1. The Devil Wears Prada 2 £9,329,512 – NE.

Took £2.92m 31.43% Friday; £3.1m 33.37% Saturday; £3.22m 34.66% Sunday; Monday £2.82m; Tues £1.17m

Friday’s BO was 57% of the total BO

130^th biggest opening between Ted and Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (close to Bohemian Rhapsody, The Da Vinci Code, Die Another Day and Wonka) and 205^th biggest inflated opening between Kung Fu Panda and Taken 2 (close to Les Misérables, Titanic, Mary Poppins Returns and Bridget Jones’s Baby).

6^th biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between Lilo & Stitch and Avatar: Fire And Ash (close to Mission: Impossible 8, How To Train Your Dragon, The Fantastic Four and Wuthering Heights).

Odeon cinemas sold over 100,000 tickets in presales, their second biggest of the year

13^th widest opening ever opening in 729 cinemas close to Paddington In Peru, Downton Abbey and Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy; 50^th 700 cinemas opening since 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi; it probably played in over 1,500 screens as was playing in multiple screens in most cinemas, didn’t play in IMAX as Micheal had those screens while PLF was probably soft, but played strongly in Everyman Cinemas and premium recliners so while industry will claim it had over 1.1m admissions it was probably closer to 800k.

Showing how popular the film is in the UK its opening was 12.16% of US opening similar to Wicked; in comparison Micheal was 11.91% (5 days) 8.74% (3 days) films released over the last 20 years rarely take 12% without having previews or having a British element to it. In 2006 The Devil Wears Prada took 11.87% (4 days) and 8.1% (3 days) and opened in 447 screens it was #1 for only one week with The Departed replacing it.

20 years ago, 20th Century Fox released The Devil Wears Prada in the US as counterprogramming to the testosterone-driven summer tentpoles, including Superman Returns, X-Men: The Last Stand, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, and it was allowed to find its audience. It found a bigger audience in the UK, opening three months later, allowing the buzz and word of mouth to build even more through talker screenings.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a very different film, after Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep had many attempts by 20th Century Fox to make a sequel based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2013 sequel, Revenge Wears Prada. Anne Hathaway said that she would love to work with the cast and director again, while Meryl Streep doesn’t do sequels; she is like Ryan Gosling, “one and done”.

While The Devil Wears Prada felt like a passion project developed over three years by Elizabeth Gabler, President of Fox 2000, with Wendy Finerman producing and Aline Brosh McKenna writing the screenplay based on Lauren Weisberger’s book. Fox 2000 acquired the rights based on a 10-page outline and the first 100 pages. Lauren Weisberger was hired as Anna Wintour’s assistant in 1999 and was very similar to Andy in the book, wanting to be a journalist. In 2002, The Devil Wears Prada was sold to Doubleday. When Anna learned about the book, she said, “I cannot remember who that girl is.” (very similar to what Mirana Prestley would say).

As with so many of Disney sequels, reimaginations and reboots it has these touches like the opening scene of Andy wiping the mirror clean as in the original film and her walk to the awards when she walks past a market stall selling two belts that look identical, to the influencers taking selfies outside an event, and Disney targeted those similar influencers it was mocking while as in the awards event the journalists being sacked as Disney failed to invite them to see the film early, despite the film is meant to be about the death of print media.  

Meryl Streep said she didn’t base Miranda Priestley on Anna Wintour but on her experiences with directors Clint Eastwood and Mike Nichols. “He’s someone that guys really respect, and he never raises his voice, ever; the one time that he did, it so terrified people for two weeks, they were traumatised.”

Meryl Streep said in an interview, “I don’t know. I feel like you get a realistic view. ”.. “I think when we tend to Marvel-ize the movies now, we get the villains and we get the good guys, and it’s so boring.” Meryl Streep’s words would have meant much more had she not broken her career-long rule of not making a sequel. Meryl Streep has always said she was a one-and-done actor.

Meryl Streep probably agreed to make the sequel more for Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci than herself, since agreeing to do the sequel, both have had many more high-profile projects offered to them. As Anne Hathaway has since starred in The Odyssey and Verity, starring in 5 films in 2026, while Disney picked up Tucci in Italy. 

While promoting Devil 2, Anne Hathaway talked passionately about Mother Mary, which opened the weekend before, but was one of many of her films that no one went to see. Anne Hathaway said in an interview that she has starred in over 50 films and TV shows over the last 25 years, but few have seen many of the films she has made over the last decade, since The Intern in 2015, which many saw as an unofficial Devil sequel. This is likely the reason she finally agreed to make Devil 2 after rejecting it for 18 years.

Despite the director saying it wasn’t based on Anna Wintour, the fashion industry was scared of crossing her, so they couldn’t get clothes or film in the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Bryant Park, as they were terrified of offending Anna Wintour. It’s very different from the sequel that everyone wanted to be involved in the sequel.

In 2024, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep agreed to star in the sequel, and filming started in June 2025. The fashion industry gave the filmmakers anything they wanted: the clothes, the locations and access to Fashion Week. Disney turned the film into a product. Before a single critic has seen the film, Disney has already partnered with Starbucks (character-inspired drinks), Samsung (Galaxy S26 Ultra product placement), and Target (fast fashion merch). The film is a two-hour advert for the promotions.

The teaser trailer released in December received 185m views in the first 24 hours, making it the most-viewed 20th Century Studios trailer ever, but apart from Avatar sequels, they haven’t released any similarly sized film since Disney rebranded 20^th Century Fox. It was the most viewed trailer on Instagram last year. The second trailer received 222m views in 24 hours, and the final trailer 67m views in the first 24 hours. But how many views to admissions are needed?

Trailer views are similar to streaming minutes; they sound huge, but I have no idea how many times people are watching the trailer. As with a film like Devil Wears Prada 2, there will be people watching every second of it to analyse what everything means and what they can see that’s not evident on the first dozen viewings.

In the trailer, it looked like Miranda didn’t remember Andy, but since Andy left Runway in 2006, Miranda probably had dozens more assistants; while junior employees remember their first bosses, it’s unlikely a boss would remember every assistant, even if Miranda said 20 years earlier she was “by far, her biggest disappointment”.

I’ve overthought The Devil Wears Prada 2 because I see my own life in the original. 30+ years ago, I was like Andy junior, overworked, desperate for recognition. I watched colleagues climb the ladder by playing the system, becoming the boss, replacing their own Mirandas.

But the sequel shows Andy and Emily, after two decades of success, falling back into the same dynamics as 23-year-olds. No growth. Still seeking Miranda’s approval, still terrified. That’s not relatable. It’s depressing.

Miranda hasn’t changed either. #MeToo, digital media, HR, the world transformed. Yet she’s frozen in 1986, after spending her formative years under a boss like Katharine Parker from Working Girl. No one can control her, but that’s not power. It’s irrelevance.

