1. The Lion King – £4,366,824– £59,913,197

Down 14.3% in its fourth weekend;

On Monday The Lion King became the 19^th film since 1998’s Titanic to join the £60m club (Disney will have 9 members by the weekend as Toy Story 4 will also become a member of the club in a few days 2010’s Toy Story 3 was Disney’s first member (includes 3 Star Wars films (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rogue One) 2 MCU films (Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War) 2 Pixar (Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4) and 2 Disney reimaginations (Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King)

Had the 5^th biggest fourth weekend after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Skyfall, Avatar and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings helped by cooler wetter weather and none of the new releases finding an audience.

After 4 weeks The Lion King is 1.7% ahead of 2010’s Toy Story 3 (£58,908,398) and 2.4% Beauty and the Beast (£58,485,266) which will see The Lion King end with £80m+. As The Lion King opened at the start of the summer holidays it was always likely to be leggier than all of the previous Disney imaginations as it was given the prime summer release date as Jungle Cruise has got next summer.

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.

The animators of the original The Lion King were asked about their reaction to the reimagination of the film one animator said “I will only get myself in trouble if I comment on the ‘other’ version, Another said “There is a huge resentment against these 3D remakes from the original 2D crews. Maybe if we got any kind of royalties it would be different.” and David Stephan who worked on the  opening “Circle of Life” sequence said, “If you polled the crew of the original ‘Lion King,’ most of them would say, ‘Why? Did you really have to do that?’ It kind of hurts.”

These comments were expected as they are similar to most who saw the original film 25 years ago  but as with all the other reimaginations of Disney classics it’s not aimed at this generation it is aimed at their children as Disney Star Wars films.

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 £370m since 2010 and £380m inflation inflated; Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is Disney’s fourth reimagination opening in October only competition is from Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon targetting a much younger demographic and Terminator: Dark Fate; Maleficent opened May 2014 with £6,590,071 taking £19,292,000.

Next years reimaginations Mulan and Cruella aren’t likely to be as successful as either Aladdin or The Lion King. Mulan was one of Disney’s lowest grossing animated films in the UK opening with £1,648,488 taking £9,454,609 and their 33^rd biggest inflation inflated (£16,938,530)n taking similar box office to Moana, Coco, The Emperor’s New Groove and The Good Dinosaur. In the US its 93^rd biggest animated film and worldwide 464^th it is being made primarily for China tweeting the film to make it more China friendly. While Cruella will be a reimagination of a reimagination of 101 Dalmatians previously made in 1996 (#431 biggest film worldwide).

After Disney make re-imaginations of all their classic animated films they will surely make sequels to all of them this week Aladdin writers said there was more story to be told after Aladdin which will be likely the similar story told in the straight to video sequels The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves.

If The Lion King holds similarly as strong this weekend it will be again a tight battle for #1 against Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which will likely be #1 due to two days of previews but as against Hobbs & Shaw last weekend without previews The Lion King would be #1.

2. Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – £2,938,833    – £12,801,580

Dropped 53.5% in its second weekend;

Had the 215th biggest second weekend between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Trainspotting 2 (close to The Hunger Games, Justice League, Batman Begins and Mission: Impossible III) and 313th biggest second inflation inflated between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Godzilla (close to King Kong, Starsky & Hutch, Kill Bill Volume One and Johnny English Strikes Back).

Has become the 6^th biggest Fast & Furious film (after Fast & Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Fast & Furious 5 and Fast & Furious) with the arrival of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood on Wednesday will probably come short to Fast & Furious 5 (£18,368,657);

Had Universal Pictures 24^th biggest second weekend between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Johnny English Strikes Back (close to Johnny English Reborn, Hot Fuzz).

Second weekend was close to action films to Mission: Impossible (£3,465,278); Taken 3 (£3,295,309); The Bourne Ultimatum (£2,864,804); Mission: Impossible III (£2,751,733); Die Hard with a Vengeance (£2,691,546); Mad Max: Fury Road (£2,639,888) and Fast Five (£2,609,244).

Universal Pictures 49^th biggest film in the UK between Fast & Furious and Yesterday close to Lucy, Kick-Ass, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and The Bourne Legacy

The 9 Fast and Furious films have taken over £157m at the box office since 2001 and almost £180m inflation inflated; Fast and Furious 9 is currently shooting for release next May and then Fast and Furious 10 set for release in April 2021h was expected to be the final film of the series but as with all franchises these days franchises never end.

