- Weapons £1,147,166 – £8,668,189
Dropped 26.4% in its third weekend.
Fri £354k 30.84% (-27% £485k) Sat £432k 37.63% (-31% £626k) Sun £362k 31.5% (-53% £446k)
The first 18-rated film to be #1 for three weeks since 2014’s The Wolf of Wall Street; before that, 2001’s Hannibal was #1 for 4 weeks, and 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs.
What surely helped Weapons apart from the positive reviews was the trailer played with Sinners, Final Destination: Bloodlines and 28 Years Later, and it was hugely different to anything else on release.
552nd biggest third weekend between The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and Shutter Island (close to Sleepy Hollow, F1, Killers Of The Flower Moon, and It’s Complicated) and 859th biggest inflated third weekend between Pitch Perfect and Memoirs Of A Geisha (close to Jumper, The Gentlemen, The Wolverine and Dangerous Minds)
11th biggest horror third weekend between Sleepy Hollow and Get Out (close to It: Chapter Two, The Others, Nosferatu and A Quiet Place Part II) and 21st biggest inflated horror third weekend between Get Out and A Quiet Place (close to 28 Years Later, Jeepers Creepers, A Quiet Place and Paranormal Activity).
1,157th biggest #1 BO between 19 August 2022, Nope £1,147,638 (149,238) 19.39% and 10 March 2006, The Hills Have Eyes £1,126,575 (231,330) 19.55% (close to District 9, Insomnia, 28 Days Later and American Made) and 1,191st biggest inflated #1 between Prisoners and American Made (close to The Polar Express, You, Me and Depree, Shazam! And Minions: The Rise Of Gru).
Recent horrors third weekend
28 Years Later dropped 40.8% £1,409,291 and £12,450,170 of £15,527,027
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 41.2% £977,099 and £9,421,101 of £11,407,110
Sinners dropped 22.6% £1,870,959 and £10,618,274 of £16,113,276
Zach Cregger previously directed 2022’s Barbarian, and he also wrote the screenplay along with the upcoming Resident Evil reboot. Many years earlier, he wrote the script for Miss March in 2009, one of the worst films ever made.
2022’s Barbarian performed far stronger in the US than internationally, taking $40.82m and $45.35m worldwide; it took £1,082,037.
878th biggest between The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and Traffic (close to The Mummy (2017), Elysium, Goosebumps and Total Recall (1990) and 1,407th biggest inflated between Scent of a Woman and Clueless (close to Dark Shadows, The Running Man, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Color of Money).
34th biggest horror between Final Destination 3 and Saw III (close to Red Dragon, The Conjuring, Scream (1997) and Halloween) and 64th biggest inflated horror between The Ring Two and Annabelle: Creation (close to The Lawnmower Man, The Fly, Nightmare on Elm Street III and Poltergeist 2).
- 2. Freakier Friday £739,747 – £5,848,203
Down 19.2% in its third weekend
Friday £253k 34.19% (-19.2% £313k) Sat £266k 35.95% (-20.6% £335k); Sun £222k 30% (-43.94% £267k)
Freakier Friday might have climbed up two places from last weekend and dropped under 20% in its third weekend, but it’s taking far less than it was expected to. The only reason it climbed up to places from last weekend was that Materialists had a big second weekend drop due to previews, and Coolie was out of the top 15 within a week.
With no competition for tween girls, Freakier Friday should have taken twice as much. The problem, of course, is that Freakier Friday is inferior to the last film, which is often the case with Disney sequels, and why I fear The Devil Wears Prada 2 being far from the original film despite all the cast returning, as how can you repeat it 20 years later?
914th biggest third weekend between The Haunted Mansion (2004) and My Girl (close to Girls Trip, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Up In The Air and Cruella) and 1,243rd biggest third weekend between The Other Boleyn Girl and Outbreak (close to 500 Days Of Summer, Last Action Hero, Pixels and White Chicks).
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 18.7% £853,838/£1,532,678 and £4,530,548 70.86% of £6,393,998/£11,477,514
Similar films include.
