna -Lionsgate

Opened with $3.6m received 63% Rotten Tomatoes and B+ CinemaScore

Luc Besson has had strong female characters in many of his films; 1985’s Subway; 1990’s La Femme Nikita (John Badham directed Point of No Return US remake in 1993 starring Bridget Fonda); 1994’s Léon: The Professional; 1997’s The Fifth Element; 1999’s The Messenger;  The Story of Joan of Arc;  2011’s The Lady; 2014’s Lucy and now 2019’s Anna.

2014’s Lucy opened $43.89m taking $126.66m

1997’s The Fifth Element opened $17.03m taking $63.82m

1994’s The Professional opened $5.3m taking $19.5m

Luc Besson films have taken $327.1m in the US and $1.22bn worldwide

Anna is Luc Besson’s first film since 2017’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets which took $225m worldwide but flopped in the US opening against Dunkirk and Girls Trip with Anna Luc Besson has gone back to his roots a female action film.

Lionsgate acquired Anna in October 2017 before #MeToo they opened it in 2,200 screens with the least amount of marketing and with no junket or premiere but with trailers playing with John Wick might of expected it to open better especially as it does feel like the Black Widow film audiences have been waiting for almost a decade.

• Avengers: Endgame – Disney

Dropped 46.6% in its ninth weekend taking $1.98m and $834.59m

After having the biggest opening weekend, second biggest second weekend, fourth biggest third weekend and fifth biggest fourth weekend dropped down to 77th biggest sixth weekend; 146^th biggest 7^th; Avengers: Endgame wasn’t within the top 200 biggest 9^th weekend.

Avengers: Infinity War #150; Marvel’s The Avengers #51; Captain Marvel #57; Avatar #2 took $23,611,625

22,850,881 took 1,088% more than Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War took 23.1% ($2,584,228) more than Avengers: Endgame

Marvel announced last week they will re-release Avengers: Endgame this weekend with additional footage to try to overtake Avatar; will be 6 minutes of extra footage that will include end credit scene which will attract only the most ardent of fans but will boost Spider-Man: Far From Home opening 5 days later.

Avengers: Endgame will have the third worst opening to total after Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War, this compares to Marvel’s The Avengers 5^th best with 3.01x opening; Avengers Infinity War 14^th 2.63x opening and Avengers: Age of Ultron 19^th 2.4x opening; the best are Guardians of the Galaxy 3.53x; Black  Panther 3.47x; Iron Man 3.23x.

If Avengers: Endgame holds similar to Avengers: Infinity War it would have taken 97.9% of its total box office after 8 weeks and will end with $848m but could get a boost with Spider-Man: Far From Home opening in two weeks’ time as Captain Marvel did when Avengers: Endgame opened.

Took $1.3m from 36 territories; $1.912bn and $2.742bn worldwide; China $629.1m; UK $114m; Korea $104.9m; Brazil $85.2m; Mexico $76.9m

Avengers: Endgame is now $38m away from overtaking Avatar Disney will be hoping their re-release will top Avatar as  it was the one film that has overshadowed the performance of their films over recent years; ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens many expected it to top Avatar but had to settle for third after Titanic taking $2.068n.

The fact that no film has beaten Avatar over the last decade highlights how front-loaded box office has become as Avatar took $2.788bn taking $1m+ for 18 weeks after opening with $77.02m which was less than half Avengers: Endgame took in its first day. It would be good for the industry if Avatar was to be able to stay #1.

Would be good for the industry if  Avengers: Endgame didn’t overtake Avatar globally as would give Disney’s rivals and filmmakers hope the biggest film globally doesn’t need to be a property franchise reboot reimagination or sequel it just needs to excite cinema audiences

After opening with $357.11m 8 weeks ago in the US whatever many say it should have easily toppled Star Wars: The Force Awakens $936.66m US box office and after opening with $1.3bn worldwide $3bn+ globally should have been expected. Despite all the hype and critical acclaim these films receive the pixie dust only lasts for a month and audiences will move on to the next shinny new film opening a few weeks later.

Spider-Man: Far From Home closes out Marvel’s Infinity Saga and hasn’t yet announced the films that follow despite shooting already started on the Black Widow spinoff expected to be one of the two Marvel films released next year. Kevin Feige has said the films will be announced later this summer probably waiting till after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home.

