1. Mickey 17 £1,246,946 – £4,534,614

£361k 29% (-48.4% £699k); Friday £527k 42.3% (-37.9% £849k) Sat; £358k 28.7% (-38.7% £584k) Sunday.

Down 41.5% in its second weekend

860^th biggest second weekend between Fury and One Life (close to Inglourious Basterds, Mars Attacks, Edge of Tomorrow and After Earth) and 1,379^th biggest inflated second weekend between Spies In Disguise and The Book of Life (close to Last Action Hero, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, The Mummy (2017) and Predator 2).

The 34^th biggest second weekend over the last 52 weeks between Longlegs and Heretic (close to Red One, We Live In Time, Civil War and Furiosa).

7^th biggest 2025 between We Live In Time and Babygirl (close to The Brutalist, The Monkey and A Real Pain) and 38^th biggest over the last 52 weeks between Speak No Evil and Transformers One (close to Civil War, Smile 2, Heretic and Trap).

Two weeks ago the gap between the top two films was 3.5% (£72,547) and last weekend it was 4.2% (£50,459) despite Mickey 17 having many IMAX/PLF and other premium format screens.  

It was Bong Joon-ho’s first film since Oscar-winning Parasite up 81% second weekend £2,523,518 (added 291 screens to 428) and £5,092,732 of £12,030,000 (COVID lockdown shortened its release); its release was affected by COVID with cinemas closing a month after opening.

As with director Todd Phillips (Joker: Folie à Deux) Bong Joon-Ho had the final cut approval for Mickey 17. Maggie Gyllenhaal also has the final cut for the $100m+ musical The Bride as Mickey 17; it’s reported to have had poor test screenings. Paul Thomas Anderson’s (One Battle After Another) and Alejandro G. Iñárritu films also have a final cut. This will see them as more art-house than commercial as Warner Bros would have hoped them to be.

Warner has a very risky slate of films this year, The Alto Knights, A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, F1, Superman, The Battle of Baktan Cross, and The Bride! And Mortal Kombat 2.

Warner made an alternative cut of Mickey 17, which tested better than the director’s cut but couldn’t release the version as the director had the final cut. Bong Joon-Ho gave Warner Bros his completed cut in November 2023. Studios will often have their cuts of films as was the case with It Ends With Us had the director’s cut and Blake Lively’s cut which was the version Sony Pictures released.

Mickey 17 has been compared to films like

1996’s 12 Monkeys dropped 32.7% £918,261/£1,798,167 and £3,025,091 49.5% of £6,106,751/£11,958,429

1999’s Fight Club dropped 18.2% £962,507/£1,810,702 and £2,786,932 of £5,018,967/£9,441,857

2009’s District 9 dropped 48.2% £1,184,392/£1,735,221 and £4,783,530 53.9% of £8,875,093/£13,002,664

2014’s Edge Of Tomorrow dropped 34.5% £1,234,487 and £4,290,937 55.32% of £7,756,477/£8,342,661

2016’s Arrival dropped 48.8% £1,496,205/ £1,609,279 and £5,782,996 63.24% of £9,144,719

1,573^rd biggest between Zoolander 2 and The Madness Of King George (close to Pacific Rim: Uprising, The Predator, Outbreak and Real Steel) and 2,120^th biggest inflated between Final Fantasy: The Spirits and The Great Wall (close to The Abyss, The Iron Giant, My Cousin Vinny and Geostorm).

• 2. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy £1,196,487 – £42,934,166

Dropped 41.9% in its fifth weekend.

£380k 31.77% (£714k -46.8%) Fri; £491k 41% (-41.4% £838k) Sat; £325k 27.2% (£507k -35.9%) Sunday

134^th biggest fifth weekend between Bruce Almighty and Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger! (close to Aladdin, Life of Pi, Mrs Doubtfire and The Bodyguard) and the 271^st inflated fifth weekend between Night at the Museum 2 and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (close to The English Patient, Hook, Apollo 13 and Jurassic Park 3).

With the industry average ticket price of £7.92, Mad About the Boy has had over 5.42m admissions since opening. It will top Bridget Jones’s Baby with 6.5m admissions but won’t get close to either The Edge of Reason’s 8.1m and Bridget Jones’s Diary’s 10.2m despite tasking much more box office. This, of course, is just the industry average price; the real average is about a third more.