3. Toy Story 4 – £1,624,952 –  £58,766,430

Up 19.9% in its seventh weekend cooler wetter weather helped all children’s films hold well over the weekend.

7th weekend close to The Kings Speech (£1,685,180); The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings (£1,623,707); Slumdog Millionaire (£1,561,139); Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets (£1,558,543) Mamma Mia! (£1,548,894); Incredibles 2 (£1,268,401);

But less than Avatar (£4,865,081); Titanic (£3,010,921); Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (£2,456,876); Arthur Christmas (£2,047,463); The Greatest Showman (£1,925,895)

9 years ago Toy Story 3 was second taking 53.4 less (£756,575) but had taken 20.8% more (£71,015,148); it’s difficult to compare the two films as the eighth weekend of Toy Story 3 was the second weekend of September and all 8 weeks of Toy Story 3 release were part of the summer school holidays, while first four weeks of Toy Story 4 were during term time and Toy Story 4 still has 3 weeks of summer holidays ahead.

Toy Story 4 is now 20^th biggest film in the UK between The Lion King and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and 52^nd biggest inflation inflated film between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of  The Crystal Skull; Disney’s 9^th biggest between The Lion King and Incredibles 2

It was 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 and will shortly be the 20^th film to take £60m+ since Titanic in 1998.

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   

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 so since 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody (now owned by Disney).

While 2020 has many more massive sequels its hard to see what other films might take £50m+ next year even from Disney apart from Bond 25 as there are many £30m+ films including Peter Rabbit 2, Onward, Mulan, Trolls World Tour, Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9, Wonder Woman 1984, Soul, Top Gun Maverick, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Tenet, Jungle Cruise, The Eternals, Dune and Cruella. Which could be a good thing as people might see more film?

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. While rival distributors won’t have any films taking over £40m at the box office.

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); it is now Disney’s fourth biggest film in the UK after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Last Jedi and 8^th biggest in the UK.

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).

While Toy Story 4 was never going to open close to Toy Story 3’s preview inflated opening of £21,187,264 did expect it to take more than it

21 Pixar films have taken almost £678m in the UK and almost £878m inflation inflated.

4. Blinded By The Light – £966,095 –  NE

After receiving positive reviews, strong media coverage and strong word of mouth, poor weather and limited competition might have expected Blinded By the Light to open stronger especially after being trailered with films like Rocketman and Yesterday.

Feel-good British comedies used to e the back-bond of cinema and over the years have been many films from Four Weddings and a Funeral to The Full Monty, Calendar Girls and Bend It Like Beckham that have performed strongly at the box office having very long legs (don’t include Mamma Mia as that was based on a hugely successful West End musical).

Despite this these feel-good British comedies aren’t as successful as they used to be;

1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral opened with £1.43m taking £27.36m (£60.8m inflation inflated); 1997’s The Full Monty opened with a similar £1.6m taking £52.23m) (£92.65m inflation inflated); 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham opened with £2m taking £10.9m (£19.1m inflation inflated; 2003’s Calendar Girls opened £1.76m taking £20.17m (£32.8m inflation inflated).

But similar feel-good British comedies over the last decade have opened closer to £1m despite being over 100% ticket inflation since Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Full Monty, which should really see these films open with more than double.

Gurinder Chadha’s previous films

2002’s Bend It Like Beckham opened with £2m; 2004’s Bride & Prejudice £1.7m; 2008’s Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging £929,246 and 2017’s Viceroy’s House £909,697; Blinded By the Light was her more mainstream film since Bend It Like Beckham.  

Instead Blinded By The Light opened similar to Fisherman’s Friends £1,154,865 taking £7,380,488; 2014’s Pride £718,778 taking £3,852,880;

Five years ago the head of Lionsgate UK said British films should be cheaper than US films suggesting that UK films priced at £4 and US films at £10 as a trip to the cinema isn’t cheap anymore.

While cinemagoers will begrudgingly pay £20 to see The Lion King they won’t pay the same to see films like Blinded By The Light. As with football, theatre and concerts there should be different tariffs for different films as football fans pay a premium to watch Arsenal play Liverpool, but prices are cheaper when they play Norwich. If prices for Blinded By The Light were £7.50 then maybe audiences will take a chance to see other films as they used to as audiences are now much more selective with the films they pay to see and those they wait to see if they don’t have subscription cinema.

