1. Downtown Abbey – £5,180,865 – NE

Had the 244^th biggest opening in the UK between Legend and Alien: Covenant (close to Rocketman, Paddington, Trainspotting 2 and Murder on the Orient Express) and 331^st biggest inflation inflated between  The Wolverine and Zootropolis (close to The Bodyguard, The BFG, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Universal Pictures UK 31st biggest opening between How to Train Your Dragon 3 and The Grinch and 38th biggest inflation inflated between The Bourne Legacy and The Grinch.

37.3%+ 2015’s The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opening £3,771,852 taking £15,575,797

Opened 28.1%+ 2016’s Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie opening £4,042,959 (taking £15,297,486)

20.4%+ 2014’s Mrs. Brown’s Boys d’Movie opening £4,301,306 (taking £14,290,727)

3.9%+ 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express opening £4,985,600 (taking £23,900,453)

9.4% less than 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary opening £5,720,292 taking £41,692,598

40.4% less than 2008’s Sex and the City opening £8,767,265 taking £26,232,557

Had one of the biggest openings ever in the UK opening in 728 cinemas but playing in over 1,500 screens.

September has been a strong date to open British based films including

2018 – King of Thieves opened £1,535,876 taking £6,043,321

2017 – Victoria and Abdul opened £1,846,970 taking £9,434,937

2016 – Bridget Jones’s Baby opened £8,111,077 taking £48,150,737

2015 – Legend opened £5,189,074 taking £18,202,111

2014 – Pride opened £718,778 taking £3,803,562

2013- Rush opened £2,099,308 taking £9,793,677

2011- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy opened £2,814,860 taking £14,133,500

2006 – The Queen opened £856,273 taking £9,381,693

2003 Calendar Girls opened £1,762,505 taking £20,174,133

While younger audiences are fickle going quickly from one new megamovie to the next the grey pound is much more loyal and lucrative, and they also go to the cinema as much during the week as the weekend; 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express took £8,612,958 in its opening 7 days taking 42% of its box office (£3,627,358) Mon- Thurs and dropped only 12% in its second weekend from £4,985,600 to £4,376,429 going on to take £23,900,453, Downtown Abbey could take £30m+.

Downtown Abbey was originally conceived as a spinoff of 2001’s Gosford Park also written by  Julian Fellowes opened with £837,169 taking £12.3m.

7.6m watched the first episode of the first series in 2010 on ITV, 9m watched the first episodes of season two and season three, 9.2m watched first episode of series 4 and 8.4m watch first episode of series 5. The final episode of Downtown Abbey was broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Day 2015 with an audience of 6.9m with another 4m watching on catchup with a total of 10.9m. Was the most watched TV programme on Christmas Day, the first time ITV had managed to do so  in 15 years.

Since the final episode was broadcast on ITV on Christmas Day 2015 had been rumours of a spinoff film, in July 2018 it was announced a film would be made and Universal Pictures would release the film worldwide.

In September 2018 it was dated for release in the UK September 13th and a week later in the US, Danny Boyle’s Yesterday was previously dated to open which was brought forward to June.

Films based on British TV shows have had mixed success at the box office the hits mostly based comedy series The Inbetweeners Movie, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Ali G Indahouse, Kevin & Perry Go Large, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Bean, Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie, In the Loop. But then there have been misses including The Bad Education Movie, Dads Army, Guest House Paradiso, Keith Lemon: The Film.

Films based on drama series including The Avengers, Edge of Darkness, The Saint, Spooks, State of Play, The Sweeney, The Singing Detective and Widows have had more mixed success.

Downtown Abbey is still very popular ITV4 have been showing all episodes every evening for the last few weeks. Universal Pictures acquired British production company Carnival Films who made Downtown Abbey the TV series and also produced the film. While they have had strong success making TV series over the last 41 years Downtown Abbey is their third feature film, their other two 1997’s Firelight and 1991’s Under Suspicion were far from successful.