Fifth weekends

2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary dropped 51.1% £1,354,065/£2,606,738 and £29,441,626 70.62% of £41,692,598/£80,263,286

2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason dropped 49.1% £863,219/£1,532,262 and £32,473,118 90.3% of £35,954,611/£63,821,436

2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby dropped 37% £1,888,986/£2,031,743 and £41,991,553 87.39% of £48,050,641/£51,681,998

78^th biggest between (close to Frozen and Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (close to The King’s Speech, Mary Poppins Returns, Alice In Wonderland and Bridget Jones’s Diary) and 167^th biggest inflated between Inside Out and The Hangover Part II (close to Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, 101 Dalmatians, The Mask and The Bodyguard).

Mad About the Boy took $112.8m from 75 territories; UK $54.3m; Australia $9.4m; Holland $5.6m; Germany $5.6m; Poland $5.2m.

Bridget Jones’s Diary took $71.54m in the US, $210.45m internationally and $282m worldwide ($550m inflated); The Edge of Reason took $40.22m US; $224.9m internationally and $265.12m worldwide; Bridget Jones’s Baby took $24.25m US: $187.7m internationally and $212m worldwide.

So while Mad About the Boy has taken more than all other Bridget Jones films in the UK it will come short of the international BO of all other films not including inflation, this is of course what BO analysts forget to mention when they compare with previous instalments, in 2001 when Bridget Jones’s Diary opened average price was £4.14, there were no surcharges, no gimmicks just 35mm.

• 3. Black Bag £915,376 – NE

Took £271k 29.62% Friday; £368k 40.22% Saturday; £276k 30.16% Sunday.

1,839^th biggest opening between My Little Pony and The Pelican Brief (close to The Recruit, The Thomas Crown Affair, Speed 2: Cruise Control and Fatal Attraction) and 2,466^th biggest inflated opening between Bandslam and Rendition (close to The Living Daylights, Kiss of the Dragon, Bugsy and The Business).

53^rd biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between A Real Pain and Fly Me to the Moon (close to The Monkey, Conclave, Flight Risk and Blink Twice)

133rd widest opening 644 cinemas similar to Bad Boys: Ride Or Die and Black Widow; 248^th 600+  cinema opening since 2015’s Jurassic World.

Black Bag was Steven Soderbergh’s best-reviewed film in 35 years, with an ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris and Pierce Brosnan and set in the UK it should have opened far stronger, especially over such soft weekend.

It’s Steven Soderbergh’s second film directed this year after Presence in January opened #10 £365,390 from 457 screens.

Previously directing

2023’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance opened £1,529,155, taking £5,680,002

2018’s Unsane opened £478,451 taking £990,093

2017’s Logan Lucky opened £705,087 taking £3,207,543

2013’s Behind the Candelabra opened £513,288 taking £3,199,254

2013’s Side Effects opened £904,746 taking £4,749,799

2012’s Haywire opened £1,197,866/£1,489,340 taking £2,036,845/£2,532,467

Steven Soderbergh is best known for directing three Oceans films and films including 2011’s Contagion (opened £1,463,638/£1,912,873 taking £5,337,350/£6,975,547), 2000’s Erin Brockovich (opened £1,609,930/£3,079,866 taking £10,550,144/£20,182,884) and 1998’s Out of Sight (opened £869,255/£1,708,313 taking £3,198,958/£6,286,786) 2001’s Traffic (opened £1,245,665/£2,383,011 taking £8,664,078/£16,574,758) and of course, 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape (opened £59,549/£202,415 55 screens taking £1,481,232/£5,034,917)

. He also produced Ocean’s 8 and will produce another Ocean’s film. Comparisons have been made with John Le Carre and Agatha Christie rather than James Bond.

2011’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy opened £2,814,860/£3,678,827 taking £14,202,942/£18,562,261

2017’s Murder on the Orient Express opened £4,985,600/£5,271,823 taking £24,224,914/£25,615,663

Over recent months, there have been many Spy TV dramas including Lack Doves, The Day of the Jackal, Slow Horses and The Agency.

• 4. Marching Powder £563,897 – £2,106,354

Down 47.8% in its second weekend

£185k 32.8% (£431k -57.1%); Friday; £257k 45.6% (£411k -37.5%); Sat; £122k 21.6% (£237k -48.5%) Sun.

1,799^th biggest second weekend between Volcano and Dreamgirls (close to Smokin’ Aces, Shaft, Changing Lanes and Trap) and 2,369^th biggest inflated second weekend between Kuffs and Hudson Hawk (close to Kiss of the Dragon, True Romance, Arlington Road and Seven Psychopaths).