This should be the same with cinema to attract audiences to see other films, 493 films were released in the UK in the first 7 months of the year but close to 50% of the box office was taken by only 6 films (Avengers: Endgame £88.59m; The Lion King £59.91m;  Toy Story 4 £58.76m; Captain Marvel £39.23m; Aladdin £36.54m; Spider-Man: Far From Home £34.53m.

Blinded By The Light has been described as the feel-good film of the year and would have thought with all the depressing news it would be the perfect antidote. Do always wonder if The Full Monty opened today would it be anywhere nearly as successful as it was in 1997.

Blinded By The Light should perform better during the week but with four more wide releases opening this weekend exhibitors and after opening in over 500 screens has no wiggle room for further expansion. Always amazes me when these films open so wide as would have thought eOne would have gone for a slower release as they did with films like Death of Stalin, but the problem they have is with so many films opening over the next few weeks its not likely to be able to expand as easily.

Only need to look back at the same weekend in August 2013 when four wide releases opened, and they all took £1m+ Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (£2,175,850); Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (£2,137,835); Grown Ups 2 (£2,075,831); The Lone Ranger (£1,342,196) so it’s only an excuse saying the marketplace was crowded, the real issue is people won’t take a chance with films like Blinded By The Light now.

5. Spider-Man: Far From Home – £725,527 – £34,534,050

Down 15.8% in its sixth weekend

Has overtaken 2007’s Spider-Man 3 (£33,458,286) to become the biggest Spider-Man film in the UK

Had MCU 6^th biggest 6^th weekend (after Black Panther; Avenger Infinity War; Captain Marvel; Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers Assemble)

The 10th biggest MCU film after 6 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, Captain Marvel and Iron Man 3)

Will likely come short to 2016’s Captain America: Civil War (£36,771,782) which started the story arc and rebooted the Spider-Man series within the MCU.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is the 96^th biggest film in the UK between Fifty Shades of Grey and Up and 115^th biggest inflation inflated between The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and Deadpool 2

Sony Pictures UK 8^th biggest between Spider-Man 3 and Men in Black (£35,820,921) could squeeze past depending on how it holds over the coming weeks.

The 9 Spider-Man films Sony have taken almost £230m in the UK (almost £285m inflation inflated) includes the 7 Spider-Man films and Venom and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse:

The 23 MCU films have taken almost £756m in the UK and almost £783m inflation inflated; 

While Sony have announced Morbius and Venom 2 to be released next year they have yet to announce Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequels and spinoffs (many have been rumoured but not confirmed) while Sony/Marvel have yet to announce a third Spider-Man film likely be released in 2021.

Marvel announced their Phase 4 at Comic-Con last month Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder but there was no mention of Spider-Man like there wasn’t mention of a Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 3 and Black Panther 2.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £12,630,381 down 20.2% from last weekend £15,821,627

The weekend admissions 1,623,572 down 21.1% from last weekend 2,055,526; 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 (£1,501,170); Blinded By The Light 64.3% (£966,095); Playmobil: The Movie 25.1% (£376,296) remaining 14 films shared 35.6% (£535,075)

Top three took 70.7% (£8,930,609) of the top 10; The Lion King 34.5% (£4,366,824); Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 23.2% (£2,938,833); Toy Story 4 12.8% (£1,624,952)

The weekend down 23.2% from 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 1st week 499 screens (22.2% of top 10)

Up 18.4% from 2017: (£10,664,274); Annabelle: Creation (£1,960,203); Atomic Blonde (£1,686,430); The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature (£354,276); A Ghost Story (£133,899); Overdrive (£60,043); Step (£5,039); #1 Dunkirk £2,634,839 4^th week 677 screens 43% drop (24.7% of top 10)

Down 40.6% from 2016: (£21,285,722); Suicide Squad (£11,252,225); Sid & Nancy (30th Anniversary) (£6,048); #1 Suicide Squad £11,252,225 1^st week 573 screens (52.8% of the top 10)

Up 25.7% from 2015; (£10,047,581); Fantastic Four (£2,686,176); The Gift (£584,552); The Diary of a Teenage Girl (£81,185); The Rape of Lucretia – Glyndebourne 2015 (£29,796); Marshland (£40,060); Max (£38,901); #1 Fantastic Four £2,686,176 1^st week 539 screens (26.7% of top 10)

Down 41.1% from 2014: (£21,448,750); The Inbetweeners 2 (£12,538,114); La Traviata – Glyndebourne 2014 (£112,970); All this Mayhem (£12,247); #1 The Inbetweeners 2 £12,538,114 1^st week 509 screens (58.4% of top 10)