22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have now taken $8.13bn in the US and $21.4bn worldwide

UK Box Office Predictions

Second weekend comparisons of Toy Story 4 are to Despicable Me 3 and Minions both June openers that didn’t have previews (Toy Story 3 dropped 62% in Its second weekend 29% not including previews but as that was during school holidays isn’t comparable) dropping 40% taking £7m+

Yesterday has received a lot of media coverage over the last few weeks with Danny Boyle and Himesh Patel seemingly everywhere.

Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis come from the two sides of the British film industry Danny Boyle made the edgy cool Shallow Grave and Trainspotting and Richard Curtis wrote many British rom-com from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Love Actually (also directed) one thing both had in common was strong soundtrack album and most of were successful at the UK box office.

It’s the first film Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis have worked together but they did work together on the 2012 London Olympics opening Ceremony with the Ben sequence.

The 12 films Danny Boyle has directed since his directorial debut Shallow Grave in 1995 have taken over £105m; his biggest by far was 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire.

Richard Curtis has written 12 films over the last 30 years taking over £315m at the box office and £463m inflation inflated.

But its very hard to compared Yesterday with either Danny Boyle or Richard Curtis last films T2 Trainspotting opening with £5,146,791 and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again £9,735,930 has more in common with Richard Curtis’s About Time (opened £1,761,079).

Danny Boyle previously directed fantasy rom com in 1997 A Life Less Ordinary starring Ewan Macgregor and Cameron Diaz which was the film he directed after Trainspotting; opened October 1997 with £1,045,050 taking £1,911,260 receiving mixed reviews.

The surviving Beatles rarely allow their songs to be licenced in films and TV shows over the years but did feature heavily 2002’s I Am Sam opened £151,079 taking £456,635) and 2007’s Across the Universe (opened with £27,471).

After the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman and summer being a good time to release music-based films from Mamma Mia to Hairspray Yesterday gives audiences something different to enjoy instead if another remake sequel, reboot or reimagination.

Reviews have been mostly positive (has 63% Rotten Tomatoes score but that is more due to US as British critics have been much more positive).

25 years ago last month Four Weddings and a Funeral opened with £1,432,424 and became the biggest British film taking £27,369,755 until The Full Monty three years later; 20 years ago Notting Hill opened with £4,323,678 taking £31,006,109.

Yesterday could open anywhere between them (hottest temperatures of the year will also affect it) opening with £2.5m+ (similar to another Richard Curtis screenplay Bean (opened August 1997 with £2,563,326 taking £17,972,562); with trailers playing with Aladdin, Rocketman and Toy Story would hope the nostalgia factor kicks in with Yesterday.

Marvel are re-releasing the film in the hope it will top Avatar which it should have easily done weeks ago after having the biggest ever opening in the US, UK and worldwide taking $1.3bn; opened with £43.4m in the UK taking £87.4m after 9 weeks taking almost 50% of its total box office in its opening 4 days.

Many box office experts predicted that it would have long legs as they did with Infinity War last year and recent Disney Star Wars films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi but they are Emperor’s New Clothes films all hype not much sustenance when the pixie dust fads away.  

This is the reason why I might be seen to be overly critical to Disney’s current policy as it reminds me of  Ian Malcolm’s comment in Jurassic Park “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” As I believe these mega-movies are doing long term damage to cinema going audiences aren’t going to see the smaller films anymore they are seeing fewer films in the cinema.

Avengers Endgame dropped down to 14th in its 9th weekend taking £78,791 and £87,939,097 gets re-released this weekend with additional footage will see it return to the top 10.

Reaction online to the re-release has been mixed with fans eagerly awaiting to see the extra 6 minutes but to many others Marvel have been accessed of trolling fans reminding many of the scene from The Big Bang Theory when the boys are watching Indiana Jones on Tv only to see it again in the cinema a few days later with an extra 21 seconds.

Will the extended cut feature the shower sequence that made the 22 movies all a dream with Tony Stark in the shower and Steve Rogers waiting for him in bed

US Box Office Predictions

 

Toy Story 4 will hold top taking $60m+ in its second weekend dropping 50%+ similar to 2010’s Toy Story 3 ($59.33m taking $226.88m 54.6% of $415.1m) but won’t hold as strongly as Toy Story 3.

Annabelle Comes Home is the seventh instalment in the Conjuring Universe franchise and the third Annabelle film and is expected to open similar to 2014’s Annabelle opened with $37.14m taking $84.27m and $257m worldwide and 2017’s Annabelle: Creation $35m taking $102.1m and $306.5m worldwide.