48th biggest second weekend over the last 52 weeks between The Bikeriders and Terrifier 3 (close to Babygirl, The Monkey, Trap and Blink Twice).

1990’s The Krays dropped 38.6% £372,617/£1,050,223 and £1,408,787 of £3,707,649/£10,450,028

1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels dropped 18.2% £1,147,448/£2,255,034 and £2,941,664 of £11,353,141/£22,311,880

2000’s Snatch dropped 44.5% £1,764,268/£3,375,121 and £6,623,578 of £12,401,658/£23,724,911

2001’s The Mean Machine dropped 49.4% £795,716/£1,522,239 and £3,006,463 of £4,388,287/£8,394,984

2004’s Layer Cake dropped 31.9% £743,146/£1,310,850 and £2,408,829 of £4,447,859/£7,845,667

2008’s Rocknrolla dropped 41.8$% £910,485/£1,386,739 and £3,366,079 of £5,001,005/£7,616,915

With British films like Marching Power, distributors have to go as wide as possible as if they don’t find an immediate audience, screens and showtimes will drop off in its second weekend, which will surely still be the case with Marching Power despite opening with £1m.

Marching Powder, starring Danny Dyer is the first film released by new British independent distributor True Brit Entertainment, launched by former Lionsgate UK boss Zygi Kamasa in 2023 with plans to release a slate of British films. They planned to release 4-8 British films annually, co-financing $50m worth of films each year. Upcoming films include The Death Of Robin Hood, Sunny Dancer, 500 Miles, In The Shadows, The Scurry, Christmas Karma, Giant and The Dreadful.

Over the last 20+ years, so many British-based film distributors have been acquired by international companies, including Optimum by Studiocanal, Redbus by Lionsgate and Electric by eOne. The one surviving UK-based distributor, Entertainment Films, is making fewer films and is no longer the force it was 20 years ago. Despite hundreds of millions of Lottery funding and billions spent making films in the UK British companies fully finance few, and they haven’t been for over 30 years.

In the 90s British companies like First Independent Films and Rank Film Distributors closed while Polygram was sold to Universal Pictures, and Bridget Jones’s Diary was in development at Working Title Films when Polygram owned it. Working Title Films have had huge success with “British” films over the years since, but they are of course, now owned by Universal Pictures and Studiocanal.

The Critic, released last year via Lionsgate, was the first film acquired by True Brit Entertainment.

It’s the third biggest Danny Dyer film after Mean Machine (£4.4m) and Human Traffic (£2.2m). Danny Dyer is similar to Jason Statham critics slant his films, but audiences still come out to see them, and he will be back in the Christmas Karma opening later in the year.

2,452^nd biggest between mother! And Sucker Punch (close to

• 5. Captain America: Brave New World – £395,421 – £17,388,961

Down 35.7% in its fifth weekend

£137k 22.28% (-61.3% £354k) Friday; £297k 48.29% (-55.67% £670k) Saturday; £181k 29.43% (-57.6% £427k) Sunday

624^th biggest fifth weekend between Patriot Games and A Quiet Place (close to Mad Max: Fury Road, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, The Amazing Spider-Man and Bumblebee) and 877^th biggest inflated fifth weekend between It: Chapter Two and Lincoln (close to Crimson Tide, Taken, Hot Shots: Part Deux and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer).

28th biggest MCU fifth weekend between Thor: The Dark World and Thor (close to Ant-Man and the Wasp, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man and Eternals).

The 55^th biggest comic-book fifth weekend between X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man (close to X-Men: The Last Stand, Batman Begins, Batman Returns and Fantastic Four (2005) and the 60^th biggest inflated fifth weekend between The Suicide Squad and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (close to Black Adam, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Man Of Steel and X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

Brave New World’s fifth weekend was 932% more than The First Avenger: 22.8% less than Winter Soldier and 41% less than Civil War.

2016’s Captain America: Civil War dropped 49.9% £668,009 and £35,649,411 96.95% of £36,771,782/£43,585,543

2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier dropped 38.4% £512,358 and £18,028,302 93.6% of £19,261,224/£20,648,459

2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger dropped 76% £38,637 and £9,379,436 100.00% of £9,379,436

Currently the 27^th biggest MCU between Blade Widow and Ant-Man and the Wasp (close to Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Iron Man and Ant-Man.