Down 13% from 2013: (£14,517,689); Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (£2,175,850); Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (£2,137,835); Grown Ups 2 (£2,075,831); The Lone Ranger (£1,342,196); Barbie Mariposa & The Fairy Princess (£33,161); #1 Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa £2,175,850 1^st week 441 screens (14.9% of top 10)

Up 47.8% from 2012 (£8,544,393); Step-Up 4: Miami Heat (£680,052); Offender (£74,154); The Lodger (Re: 2012) (£30,131); 360 (£25,834); The Dinosaur Project (£7,586); #1 Ted £3,174,766 2^nd week 513 screens 66% drop (37.1% of top 10)

Up 1.6% from 2011 (£12,426,990); Super 8 (£2,207,063); Mr. Popper’s Penguins (£1,515,248); Sarah’s Key (£116,211); #1 Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 £2,810,088 4^th week 525 screens 38% drop (22.6% of top 10)

Down 23.3% from 2010: (£16,470,599); Knight & Day (£2,404,163); Step Up 3 (£2,015,403); Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore (£1,553,005); 5#1 Toy Story 3 £4,666,021 3^rd week 555 screens 62% drop (28.3% of top 10)

Up 34.5% from 2009; (£9,386,362); The Ugly Truth (£1,976,043); G. I. Joe (£1,708,760); Orphan (£570,146); Mesrine: Killer Instinct (£135,999); Adam (£23,201); #1 The Ugly Truth £1,976,043 1^st week 400 screens (21.1% of top 10)

Down 17.7% from 2008; (£15,353,692); The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (£4,434,650); Make it Happen (£505,820); The Fox and the Child (£132,441); Elegy (£71,274); Death Defying Acts (£3,977); CJ7 (£437); #1 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor £4,434,650 1^st week 477 screens (28.8% of top 10)

Up 28.5% from 2007: (£9,824,857); Rush Hour 3 (£2,731,998); Surf’s Up (£601,289); License to Wed (£268,016); Waitress (£105,910); The Walker (£44,623); #1 Rush Hour 3 £2,731,998 1^st week 359 screens (27.8% of top 10)

Up 48.2% from 2006; (£8,521,761); Monster House (£1,030,305); Nacho Libre (£993,948); Lady in the Water (£452,744); #1 Cars £1,340,219 3^rd week (2 weeks #1) 498 screens 27% drop (15.7% of top 10)

Up 30.7% from 2005 (£9,659,697); Herbie: Fully Loaded (£774,412); Stealth (£525,902); The Devil’s Rejects (£323,196); #1 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory £4,441,851 2^nd week 532 screens 44% drop (45.9% of top 10)

Up 25.8% from 2004 (£10,036,048); I, Robot (£4,745,541); 13 Going On 30 (£1,184,273); Home on the Range (£198,226); #1 I, Robot £4,745,541 1^st week 447 screens (47.3% of top 10)

Up 49.2% from 2003 (£8,452,765); The Pirates of the Caribbean (£3,765,450); Rugrats Go Wild (£360,005); What a Girl Wants (£220,217); #1 The Pirates of the Caribbean £3,765,450 1^st 452 screens (44.5% of top 10)

Up 38.9% from 2002 (£9,089,415); Eight Legged Freaks (£1,031,494); Heaven (£78,207); #1 Men In Black 2 £3,106,105 2^nd week 512 screens 50% drop (34.2% of top 10)

Up 31.5% from 2001 (£9,615,584); The Parole Officer (£902,028); Help! I am a Fish (£81,908); #1 Cats and Dogs £2,813,072 2^nd week 453 screens  24% drop (29.2% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2018: (£15,986,556); Disney’s Christopher Robin (£2,553,810); The Equalizer 2 (£1,980,754); The Festival (£1,423,410); #1 Disney’s Christopher Robin £2,553,810 1^st week 649 screens (15.9% of top 10)

Also opened

• Playmobil: The Movie – Studiocanal

Opened with £376,296 from 519 screens

Had world premiere at the Annecy Int’l Animated Film Festival in June receiving poor reviews; STX acquired US rights in April 2019 and were due to open it in August but pushed its release back to December.

Playmobil: The Movie is a poor man’s The Lego Movie as Uglydolls opening next week is a poor man’s Trolls; films like Playmobil: The Movie and Uglydolls might have found a limited audience if it opened during a less crowded time for children’s films at the end of August or early September.