Bosses like Miranda don’t last. They adapt, retire, or get pushed out. The Scrubs reboot understood this: Dr Cox couldn’t cope with holding his tongue, so he retired. People who were once assistants become leaders, ideally with more empathy.

I’m just pointing out this particular “fun movie” isn’t even memorable. It’s a sugar rush. A Big Mac. Enjoyable in the moment, 20 minutes later, hungry again, they were just empty calories, making you crave the original film again.

To quote Mark Kermode, “I’m not angry, but disappointed”, to paraphrase Harry Stamper “, And this is the best that you c- that Disney, the *Walt Disney Company*, can come up with? I mean, you-you’re Disney for cryin’ out loud, you made so many fabulous original films, you’re geniuses! You-you’re the guys that think this shit up!” Instead, it’s always the easiest option to create nostalgia porn, but as with Mary Poppins Returns, no one was singing the songs, as no one will be quoting lines from the sequel.

As with all of Disney’s reimaginations, sequels, and reboots, once the hype and pixel dust fade away, audiences see them for what they are, as South Park said in 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a memberberries. Randy said, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens was ‘not as good as everyone thought itwas ‘”. “It may be fun to go back and recycle the past we loved, but we end up with no sustenance”

As South Park creator Matt Stone said about The Force Awakens, “I like the movie. I thought it had amazing acting, and I don’t wanna sit here and badmouth that, but this is like lab-grown meat. This is a secondary derivative of something that was from 40 years ago. In fact, in a lot of ways, it’s like the same movie [from] 40 years ago.”

 Trey Parker also said, “To me, I kept equating it to the Happy Days reunion special where they would do that reunion thing where they get all the people back, and they kinda do a half-ass story, but it’s all just about having people walk onto camera and having everyone clap for them and everything, and that’s exactly how the new Star Wars felt to me. It was just a reunion special. It was just a big, ‘Remember this? Remember that? Remember this? Remember that?’

2006’s The Devil Wears Prada opened £3,267,580/£5,374,397 taking £13,681,185/£22,502,319

As with all legacy sequels, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was always going to open much bigger than the original and was expected to open closer to Wicked (£13,696,056); Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (£12,298,966).

Early in the year, Wuthering Heights opened at £7,665,295.

While 2008’s Sex and the City opened at £8,767,265/£13,504,960, taking £26,232,557/£40,408,227

2010’s Sex and the City 2 opened £6,142,718/£8,269,441 taking £21,606,766/£29,087,428

Ahead of opening, Pearl & Dean were predicting an opening between £10m-£12m and to take between £30m-£35m

As with Michael’s opening, The Devil Wears Prada 2 opening will be seen as a surprise despite the industry building it up for months, saying that it was going to be huge. The only question, as is the case with all legacy sequels, is how it will hold as Disney has carefully handled the sequel with influencers only at the US and UK premieres, told they can only post positive reactions on social media, while the critics’ embargo ended on Wednesday, 29th April, the same day it opens in many countries ahead of its UK and US opening.

A key part of the marketing for the film has been Miranda Priestly meeting Anna Wintour in the film, but as with the cameo featuring Sydney Sweeney in the opening credits, being styled by Emily, both weren’t in the final film. It feels like Star Wars all over again when Disney films scenes that only appear in the trailers and won’t appear in the final film.

At the of the film there is a tribute to the film Working Girl were you see Andy in an office and the screen pans out, Working Girl has been seen as the inspiration to The Devil Wears Prada. Katherin Parker telling Tess “So, Tess, a few ground rules. The way I look at it, you are my link with the outside world. People’s impression of me starts with you. You’re tough when it’s warranted, accommodating when you can be, accurate, punctual, and never make a promise you can’t keep. I’m never on another line. I’m in a meeting. I consider us a team. As such, we have a uniform: simple, elegant, impeccable. “Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman.” Coco Chanel.” Is very similar to what Miranda Priestly says to Andy Sachs, Katherin Parker could have been Miranda Priestly former boss as working Girl was set in 1988 when Miranda was a an assistant.

As with all tentpole hype, nostalgia and FOMO will always see these films have a huge opening, the question is more about how it holds over the weeks to come. The Devil Wears Prada 2 benefits from a lack of competition for female audiences. Mortal Kombat II is targeting young males this weekend, while Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour will probably play to fans only, mostly female under-25s who haven’t really been interested in Devil 2 yet, according to demographic breakdowns, despite Disney targeting them heavily in its promotional campaigns and targeting influencers over critics. While The Sheep Detectives will target families. The next film targeting female audiences is My Mother’s Wedding, opening at the end of the month, which was made 4 years ago.

• 2. Micheal £7,011,727 – £23,161,710

Down 39.6% in its second weekend (18% without previews)

£1.5m 21.6% (-39.4% £2.49m) Fri; £2.6m 37.5% (-19.9% £3.27m) Sat; £2.84m 40.6% (+13.4% £2.5m) Sun; Monday £2.62m; Tuesday £832k

47^th biggest second weekend between Shrek 2 and Moana 2 (close to Alice In Wonderland, Mary Poppins Returns, Incredibles 2 and The Dark Knight) and 91^st biggest inflated second weekend between Mamma Mia! And Ice Age III (close to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The World Is Not Enough, Men in Black and Chicken Run).

2^nd biggest second weekend over the last 52 weeks between Wicked – Part 2 and Lilo & Stitch (close to The Super Mario Bros. Movie Sequel, Superman, Project Hail Mary and Zootropolis 2)

Michael has a direct comparison with Bohemian Rhapsody, receiving similar reviews saying the biopic was sanitised. The difference with Michael Jackson is that since his death, there have been court cases, conspiracies and controversies that have kept him being talked about for the last 17 years far more than Queen.

While Michael Jackson fans are far more obsessive with a siege mentality, and the film focuses on the Michael Jackson they believe he is, as they don’t believe the allegations that surrounded him and just want to see him again as they did 30 years ago and as they hoped they would have seen him at the 02 concerts in 2009.

Reviews were similarly predictably poor as Bohemian Rhapsody, complaining it was too sanitised a version of his story, but as with any of these biopics that have been made with the band or family’s agreement, they have all been sanitised versions, as with Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Producers need the band’s approval so the films can feature the artists’ songs, as what’s a musician’s biopic without the songs that made them famous?

Development started in 2019 after producer Graham King had acquired rights to make a film about Michael Jackson, a year after he had huge success producing the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody for 20th Century Fox. Lionsgate announced the film in 2022 with Antoine Fuqua attached to direct in 2023. Originally, Lionsgate were going to release worldwide, but as the scale of the film increased, it brought in Universal Pictures to release the film internationally, paying $75m for rights for the $200m+ budget film.