Had its world premiere on September 9th; ITV’s This Morning have a Downtown Abbey special the day before the film opened on September 12th.

Opened with $11.7m from 17 territories 54% from UK ($6.4m)

2. It Chapter 2 – £3,161,317  – £13,596,306

Down 57.1% in its second weekend;  taking 35.8% less than It Chapter One after 10 days on release £21,168,697 65% of its £32,340,000 total; if It Chapter Two holds similarly will take £20m+ 62% of It box office.

It Chapter Two had 190^th biggest second weekend between Ted and Solo: A Star Wars Story (close to The Sixth Sense, Twilight, Prometheus and X-Men 2) and 279^th biggest inflation inflated between Little Fockers and Lilo & Stitch (close to The Hangover Part III, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Jurassic Park 3 and Paranormal Activity 2.

2017’s It Chapter 1 dropping 39% £6,070,542 in its second weekend

2019 has been a very disappointing year for Warner Bros with It Chapter Two already their second biggest film of the year after The Lego Movie 2 (£18.6m) also took about 30% less than the first film).

Warner Bros will be hoping after all the critical acclaim and strong buzz Joker has generated at Venice and Toronto Film Festivals it will also bring out cinemagoers in two weeks’ time as The Kitchen opens this weekend and The Goldfinch next weekend after both flopped in the US are unlikely to do much better in the UK, which leaves Doctor Sleep as their other major release for 2019 opening Halloween/Brexit day.

Warner Bros will be hoping for a better 2020 but have a much stronger slate as do all of Disney rivals who seemed to of waved the white flag this year as none of their rivals have managed to get close to Disney this year.

3. Hustlers – £1,353,324  –  NE

Had 1,029^th biggest opening in the UK between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Thunderbirds (close to Mean Girls, Phone Booth, Blockers and Unfriended) and 1,116^th biggest inflation inflated between This is 40 and Jupiter Ascending (close to Bad Moms, Girls Trip, Horrible Bosses 2 and Killers)

Had STX’s biggest opening in the UK to date overtaking last years I Feel Pretty £1.27m; many people believe UK box office is equal to 10% of US would mean Hustlers should have opened with over £3m, but 10% is normally just for mainstream blockbusters, Hustles opened instead with 4.08% similar to Straight Outta Compton, The Fast and the Furious, 21 Jump Street and Us.

Hustlers had its world premiere over the weekend at the Toronto Film Festival receiving positive reviews, its surprising STX have opted to open Hustlers against Downton Abbey as both are targeting female demographic despite being a stripper film Hustlers is very much a film about women, starring women for women. More targetting the Magic Mike audience than the Striptease and Showgirls male audience.

2012’s Magic Mike opened with £2,651,015 taking £8,111,970

2015’s Magic Mike XXL opened with £1,575,092 £6,707,029; which opened similar to 2016’s Bad Moms £1,471,466 taking £8,141,704.

Distributors used to date films locally but now majority of studio films open day and date, while that might work for most it doesn’t when a film opens ahead as Downtown Abbey did this weekend as it meant were both targetting the female audience. Last year Warner Bros opened Crazy Rich Asians three weeks after the US opening with  £1,599,858 6% of its $26,510,140 US opening, which also starred Constance Wu.

Hustlers could of benefitted opening a few weeks after its US opening as it would have allowed it to build on the buzz from the US, that said had it received poor reviews at the Toronto Film Festival delaying it would of harmed its box office, but festival bookers would have only taken Hustlers if they thought it was worthy.

Hustlers is a very different stripper movie than Striptease and Showgirls as it was written/directed by women and women have the leading roles and they are manipulated the men unlike Demi Moore and Elizabeth Berkley in Striptease and Showgirls which had men controlling them. While critics have described it as the female Good Fellas

While Hustlers probably has the best last line of a film this year with Jennifer Lopez’s character Ramona saying, “It’s all a strip club,”….”You have people tossing the money and people doing the dance.” Jennifer Lopez is generating award buzz for her performance but its more likely to be Golden Globe rather than Oscar.