375^th biggest between Justice League and Ant-Man and The Wasp (close to Armageddon, Tenet, The Mask and The Matrix) and the 660^th biggest inflated between Lost in Translation and Alvin and the Chipmunks (close to Ready Player One, The Rock, Rocky IV and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). The 35 MCU films have taken £1.16bn and £1.28bn inflated since 2008.

Next from MCU is Thunderbolts* in May and Fantastic Four in July. They are going to perform stronger than Brave New World but more likely similar to Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 than Deadpool & Wolverine, before of course more Avengers films in 2026. Will be interesting to see how these new Avengers films will perform after the huge BO of Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame.

Also opened.

The other new releases Last Breath #7 £328,301 489 screens and Opus #11 £91,851 409 screens struggled to find audiences. Opus has been described as The Menu meets Blink Twice meets Glass Onion meets Midsommar meets Nine Perfect Strangers meets A Murder at the End of the World. While Last Breath was a film remake of the 2019 documentary of the same name

UK box office in detail

The weekend’s top 10 box office took £5,338,324, down 25.3% from last weekend’s £7,149,384: 682,578 admissions down 26.1% from 923,693 admissions.

52^nd biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks lowest weekend behind 27 September 2024 (£5,506,669) #1 Beetlejuice 2 £1,822,715 (33.1%)

191^st biggest since cinemas reopened out of 226 weeks between 27 August 2021 #1 Free Guy £1,607,761 (29.62%) and 26 August 2022 #1 Andre Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Summer Concert £798,706 (15.04%)

1,129^th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,197) between 09 June 2006 #1 The Omen £2,096,002 (39.16%) and 12 September 2003 #1 Calendar Girls £1,762,505 (33.02%) and 1,164^th inflated between 26 August 2022 #1 Andre Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Summer Concert £798,706 (15.04%) and 09 September 2022 #1 See How They Run £1,163,484 (23.23%)

The top 3 took (£3,358,809) 62.9% of the top 10; Mickey 23.36% (£1,246,946); Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy 22.41% (£1,196,487); Black Bag 17.15% (£915,376)

973^rd biggest percentage share #1 (23.36%) between 28 February 2020 #1 The Invisible Man £2,163,797 (23.39%) and 09 September 2022 #1 See How They Run £1,163,484 (23.23%)

1,162^nd biggest admissions #1 (157,443) between 31 January 2025 #1 A Complete Unknown £1,236,908 (159,807) and 27 April 2007 #1 Next £795,012 (157,428)

Down 21.64% from 2024; (£6,812,873); Drive-Away Dolls (£278,082); Monster (£128,569); Fight Club (Re: 2024) (£82,580); #1 Dune Part 2 £4,046,492 3rd week dropped 32% 735 screens (59.39% of top 10)

Down 28.04% from 2023; (£7,418,583); Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (£2,397,953); Allelujah (£715,783); Rye Lane (£258,997); Pearl (£192,504); #1 Shazam! Fury Of The Gods £2,397,953 657 screens 1st week (32.32%)

Down 21.77% 2022 (£6,823,697); Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (£825,529); The Nan Movie (£565,340); The Phantom Of The Open (£456,829); X (£227,502); #1 The Batman £3,351,288 third weekend 55% drop 703 screens (49.1% of top 10)

2021 Lockdown

Up 5.8% 2020; (£5,045,549); The Hunt (£542,475); Bloodshot (£444,917); Misbehaviour (£347,643); My Spy (£345,575); #1 Onward £1,272,748 2nd week 636 screens 63% drop (25.2% of top 10)

Down 53.73% from 2019: (£11,537,481); Fisherman’s Friends (£1,154,865); What Men Want (£836,612); The Prodigy (£96,905); Ben Is Back (£82,204); #1 Captain Marvel £6,643,217 2nd week 652 screens 48% drop (57.6% of top 10)

Down 65.68% from 2018; (£15,554,372); Peter Rabbit (£7,273,207); Tomb Raider (£3,081,916); My Generation (£259,990); Mary Magdalene (£238,924); The Square (£221,256); #1 Peter Rabbit £7,273,207 1st week 599 screens (46.8% of top 10)

Down 80.84% 2017: (£27,866,587); Beauty and the Beast (£19,700,000); Get Out (£2,160,099); Personal Shopper (£116,265); The Salesman (£89,348); Wolves at the Door (£3,542) #1 Beauty and the Beast £19,700,000 1st week.