The film has received better reviews (62% Rotten Tomatoes) than last year’s spinoff The Nun opened with $53.8m taking $117.45m.

Annabelle Comes Home is Warner Bros second of four horror films they are releasing this year;   The Curse of La Llorona opened in April with $26.34m taking $54.66m and release It: Chapter 2 in September and The Shinning sequel Doctor Sleep in November.

Surprising Yesterday opens wide same day in the US as its be more than a decade since Danny Boyle has success in the US with 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire and even 2000’s The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio (one of his first films after Titanic) only managed to take $39.78m (much more successful elsewhere including the UK).

While for Richard Curtis must go back to 2003’s Love Actually his biggest film in the US taking $59.69m again taking the majority of its box office not in the US while About Time and Pirate Radio also failed to find an audience;

Yesterday is expected to open with $10m but that will probably be less.

Avengers: Endgame is re-released with 6 minutes of additional footage will interest only the fanboys will see it climb back into the top 10 for one week taking $5m+.

 Opening in UK Next Week

• Spiderman: Far From Home – Sony Pictures (Tuesday)

The sequel to 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and the 23^rd Marvel Cinematic Universe Film starring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, and Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Jon Watts.

Sony Pictures announced the release date for Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 in December 2016 six months before the release of the first film. This became a major spoiler for Avengers: Endgame after Spider-Man died in infinity War as did several of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther.

With Spiderman: Far From Home opening three months after Avengers: Endgame was also an issue of spoilers as Spider-Man is dealing with the death of Iron Man/Tony Stark in the sequel which was evident in the trailer that was released in May, this saw cinemas play the trailer at the end of Avengers: Endgame instead of before.

In the leaked emails from Sony Hacking in November 2014 were discussions between Amy Pascal and Doug Belgrad over plans to make a new trilogy of Spider-Man films wanting Marvel Studios to produce with Sony retaining creative control, marketing and distribution. Discussions between the two studios broke down. In February 2015 both announced they would co-produce a new film and Spider-Man would appear first in Captain America: Civil War while Marvel Studios characters would also appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming and future Spider-Man films.

Spider-Man Homecoming was the third reboot over the last 15 years but has a longer history in 1985 Cannon Films acquired rights for five years from Marvel for $225,000 Menahem Golan spent another $2m on 10 different scripts but after severe financial issues Cannon was brought by Pathe Communication who went on to MGM Studios Golan got Spider-Man right back and set up 21st Century Films but couldn’t get funding for Spider-Man he did make Captain America in 1990.

Golan sold TV rights for the film to Viacom, home-video rights to Columbia and theatrical rights to Carolco who attached James Cameron to write and direct while shooting True Lies in 1993 he had finished writing the script but due to rights issues. Legal issues began in 1993 with Golan suing Carolco then Carolco sued Viacom and Columbia to reunite the TV and video rights.

Columbia and Viacom countersued Carolco and MGM and Marvel Comics sued alleging fraud in the original deal with Cannon. Within a year, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel had each filed for bankruptcy. In 1998 Marvel came out of bankruptcy and courts determined rights sold to Golan had expired, Marvel in 1999, sold the rights to Sony for a reported $7 million with both sharing the merchandising.

At Sony, the script went through many rewrites while Sony wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play the Spider-Man then Freddie Prinze Jr before settling with Tobey Maguire. Spider-Man was originally set for release in December 2001 but then moved to May 2002 due to additional special effects were needed. While the first trailer had to be remade as it featured the World Trade Centre.

Tom Holland has a habit of spoiling the film and he did it again when he was on the Graham Norton Show last week when he said that Spider-Man: Far From Home follows on from the death of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame. As the film has been released for over two months and it is mentioned in the trailer is it really a spoiler?

Spider-Man: Homecoming opened in July 2017 with £9,369,166 taking £30,380,216 a year after Spider-Man made his first appearance in the MCU Captain America: Civil War, this time Spider-Man: Far From Home is the follow-up film to Avengers: Endgame so should be much more interest in the sequel and open much bigger.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is helped by Marvel releasing  an extended version of Avengers: Endgame his Friday days before it opens which should see it become the biggest Spider-Man film in the UK taking upwards of £40m.

The six Spider-Man films Sony have made since 2002have taken £167m+ in the UK (£220m+ inflation inflated)

• Anna – Lionsgate

Crime action thriller starring Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, and Helen Mirren and  written, produced and directed by Luc Besson.