The film has been described as a modern-day Robin Hood story, taking money from the rich banker who “stole” from the poor, probably why the film is connecting so well with audiences after films like The Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Short glamourized what the bankers did.

STX International launched two years ago in the UK but their biggest film to date was last years I Feel Pretty opening with £1.27m taking £5.38m; have had a very disappointing 2019 with The Upside currently their biggest film of the year taking £2.2m.

The UK marketplace is very tough for independent distributors so many have launched with big fanfare as STX did two years ago announcing they acquired international rights to Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. After Martin Scorsese’s Silence flopped Paramount Pictures got cold feet and Netflix came in and acquired world rights, leaving STX without their big launch title, Netflix did similar with The Red Sea Diving Resort which was previously acquired by STX.

Over recent decades so many film distributors have launched UK operations but come up short most famously First Independent Films that spent big on two Ridley Scott directed films G.I Jane and White Squall but both films flopped, but on smaller scale was Koch Media who planned to release u to 25 films a year closed within a few years.

22 years ago this month Rank Film Distributors was sold to Carlton TV who shut it down several months later. While Rank concentrated their investment on mostly terrible US films in the 80s and 90s were the British film industry between the late 30s and 60s.

Other independent UK film distributors have been acquired by foreign companies Polygram to Universal (have had much British success with Working Title), Redbus to Lionsgate, Optimum to Studiocanal, Momentum to eOne (now sold to Hasbro) and Soda Pictures to Thunderbird. The only UK distributor to stay British and is still making British films id Entertainment Film Distributors, while they might not be the superpower they once were in the 00s to be still here 40 years on is a massive achievement.

While many believe women are being exploited in strip-bars it was interesting to see the news that the female staff of Spearmint Rhino in Sheffield this week were despite for the club to keep its licence. As while men might run most strip bars and they take 50%+ of what the women make, the women are in control as men become little boys in a candy shop and will spend hundreds and thousands of pounds without thinking to see the women dance in front of them. The last time I went a woman approached me asking  if I wanted a dance and then took me to the ATM inside the bar, after I gave her the money and she started dancing it didn’t seem to be sexy anymore I was just thinking about the money I had lost.

4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – £557,889 – £19,818,323

Down 48.5% in its 5^th weekend

Has become the 7th biggest 18 film in the UK between American Beauty and Seven

Has become Sony Pictures 21^st biggest film in the UK between Hotel Transylvania 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3 and 32^nd biggest inflation inflated between The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.

249th biggest film in the UK between Tangled and Thor: The Dark World and 355^th biggest inflation inflated between Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang and Interview with the Vampire.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino biggest film in the UK overtaking Django Unchained (£15,736,884) to become and has taken over $310m worldwide and will shortly overtake 2009’s Inglourious Basterds $321.5m worldwide but won’t overtake Django Unchained $425.36m worldwide box office.

Ahead of release it was reported that due to the deal Sony Pictures made with Quentin Tarantino to acquire distribution rights Once Upon A Time In Hollywood it would need to take over $400m worldwide to break even. Quentin Tarantino had final cut, $95m budget and 25% of first-dollar gross and the film, rights revert back to him after 10 to 20 years.

5th weekends

2013’s Django Unchained dropped 36% £685,389 taking £13,707,266 taking £12,407,764 87.1% of £15,736,884; (7^th behind A Good Day to Die Hard £4,551,116; Wreck-It Ralph £3,436,400; This is 40 £1,229,352; Les Miserables £1,126,168; Beautiful Creatures £1,109,167; I Give It A Year £1,014,707)

2009’s Inglourious Basterds dropped 36% £238,225 #11 taking £9,984,897 91.3% of £10,930,315 (£16m+ inflation inflated);

The nine Quentin Tarantino films have taken over £98m in the UK and almost £148m inflation inflated.