Down 31.14% 2016: (£7,752,500); 10 Cloverfield Lane (£1,601,161); The Boy (£726,003); High-Rise (£542,788); Sing Street (£166,226); Michael Collins (Re: 2016) (£11,650); Risen (£69,909); Rock the Kasbah (£3,804); #1 Kung Fu Panda 3 £1,740,695 2nd week down 64% (22.45%)

Down 8.6% 2015; (£5,840,701); Run All Night (£823,833); Suite Francaise (£503,928); X+Y (£154,374); The Sound Of Music 50th Anniversary (Re 2015) (£25,089); #1 The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel £1,409,311 3rd week 592 screens 29% drop (24.1% of top 10)

Down 32.34% 2014: (£7,889,493); Need for Speed (£2,011,249); Under the Skin (£238,694); The Zero Theorem (£50,860); Veronica Mars (£33,769); Ironclad 2: Battle for Blood (£887); #1 Need for Speed £2,011,249 1st week 469 screens (25.5% of top 10)

Down 7.48% 2013: (£5,770,139); Welcome to the Punch (£460,250); Red Dawn (£255,448); The Paperboy (£141,881); The Spirit of ’45 (£75,146); #1 Oz: The Great and Powerful £2,609,475 2nd week 530 screens 30% drop (45.2% of top 10)

Down 42.1% 2012: (£9,214,984); The Devil Inside (£1,988,461); 21 Jump Street (£1,556,039); We Bought A Zoo (£850,651); Contraband (£683,654); In Darkness (£90,558); #1 The Devil Inside £1,988,461 1st week.

Down 14.11% 2011; (£6,215,594); Chalet Girl (£677,716); The Lincoln Lawyer (£571,836); Anuvahood (£536,818); Submarine (£244,476); You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (£112,168); #1 Rango 1st week (3rd week) 32% drop (16.82%)

Down 57.85% 2010: (£12,663,580); Bounty Hunter (£2,055,021); I Love You Phillip Morris (£1,066,092); The Spy Next Door (£698,155); Old Dogs (£130,384); My Last Five Girlfriends (£29,030); The Scouting Book for Boys (£11,343); Staten Island (£518); #1 Alice in Wonderland £4,847,129 3rd week 34% drop (51.88%)

Down 45.83% 2009; (£9,854,831); Marley & Me (£4,414,169); Bronson (£258,360); The Burning Plain (£4,038); #1 Marley & Me £4,414,169 £4,414,169 1st week 467 screens (44.8% of top 10)

Down 11.91% 2008; (£6,060,351); 10,000B.C. (£1,932,539); The Cottage (£303,072); Hannah Montana 3-D (£241,119); #1 10,000B.C. £1,932,539 1st week 431 screens (31.9% of top 10)

Up 7.29% 2007: (£4,975,450); Premonition (£1,021,882); Stomp the Yard (£191,716); Factory Girl (£156,779); #1 Norbit £1,069,030 2nd week 371 screens 46% drop (21.5% of top 10)

Down 15.8% 2006; (£6,339,940): The Pink Panther (£1,944,581); V for Vendetta (£1,188,058); Tsotsi (£200,359); In My Country (£276) #1 The Pink Panther £1,944,581 1st week (30.67%)

Down 35.68% 2005: (£8,299,197); Robots (£2,622,253); Constantine (£2,098,074); Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (£160,736); Darkness (£102,154); #1 Robots £2,622,253 1st week (31.6%)

Down 3.76% 2004; (£5,547,158); Mona Lisa Smile (£1,190,923); Honey (£1,064,398); Starsky & Hutch (limited) (£412,326); The Passion of the Christ (limited) (£229,426); #1 Mona Lisa Smile £1,190,923 1st week 414 screens (21.5% of top 10)

Up 4.56% 2003 (£5,105,380); The Life of David Gale (£725,698); Equilibrium (£548,043); Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (£356,623); Barbershop (£145,741); #1 Maid In Manhattan £1,281,755 2nd week 422 screens 47% drop (25.1% of top 10)

Down 13.55% from 2002: (£6,175,130); 13 Ghosts (£738,210); The Royal Tenenbaums (£700,025); #1 Ocean’s Eleven £1,357,063 4-week #1 split 5th week 439 screens 27% drop (22% of top 10)

2024 Next week: (£8,835,336); Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (£4,056,097); Immaculate (£522,583); Late Night With The Devil (£220,436); The Motive And The Cue – NT Live 2024 (£157,963); Romeo Et Juliette – Met Opera 2023/24 (£81,880); The Persian Version   (£37,510); After Hours (4K Restoration) (£11,754); #1 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire £4,056,097 687 screens 1^st week (45.91% of top 10)

Box office news.