The last Michael Jackson film was 2009’s Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which is still the biggest concert film globally, taking $267.9m ahead of 2023’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour ($261.65m).

Showing how hugely popular in the UK Michael Jackson is despite the massive controversy surrounding his life, 2009’s Michael Jackson’s This Is It opened £4,877,255/£7,181,399 taking £9,732,593/£14,330,528.

This Is It was a documentary about his preparation for his This Is It 50 concerts at O2 Arena from July 2009 to March 2010, 10 were planned but another 40 added due to tickets selling out so quickly with over 1 million tickets sold (11 per second in 4 hours 750,000 tickets were sold), but none of the concerts happened due to his death in June 2009 two weeks before his first concert was to happen. Ahead of his death, over $85m was sold in ticket sales (£50m+). Michael Jackson hadn’t toured since 1997.

The Michael Jackson biopic comes 17 years later, after the huge success of Bohemian Rhapsody.

And Michael Jackson’s 1988 Moonwalker opened £660,625/£2,300,698 taking £3,401,538/£11,846,226.

In February 2025, it was said the film had a 4-hour tuning time and could be released as two films; the final version is just over 2 hours. The film had extensive reshoots last June that included having to reshoot the third act due to legal issues. The film’s soundtrack includes 13 songs sung by Michael Jackson.

It was originally set to be released in October 2025, but was delayed due to the original running time and reshoots. Footage was first screened a year ago at CinemaCon with positive reactions. The first teaser trailer was released in November, including a montage of Jackson songs. It was seen 30m times in its first six hours and 116.2m times in 24 hours, more than Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, 96.1m.

Michael is the latest Biographical musician drama after Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen), Walk the Line (Johnny Cash), Ray (Ray Charles), Elvis, Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A), A Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan), Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and Rocketman (Elton John); Upcoming musician biopics include Sam Mendes’s four Beatles films, and Ridley Scott directed Bee Gees biopic.

Over recent years, musician biopics have had mixed success, most recently Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which underwhelmed, taking £3,632,978.

2025’s A Complete Unknown dropped 36.2% £1,667,821 and £5,916,730 49.8% of £11,887,982

2006’s Walk The Line up 3.5% £1,150,472/£1,882,805 and £3,024,681 31.1% of £9,737,493/£15,835,923.

Recent musician biopics’ second weekends

2024’s Bob Marley: One Love dropped 65.6% £2,387,019 and £11,313,026, 65.8% of £17,126,572

2022’s Elvis dropped 26.3% to £2,963,292 and £10,197,943, 37.1% of £27,492,430; it had long legs, staying in the top 5 for 7 weeks and top 10 for 11 weeks.

2019’s Rocketman dropped 53.8% to £2,486,043 and £11,957,794, 50.9% of £23,502,881: top 5 for 5 weeks and top 10 for 7 weeks

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 39.7% £5,750,267 and £20,427,866 37.2% of £55,376,188.

2024’s Back To Black dropped 31.6% £1,897,014 and £6,398,157 52.1% of £12,326,656

12^th biggest film over the last 52 weeks between Wuthering Heights and The Fantastic Four (close to Superman, Mission: Impossible 8, How To Train Your Dragon and F1).

250^th biggest between How To Train Your Dragon and Doctor Strange (close to Trolls, Ghost, Cats and Dogs and Transformers) and 486^th biggest inflated between Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and How To Train Your Dragon (2010) (close to Cool Runnings, Legend, Cliffhanger and Maleficent).

Micheal Jacksom songs have climbed into the singles chart this week’ Billie Jean #13; Beat It #22; Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough #23; with the soundtrack album #4; Micheal Jack Number Ones #5; Thriller #8; Bad #13; The Essentials #14; Off The Wall #80 and the soundtrack album #1 on soundtrack album chart.

• 3. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie   £961,096 – £35,660,856

Down 12.6% in its fifth weekend.

£78k 8.1% (-39.5% £129k) Fri; £377k 39.4% (-26.6% £514k) Sat; £502k 52.5% (+10.1% £456k) Sun; Monday £598k

207th biggest fifth weekend between Migration and Cats and Dogs (close to Happy Feet, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Toy Story) and 392^nd biggest inflated fifth weekend between Ice Age II and Arachnophobia (close to Scooby-Doo Too, Hot Shots, Batman and Robin and Gremlins 2: The New Batch).

Fifth weekends

2023’s Super Mario Bros dropped 57.3% £1,309,546 and £49,062,732 89.9% of £54,578,335

2025’s A Minecraft Movie dropped 49.1% to £1,267,360 and £53,303,536, 94.4%

The fourth week targeted a similar audience.

2014’s The Lego Movie dropped 38.9% £998,176/£1,079,000 and £30,063,416 91.4% of £32,887,286/£38,760,016

2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle dropped 24.4% £1,840,248/ £1,968,009 and £32,478,009, 85.6% of £36,968,605

2022’s Uncharted dropped 20.6% £1,059,861/£1,103,964 and £21,762,317 90.3% of £24,091,881

Despite the Super Mario Galaxy Movie being similar to Super Mario Bros, and A Minecraft Movie dropping off much more heavily. Ahead of opening, it was expected to take £50m, but now it won’t top £40m. This is the problem with these films: while after it opened with £15m built on hype and FOMO, they drop off far more heavily.

126^th biggest between Zootropolis 2 and Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (close to Jumanji: The Next Level, Die Another Day, Jurassic World Dominion and Ice Age III) and 257^th biggest inflated between Zootropolis 2 and The Fugitive (close to Back to the Future Part II, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Jurassic Park 3 and Armageddon).

• 4. Hokum £626,620 – NE  

Included £58,562 from previews

Took £161k 25.88% Friday; £194k 31.19% Saturday; £150k 24.12% Sunday

2,477^th biggest opening between The Road and The Rite (close to Cold Pursuit, A League of Their Own, The Manchurian Candidate and The Rising Sun) and 2,986^th biggest opening inflated between Fly Away Home and Dark City (close to Bonfire of the Vanities, Highlander, Darkman and The Shawshank Redemption).

66^th biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between Roofman and Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (close to I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Bride!, M3GAN 2.0 and Cold Storage)

Opened in 458 cinemas and was counterprogramming for Devil Wears Prada 2.

Yet another horror that received positive reviews this year that has struggled to find an audience, maybe the problem is that there are now far too many horrors being released, despite having a limited audience.

Almost every week, there is another horror film opening; so far this year, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, Undertone, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, The Bride!, Scream 7, Send Help, Iron Lung and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, all coming short of expectations despite many of them receiving positive reviews.