• Bring The Soul: The Movie – Trafalgar Releasing

Opened with £237,537 from 304 screens

The second BTS Event Cinema film released this year after Love Yourself In Seoul – BTS World Tour opened with £518,810 the second film should have opened stronger as it had five days of screenings compared with just one which were during school holidays.

• The Art Of Racing In The Rain – 20th Century Fox

Opened with £197,009 from 383 screens

The Art Of Racing In The Rain is the first real film made by 20th Century Fox owned by Disney as previous films Dark Phoenix and Stuber were completed before it was acquired by Disney.

While The Art Of Racing In The Rain was based on a bestselling novel as Marley & Me the title sounded like an art-house film which didn’t help. The title Marley & Me knew immediately what it was about likewise animal films like A Street Cat Named Bob and A Dog’s Purpose.

Interestingly film rights were originally acquired by Universal Pictures in 2009 and then Disney acquired the film in 2016 moving to 20th Century Fox in 2017.

Animal films have been successful at the box office over the years including

2019’s A Dog’s Journey opened £499,207 taking £1.2m

2017’s A Dog’s Purpose opened £1,300,097 (including £667,168 previews) taking £2,840,210

2016’s A Street Cat Named Bob opened £985,557 taking £4,182,976

2018’s Show Dogs opened £546,405 taking £2,820,827

2018’s Patrick opened £299,861 taking £1,205,535

2009’s Marley & Me opened £4,414,169 taking £15,123,080

2006’s The Shaggy Dog opened £831,250 taking £2,705,604

Pet children’s films have been popular for decades in cinemas  with films including Beethoven (and the many sequels), Bolt, Cats and Dogs, The Shaggy Dog, 101 Dalmatians, Oliver & Company, My Dog Skip, Eight Below, White Fang, Lassie, The Lady and the Tramp, Snow Dogs and The Incredible Journey.

Last week Disney said they were surprised by the poor performance of 20^th Century Fox slate this year, but few would have expected much more from The Kid Who Would be King, Breakthrough, Stuber, Alita: Battle Angel and Dark Phoenix. Had Alita: Battle Angel and Dark Phoenix kept their original dates they would have performed much better but as often happens negativity surrounds films when they are delayed, and the delay becomes the story rather than the film itself as neither films are as bad as the negativity that surrounded them.

Had Alita: Battle Angel opened last July, and Dark Phoenix opened in February both would have performed much better and it was in Disney’s interest to open Dark Phoenix till after Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame as had it opened I February it would have likely harmed their box office. 20^th Century Fox should have learnt the lesson from X-Men: Apocalypse box office performance which was also the third comix-book film released in 2016 after Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War.

In response to the disappointing performance of 20^th Century Fox films this year Disney predictably announced they were shutting down 20tb Century Fox development slate looking instead to make remakes of Home Alone, Cheaper By the Dozen, Diary of a Wimple Kid and Night At The Museum as they look to turn the studio into a Disney+ label.

It was hoped that 20^th Century Fox would become Disney’s new Touchstone Pictures (the production arm they set up in 1984 to make more adult targeted comedies and dramas) but instead it looks like it will be a reboot of Hollywood Pictures (launched in 1990 with Arachnophobia last film was 2007’s The Invisible) was more lower budget comedies its biggest hit was 1999’s The Sixth Sense).

Sunday was the fifth anniversary of the 5th anniversary of the death of Robin Williams, it’s sad to think Disney no longer make films like Good Morning Vietnam or Dead Poet’s Society.

Making original films has much more risk than making properties or re-imaginations while 20^th Century Fox’s 2019 films performed poorly Bohemian Rhapsody took over $900m worldwide last year with a budget of $52m (quarter of Avengers: Infinity War budget) and The Greatest Showman took $435m the year early soundtracks for both are still un the charts over a year later and both were biggest sellers on home video.

While films like Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King and Toy Story 4 generated huge hype ahead of their release they don’t live up to expectations and are films many will see once but films like The Greatest Showman and Bohemian Rhapsody saw countless times in cinemas as they did with films like Titanic and The Full Monty and watch again and again on video.

• The Sun Is Also A Star – Warner Bros

Opened with £60,200 from 222 screens

Studios keep making films based on young adult novels in the hope they might breakout as they did with films like 2014’s The Fault in our Stars opened £3,434,334 taking £11,006,752 and 2016’s Me Before You opened £1,790,657 and £9,588,072 and of course bigger success including Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games.