February’s UK BO was £100.7m up 20% from 2024’s £83.8m; the total 2025 box office is £195m, up 15% from 2024’s £169.1m and up 21% from 2023.

1. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy £38.3m
2. Captain America: Brave New World £16.1m
3. Dog Man £12.1m
4. Mufasa: The Lion King £3.2m
5. A Complete Unknown £2.9m
6. The Monkey £2.5m
7. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 £1.9m
8. The Brutalist £1.6m
9. September 5 £1.5m
10. The Importance Of Being Earnest NT Live £1.4m

March is likely to be softer with Mickey 17, The Alto Knights, and Disney’s Snow White.

US Box Office

One of the worst weekends post-COVID despite several wide new releases showing that the issue was never about the lack of films.

• Black Bag- Focus Features

Opened $7.5m; received positive reviews (97% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore.

Took $850k Thursday previews.

Steven Soderbergh’s second film directed this year after Presence opened $3.32m, taking $6.9m and $9.97m worldwide.

Opened similar to 2024’s Conclave $6.6m taking $32.58m and $109.16m worldwide and 2005’s The Constant Gardner $8.57m taking $33.57m and $82.46m worldwide.

Previously directing

2023’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance opened $8.3m taking $26m and $57.1m worldwide

2018’s Unsane opened $3.76m taking $7.73m and $14.29m worldwide

2017’s Logan Lucky opened $7.6m taking $27.77m and $49.04m worldwide

2013’s Side Effects opened $9.3m taking $32.17m and $63.41m worldwide

2011’s Haywire opened $8.42m taking $18.94m and $34.51m worldwide

Took $4.3m from 37 territories and $11.7m worldwide; France $1.2m; UK $1.1m; Australia $600k.

As I’ve said for over twenty years, it’s never been about a lack of films, as exhibitors keep saying. Audiences have become very selective about which films they pay to see in the cinema and which they wait to see at home. Adam Aron’s desire for 90-day windows won’t make any difference, as AMC will pull underperforming films from cinemas within weeks for new films.

Until exhibitors deal with the real ticket prices, cinemagoers pay Fri-Sun as per EntTelligence $15.17 (standard) and $18.60 (PLF/IMAX). Prices should be lower with smaller films, or it’s only going to get worse, with extremely low lows and then high highs. Audiences will always come out to see the biggest 10 films of the year, but they used to go to see many more. The last time they did so was in 2018 due to Moviepass.

• Novocaine – Paramount Pictures

Opened $8.7m; received mixed reviews (82% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore.

Took $1.75m Thursday previews.

32% from PLF; Men 58%; 26% 18-24; 28% 25-34; 42% 35+

The film was acquired for $18m and was heavily screened ahead of opening having a strong marketing campaign including a world premiere at SXSW Jack Quaid promoted the film at an NBA game on March 9 with his injuries getting worse during the game and also had Super-Bowl spot.

Similar films include.

2010’s Kick-Ass opened $19.82m taking $48.07m and $96.18m worldwide

2011’s Limitless opened $18.9m taking $79.24m and $161.84m worldwide

2015’s American Ultra opened $5.45m taking $14.44m and $27.26m worldwide

Took $1.8m from 11 territories; Mexico $607k; Korea $154k; Indonesia $126k.

• Mickey 17 – Warner Bros

Down 60% in its second weekend $7.51m and $33.28m

Played in PLFs, Imax, Dolby Cinema and 4DX screens; took $10.2m from IMAX worldwide 11.2% of the BO.

It’s Bong Joon Ho’s first film since 2019’s Oscar-winning Parasite, It didn’t expand into over 1,000 screens until its 16^th weekend and 2,000 screens till the 19^th (opened $393,216 from 3 screens), taking $53.36m and $258.12m worldwide.

Second weekends

2019’s Ad Astra dropped 47.3% $10.01m and $35.39m of $50.18m and $127.46m worldwide

2023’s The Creator dropped 55.6% $6.24m and $25.07m of $40.77m and $104.27m worldwide

2015’s Jupiter Ascending dropped 49.6% $9.25m and $32.37m of $47.38m and $184.28m worldwide

2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 52.7% $15.49m and $60.97m of $92.07m and $276.6m worldwide

2016’s Arrival dropped 49.6% $12.13m and $43.7m of $100.54m and $212.75m worldwide

2025’s Nosferatu dropped 39.5% $13.09m and $69.9m of $95.6m and $179.62m worldwide

It was expected to open with $18m-$20m and about $45m worldwide; with a budget of $118m, it will need to take over $300m to become profitable.