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 39.6% £594,147/£1,054,644 and £4,212,161 77.84% of £5,411,323/£9,605,400
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 43.6% £843,601 and £6,831,950, 74.02% of £9,229,629
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 12.1% £721,278/£1,388,547 and £3,372,648 68.8% of £4,904,418/£9,441,597
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2 dropped 49.9% £339,494/£602,621 and £3,447,776 88.42% of £3,899,320/£6,921,510
1,294th biggest between Spotlight and ParaNorman (close to When Harry Met Sally, Dead Poets Society, Coming To America and War of the Roses) and 1,868th biggest inflated between A History of Violence and Heretic (close to Real Steel, I Love You Man, Meet Joe Black and John Tucker Must Die).
- 3. Materialists £554,097 – £2,593,725
Down 57% in its second weekend (33% without previews)
Friday £174k 31.4% (-35.1% £268k); Sat £207k 37.36% (-36.1% £324k): Sun £174k 31.4% (-26.2% £236k)
1,851st biggest second weekend between Phenomenon and Beverly Hills Cop III (close to Muriel’s Wedding, French Kiss, A Life Less Ordinary and Saving Mr. Banks) and 2,214th biggest inflated second weekend between Too Wong Foo and Warm Bodies (close to The Intern, The Tall Guy, Steel Magnolias and Wedding Daze).
36th biggest 2025 second weekend between Marching Powder and The Accountant 2 (close to Babygirl, Black Bag, A Real Pain and The Penguin Lessons)
Celine Song’s debut 2023’s Past Lives dropped 27.4% £374,412 and £1,233,717, 49.8% of £2,476,499.
Similar films to Materialists include 2007’s 27 Dresses dropped 41.3% £1,028,661/£1,576,621 and £3,971,758, 62.9% of £6,313,791/£9,677,099.
2001’s The Wedding Planner dropped 66.1% £310,621/£1,488,067 and £1,798,688, 73.4% of £2,450,178/£4,687,298
Dakota Johnson’s acting career has gone far from 2010’s The Social Network, and unlike other actresses like Sharon Stone after Basic Instinct, she moved on to many other roles after starring in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy 10 years ago. Including 2016’s How to Be Single, Am I OK? And of course, Madame Web.
2016’s How to Be Single dropped 49.1% £954,311/£1,026,432 and £3,666,958 63.6% of £5,766,935/£6,163,850
There have been comments on social media that it’s about “Broke Man Propaganda” Celine Song commented said in an interview for Refinery29 “It really is disappointing to me, ”.. “Through intersectionality, so much of feminism has been about anti-corporate and anti-capitalist and, of course, it was always at the forefront of fighting capitalism, so I’m very concerned about the way that we talk about people who are poor.” …” I find it very cruel to talk about John as a character who loves Lucy, and who is a beautiful character being played beautifully by Chris, to talk about him in such cruel terms as ‘broke boy’ or ‘broke man.’”
Celine Song has been hired to write the sequel to 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding, one of many 20-year-old legacy sequels as Freakier Friday and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Many felt 2023’s Anyone But You was a sorta sequel to My Best Friend’s Wedding, as it starred Dermot Mulroney & Rachel Griffiths as parents of the bride.
2023’s Anyone But You dropped 12.7% £1,094,951 and £3,391,223, 29.84% of £11,364,012
1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding dropped 20.2% £1,136,533/£2,225,594 and £3,464,885, 38.5% of £9,003,541/£17,631,013
- 4. The Bad Guy 2 £510,883 – £10,217,297
Friday £178k 34.90%; Saturday £183k 35.88%; Sunday £149k 29.22%
Down 5.9% in its fifth weekend.
The Bad Guys 2 climbed three places from last weekend, but it was more to do with the drops of the films in their second weekends than The Bad Guys 2, while it only had a small drop, being the only animated film on release, The Bad Guys should have taken much more, especially as the first film was a big favourite to audiences in the cinema and on VOD.
496th biggest fifth weekend between Hairspray and Romeo & Juliet (close to Flubber, Angels and Demons, Bob Marley: One Love and Spies In Disguise) and 731st biggest inflated fifth weekend between The Princess And The Frog and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (close to The Fisher King, Grown Ups, Beethoven’s 2nd and Bedtime Stories).
31st biggest Dreamworks Animation fifth weekend between Antz and Bee Movie (close to Megamind, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Abominable and The Wild Robot) and 34th biggest Dreamworks Animation inflated fifth weekend between Turbo and Abominable (close to Kung Fu Panda 3, Over The Hedge, The Croods 2: A New Age and Mr. Peabody And Sherman).