• 5. Project Hail Mary £580,164 – £33,020,276

Down 30.8% in its seventh weekend

£113k 19.3% (-48.6% £218k) Fri; £217k 37.5% (-38.3% £352k) Sat; £250k 43.2% (-6.72% £268k) Sun; Monday £210k

125^th biggest seventh weekend between Peter Rabbit and Doctor Dolittle (close to A Bug’s Life, Sliding Doors, Goldeneye and Dune Part 2) and 253rd biggest inflated seventh weekend between The Theory of Everything and War of the Worlds (close to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Cast Away, Apollo 13 and Stargate).

Ryan Gosling’s last film, 2024’s The Fall Guy, took £12,126,013; next year, he returns to space in Star Wars: Starfighter. Ryan Gosling’s previous sci-fi films include 2018’s First Man, which took £7,360,906, and 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, taking £18,918,361.

Seventh weekends

2024’s Dune Part 2 dropped 49.6% £567,599 and £38,143,346 96.6% of £39,466,555

2021’s Dune dropped 41.8% £240,423 and £21,441,863 98.8% of £21,947,056;

2010’s Inception dropped 35% £699,041/£941,062 and £33,085,858 94.6% of £34,976,999/£46,851,543

2013’s Gravity dropped 44.6% £328,292/£402,698 and £26,510,772 81.8% of £32,756,514

2015’s The Martian dropped 32.4% £295,607/£328,407 and £23,106,801 97.9% of £23,589,854

2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 31.4% £960,504 and £55,413,088 94.7% of £59,550,75.

2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 40.8% £339,078/£576,649 and £29,675,989 97.7% of £30,367,791 /£51,386,687

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller previously directed.

2012’s 21 Jump Street taking £9,863,555/£12,402,995; 2014’s 22 Jump Street £18,322,998/£21,840,359. also directed 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

2014’s The Lego Movie dropped 60.3% £323,397/£349,583 and £31,636,562 96.2% of £32,887,286/£39,200,470

After the huge success of Project Hail Mary, there has been talk of a sequel, but Ryan Gosling is a one-and-done actor (as was Meryl Streep, and she finally gave in to Disney to make Devil Wears Prada 2). Author Andy Weir has also never written a sequel to one of his books.

8th biggest film over the last 52 weeks between Jurassic World Rebirth and The Housemaid (close to Mission: Impossible 8, Wuthering Heights, The Fantastic Four and How to Train Your Dragon).

140^th biggest between Suicide Squad and The Lego Movie (close to Fantastic Beasts 2, The Matrix Reloaded, Gravity, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and 292^nd biggest inflated between What Women Want and Planet of the Apes (close to Rain-Man, The Mummy (1999), The Matrix and Hook).

Box Office News

April 2026 box office took £102.5m, up 2% from April 2025’s £100.3m and up 68% from April 2024’s £60.8m.

2026’s first four months took £365m, up 7% on 2025; with three of the four months ahead of 2025’s box office.

Top April 2026 films

1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie £34.7m
2. Michael £16.1m
3. Project Hail Mary £13.9m
4. The Drama £9.6m
5. The Magic Faraway Tree £8.5m
6. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy £2m
7. Hoppers £2m
8. Akira £1.3m
9. All My Sons – NT Live 2026 £784,792
10. You, Me & Tuscany £754,496

Key to this has been that these films attract different audiences across all demographics; they build audiences and don’t cannibalise them, while tentpoles open bigger, but cannibalise the market. The Devil Wears Prada 2 demographic is very different to Micheal, they complement each other, then The Sheep Detectives and Mortal Kombat II this weekend, they play to two more demographics.

While it’s also these films that grow the market and build audiences, as films like The Housemaid, The Drama, Marty Supreme and The Magic Fairway Tree weren’t expected to attract such wide audiences, they received them, but The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary, Wuthering Heights, Hamnet, Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 were. The problem is that now the switch is to tentpoles that will open big, dropping big with the next tentpole opening big, and all of them performing exactly as expected.

Universal Pictures have started the year strongly with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Micheal and Hamnet; Lionsgate with the 2026 holdover box office of The Housemaid. Entertainment Films have had their best BO performance since 2014’s The Inbetweeners Movie 2 with Mother’s Pride, The Drama and The Magic Faraway Tree. Disney have started the year slowly with Avatar: Fire And Ash and Hoppers coming short of expectations but then of course have the likes of The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5, Moana and Avengers: Doomsday.

Year-to-date top 10 films (2026 BO only)

1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie £34.7m
2. Project Hail Mary £32.4m
3. Wuthering Heights £25.3m
4. The Housemaid £23.5m
5. Hamnet £19m
6. Michael £16.1m
7. Avatar: Fire And Ash£15.5m
8. The Magic Faraway Tree £14m
9. Hoppers £14m
10. Goat £13.3m

The top 10 of the year so far highlights this with only two sequels, three films that play strongly to female audiences and older audiences and four very different family films, along with Project Hail Mary that played to all demographics, old and young.

The next 8 months will be much more predictable with many tentpoles opening week after week, all taking their expected box office despite box office analysts’ hyperbole claiming they have opened bigger than expected.

By the end of the year probably only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary and Micheal will remain in the years top 10 with the rest filled with the usual suspected.

——————–

BO is currently up 8% from 2025.

The weekend’s top 10 box office took £19,501,414, up 28.2% from last weekend’s £15,212,731:  2,213,448 admissions, up 16.5% from 1,899,217 admissions.

5^th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 04 July 2025 #1 Jurassic World: Rebirth £12,493,782 (61.77%) and 26 December 2025 #1 Avatar: Fire And Ash £6,062,546 (31.54%)

21^st biggest since cinemas reopened out of 285 weeks between 01 July 2022 #1 Minions: The Rise Of Gru £10,424,758 (53.33%) and 04 April 2025 #1 A Minecraft Movie £15,013,136   (77.30%)

97^th biggest top 10 of the last 25 years (out of 1,256) between 01 July 2022 #1 Minions: The Rise Of Gru £10,424,758 (53.33%) and 04 April 2025 #1 A Minecraft Movie £15,013,136   (77.30%) and 235^th biggest inflated between 30 March 2007 #1 Mr Beans Holiday £6,440,093 (52.37%) and 12 July 2002 #1 Scooby-Doo £5,129,109 (49.29%)

The top 3 took £17,302,335 (88.7%) of the top 10; The Devil Wears Prada 2 47.84% (£9,329,512); Micheal 35.95% (£7,011,727); The Super Mario Galaxy Movie 4.93% (£961,096)

328^th biggest percentage share #1 (47.84%) between 11 April 2003 #1 Johnny English £3,435,342 (48.02%) and 12 May 2006 #1 Mission: Impossible III £2,751,733 (47.83%)

228^th biggest admissions (1,164,733) between 28 June 2019 #1 Toy Story 4 £8,284,437 (1,165,181) and 05 October 2012 #1 Taken 2 £7,378,048 (1,158,249)