Took $15.6m from 66 territories and $57.2m and $90.5m worldwide; Korea $17.9m; UK $5.8m; France $5.3m; Germany $2.8m; Mexico $2.5m.

• Opus – A24

Opened $8m; received poor reviews (40% Rotten Tomatoes) and C- CinemaScore.

Took $x Thursday previews.

The film received negative reviews at its premiere at Sundance Film Festival so was always likely to struggle to find an audience.

2019’s Midsommar opened $6.56m taking $27.42m and $48.49m worldwide

Opened similar 2024’s Love Lies Bleeding $2.49m taking $8.33m and $12.77m worldwide.

2024’s Y2K opened $2.11m taking $4.44m; 2023’s Dream Scenario opened $1.68m taking $5.74m and $12.5m worldwide

• Captain America: Brave New World – Disney

Dropped 35% in its fifth weekend taking $5.47m and $185.39m

509^th biggest fifth weekend between War of the Worlds and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (close to Spectre, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Mask)

297^th biggest between Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; 829^th biggest inflated between Ride Along and Panic Room; 60^th biggest comic-book film between Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 3D and Batman Forever; 79^th Disney film between Wreck-It Ralph and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,

Fifth weekends

2016’s Captain America: Civil War dropped 49.1% $7.82m and $389.17m of $408.08m and $1.155bn WW

2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier dropped 52.1% $7.77m and $237.15m of $259.76m and $714.42m WW

2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger dropped 42.9% $4.11m and $164.74m of $176.65m and $370.56m WW

MCU films have taken $12.62bn in the US and $31.46bn worldwide.

Took $6m from 52 territories $203.2m total and $388.6m worldwide; UK $22m; Mexico $15.2m; China $14.4m; France $13.6m; Korea $11.3m.

387^th biggest worldwide between The Wolf of Wall Street and Back to the Future; 66^th biggest comic book worldwide between Superman Returns and Black Widow; 88^th biggest Disney between Solo: A Star Wars Story and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

UK Box Office Top 10

UK Box Office Preview

Snow White is Disney’s 14^th animated reimagination since Alice in Wonderland, when Disney announced plans to remake animated classics Snow White was one they had no plans to remake as it was their most important animated film. The 1937 film was seen as one of the greatest films ever made and created the new form of the golden age of animation, so made no sense to remake the film as reimagination could never match up to the original.

Disney announced plans to remake Snow white in October 2016 and Marc Webb was signed to direct in September 2019; it started filming in March 2022, with reshoots in June 2024. The film received a lot of negativities including the casting and Rachel Zegler’s disapproval of the original film, saying it was “extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power, ”.. the prince “literally stalks her” and “People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is — because it needed that.”

Despite all of the film’s negativity during production social media was predictably positive, as always have to take immediate reactions with a pinch of salt as Rachel + nostalgia would always sprinkle pixel dust of positivity, the nostalgic element of the reimagination will get audiences to see the film as they have done for all other Disney reimaginations, but it won’t match the heights of Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and The Lion King despite the original animated film being as beloved as those original animated films. 

But this is Snow White Disney’s most important animated film, good isn’t enough to spend $300m+ making and $150m+ marketing needs to take $1bn+ WW. Snow White was shot in the UK and received a 20% tax break ($40m+). Disney received $2bn (£1.6bn) in tax breaks over the last 15 years filming 50 films and TV shows in the UK.

For decades from the 40s to the 90s Disney would re-release their classic animation films to new generations (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was re-released in 1992 and opened for £363,220/£896,169 taking £4,657,649/£11,491,769). They always had successful re-releases in cinemas and the ’80s and 90s, (in the early 80s re-releases of animated classics including The Jungle Book and Snow White were the top 3 biggest films of the year). The cinema re-release would be followed by a home video release available for a limited time. In the 90s and 00s, Disney made direct-to-video sequels to their classic animated films.