You can never really tell with young adult film adaptations how they might perform as they often generate strong social media coverage but most of the time audiences don’t come out to see them as they prefer just t talk about the films. 

Recent films have failed to find an audience 2018’s Love, Simon, The Hate U Give, 2017’s Everything, Everything and 2014’s If I Stay.

As with horror films the budgets are cheap for most of these young adult adaptations and if they are successful can be very lucrative for the studio after performing so badly in the US  its theatrical release must surely just be for its Sky TV deal as so many films lately.

493 films were released over the first 7 months of the year how many of those were given token releases or unnecessary releases like The Sun Is Also A Star, digital has made it much easier to release films theatrically but just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. 20+ years ago the industry was complaining 300+ films were released each year now will be close to 900 with majority of them playing for only a week or more.

Other Box Office News

Launching Film said there were 493 films released in the UK in the first seven months of the year the top 24 films took £565.31m  is probably about 80% of the years box office so far; the top 10 have taken almost £410m on their own.

 

 

UK Box Office Top 10

 

US Box office

• Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – Universal Pictures

Dropped 57.9% in its second weekend taking $25.26m and $108.37m

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

Since appearing in The Mummy in 2001 Dwayne Johnson’s films have taken $3.51bn in the US and $10.13bn worldwide. 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.

The nine Fast and Furious films have taken $1.62bn in the US and $5.46bn worldwide; Fast & Furious 9 is set for release May 22^nd, 2020 and Fast & Furious 10 2^nd April 2021.

Took $60.8m from 63 territories internationally and $332.6m worldwide; #408 biggest film worldwide between .Tomorrow Never Dies and The Good Dinosaur it is tracking similar to Fast & Furious 6 and about 40% less than Furious 7 and The Fate Of The Furious.

• Dora and the Lost City of Gold – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $17.41m; received positive reviews (83% Rotten Tomatoes) and A CinemaScore

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.”

Opened with $2.5m from 11 territories

• The Lion King – Disney

Dropped 47.5% in its fourth weekend taking $20.2m and $473.3m total

16^th biggest film in the US between Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars

28^th biggest fourth weekend in the US between Iron Man and Gravity; #10 Incredibles 2 ($28.4m); #20 Beauty and the Beast ($23.65m) #16 The Jungle Book ($24.48m); #34 Finding Dory ($20.8m)

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 16.75% more than Aladdin in its fourth weekend $17.3m Vs $20.2m 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/third and fourth  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.

14 Disney reimaginations have taken $3.21bn in the US and $8.72bn worldwide

Has become Disney’s highest grossing live-action film worldwide (despite being an animated film) and the second biggest film in the US and worldwide this year

Took $71.4m from 54 territories and $861.5m total and $1.33bn worldwide #11 biggest between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi; China $120m; UK $73.9m; France $61.4m; Brazil $60.4m; Mexico $49m; Russia $42.7m; Germany $40.6m; Australia $38.3m; Korea $34.6m; Spain $33m; India $25m; Netherlands $22.4m.

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Lionsgate

Opened with $20.4m; received positive reviews (80% Rotten Tomatoes score) and C CinemaScore

Based on the short horror stories written by Alvin Schwartz (1981’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 1984’s More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and 1991’s Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones.

Teen horror opened better than expected played well with teens but not to adults which will be its problem in the UK receiving 15 certificate.

similar to 1998’s Urban Legend opened with $10.51m taking $38.07m and 2000’s Urban Legends: Final Cut opened with $8.5m taking $21.46m.

Opened with $4m internationally

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Sony Pictures

Dropped 41.8% in its third weekend taking $11.62m and $100.38m

Holding similar to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds took $11.62m in its third weekend ten years ago and $91.82m 76.2% of $120.54m and 2012’s Django Unchained $11.04m and $125.37m 77.1% of $162.8m

The nine Quentin Tarantino films have taken almost $750m at the US box office and $1bn inflation inflated and $1.58bn worldwide

Opened with $7.7m from one international territory expands slowly in Europe this weekend

• The Art Of Racing In The Rain – 20th Century Fox

Opened with $8.13m; received mixed reviews (49% Rotten Tomatoes score) and A- CinemaScore

While Disney passed the buck to 20^th Century Fox on their failures while Disney have owned the studio including Breakthrough, Dark Phoenix and Stuber the buck stops with Disney over The Art Of Racing In The Rain as it started production after Disney acquired the studio and the film was developed at Disney before 20^th Century Fox acquired the film.