Sony Pictures have released 11 films so far in 2019 with Spider-Man: Far From Home and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood taking almost 80% of their 2019 £74m box office; remaining films of 2019 (A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood (received rave reviews at Toronto Film Festival over the weekend but limited international appeal even with Tom Hanks starring), Black And Blue, Charlie’s Angels, Jumanji 2, Zombieland 2 and Little Women) help Sony beat last year’s total box office of £133m?

5. The Lion King – £439,795 – £73,846,727

Down 35.9% in its ninth weekend

8th biggest film in the UK overtaking Toy Story 3 (£73,405,113) and 29th biggest inflation inflated between Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix and Beauty and the Beast.

24^th biggest 9th weekend less than -84% Avatar (£2,817,009); -78% The Greatest Showman (£2,000,922); -57% Toy Story 4 (£1,023,453); -33% Mamma Mia 2 (£487,441).-29% Frozen (£777,670); -23% Toy Story 3 (£583,013);-20% Paddington (£748,628);

But similar to Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (£485,580); Black Panther (£452,734); Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£442,768); Bohemian Rhapsody (£413,563); The Jungle Book (£412,358); Calendar Girls (£391,228).

A film staying in the top 5 for 9 weeks is normally a massive achievement as most films don’t last half as long but most films aren’t The Lion King. Ahead of release given the legacy of The Lion King being a remake of the most beloved animated film of all time, the massive success of the stage-show and the hype surrounding the film,  it should have surely taken closer to £100m similar to Avengers: Endgame.

The Greatest Showman stayed in the top 10 for 18 weeks; In its 18th weekend took £300,947 and £45,974,245 which was comparable with Titanic released 20 years earlier took £199,618 in its 18th weekend its inflation inflated box office would be a similar £374,000. With The Lion King dropping 35%-40% each week its unlikely to stay in the top 10 as long as The Greatest Showman; 2008’s Mamma Mia! had the longest stay in the top 10 this century with 20 weeks. Over previous decades it was common for films to stay in the top 10 for many months as releases weren’t so saturated so audiences saw the films over many months rather tan just their opening weeks.  

While many have called out The Lego Movie 2 and It Chapter 2 taking 25% less than first film, I would also suggest Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin, Toy Story 4 and The Lion King took about 25% less than many would have expected at the start of the year.

Holding again similar to last year’s Mamma Mia: Here we Go Again! in its 9th weekend taking £487,441 6^th (#1 The Predator £2,394,163; #2 The Nun £1,832,874; #3 Crazy Rich Asians £1,599,858; #4 King of Thieves £1,535,876; #5 Disney’s Christopher Robin £521,842); The Lion King almost held similar to last year’s Incredibles 2 £608,434 taking £54,392,749 96.9% of £56,100,000 total, If The Lion King holds similar to Incredibles 2 will take about £76m.

As The Lion King opened at the start of the summer holidays was expecting it to be leggier than all the other Disney imaginations this year the original animated film is the most beloved animated film of all time ahead of release expected it to take £100m+ but will end taking about £80m. The original 1994 animated film was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £24m (over £80m today).

12 Disney reimaginations have taken over £383m since 2010 and £394m inflation inflated; Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is Disney’s fourth reimagination opens in October sequel to Maleficent opened May 2014 with £6,590,071 taking £19,292,000 and the sequel is likely to perform similarly.

After releasing four reimaginations in 2019 Disney will only release one in 2020 and 2021 Mulan and Cruella with The Little Mermaid, Lilo & Stitch, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Prince Charming, The Jungle Book 2 and Tink in development for theatrical release and Lady and the Tramp and The Sword in the Stone to be released on Disney+.

While Aladdin and The Lion King were always expected to be massive hits it is different with Mulan and Cruella, as the original Mulan was one of Disney’s lowest grossing animated films in the UK opening with £1,648,488 taking £9,454,609 and their 33rd biggest inflation inflated (£16,938,530) taking similar box office to Moana, Coco, The Emperor’s New Groove and The Good Dinosaur. While it’s the second reimagination of 101 Dalmatians in just over 20 years.