2022’s The Bad Guys dropped 2% in its fifth weekend £723,039 and £10,180,547, 75.5% of £13,478,928
33rd biggest Dreamworks Animation film between Flushed Away and Antz (close to Rise Of The Guardians, Over The Hedge, Megamind and Bee Movie); 37th biggest Dreamworks Animation inflated film between The Croods 2: A New Age and Abominable.
Animation films have surprisingly underperformed this year, with Dog Man (£12.89m) still the biggest animated film of the year so far. Of course, there have been the live-action photo-realistic re-imaginations, How To Train Your Dragon (£22.57m) and Lilo & Stitch (£36.1m), but even they have come short of last year’s biggest animated films, while many, including Elio, Smurfs and The Bad Guys 2, have come short of expectations. Why have animated films struggled so far this year?
That said, Zootopia 2, opening in November, will take £40m as the original film was beloved by audiences and has been a huge hit on streaming.
727th biggest between Final Destination and Deep Impact (close to School of Rock, Matilda, Look Who’s Talking and The Addams Family 2) and 1,178th biggest inflated between The Maze Runner and Alice Through the Looking Glass (close to Mermaids, The Hunt For Red October, Anastasia and Falling Down).
- 5. The Fantastic Four: First Steps £507,615 – £22,029,709
Down 26.2% in its fifth weekend
Fri £152k 29.9% (-24.4% £201k), Sat: £188k 37% (-31.39% £274k), Sun £168k 33.1% (-51.72% £213k)
502nd biggest fifth weekend between Spies In Disguise and Mr Bean’s Holiday (close to Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2, Bob Marley: One Love, Cliffhanger and Snatch) and 735th biggest inflated fifth weekend between Bob Marley: One Love and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (close to A Knight’s Tale, 8 Mile, Mannequin and Malice).
25th biggest MCU fifth weekend between Iron Man 2 and Ant-Man and the Wasp (close to Black Widow, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange and Thor: The Dark World).
48th biggest fifth weekend comic-book between Venom and Black Adam (close to X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Spider-Man 2, Batman and Batman and Robin) and 65th biggest inflated comic-book fifth weekend between The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (close to Kick-Ass, Blade 2, Logan and X-Men: Apocalypse).
2005’s Fantastic Four dropped 38.4% £348,826/£590,264 and £11,782,585 95.5% of £11,782,585/£19,812,754; took $154.7m/$277.8m and $333.53m/$600m worldwide
2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer dropped 62.2% £248,867/£392,766 and £11,904,919 97% of £19,257,058; took $131.9m/$270.7m and $301.9m/$505.1m
2015’s Fantastic Four took £5,653,567/£6,210,298; took $56.1m/$76.6m and $301.9m/$412.2m WW.
21st biggest MCU between Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi (close to Spider-Man Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World); 37 MCUs have taken £1.2bn since 2008 and £1.4bn, inflated.
260th biggest between Wonder Woman and Men In Black 2 (close to Toy Story, Wall·E, E.T. and Dune) and 504th biggest inflated between Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and Marley & Me (close to Stargate, Enemy of the State, Beverly Hills Cop II and Starsky & Hutch).
42nd biggest comic book film between Wonder Woman and Men In Black 2 (close to Hancock, X-Men 2, Men in Black 3 and Batman Forever) and 63rd biggest inflated comic book between Shang-Chi and Venom (close to Superman Returns, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fantastic Four (2005) and X-Men: First Class).
The next MCU won’t be released until Avengers: Doomsday. It has massive shoes to fill after the huge BO of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, so will it be able to match their success? Dating the next two Avengers films in December, Disney will be hoping to repeat the huge success of Spider-Man: Far From Home, but that was a vastly different film, as it was the greatest hits of Spider-Man, attracting a much wider demographic. Avengers: Doomsday will surely be much more front-loaded than Disney’s Star Wars films, which also opened in December.
Also opened.
- The Life of Chuck – Studiocanal
Opened £486,294 #6 from 623 screens (including £173,284 previews)
The Life of Chuk won an audience award at the Toronto Film Festival and is a wonderful film that predictably received snotty reviews from critics about it being too schmaltzy. They called The Life of Chuck too schmaltzy, and then praise films like Freakier Friday, which is nothing but schmaltzy nostalgia?