If Disney had doubts over making the film why did they still let the film get made as they cancelled several films including Mouseguard and News of the World 20^th Century Fox were close to starting production on.

Children’s films featuring dogs have been popular over the years at the box office

2018’s Show Dogs opened $6.02m taking $17.85m

A Dog’s Purpose opened in January 2017 with $18.22m taking $64.5m

2015’s Max opened $12.15m taking $42.65m

2009’s Marley & Me opened $36.35m taking $143.15m

2006’s The Shaggy Dog opened $16.31m taking $61.12m

1996’s Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco opened $8.6m taking $32.77m

1993’s Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey opened $8.11m taking $41.83m

But it is the third doggy film released this year after A Dog’s Purpose opened in January with $11.25m taking $42m and A Dog’s Journey opened in May with $8.03m taking $22.54m

Opened with $1.1m from 12 territories

• The Kitchen – Warner Bros

Opened with $5.52m; received poor reviews (21% Rotten Tomatoes score) and B- CinemaScore

Had the lowest wide opening ever for Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish; previous lowest Tiffany Haddish Keanu ($9.4M) and Melissa McCarthy The Happytime Murders ($9.5M).

Opened similar to 2010’s Jonah Hex $5.37m taking $10.54m also based on adult graphic DC comic-book series.

Films based on graphic adult comic-books have had less success than their other comic-book adaptations including 300, Road To Perdition, Time Cop, Barb Wire, The Fountain, From Hell, Oblivion, Mystery Men, 2 Guns, Bulletproof Monk, Tamara Drewe, Cowboys The Rocketeer & Aliens, Barbarella, Weird Science, 30 Days Of Night, The Mask, Howard The Duck, The Surrogates, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Atomic Blonde, The Crow, RED, Sin City, Kick-Ass, Edge of Tomorrow, Akira and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

• Spider-Man: Far From Home – Sony Pictures

Dropped 33.2% in its sixth weekend taking $5.27m and $370.95m

6^th weekends

2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming dropped 31.9% taking $6.02m and $306.37m 91.6% of $334.2m

2007’s Spider-Man 3 dropped 43.2% taking $4.3m and $325.58m 96.7% of $336.53m

2004’s Spider-Man 2 dropped 36.9% taking $5.43m and $354.5m 94.9% of $373.58m

2002’s Spider-Man dropped 28% taking $10.31m and $370.42m 91.7% 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 $5.3m from 67 territories and $726m total and $1.09bn; #28 biggest film worldwide between Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Dark Knight Rises and is the 9^th biggest MCU film worldwide.

• Toy Story 4 – Disney

Dropped 38.4% in its eighth weekend taking $4.52m and $419.7m

Toy Story 4 continues to hold similar to Toy Story 3 taking 30.2% more than Toy Story 3 in its eighth weekend $4.52m Vs $3.11m and 5.8% more $419.7m Vs $396.38m.

In comparison Incredibles 2 took $4.98m in its eighth weekend last year taking $583.11m 95.8% of $608.58m

If Toy Story 4 keeps holding similar to Toy Story 3 and Incredibles 2 will take $445m 7% more than Toy Story 3 this compares to Incredibles 2 taking 133% more than Incredibles $608.58m Vs $261.44m and 28% more Finding Dory took to Finding Nemo $486.29m Vs $380.84m

89^th biggest 8^th weekend between Skyfall and The Hunger Games; #66 Incredibles 2 ($4.98m); #192 Toy Story 3 ($3.11m); #62 Toy Story 2 ($5.07m); #43 Toy Story ($5.87m).

Toy Story is the 3^rd biggest Pixar film in the US after Incredibles 2 ($608.58m); Finding Dory ($486.29m) just overtaking 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.

26^th biggest film in the US between The Lion King and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and 15^th biggest Disney film between Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Toy Story 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

Will shortly become the 43^rd film to take $1bn worldwide but 9 years on from Toy Story 3 which took $1.067bn worldwide surely Toy Story 4 should be taking much more?

Took $14.1m from 36 territories and $570.4m and $990m worldwide; #43 biggest film worldwide between The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; UK $73.8m; Mexico $71.8m; Japan $71.1m; Brazil $32.4m; China $29.1m; Argentina $28.6m; Australia $28.5m; France $27.3m; Korea $24.7m; Spain $23.2m

UK Box Office Predictions

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.