On Tuesday Sony Pictures announced plans to remake The Princess Bride generating much outrage and anger on social media saying it was inconceivable that they could possibly remake such a perfect film as The Princess Bride. Cary Elwes said on Twitter “There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one”.

There was similar outrage over many other remakes including Jumanji, Aladdin and The Lion King but despite the anger they all were huge hits as the remakes were targetting the children of those who grew up with the originals as was the case with Disney’s Star Wars films, that are similar to the original trilogy, The Force Awaken was almost a remake of A New Hope, The Last Jedi was trying to be The Empire Strikes Back and Rise of Skywalker is likely to be similar to Return of the Jedi.

Rather than being angry on twitter, the easiest way cinemagoers can stop studios from making more of these remakes is to stop going to see them and get their children to love the original films as much as they do. As the difference with these remakes is they often play to the younger generation rather than to both parent and child as the originals did which made them films parents would watch with their children. Parents who watch the remakes with their children are seeing how they differ from the original film.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £12,155,175 up 1.5% from last weekend £11,975,243

The weekend admissions 1,618,532 up 1.5% from last weekend 1,594,573; average ticket £7.51 up 5% from last year’s £7.22 and Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

13 films opened at weekend taking (£6,808,392); Downtown Abbey 76.1% (£5,180,865); Hustlers 19.8% (£1,353,324) remaining 11 films shared 4% (£274,203);

Top three took 79.7% (£9,695,506) of the top 10; Downtown Abbey 42.6% (£5,180,865);  It Chapter 2 26% (£3,161,317); Hustlers 11.1% (£1,353,324);

Up 25.9% from 2018: (£9,647,148); The Predator (£2,394,163); Crazy Rich Asians (£1,599,858); King of Thieves (£1,535,876); #1 The Predator £2,394,163 1st week 553 screens (24.8% of top 10)

Up 5.9% from 2017: (£11,473,084); Victoria and Abdul (£1,846,970); mother! (£831,676); American Assassin (£768,951); Aces of the Jungle (£374,982); #1 It £6,070,542 2^nd week 608 down 39% screens (52.9% of the top 10)

Up 63.8% from 2016: (£7,420,952); Ben-Hur (£1,047,800); Don’t Breathe (£1,028,938); Kubo and the Two Strings (£844,027); Hell or High Water (£552,230); Captain Fantastic (£280,614); Anthropoid (£227,591); #1 Sausage Party £1,219,972 2^nd week 55% drop 533 screens (16.4% of the top 10)

Up 5.3% from 2015; (£11,539,308); Legend (£5,189,074); The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (£2,799,428); The Visit (£1,031,292); Irrational Man (£197,188); #1 Legend £5,189,074 1^st week 522 screens (44.9% of top 10)

Up 70.8% from 2014: (£7,115,583); The Boxtrolls (£2,000,597); Pride (£718,778); A Most Wanted Man (£610,312); The Wizard of Oz (Re: 2014) (£42,478); #1 The Boxtrolls £2,000,597 1^st week 510 screens (28.1% of top 10)

Up 15.2% from 2013: (£10,548,613); Insidious 2 (£2,877,742); Rush (£2,099,308); White House Down (£1,184,338); Justin and the Knights of Valour (£831,011); In a World… (£35,178); 42 (£3,797); #1 Insidious 2 £2,877,742 1^st week 414 screens (27.2% of top 10)

Up 56.6% from 2012 (£7,760,490); The Sweeney (£1,545,294); ParaNorman (£1,393,123); Hope Springs (£728,689); To Rome with Love (£141,008); Premium Rush (£115,358); #1 The Sweeney £1,545,294 1^st week 406 screens (19.9% of top 10)