The biggest Disney re-imagination openings:

2017’s Beauty and the Beast opened £19.7m (took £4.9m Friday) taking £72,430,579

2019’s The Lion King opened £16,671,764 (£5.2m Friday) taking £75,938,299

2010’s Alice in Wonderland opened £10,555,220 (£2.56m Friday) taking £42,169,542

2013’s Maleficent opened £6,590,071 taking £19,292,000

2015’s Cinderella opened £3,803,799/£4,178,376 taking £20,982,668/£23,048,922

2016’s The Jungle Book opened £9,901,921 (£2.2m Friday) taking £46,235,032

2019’s Aladdin opened £7,066,773 (took £1.2m Friday and Weds £725k, Thurs 608k) taking £36,710,978

2023’s The Little Mermaid opened £5,012,929 taking £1.57m Friday; £1.75m Sat; £1.64m Sunday; £1.91m Bank Holiday Monday

Disney has made over 17 reimaginations over the last 29 years since 101 Dalmatians took over £480m and £550m inflated.

Snow White will open similar to The Little Mermaid £5m+ but really should be opening similar to Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King.

Unlike all other Disney reimaginations, Snow White doesn’t have a UK premiere, and Disney has scaled down its world premiere as they are concerned over the negative coverage it might generate despite early buzz being strong. Warner Bros did similar with the premiere of The Flash to avoid awkward questions to Ezra Miller.

Advance ticket sales only started two weeks before opening, most family films advance bookings open over a month before opening. Snow White is tracking to open in the US between $50m-$56m less than Cinderella’s $67m opening 10 years ago, some expect it to open similarly to Dumbo’s $45m.

The Alto Knights are unlikely to find a wide audience despite starring Robert De Niro, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi (writer of Casino, Goodfellas, The Irishman, American Gangster and City Hall).

The Alto Knights is Barry Levinson his first since 2015’s Rock the Kasbah; previously directing Wag the Dog. Sleepers, Disclosure, Bugsy, Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam, The Natural and Diner amongst many others.

The film received extremely poor rest screening reactions in January 2024, and it looks like it’s another film Warner Bros are dumping after Juror #2 and Coyote vs. Acme, at least it is getting a full theatrical release, but will be released on VOD within a few weeks of its theatrical release. Unlikely to open with more than £500k.

Ne Zha 2 took £789k in previews last weekend, but with only 525k Chinese people living in the UK, it will open with about £1m including previews opening behind Snow White.

With holdovers Mickey 17; Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy; Black Bag and Marching Powder all dropping 40%-50%

Opening in three weeks

• The Amateur – Disney

Spy thriller based on the 1981 novel by Robert Littell starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson and Laurence Fishburne and directed by James Hawes. (previously directed the first series of Slow Horses TV series)

Development started in 2006 with Hugh Jackman attached to start.

After the soft opening for Black Bag The Amateur will probably have a similar opening

• Drop – Universal Pictures

Mystery thriller starring Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane and Jacob Robinson and directed by Christopher Landon; from Blumhouse Productions; Blumhouse also have The Woman in the Yard, M3GAN 2.0, The Black Phone 2 and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 for release this year via Universal Pictures.

Had its world premiere at the SXSW receiving positive reviews (85% Rotten Tomatoes) laughter and applause from the audience, a roller coaster ride that never slows down, and a great Friday night cinema audience film.

Christopher Landon signed to direct Drop after dropping out of directing Scream 7 after Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega left; previously directed 2017’s Happy Death Day opened £998,388 taking £2,678,427 and 2021’s Freaky opened £344,918 taking £685,870.

Have similarities to films like 2005’s Red Eye opened £891,582/£1,499,221 taking £3,414,662/£5,741,852 and 2003’s Phone Booth opened £1,385,040/£2,470,612 taking £6,340,355/£11,309,822?

Drop is a high-concept horror featuring Digidrops similar to Apple’s AirDrop sending images directly to the phone but need to be within 50ft of each other.

• Andre Rieu’s 75th Birthday Celebration: The Dream Continues – Piece Of Magic Entertainment

2024’s Andre Rieu’s Christmas Concert: Gold And Silver opened £931,024 #6 from 558 screens; the biggest opening for Andre Rieu concert since the lockdown.

2020’s Andre Rieu: Magical Maastricht: Together In Music (September) £124,101 #4 403 screens.

2021’s Andre Rieu: Summer Concert: Together Again (August) £420,056 #4 551 screens.

2022’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Summer Concert opened #1 £798,706

2023 Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert: Love Is All Around #5 £710,326

2024’s Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert #5 £629,652 from 649 screens

Before lockdown

2014’s André Rieu: Maastricht Concert £830,586,; 2015’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,107,000.

2016’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,414,075; 2017’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,439,604.

2018’s André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert Amore £1,783,222.

Andre Rieu 2019 Maastricht Concert – Shall We Dance? £1,492,154 #4 587 screens.