The Life of Chuck is based on the novella by Stephen King, as Stand By Me, Apt Pupil and The Shawshank Redemption. It features an ensemble cast featuring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. Mia Sara and Mark Hamill have two surprising characters, both played iconic roles in the past as Luke Skywalker and Sloane Peterson.
After Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck’s acting careers took off, Mia Sara’s like many young actresses after they star in a huge hit, struggled to find similar success, and The Life of Chuck is her first major film role since 1994’s Time Cop. It was similar to Alicia Silverstone starring in the hugely popular and still popular 30 years later, Clueless, but then she was poorly advised to sign a two-picture production deal with Sony, with only one Excessive Baggage opening in 1997, the same year she starred in Batman and Robin, suffering a similar fate as so many young promising female actresses going back to Lindsay Lohan in Freakier Friday.
The Life of Chuck feels similar to many inspirational films like Forrest Gump, and if made 31 years ago, like Forrest Gump would have found a much bigger audience. But as with Shawshank Redemption, The Life of Chuck will be a film people discover years after its cinema release.
It would also be comparable to 2004’s Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind opened £1,045,501/£1,855,822, taking £4,874,405/£8,652,340. As well as the 2000s, Being John Malkovich opened £296,282/£533,308 on 55 screens, taking £1,660,642/£2,989,156, and 2009’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button opened £2,213,495/£3,222,588, taking £8,962,672/£13,048,596.
As well as Boyhood and The Green Mile, it is films like The Life of Chuck exhibitors should be getting behind and supporting. In 2003, Odeon Cinemas launched a campaign to support smaller films like Antwone Fisher.
Other Stephen King non-horror adaptations
1988’s The Running Man opened £577,953/£1,990,169; 297 screens taking £2,530,062/£8,712,213
1995’s The Shawshank Redemption opened £270,688/£616,049; 77 screens, taking £2,414,776/£5,495,697
2000’s The Green Mile opened £1,149,935/£2,069,883;340 screens taking £6,448,988/£11,608,178
Other film adaptations like Stand By Me, Dolores Claiborne and Apt Pupil struggled to find an audience in cinemas.
Mike Flanagan has previously directed other Stephen King adaptations, including Gerald’s Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), as well as Oculus, Before I Wake, and Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Two more Stephen King adaptations will be released this The Long Walk and a reboot of The Running Man,; the TV prequel series It: Welcome to Derry and miniseries Carrie TV miniseries next year.
- Eddington – Universal Pictures
Opened £247,442 #10 from 426 screens.
The film received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival
Ari Aster previously directed 2023’s Beau Is Afraid opened £202,254; 2018’s Hereditary opened £1.9m, taking £5.7m, and 2019’s Midsommar opened £810,680, taking £2.8m.
It’s the third film starring Pedro Pascal that has opened over the last month, after Materialists and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (50th Anniversary)
Opened £161,523 #13 from 502 screens.
When the film opened in 1975, it was a flop, but two years after opening, it became a cult classic with screenings in cinemas ever since, taking over $170m worldwide over the last 45+ years.
It started as a stage show in 1973 in London; it was an immediate success, and the show went to the US. The film followed, but it failed to find its audience until midnight shows started a year later, with fans dressing up and doing the time walk.
- The Thursday Murder Club – Netflix
Ahead of its Netflix release this week, The Thursday Murder Club was released in about 30 cinemas over the weekend, playing in independent cinemas including Everyman, as major exhibitors refused to book it as Netflix doesn’t want to be tied down to antiquated theatrical windows.
Netflix didn’t report BO for The Thursday Murder Club, and they also didn’t report UK BO forKPop Demon Hunters Singalong.
———-
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £5,095,939, down 35.9% from last weekend’s £7,946,311: 658,390 admissions, down 35.9% from 1,026,655 admissions.
2025 BO is up 8% ahead of 2024; in June, it was 21% ahead of 2024, unless Downton Abbey 3 surprises in September, by October 2025 will be below 2024.
The 52nd biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks below the previous lowest 14 March 2025 #1 Mickey 17 £1,246,946 (23.36%)
217th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 249 weeks between 22 September 2023 #`1 A Haunting in Venice £1,472,237 (28.53%) and 09 September 2022 #1 See How They Run £1,163,484 (23.23%); it’s probably closer to the 240th lowest weekend since cinema reopened as can’t include about 20 weeks as many cinemas weren’t open and there was only 6+ week of Tenet.