Up 81.26% from 2025; (£10,759,008); Thunderbolts*(£5,979,242); Bluey At The Cinema: Let’s Play Chef (£179,176); Bonnie & Clyde The Musical (£71,163); Monty Python And The Holy Grail (50th Anniversary) (£49,362); #1 Thunderbolts* £5,979,242 1st week 669 screens (55.57% of top 10)

Up 124.30% from 2024; (£8,694,226); The Fall Guy (£3,598,996); Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace (£1,159,370); Tarot (£509,181); Macbeth: Ralph Fiennes And Indira Varma (£184,758); London 2024 (Opera) Carmen – ROH (£69,785); #1 The Fall Guy £3,598,996 1st week 697 screens (41.4% of top 10)

Up 30.11% from 2023; (£14,988,771); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (£12,079,820); Return To Seoul (£75,273); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £12,079,820 1st week 704 screens (80.59% of top 10)

Down 17.68% from 2022 (£23,689,265); Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (£19,765,718); Turandot – Met Opera 2022 (£110,203); Cabaret (50th Anniversary) (£19,238); Thunderball (Re: 2022) (£7,907); #1 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness £19,765,718 1st week 684 screens (83.4% of top 10)

2021 Lockdown

2020 Lockdown

Up 8.12% from 2019: (£17,607,835); Long Shot (£856,333); The Curse of La Llorona (£609,745); Tolkien (£554,835); #1 Avengers: Endgame £14,331,192 67% drop 2nd week 677 screens (81.4% of top 10)

Up 47.30% from 2018: (£13,239,297); I Feel Pretty (£1,272,154); The Strangers: Prey at Night (£205,325); Tully (£138,674); Mary and the Witch’s Flower (£119,129); Lean on Pete (£85,597); 102 Not Out (£68,302); #1 Avengers: Infinity War £10,143,580 66% drop 652 screens 2nd week (76.6% of top 10)

Up 82% from 2017: (£10,714,932); A Dog’s Purpose (£1,300,097); Sleepless (£369,004); Mindhorn (£280,483); Unlocked (£258,452); Whisky Galore (£49,205); Lost in London (£25,248); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £6,097,082 2nd week 54% drop 634 screens (56.9% of top 10)

Up 85.95% from 2016: (£10,605,061): Bad Neighbours 2 (£1,691,699); Florence Foster Jenkins (£712,899); Robinson Crusoe (£575,321); I Saw the Light (£17,248); Knight of Cups (£10,323); #1 Captain America: Civil War £4,806,575 605 screens 2nd week (45.3% of top 10)

Up 30.13% from 2015; (£14,986,028); Far from the Madding Crowd (£1,450,297); Unfriended (£1,346,952); Two by Two (£566,871); Monsters: Dark Continent (£34,820); #1 Avengers: The Age of Ultron £8,591,670 589 screens 2nd week 57.32% 53% drop

Up 176.69% from 2014: (£7,048,138); Pompeii (£1,165,551); Tarzan (£808,174); Plastic (£154,441); Brick Mansions (£137,153); #1 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 £1,984,667 3rd week 41% drop 513 screens (28.2% of top 10)

Up 95.07% from 2013: (£10,240,223); 21 and Over (£772,235); All Stars (£563,563); I’m So Excited (£310,908); Dead Man Down (£294,125); Chimpanzee (£54,780); #1 Iron Man 3 £6,307,191 2nd week 558 screens 54% drop (61.6% of top 10)

Up 4.24% from 2012 (£18,708,577); American Pie: Reunion (£6,334,539); The Lucky One (£1,159,435); Beauty and the Beast 3D (£685,024); Safe (£679,716); Silent House (£214,731); #1 Avengers Assemble £8,121,916 2nd week 523 screens 49% drop (43.4% of top 10)

Up 102.99% from 2011; (£9,607,222); Water for Elephants (£1,270,483); Hanna (£1,135,782); Something Borrowed (£707,863); 13 Assassins (£124,377); #1 Thor £1,946,695 64% drop 2nd week 503 screens (44.4% of top 10)

Up 94.24% from 2010: (£10,040,063); Furry Vengeance (£1,778,050); Nightmare on Elm Street (£1,342,837); Hot Tub Time Machine (£904,959); The Back-Up Plan (£710,201); Four Lions (£608,608); #1 Iron Man 2 £3,214,776 58% drop 2nd week 522 screens (32% of top 10)

Up 51.01% from 2009; (£12,914,013); X-Men Origins: Wolverine (£6,658,979); The Hannah Montana Movie (£2,030,657); The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (£976,780); Is Anybody There? (£123,309)#1 X-Men Origins: Wolverine £6,658,979 1st week 488 screens (51.5% of top 10)

Up 98.18% from 2008; (£9,840,435); Iron Man (£5,465,103); Nim’s Island (£820,218); Made of Honour (£749,611); #1 Iron Man £5,465,103 1st week 500 screens (55.54%)

Up 29.66% from 2007: (£15,039,874); Spider-Man 3 (£11,827,013); Bridge to Terabitha (£1,045,444); Goya’s Ghosts (£49,660); #1 Spider-Man 3 £11,827,013 1st week 522 screens (78.6% of top 10)

Up 142.79% from 2006; (£8,032,130); Mission: Impossible III (£5,378,013); Confetti (£635,072); #1 Mission: Impossible III £5,378,013 1st week 512 screens (66.9% of top 10)

Up 179.01% from 2005: (£6,989,592); Kingdom of Heaven (£2,530,445); Machuca (£15,148); #1 Kingdom of Heaven £2,530,445 1st week 447 screens (36.2% of top 10)

Up 235.96% from 2004 (£5,804,618); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (£1,045,501); Secret Window (£759,162); Our House (£146,061); #1 Kill Bill – Volume 2 (£ 1,456,152); 2nd week 47% drop 409 screens (25.1% of top 10)

Up 74.34% from 2003: (£11,186,072); X-Men 2 (£7,037,861); The Heart of Me (£52,466); Half Past Dead (£45,708); #1 X-Men 2 £7,037,861 1st week 449 screens (62.9% of top 10)

Up 169.49%  from 2002 (£7,236,442); The Panic Room (£2,022,582); Showtime (£486,753); #1 About A Boy £2,239,288 4468 screens 2nd week (30.9% of top 10)

2025 Next week: (£5,440,835); Ocean With David Attenborough (£574,551); The Surfer (£132,274); The Wedding Banquet (£38,628); #1 Thunderbolts* £2,362,481 2^nd weekend 60% drop 675 screens (43.42% of top 10)

US Box Office

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 – 20^th Century Studios

Opened $76.74m; received positive reviews (77% Rotten Tomatoes and A- CinemaScore

Took $10m from Thursday previews; Beauty and the Beast $16.3m; Lilo & Stitch $14.5m; The Little Mermaid $10.5m; Fifty Shades of Grey $8.6m; It Ends With Us $7m; Freakier Friday $3.1m

EntTelligence said Devil 2 had 5m admissions with an average price of $14.56 and an average PLF of $17.91; 29% of the opening came from PLF, and a lot more came from premium seating.