Up 41.6% from 2011 (£8,582,687); Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (£2,814,860); The Change-Up (£727,497); I Don’t Know How She Does It (£562,609); 30 Minutes or Less (£260,337); You Instead (£6,770); #1 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy £2,814,860 1^st 382 screens 42% drop  (32.8% of top 10)

Up 83.9% from 2010: (£6,609,071); Resident Evil: Afterlife (£1,690,655); Tamara Drewe (£615,553); Going the Distance (£436,361); Cyrus (£429,687); The Runaways (£59,443); #1 Resident Evil: Afterlife £1,690,655 1^st week 361 screens (25.6% of top 10)

Up 103.6% from 2009; (£5,969,293); Dorian Gray (£883,148); Sorority Row (£782,693); Julie & Julia (£540,441); Adventureland (£210,671); Whiteout (£150,995); Fish Tank (£103,180); The September Issue (£81,892); Miss March (£24,434); #1 District 9 £2,288,378 2^nd week 446 screens 48% drop (19.8% of top 10)

Up 61.1% from 2008; (£7,542,608); Pineapple Express (£1,372,911); The Women (£865,310); The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (£513,653); Eden Lake (£192,027); Sydney White (£1,157); #1 Pineapple Express £1,372,911 1^st week 389 screens (18.2% of top 10)

Up 61.9% from 2007: (£7,504,924); Superbad (£1,484,456); Disturbia (£728,145); Shoot ‘Em Up (£374,770); 3:10 To Yuma (£368,510); December Boys (£23,145); #1 Run, Fat Boy, Run £1,543,836 2^nd week 411 screens 23% drop (20.5% of top 10)

Up 148.4% from 2006; (£4,892,872); Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (£1,033,759); The Queen (£856,273); The Night Listener (£314,078); DOA (£224,786); #1 Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby £1,033,759 1^st week 403 screens (21.2% of top 10)

Up 105.8% from 2005 (£5,883,345); The Longest Yard (£1,255,334); Cinderella Man (£614,346); Green Street (£446,369); The Man (£329,233); #1 The Longest Yard £1,255,334 1^st week 379 screens (21.3% of top 10)

Up 73.6% from 2004 (£6,998,915); Open Water (£1,970,176); Anchor Man (£555,864); Wicker Park (£316,722); Super-Size Me (£264,843); #1 Open Water £1,970,176 1^st week 378 screens (28.1% of top 10)

Up 127.7% from 2003 (£5,338,138); Calendar Girls (expansion) (£1,762,505); Tears of the Sun (£406,324); Sin Eater (£161,779); Spirited Away (£152,504); #1 Calendar Girls £1,762,505 2^nd week (1^st #1) 462 screens (33.1% of top 10)

Up 67.6% from 2002 (£7,251,582); Signs (£3,767,713); A Walk To Remember (£246,860); #1 Signs £3,767,713 1^st week 443 screens (51.9% of top 10)

Up 84.5% from 2001 (£6,587,094); The Fast and the Furious (£1,763,020); The Martins (£310,600);  #1 Moulin Rouge £1,859,732 2^nd week 314 screens 23% drop (28.2% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2018: (£10,913,234); The House with a Clock in its Walls (£3,370,591); A Simple Favour (£1,621,900); Mile 22 (£795,888); The Little Stranger (£300,089); #1 The House with a Clock in its Walls £3,370,591 1^st week 541 screens (30.8% of top 10)

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• It: Chapter Two – Warner Bros

Dropped 56.5% in its second weekend taking $39.6m and $152.67m;

Taking 32% less than 2017’s It Chapter One which took $60.1m in its second weekend and $218.81m 30% more than It Chapter Two.

It Chapter Two held  #1 for a second weekend but took only $7m more than Hustlers #2 compared with 2017’s It taking almost $45m more than American Assassin in second.

The two It films have taken $1.02bn worldwide

Was seen as a surprised that It: Chapter Two opened 26% lower than the first film but its drop was similar to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom $148m Vs Jurassic World $208m and Fate of the Furious $98m Vs Furious 7 $147m, while Deadpool 2, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Harry Potter and Star Wars: The Last Jedi all dropped between 5% and 12%; while also many films open lower than tracking.