1,168th biggest top 10 of the last 24 years (out of 1,220) between 14 March 2003 #1 Maid In Manhattan £1,281,755 (25.11%) and 13 March 2020 (week before lockdown) #1 Onward £1,272,748 (25.23%) and 1,198th inflated between 09 September 2022 #1 See How They Run £1,163,484 (23.23%) and 17 September 2021 #1 Shangi-Chi £2,362,692 (49.10%)
The top 3 took £2,441,010 (47.9%) of the top 10; Weapons 22.51% (£1,147,166); Freakier Friday 14.52% (£739,747); Materialists 10.87% (£554,097)
1,012th biggest percentage share #1 (22.51%) between 05 August 2011 #1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 £2,810,088 (22.61%) and 28 March 2003 #1 The Recruit £923,834 (22.46%)
1,191st biggest admissions #1 (148,213) between 22 August 2025 #1 Prisoners £968,990 (148,391) and 25 August 2017 #1 American Made £1,067,075 (142,467)
Down 51.67% from 2024; (£10,544,299); Kneecap (£1,035,664); Blink Twice (£746,328); The Crow (£410,308); The Amazing Spider-Man RE (£146,633); Pulp Fiction (30th Anniversary 4K Re-Issue) (£108,369); Cuckoo (£106,957); Between The Temples (£27,752); #1 Alien: Romulus £2,021,921 2nd week 46% drop 691 screens (19.18% of top 10)
Down 34.46% from 2023; (£7,775,273); Andre Rieu’s 2023 Maastricht Concert: Love Is All Around (£710,326); The Blackening (£367,486); Scrapper (£197,658); Theatre Camp (£141,872); #1 Barbie £1,944,777 6 weeks 753 screens (25.01%)
Down 4.06% 2022 (£5,311,427); Andre Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Summer Concert (£798,706); Beast (£600,259); The Invitation (£261,791); Mr. Malcolm’s List (£43,467); Die Another Day (Re: 2022) (£6,225); #1 Andre Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Summer Concert £798,706 1st week 607 screens (15.1% of top 10)
Down 6.12% 2021 (£5,427,888); Candyman (£1,112,674); Andre Rieu’s 2021 Summer Concert: Together Again (£420,056); Our Ladies (£124,295); The Nest (£121,186); #1 Free Guy £1,607,761 3rd week (29.6% of top 10)
Up 479.39% from 2020: (£879,533); The Karate Kid (Re: 2020) (£32,117); Get Out (Re: 2020) (£3,392) #1 Unhinged £178,8212 up 31% 380 screens 2nd week #1 over 4 weeks (20.33%)
Down 41% 2019; (£8,636,602); Angel Has Fallen (£2,122,408); Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark (£611,218); Crawl (£458,796); Pain and Glory (£307,131); It (Re: 2019) (£9,242); #1 Angel Has Fallen £2,122,408 537 screens 1st week (24.6% of top 10)
Down 60.15% 2018: (£12,788,350); BlacKkKlansman (£1,234,214); The Spy Who Dumped Me (£1,057,211); The Children Act (£517,378); Slender Man (£389,339); Alpha (£225,606); Luis and the Aliens (£218,248); #1 Disney’s Christopher Robin £2,138,824 2nd week 673 screens 16% drop (16.7% of top 10)
Down 23.95% 2017: (£6,700,471); American Made (£1,067,075); Logan Lucky (£705,087); Detroit (£658,028); Rough Night (£244,462); Mayweather Vs. McGregor (Boxing) (£171,256); Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor (£92,389); #1 American Made £1,067,075 1st week 543 screens (15.9% of the top 10)
Down -43.60% 2016: (£9,034,593); Bad Moms (£1,471,466); War Dogs (£1,005,133); The Purge: Election Year (£807,803); Mechanic: Resurrection (£508,715); Julieta (£356,191); Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (£31,128); #1 Finding Dory £1,510,744 5th week (3rd #1) 611 screens down 48% (16.7% of the top 10)
Down 45.73% from 2015; (£9,389,554); Paper Towns (£2,072,789); Sinister 2 (£1,069,261); Vacation (£608,748); The Bad Education Movie (£594,861); Strange Magic (£56,127); Good People (£25,454); #1 Paper Towns £2,072,789 1st week 472 screens (22.1% of top 10)