Tracking ahead of opening was $65m in early April, going up to $75m-$80m before the worldwide premiere, but this should have increased over the last two weeks to $90m+, but it came in at the low end of early tracking shows. Disney controlled the narrative around the premiere, stopping it from getting the normal bounce over the 10 days before opening. As is normally the case with Disney films, they lowball estimates when they say $73m+, they mean $80m+, and Sunday estimates were $77m, which normally meant a close to $90m opening, but it came in slightly under.

The budget for the sequel was over $100m before marketing, compared to the original having a $40m budget.

Women over 25 made up 63% of its audience, while women under 25 made up only 12%. Men under 25 were an almost invisible 2%. This film was carried by the generation that grew up with the original, not by Gen Z. The studio’s expensive influencer campaign largely missed its target.

As Laura Dern said in Jurassic Park, “Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the earth.”

Despite this, many box office analysts seemed to be surprised that the female-targeted audience opened as strongly despite the massive media and promotional coverage the film has received. While it might not be an MCU film that normally opens over the first weekend of May, it was for female audiences, as they had been waiting for the sequel for almost 20 years. As seen by Nielsen, streaming viewership for the original film was up 428% from March 2026 to April 2026.

Hype, nostalgia and FOMO were always going to get a huge opening for The Devil Wears Prada 2 the big question was how will it hold in its second weekend, on Monday it dropped 70% which was similar to Monday drops for Thunderbolts and The Fall Guy (opening the same weekend over the last two years) in comparison 20 years ago The Devil Wears Prada dropped only 20%. While Devil 2 took $18.74m on Sunday, The Devil Wears Prada took $8.83m, on Monday the original film took $7.01m, more than Devil 2, $5.69m. The first Monday for the first film was the day before July 4^th, but still, 20 years later, it should still have taken more? The key day will be Discount Tuesday to see its increase.

While the original film struggled to get the fashion industries involvement as they were scared of the wrath of Anna Wintour all fashion brands and other companies were desperate be part of the films promotional campaigns including Dior, Tiffany & Co, Diet Coke, Hilton (Waldorf), GE Cafe, Google, Grey Goose, Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris, Samsung, Starbucks, Zillow, TRESemmé, United Airlines and Mercedes Benz.

It was no wonder that social media reach across TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram and Facebook was huge, over 500m. Wicked: For Good was 1.3 bn.

Articles on Showbiz 411 and Filmofilia posted tweets from critics who have given far less positive reactions to the press, who saw it days before opening. Disney have been desperate to control the narrative, as Deadline says it’s going to have a huge global opening of about $200m, but they were lowballing the global opening and overestimated the US opening.

28% of all scheduled weekend showtimes were for Devil Wears Prada 2; Michael (19%), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (11%), and Project Hail Mary (7%). While Devil 2 opened in 4,150 cinemas, it must have played in over 15,000 screens.

There is always a double standard in the way some box office analysts treat women-targeting films, despite so many of them over recent years outperforming and having long legs like The Housemaid. Saying that because it’s a female audience, it will be front-loaded is surely misogynistic. As male-targeted films are often more front-loaded as they are fan-led, do they drop heavily in their second weekend?

Opened in 1,000+ PLF; 200+ DBOX/Motion screens, and 100 ScreenX screens (IMAX with Michael)

146^th biggest opening between Halloween and Shang-Chi (close to Oz the Great and Powerful, I Am Legend, The Simpsons Movie and The Lost World: Jurassic Park)

Took $20m+ from presales ahead of opening, higher than Project Hail Mary and Dune Part 2.

2006’s The Devil Wears Prada opened $27.53m/$52.5m, taking $124.74m/$237.9m and $326.72m/$623.1m worldwide; surprisingly, it only received 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and received a B CinemaScore, as reviews for the sequel look far worse than the original.

2008’s Sex and the City opened $57.1m/$99.3m taking $152.64m/$265.6m and $418.76m/$728.5m worldwide

2010’s Sex and the City 2 opened $31m/$49.1m taking $95.34m/$151m and $290.74m/$460.5m WW

2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey opened $85.2m/$126.2m taking $166.2m/$246.2m and $570m/$844m WW

Opened $156.6m from 82 territories and $233.6m worldwide; Italy $16.6m; Brazil $12.6m; UK $12m; Mexico $11.7m; Australia $9.4m; China $8.5m; Germany $8.3m; France $8m; Japan $6.1m; Spain $5.2m; S. Korea $4.8m.

• Michael – Lionsgate

Dropped 44% in its second weekend, $54.4m and $184.2m

EntTelligence said Michael’s basic price was $15.01, and the average PLF price was $18.56

64^th biggest second weekend between Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (close to Superman, Joker, Inside Out and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice).

By Monday, Michael was Lionsgate’s biggest film in the US post Covid, topping John Wick: Chapter 4 ($187.1m). Lionsgate will surely be thinking, why didn’t they trust the film enough not to have to be in Universal Pictures as the foreign distributor, as they would have surely made much more from global presales to their international distribution partners, whom they have been selling films to for many years. The Housemaid recently took almost 70% of its $400m internationally.

Michael’s audience was 61% female, and 66% were aged 25 or older. Its audience was also diverse across racial lines (38% Black, 26% Latino, 26% white). This was a multi-generational, multi-ethnic hit driven by fans of Jackson’s music. Why was it able to hold so strongly against The Devil Wears Prada 2, as the two films played to very different audiences, so the films didn’t cannibalise themselves? Both films won big by serving their natural, loyal audiences.

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 38.9% to $31.2m and $100.36m of $216.66m and $910.81m WW.

2015’s Straight Outta Compton dropped 56.2% to $26.36m and $111.08m of $161.19m and $201.6m WW

 2024’s Bob Marley: One Love dropped 45% to $13.45m and $71.14m of $96.98m and $181.02m worldwide

2019’s Rocketman dropped 46.3% to $13.81m and $50.31m of $96.36m and $195.32m worldwide

Tickets went on sale in March, the embargo was late, but Liongate knew critical reaction would be poor but it didn’t matter with film like Micheal as with Bohemian Rhapsody it was for Micheal Jackson’s fans who just wanted to see him as they still do as he was in 1996 they don’t believe the allegations or controversy that has surrounded him ever since, they just love hm for his music and how it made them feel 30  years ago which is how it make them feel today.