The divide between the megamovie box office and the rest has grown this year, is currently a $160m+ gap between #6 biggest film Aladdin $354.8m and #7 Us $175m, after It opened 26% lower than the original film it will be the first of several this fall that are likely to fill that gap with Joker, Gemini Man, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Terminator: Dark Fate most likely to join It.

Stephen King has published 54 novels including 7 under the name Richard Bachman, 6 non-fiction books and almost 200 short stories. Over 40 have been adapted into films taking over $1.63bn in the US and $2.04bn worldwide.

Took $47m from 78 territories (#1 in 52) taking $169.5m and $323.3m worldwide; #427 biggest film worldwide between Schindler’s List and Megamind; 15^th biggest worldwide in 2019 between Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum; #76 biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between The Perfect Storm and Lethal Weapon;

• Hustlers- STX

Opened with $33.18m; received positive reviews (88% Rotten Tomatoes)  and B- CinemaScore

A month before release Hustlers was tracking to open with $24m+ but opened 37% bigger having Jennifer Lopez’s biggest ever opening ahead of 2005’s Monster in Law $23.1m (taking $82.91m) and 2002’s Maid in Manhattan $18.71m (taking $94.1m). Her last film 2018’s Second Sight opened with $6.48m taking $39.28m (also from STX).

29 Jennifer Lopez films have taken $1.32bn in the US and $3.9bn worldwide; after a breakthrough performance in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight in 1998 had several successes until 2003’s Gigli but despite 2005’s Monster in Law opening with $23.1m taking $82.93m her biggest films since have been vocally in Ice Age: Continental Drift and Home as she concentrated on her music career. Last Christmas she starred in Second Act while not a massive hit the Working Girl reboot was a return to rom coms she was made a decade earlier.

Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B have almost 275m followers on social media across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The film was tracking ahead of Ocean’s 8, A Star Is Born, Girls Trip, Crazy Rich Asians, Bad Moms and Magic Mike XXL; Constance Wu’s Crazy Rich Asians opened with $26.51m taking $174.52m

Hustlers opened similar to last year’s Ocean’s Eight with $41.6m taking $140.21m

90s stripper movies 1995’s Showgirls opened with $8.11m taking $20.35m; 1996’s Striptease opened with $12.32m taking $33.1m and $113.3m worldwide

STX has been trying to find its identity since launching in 2015, originally making horror, R-rated comedies and action films, but then as so many independent studios they started to run before they could walk trying to compete directly with the studios making inferior versions.  So many independent studios have tried to compete with studios and failed to do so, STX this year made and acquired inferior versions of Trolls (Uglydolls) and The Lego Movie (Playmobil: The Movie). Instead of trying to compete with studios make films that studios aren’t making anymore.

Opened with $4.6m from 15 territories (37% from UK $1.7m)

• The Goldfinch – Warner Bros

Opened with $2.67m; received poor reviews (25% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore

Three years ago John Crowley directed the Oscar nominated Brooklyn opened on limited release with $187,281 and took $38.32m in the US and $62.1m worldwide.

It was surprising Warner Bros didn’t platform The Goldfinch as ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival it was seen as the first Fall award contenders, but then the reviews came out and talk of awards was quickly forgotten.

So many films on paper seem to be award contenders but then fail to materialise when audiences get to see it as on paper everything scream award contender for The Goldfinch, the cast including Sarah Paulson and Nicole Kidman, directed by John Crowley (his follow up to Oscar nominated Brooklyn), being based on the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Donna Tartt and shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins.

Instead it feels like films like 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close opened with $72,348 taking $31,847,881.

Warner Bros have had a very disappointing 2019 but all studios have struggled to stay competitive with Disney as they make a mix of films and properties compared with Disney’s 99% properties slate.  Pokemon Detective Pikachu is their biggest film of the year so far with $141m which they inherited from Universal as they did with Godzilla: King of the Monsters both made by Legendary Pictures.