Down 54.57% from 2014: (£11,216,125); Lucy (£3,076,997); Into the Storm (£1,147,657); Deliver Us from Evil (£629,554); What If (£592,501); Doctor Who: Deep Breath (£522,908); 2 Days, 1 Night (£165,278); Thomas and Friends: Tale of the Brave (£60,328); Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (£12,117); Sin City (Re: 2014) (£10,244); #1 Lucy £3,076,997 1st week 486 screens (27.4% of top 10)
Down 51.84% 2013: (£10,580,446); Elysium (£3,127,005); We’re the Millers (£1,508,326); The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (£1,143,385); Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway (£63,311); Jurassic Park 3D (£111,703); What Maisie Knew (£95,852); Lovelace (£86,076); The Kings of Summer (£6,773); #1 Elysium £3,127,005 1st week 463 screens (29.5% of top 10)
Down 52.74% 2012 (£10,782,345); Keith Lemon: The Film (£1,196,310); The Imposter (£252,170); Shadow Dancer (£201,936); #1 Brave £2,371,691 4th week (2nd #1) 556 screens 55% drop (22% of top 10)
Down 67.52% 2011; (£15,690,651); One Day (£2,208,724); Final Destination 5 (£1,450,464); Conan the Barbarian (£622,268); The Skin I Live In (£325,349); #1 The Inbetweeners Movie £5,696,848 2nd week 471 screens 57% drop (36.3% of top 10)
Down 53.07% 2010: (£10,857,796); Grown Ups (£2,006,945); Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (£1,604,545); Diary of a Wimpy Kid (£671,161); The Girl who Played with Fire (£404,896); #1 Grown Ups £2,006,945 1st week 401 screens (18.5% of top 10)
Down 39.22% from 2009; (£8,384,307); Inglorious Basterds (£3,596,415); Dance Flick (£462,825); Shorts (£171,876); I Love You, Beth Cooper (£123,519); #1 Inglorious Basterds £3,596,415 1st week 444 screens (42.8% of top 10)
Down 52.62% 2008; (£10,756,388); Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (£2,969,602); Get Smart (£1,542,005); College Road Trip (£121,360); Somers Town (£121,345); #1 Hellboy 2: The Golden Army £2,969,602 1st week 464 screens (27.6% of top 10)
Down 35.83% 2007:(£7,941,925); Knocked Up (£1,583,998); Lady Chatterley (£48,776); Flood (£2,501); #1 The Bourne Ultimatum £2,864,804 2nd week 56% drop 457 screens (36% of top 10)
Down 16.55% 2006; (£6,106,683); You, Me and Depree (£1,636,249); Severance (£483,152); Volver (£433,283); #1 You, Me and Depree £1,636,249 1st week 409 screens (26.8% of top 10)
Down 19.97% 2005: (£6,367,870); The Dukes of Hazzard (£1,720,754); The Cave (£563,761); The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lavagirl in 3D (£399,436); Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (£110,557); #1 The Dukes of Hazzard £1,720,754 1st week 447 screens (27.1% of top 10)
Down 40.33% from 2004; (£8,540,203); The Village (£2,945,763); A Cinderella Story (£611,209); #1 The Village £2,945,763 1st week 433 screens (34.5% of top 10)
Down 39.29% from 2003 (£8,393,708); Tomb Raider 2 (£1,524,676); Confidence (£325,685); The Man Who Sued God (£195,418); Swimming Pool (£119,092); #1 American Pie: The Wedding £2,180,783 2nd week 425 screens 47% drop (26% of top 10)
Down 24.92% from 2002 (£6,787,774); The Guru (£1,521,984); Reign Of Fire (£932,168); Talk To Her (£174,757); Black Knight (£167,084); #1 The Guru £1,521,984 1st 368 screens (22.4% of top 10)
Down 23.78% from 2001 (£6,685,496); Heartbreakers (£751,754); Crocodile Dundee in L.A. (£354,593); Lucky Break (£348,613); Josie and the Pussycats (£37,662); #1 Planet of the Apes £2,364,945 2nd week 447 screens 57% drop (35.3% of top 10).