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.

Sony Pictures held back Once Upon A Time In Hollywood three week to avoid opening against Hobbs & Shaw.

Teen comedy Good Boys has been compared with 2007’s Superbad £1,484,456 taking £6,064,632 being described as a similar good-natured teen gross-out comedy and its 20 years ago since American Pie opened with £2,094,122 taking £13,833,890. Good Boys is likely to perform similar to last year’s Blockers opened with £1,349,627 taking £4,239,132;

Dora and the Lost City of Gold received positive reviews been described as a Pre-school Indiana Jones/National Treasure for audiences under 12 but unlikely to perform as strongly in the UK as it opening as week in the US.

After flopping in the US in May Uglydolls is unlikely to do much better in the UK opening a week after Playmobil: The Movie and two weeks after The Angry Birds Movie 2 marketplace is very crowded with pre-teens films

STX must have hoped Uglydolls would perform similar to Trolls but will more likely perform similar to 2017’s My Little Pony £916,123 taking £3,433,973 and last weeks Playmobil: The Movie.

Opening in UK Next Week

• Angel Has Fallen – Lionsgate

Action thriller the third in the Fallen film series after 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen and 2016’s London Has Fallen starring Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tim Blake Nelson, Piper Perabo, Nick Nolte and Danny Huston and directed by Ric Roman Waugh.

In 2013 Olympus Has Fallen won the battle against White House Down (opened with £1,184,338 taking £4,175,310)

London Has Fallen opened March 2016 with £3,229,675 (including £511,336 previews) taking £10,831,576

Olympus Has Fallen opened April 2013 with £2,247,900 (including £851,675 previews) taking £6,131,193

The previous two films received poor reviews from critics, but Gerald Butler is a B movie star and his films even Geostorm manage to somehow find an audience.

• Crawl – Paramount Pictures

Disaster horror starring Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper and directed by Alexandre Aja; received positive reviews opening with $12m in July taking $36.43m and $54.1m worldwide

Opening 20 years since the similarly themed Lake Placid opened with £931,472 taking £3,493,960

Receiving its UK premiere on Thursday August 22^nd as part of Frightfest

Similar films

1999’s Deep Blue Sea opened £1,946,454 taking £8,087,585

2010’s Piranha 3D opened £1,325,324 taking £4,466,428

2016’s Don’t Breathe opened £1,028,938 taking £3,719,221

2016’s The Shallows opened £800,963 taking £1,723,386

2017’s 47 Meters Down opened £637,964 taking £1,326,136

2018’s The Meg opened £3,651,111 taking £15,075,792

• Pain & Glory – Pathe

Spanish drama starring Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Penélope Cruz, Julieta Serrano and Leonardo Sbaraglia and written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar.

Received its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival receiving positive reviews (90% Rotten Tomatoes score) Banderas won Best Actor award and Alberto Iglesias won Best Soundtrack award.

Opened in Spain in March becoming the highest-grossing Spanish film at the box office of the year taking €5.3 million and $18.4m worldwide.

• Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark – eOne

Horror monster film starring Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, and Lorraine Toussaint and directed by André Øvredal, based on the children’s book series by Alvin Schwartz.

First footage was screened during the Superbowl in February with the first trailer released in March and second in June.

Receiving its UK premiere on Thursday August 22nd as part of Frightfest

Had a strong opening in the US last weekend but teen horrors suffer in the UK as they often get 15 certificates so the target audience can’t legally see them.

Opening in US Next Week

• Angel has Fallen – Lionsgate

London Has Fallen opened March 2016 with $21.63m taking $62.52m and $205.75m worldwide

Olympus Has Fallen opened March 2013 with $30.37m taking $98.92m and $170.27m worldwide

Tracking to open with slightly less than London Has Fallen in the high teens

• Overcomer – Sony /Affirm

Christian drama starring Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Ben Davies, Shari Rigby, Jack Sterner and directed by Alex Kendrick.

Looking to repeat the success of Alex and Stephen Kendrick’s previous faith-based box office films e War Room, Courageous, and Fireproof; late August over recent years has been lucrative for faith-based films that are often very profitable being low budget.

• Ready or Not – Fox Searchlight

Black comedy horror starring Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett; had world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July receiving positive reviews (has its UK premiere on August 25^th at Frightfest.

• Brittany Runs a Marathon – Amazon Studios

Comedy starring Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Micah Stock and written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo; had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival where Amazon Studios acquired word rights