Trailer feels like it’s the Black Widow film audiences have been waiting to see since her first appearance in Iron Man 2, surprising it has taken Marvel ten years to make a Black Widow film especially as Scarlett Johansson also starred in the similar film Lucy in 2014 also directed by Luc Besson.

Anna could also be seen as a female Taken Luc Besson he also produced and John Wick and is also similar to TV series Killing Eve. (currently on BBC1 on Saturdays).

Luc Besson has had strong female characters in many of his films; 1985’s Subway; 1990’s La Femme Nikita (John Badham directed Point of No Return US remake in 1993 starring Bridget Fonda); 1994’s Léon: The Professional; 1997’s The Fifth Element; 1999’s The Messenger; The Story of Joan of Arc;  2011’s The Lady; 2014’s Lucy and now 2019’s Anna.

2014’s Lucy opened £3,076,997 taking £14,129,734

1997’s The Fifth Element opened £3,182,983 taking £6,923,356

1994’s The Professional opened £1,678,766 taking £3,400,349

Luc Besson films have taken $327.1m in the US and $1.22bn worldwide

Anna is Luc Besson’s first film since 2017’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets took $225m worldwide but flopped in the US due in part to poor dating opening against Dunkirk and Girls Trip opened two weeks later in the UK with £1,861,916 taking £3,211,172.

With Anna Luc Besson has gone back to his action film roots it’s the kind of film that might of found a limited audience a decade ago with films like The Transporter and Kiss of the Dragon which he also produced but now it’s one of a number of genres of films that get squeezed at the box office if it doesn’t star Gerald Butler or Keanu Reeves.

• Midsommar – Entertainment Films

horror starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, and Will Poulter and written and directed by Ari Aster.

Received positive reviews (92% Rotten Tomatoes score) but is expected to receive a far more very polarised reaction from cinemagoers.

Ari Aster previously directed 2018’s Hereditary which similarly received positive reviews (89% Rotten Tomatoes) but audience reaction was far more mixed; opened with £1,863,913 taking £5,498,016

 

• The Queen’s Corgi – Lionsgate

Animation featuring voices of Julie Walters, Sheridan Smith, Ray Winstone, Jack Whitehall, Matt Lucas and directed by Ben Stassen and Vincent Kesteloot.

 

• Westlife – The Twenty Tour Live – CinemaLive

Will try to repeat the success of Take That: Greatest Hits Live which opened with £1,834,379 last month from over 600 screens. 

Ticket prices at the Vue West End  are £23.24 unlike Take That: Greatest Hits Live which were only £10 with tickets for it as with all Event Cinema screenings up to 200% more than regular prices. Event Cinema and Secret Cinema are great additions to cinema.

For them to be included within regular cinema box office just helps inflate admissions, as for every Event Cinema ticket sold adds 3 and Secret Cinema adds 11 admissions as Event Cinema took about £40m last year it added over 6m admissions that never existed which saw UK admissions the highest for almost 40 years. 

Opening in US Next Week

 

• Spiderman: Far From Home – Sony Pictures (Tuesday)

Three weeks ahead of opening Spider-Man: Far from Home was tracking to open with upwards of $150m+ over the July 4^th weekend.

If Spiderman: Far From Home was to open with $150m+ it would be the biggest opening in the US for a Spider-Man film topping Spider-Man 3 $151.11m ($200.1m+ inflation inflated).

Two years ago Spider-Man: Homecoming was tracking to open with $90m-$108m and opened $117.02m taking $334.2m in the US and $880.16m worldwide.

It will be the fourth film this year to open with $100m+ after Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Toy Story 4

The sequel will likely have a massive boost from Avengers: Endgame opening less than three months after and following immediately after the death of Tony Stark. Kevin Feige has said that Far From Home is the end of the Infinity Saga and the end of Phase 3 and it’s the culminating of the saga. Endgame is the conclusion of the Avengers current story but Far From Home ends Tony Stark’s.

Social media embargo ended last week receiving very positive reactions with many saying it’s better than the first film; the review embargo ending on June 27^th.

The seven Spider-Man films have taken $2.1bn in the US and $5.21bn worldwide

• Midsommar – A24

Ari Aster follow-up to last years Hereditary is the third horror film to open over three weeks the other two far more commercial Child’s Play and Annabelle Comes Home.  

While critical reaction to Midsommar has been positive audience reaction will likely be polarized as it was for Hereditary opened June 2018 with $13.57m takin $44.06m