2024 Next week: (£7,236,745); Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert: Power Of Love (£629,653); Afraid (£216,620); The Amazing Spider-Man 2 RE (£129,875); The Terminator (4K Restoration – 40th Anniversary) (£97,668); The Italian Job (55th Anniversary 4K Re-Issue) (£20,097); #1 Despicable Me 4 £1,244,979 down 12% in 8th week 686 screens (17.20% of top 10).
US Box Office
- KPop Demon Hunters Singalong – Netflix/Sony Pictures
Opened $19.2m; $10.1m Saturday and $9.1m Sunday.
Netflix haven’t reported BO data for KPop Demon Hunters Singalong as they never report BO data for cinema releases, but this is an estimate from rival studios and exhibitors after it has sold out more than 1,300+ shows in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Had it not been for the KPop Demon Hunters Singalong, it would have been one of the lowest weekends of the year, so while exhibitors reject Netflix films, they need their films much more than Netflix needs to give them theatrical releases.
Admissions for KPop ‘s Saturday and Sunday, according to EntTelligence, were 1.5m; the standard ticket price of $13.63 and Premium $16.31, taking 18% of the weekend’s admissions.
KPop Demon Hunters is now the most popular Netflix film of all time, with over 236m views to date alongside its cinema release.
The soundtrack is the first soundtrack with four simultaneous Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and has had 3bn+ global streams to date.
Netflix fully financed $100m film and paid Sony Pictures a $25m fee and has soundtrack sales, while Netflix have the lucrative merchandising rights.
Netflix and Sony Pictures are developing a sequel.
- Weapons – Warner Bros
Dropped 37% $15.4m in its third weekend, taking $115.68m
320th biggest third weekend between Lethal Weapon 3 and Clash of the Titans (close to Hannibal, Apollo 13, Interstellar and War of the Worlds)
661st biggest between Jackass 3D and Ocean’s Thirteen; 1,544th biggest inflated between Miracle and Volcano; 13th biggest 2025 between Final Destination: Bloodlines and Dog Man; 22nd biggest horror between The Nun and The Grudge; 108th biggest Warner Bros between The Nun and Ocean’s Thirteen.
2022’s Barbarian dropped 25.6% $4.83m and $28.46m of $40.84m and $45.35m worldwide
Sinners dropped 27.6% $33.1m and $179.83m of $278.57m and $363.87m worldwide.
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 43.7% $10.9m and $111.81m of $138.13m and $285.33m worldwide.
28 Years Later dropped 53.2% $4.56m and $60.2m of $70.44m and $150.44m worldwide.
2017’s Get Out dropped 26.5% $20.74m and $110.72m of $176.04m and $255.4m worldwide
IMAX took $13.6m worldwide; $10.5m US and $3.3m international.
Took $13.2.4m from 74 territories $83.5m total, and $199.4m worldwide; UK $11.6m; Mexico $7.5m; Spain $5.7m; France $5.6m; Australia $5.1m.
- Freakier Friday – Disney
Dropped 38% in its third weekend $8.89m and $70.23m
851st biggest third weekend between Bridge to Terabithia and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (close to Legally Blonde, Bad Teacher, Christopher Robin and Bedtime Stories)
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 30.7% $9.3m and $74.43m of $110.23m and $160.84m worldwide
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 25.5% $10.18m and $55.4m of $86.05m and $130.19m worldwide
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 40.8% $6.9m and $60.4m of taking $72.58m and $104.97m worldwide
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 32.4% $9.61m and $70.24m of $108.24m and $165.33m worldwide
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement dropped 38.1% $8.08m and $75.06m of $95.17m and $134.73m worldwide
Took $6.2m from 47 territories $42.8m total, and $113.3m worldwide; UK $7.9m; Mexico $7.6m; Australia $3.3m; Argentina $2.3m; Colombia $2.2m.
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Disney
Dropped 33% in its fifth weekend $6m and $257.36m
444th biggest fifth weekend between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and The Truman Show (close to Logan, Batman Begins, Clash of the Titans and Bullet Train)
151st biggest between The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Star Trek (2009); 484th inflated biggest between Thor and Lincoln; 7th biggest 2025 between How to Train Your Dragon and Captain America: Brave New World; 37th biggest comic-book between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Batman; 50th biggest Disney between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Mufasa: The Lion King.
EntTelligence said it had an average ticket price of $15.77, average PLF $18.95.