Michael Jackson added 5m Spotify listeners during the film’s opening weekend; from 68m to 73m, and the Jackson 5 increased 8.7m to 9.7m; Jackson’s streams increased 95% from 16.3m combined streams to 31.7m. The Jackson had an 85% increase from 1.3m streams to 2.4m. Billie Jean got 17m more streams and now has 2.652bn streams. Beat It 1m more streams and 1.7bn total, and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough 7.5m more streams and now 729m.

Michael trailer in November was the most viewed ever in Lionsgate history with 116.2m views in its first 24 hours.

2009’s Micheal Jackson: This Is It dropped 43.4% $13.15m and $57.01m of $72.09m and $267.98m worldwide; the documentary was the biggest musician film in the US until 2023’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour dropped 64.4% $33.22m and $132.4m of $180.75m and $261.65m worldwide; This Is It was a documentary about the This Is It concerts that never happened after Micheal Jackson died two weeks before his first London concert was due to happen in June 2009. While Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was her full summer concert.

As with Bohemian Rhapsody, critics were probably expecting/hoping a biopic more like Oliver Stone’s The Doors, but as that received mixed reviews and was poorly received by fans and surviving members of The Doors, With Micheal Jackson’s estate producing the film, it was always going to be a sanitised version of Michael Jackson’s life without any of the controversial issues. Queen, as the most important thing for them, was not to harm the legacy of the band or Freddie Mercury.

Social media 417.9m Michael followers across TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook, and Instagram; Elvis 278.6m; Bohemian Rhapsody 242.1m; Rocketman 113.5m; House of Gucci 407m; Jaafar Jackson 500k; Nia Long at 10m; Laura Harrier 1.5m; Coleman Domingo 1.5m; Juliano Krue Valdi 1.4m.

After Michael opened so strongly, talk of the sequel is back, but as this film ends at the high point of Michael Jackson’s career in the summer of 1998, the Bad Concert in London. The second film will surely be far more complicated with the allegations, legal action and would have to include his death, so it will have a much sadder end to his story and likely not play as widely.

Took $24.4m worldwide from IMAX; $13.8m US and $10.8m internationally.

Took $80.9m from 82 territories, $240.1m total, and $423.9m worldwide; UK $30m; France $21.2m; Mexico $17.8m; Italy $15.7m; Brazil $14.9m; Spain $13.8m; Germany $13.7m; Australia $13.4m; China – $8.5m; Colombia $6.6m.

• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – Universal Pictures

Dropped 41% in its fifth weekend, $12.1m and $401.68m.

78^th biggest fifth weekend between Toy Story 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King (close to Captain Marvel, Hoodwinked, Night at the Museum and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; A Minecraft Movie #56 $13.72m; The Super Mario Bros. Movie #22 $18.55m

59^th biggest between The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (close to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Spider-Man: Far from Home,      Finding Nemo and Minions: The Rise of Gru); A Minecraft Movie #39 $424.1m and The Super Mario Bros. Movie #17 $574.93m

Took $37.3m IMAX worldwide.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie took almost 40% less than The Super Mario Bros. Movie in its third weekend and almost 20% less than its total after three weekends, despite having a similar opening weekend. This will see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie taking less than $450m.

Rumours are that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 3 will be released in Easter 2029, adding more characters.

Third weekends

2023’s Super Mario Bros dropped 54.6% $18.55m and $510.79m of $574.93m and $1.36bn worldwide

2025’s A Minecraft Movie dropped 39.5% $13.72m and $398.23m of $424.08m and $960.38m worldwide

2014’s The Lego Movie dropped 47.6% $10.91m and $224.87m of $257.96m and $470.75m worldwide

2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle dropped 30.6% $19.5m and $316.45m of $404.54m and $962.54m WW

2023’s Barbie dropped 37.8% to $21.03m and $566.81m of $636.23m and $1.447bn WW

136th biggest worldwide between Shrek Forever After and Suicide Squad (close to Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Monsters University); A Minecraft Movie #70 $960.38m and The Super Mario Bros. Movie #20 $1.36bn

Took $32.2m from 82 territories and $491.5m and $894.2m worldwide; Mexico $63.8m; UK $47.4m; France $45.6m; Germany $39.4m; Australia $26.6m; Japan $22.7m; Spain $22.6m; China $19.9m; Brazil $17m; Italy $16.2m.

• Project Hail Mary – MGM/Amazon

Dropped 37% in its seventh weekend, $7m and $320m.

31^st biggest sixth weekend between E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Inside Out 2 (close to Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Incredibles 2 and Jurassic World)

EntTelligence’s average ticket prices are $15.53 (standard) and $18.89 (PLF/IMAX).

113^th biggest between Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Skyfall (close to Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Independence Day,       The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Sixth Sense).

Available in selected cinemas is an audio commentary from the directors that can be played by an app while you watch the film. Directors’ commentaries were a common addition on DVDs, but now that the home entertainment sector is a fraction of what it used to be, these are a rarity.

Took $92.4m from IMAX worldwide: Dune Part 2 took $58.3m from IMAX in the US and $50.7m internationally, with an additional $15m from China from 1,600 IMAX cinemas.

201^st biggest worldwide between The Wandering Earth II and The Passion of the Christ (close to The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Casino Royale, War of the Worlds, and I Am Legend); Ready Player One #203 $607.87m; The Martian #188 $630.62m; F1: The Movie #185 $634m; Dune: Part Two #152 $74.84m

Took $7.4m internationally and $320.1m from 71 territories and $638.4m worldwide; UK $43.9m; China $40m; Australia $25.75m; Germany $10.3m; S. Korea $20m.

• Hokum – Neon

Opened $6.42m; received positive reviews (87% Rotten Tomatoes) and a B CinemaScore

Took $900k from Thursday previews including $300k from Mystery screenings); Bring Her Back $850k

Opened bigger than 2024’s Immaculate $5.3m, taking $15.67m and $34.85m worldwide

Had its world premiere at SXSW, building up strong buzz since, but horror films this year have struggled to find an audience; maybe it’s because there seems to be a new one released almost every week, and horror fans won’t see all of them in the cinema. In two weeks, Obsession opens, Passengers the week after, then Backrooms, Scary Movie, Leviticus, Trash and Evil Dead Burn.

While over the last few months Scream 7, Send Help, Iron Lung, Primate, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Undertone, They Will Kill You, The Strangers: Chapter 3, Return to Silent Hill, Psycho Killer and The Bride! All of them, apart from Send Help, are performing lower than expected and are very front-loaded. It’s hard to see the upcoming horrors doing much better despite many of them getting good reviews.