37 MCUs have taken $11bn in the US and $14.2bn, inflated.
2005’s Fantastic Four dropped 38.3% $4.26m and $143.99m of $154.69m/$277.8m and $333.53m/$598.9m WW
2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer dropped 61.5% $1.63m and $127.19m of $131.91m/$220.7m and $301.9m/$505.1m WW
2015’s Fantastic Four dropped 38.2% $1.1m and $54.42m of $56.1m/$76.62m and $167.9m/$229.22m WW
Took $5.8m internationally from 44 territories $232.8m total, and $490.1m worldwide; UK $29.5m; Mexico $27.4m; France $15.4m; Brazil $13.5m; Australia $11.1m.
267th biggest worldwide between Shrek and Angels & Demons; 9th biggest 2025 worldwide between Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning and Captain America: Brave New World; 54th biggest comic book worldwide between Venom: Let There be Carnage and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 72nd biggest Disney worldwide between Wreck-It Ralph and Oz the Great and Powerful.
- Honey Don’t – Focus Features
Opened $3.02m; received mixed reviews (45% Rotten Tomatoes)
The second part of a Lesbian B-movie trilogy directed by Ethan Cohen after 2024’s Drive Away Dolls. The film received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
2024’s Drive Away Dolls opened $2.4m, taking $5.02m and $7.93m worldwide
UK Box Office Top 10
Box Office Preview
The Roses is the latest Disney reimagination of a 20th Century Fox film, and as with all the others, it’s an inferior remake. The Rosses is a remake of the 1990s War of the Roses opened £814,534/£2,295,768 on 262 screens, taking £5,795,818/£16,335,544.
Back in 1990, many cinemagoers (including me) thought The War of the Roses was a continuation of the Romancing the Stone universe. Same stars (Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito), same tone (at first), and a misleading trailer that felt like a reunion rather than a savage domestic satire.
Disney has little real interest in Searchlight’s drama slate post-acquisition, like Nightbitch and See How They Run, but it has had success with The Menu also opened in August. 2020’s Downhill remake (Force Majeure) is a similar film to The Roses was one of the first films Disney released through Searchlight Pictures and flopped.
After 4 weeks of Weapons #1 The Roses will be #1 by default, opening with about £1m. Reviews have been very mixed.
Andre Rieu’s 2025 Maastricht Concert: Waltz The Night Away! Will likely open similar to his concert in April, Andre Rieu’s 75th Birthday Celebration: The Dream Continues, £596,897; tickets for his concerts are about £20, so will have half of the admissions of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (20th Anniversary).
Over the last four years, Warner Bros have been re-releasing the Harry Potter films, celebrating their 20th anniversary; 2021’s Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone opened £965,008; 2022’s Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets opened £454,250, and 2024’s Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban opened £394,066. So, Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire will open with about £450k.
The other new opener, despite getting positive reviews and a strong cast, will likely struggle: Caught Stealing, directed by Darren Aronofsky. His films often polarise audiences after receiving positive reviews. His previous films include 2000’s Requiem for a Dream, 2006’s The Fountain, and 2017’s Mother! And also directed 2010’s Black Swan and 2014’s Noah.
If Sony Pictures had high expectations for Caught Stealing and Disney with The Roses, they would have opened in September after the Toronto/Venice Film Festival premiere, instead of dating them the last weekend of August, which has been a historically dump weekend.
This Sunday should have been the fourth National Cinema Day since it returned in 2022, but despite a soft August industry decided to cancel it this year for some unknown reason.
Previous National Cinema Days in 1996, 1997. 1998, 2022, 2023 and 2024 have had over 1m admissions; this year it would have been a catalyst to boost what is expected to be a soft September and October that will bring BO down to below 2024 levels.
Cineworld are holding its own National Cinema Day all weekend for £4.
Opening in three weeks
- A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – Sony Pictures
Romantic fantasy starring Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Kevin Kline, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge and directed by Kogonada and written by Seth Reiss (The Menu); The script was on the 2024 Blacklist.
Sony Pictures acquired world rights in February 2024 for $50m.
It’s Margot Robbie’s first film since 2023’s Barbie; it was originally set to be released in May but was delayed to September. It was expected to premiere at the Toronto/Venice Film Festivals, but it won’t receive its premiere at any film festival. It must mean Sony Pictures doesn’t have much faith in the film, or they are concerned about what has happened with recent studio films premiering at film festivals.