 UK Box Office Top 10

Box Office Preview

As most weekends this year have holdovers, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael playing to different demographics, and the new releases play to different demographics than them, Mortal Kombat II to under 35s males, and The Sheep Detectives to families.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 will drop about 45% in its second weekend, taking between £5.2m-£5.6m

Having a slightly bigger second weekend drop than 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada, dropping 43% £1,870,080/£3,075,840 and £6,751,301, 49.3% of £13,681,185/£22,502,319; with a similar inflated second weekend to 2008’s Sex and the City, £3,085,231/£4,752,442 and £16,062,366, 61.2% of £26,232,557/£40,408,227

This is similar to the difference between 2003’s Freaky Friday dropping 40.8% and 2025’s Freakier Friday dropping 47.9%.

While the original Devil Wears Prada has been beloved by audiences over the last 20 years found its bigger audience on video as it dropped off after 5 weeks, and Devil 2 will surely have a faster drop-off, as while immediate fan reaction was stronger, unless it plays younger, it will struggle to find a wider audience. But as with Sex and the City, younger audiences grew up with many similar TV shows, from The Bold Type, Younger and Unreal. As with the Sex and the City spinoff show, And Just Like That, which didn’t connect with fans who didn’t grow up with the Sex and the City TV show, it’s unlikely Devil 2 will.

Michael loses IMAX screens to Mortal Kombat II and will drop 30%-40% in its third weekend as it also has competition from Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour.

In 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 21% in its third weekend, £4,559,647/£5,058,556, taking £28,907,411, 52.6% of £54,948,727/£60,961,122, but Michael won’t hold as strongly, taking £4m-£4.6m.

After The Sheep Detectives took £1.61m from previews Sat/Sun/Mon) It should take similar over the weekend as the positive word of mouth will help it have a strong opening this weekend, taking £3m+ including previews.

Holds weekend previews (Sat/Sun/Mon) ahead of its opening next weekend. It has received excellent reviews (one of Hugh Jackman’s best-reviewed films).

The Sheep Detective will play to younger audiences and families as there is a hint of Babe in the premise and tone, which was 1995’s great surprise success story, opening to £1.36m, taking £19.36m in the UK after excellent word of mouth that saw it playing in cinemas for months. £44.56m today, similar to Paddington films.

The Sheep Detectives has shades of Babe, the ensemble wit of Chicken Run, and the quiet family-word-of-mouth potential of Paddington if it lands with audiences. But more likely similar to films like Shaun the Sheep Movie and The Bad Guys, it feels like The Thursday Murder Club with sheep and could be the feel-good counterprogramming to louder FOMO tentpoles. Think The Thursday Murder Club… only woollier.

The Sheep Detectives has the kind of quirky title and warm, gently offbeat trailer that could appeal to families looking for an alternative to louder tentpole fare. If audiences take to it, and if exhibitors give it room to breathe, this could be the sort of sleeper hit that grazes steadily through to half-term three weeks later.

Mortal Kombat II is harder to predict as the predecessor film opened the weekend cinemas reopened in the UK for the second time for COVID in May 2021 with £319,313 #6 from 340 sites, including £124,464 in previews. The sequel comes with a much higher profile and opens in IMAX with fan previews on Thursday, but the 90s films also underperformed in the UK.

The Mortal Kombat video game series has sold more than 100 million worldwide, while 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1 has sold about 8m copies and UK sales were said to be down 38% on Mortal Kombat 11. It has a loyal fanbase, but much smaller than Super Mario Bros or Minecraft, and closer to Street Fighter, also having a film reboot this year.

Opening a month after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and two weeks before Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, and with Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 playing to different demographics, Mortal Kombat II could find a short but useful lane among younger male audiences underserved by the current releases.

Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour; from Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour in Manchester, directed by James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron).

2023’s Billie Eilish: Live At The O2 (Extended Cut) opened at £329,407 #10 from 256 screens

While 2011’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (3D) opened £820,592/£1,084,644 taking £1,993,888/£2,635,486, and Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour is likely to open similarly.

Coming Soon

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu – Walt Disney

Star Wars spinoff film based on the Star Wars spinoff TV series The Mandalorian starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver and directed by Jon Favreau.

It’s Disney’s sixth Star Wars film they have released since 2015, and they have also made over 10 Star Wars spinoff TV shows since 2019 (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi/Empire, Visions, and Young Jedi Adventures).

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is a follow-up to The Mandalorian, which had 3 series between 2019 and 2023 on Disney+. It is also the first Star Wars film released since the polarised Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. After not releasing a Star Wars film for 7 years, Disney will release two Star Wars films within 12 months, along with re-releasing the original Star Wars film in February in cinemas for its 50^th anniversary, similar to 20^th Century Fox re-releasing the film for its 25^th anniversary in 1997.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu feel less like a film than a 2hr marketing promotion to sell millions of Grogu toys. Last year, Lilo & Stitch reimagination took $1n worldwide in cinemas and sold many more times that in merchandising. As with Toy Story 5, these films are less about BO but merchandising and theme park rides.

The Mandalorian series 3 had 5.72m views in its first 2 days, and 6.5 billion minutes were watched over its first 12 weeks. This number sounds huge, but you need to divide 6.5bn minutes by 303 mins, the length of series 3, so it was watched by 21.4m, but this was only 14% of Disney+ subscribers in 2023. So, the question, as with other Disney+ film spinoffs from TV shows, will Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu will play beyond their TV audience. It is also 3 years since series 3, and the trailers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu have been poorly received, so expectations are low for the film. This, of course, could suit Disney as they can twist the narrative to make it look like it opens far bigger than expected, but it is still a Star Wars film post-Disney acquisition, so it can’t be seen as similar to 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Lucasfilm had planned to make a fourth series of The Mandalorian, but opted to make the film instead. It’s unknown if a fourth series could follow the film, but that is likely.

The first teaser trailer was released in September. The trailer should have been a massive event, being the first Star Wars film since 2019, but the reaction was underwhelming. TV spot followed at the Super Bowl, which was similarly received. The trailer was released in February reaction was slightly better. The first 17 minutes were shown at CinemaCon in April.

The Mandalorian and Grogu are tracking to open with $90m-$100m over Memorial Weekend in the US, which is much less than Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and will have the lowest Disney Star Wars opening since 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story ($84.4m).

The Mandalorian and Grogu surely face similar issues as The Marvels and Thunderbolts*, both featuring characters from MCU TV series and not from the films, meaning only for the fans of the TV shows, and will struggle to play out beyond that audience?

• Passengers – Paramount Pictures

Supernatural horror starring Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo and directed by André Øvredal.

The trailer received positive reactions on social media, but horrors have struggled to find an audience so far this year. As counterprogramming to Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, it might spark some interest, but as with all horrors so far this year, it’s going to be front-loaded.

• Finding Emily – Universal Pictures

Rom-com starring Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn and Minnie Driver and directed by Alicia MacDonald, written by Rachel Hirons, and produced by Working Title Films.

It was originally called CC: Emily, which would have been a better title for it, as Finding Emily feels like a much more generic title that doesn’t make it stand out from so many other titles.