Shazam is their current biggest film made by Warner Bros and Aquaman being third biggest film of 2019 despite being released last year highlights how poor the rest of their films have done, but this is the problem when warner Bros are still trying to make films Isn’t It Romantic, Shaft, The Kitchen, Blinded By the Light  and now The Goldfinch but the audience to see them has shrunk.

Warner Bros next release Joker has received strong buzz and critical acclaim since having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month with some expecting it to open upwards of $90m (doesn’t sound much for a comic-book film but its budget was only $55m compared to $350m+ for Avengers Endgame).

There is also talk of Oscars for Joker, not the token Oscar nomination Black Panther received but deserving nominations as The Dark Knight received a decade ago.  There are questions over if Joker will be too dark for mainstream comic-book audiences, but that is why its opening early October when Gravity, Gone Girl, The Martian, The Accountant, Blade Runner 2049 and A Star Is Born all opened.

Warner Bros also have Motherless Brooklyn which could go the same way as The Goldfinch, The Good Liar, Just Mercy (also received critical acclaim at Toronto Film Festival) and The Shinning sequel Doctor Sleep.

Warner Bros 2020 slate is much strong on paper at least Suicide Squad spinoff Birds of Prey, Godzilla vs. Kong (despite underwhelming performance of Godzilla: King of the Monsters this year), Wonder Woman 1984, In the Heights (from Lin-Manuel Miranda), Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, The Conjuring 3, The Witches and Dune.

When a film like The Goldfinch opens so poorly exhibitors will pull the film from this weekend but the film still is forced to keep to its 16-week theatrical window, never understand why these films can’t have an early VoD release, as exhibitors surely wouldn’t lose out if these films were released on VoD after a month?

Always think of Paramount Pictures 2015 idea that a film would be released on VoD the week after a film drops below 1,000 screens so it’s then in exhibitors’ interest to keep films playing wide for longer but then a film like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood could be released o VoD in week 9 rather than week 16

• Angel has Fallen – Lionsgate

Dropped 25% in its fourth weekend taking $4.94m and $60.47m

Fourth weekends

2016’s London Has Fallen dropped 55.8% taking $3.02m and $55.71m total $62.52m and $205.75m worldwide

2013’s Olympus Has Fallen dropped 28.7% taking $7.25m and $81.85m total $98.92m and $170.27m worldwide

Took $53.1m from 17 territories and $113.57m worldwide; #43 biggest film worldwide in 2019 between Wonder Park and Pet Sematary; #39 biggest Lionsgate film worldwide between Warm Bodies and Rambo and #1,419 biggest film worldwide between Insomnia and The Score. .

• Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – Universal Pictures

Dropped 26.7% in its seventh weekend taking $2.79m and $168.33m

Hobbs & Shaw us Universal Pictures 38^th biggest film in the US between Fifty Shades of Grey and Jason Bourne.

Fifth biggest Fast and Furious film in the US behind the four films Dwayne Johnson starred in (Furious 7, Fast & Furious 6, The Fate of the Furious and    Fast Five); Will Fast & Furious 9 be as successful without Dwayne Johnson next year?

Dwayne Johnson’s films have taken $3.57bn in the US and $10.53bn worldwide; Jumanji: The Next Level opens in December followed by Jungle Cruise next July.

The nine Fast and Furious films have taken $1.685bn in the US and $5.87bn worldwide; Fast & Furious 9 is set for release May 22^nd, 2020 and Fast & Furious 10 2^nd April 2021 but both will be without Dwayne Johnson.

Took $8.1m from 69 territories internationally and $740.9m worldwide; #108 biggest film worldwide between The Matrix Reloaded and Up and 9^th biggest international film of 2019 between Toy Story 4 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Hobbs & Shaw has overtaken Fast Five to become the fourth biggest Fast and Furious film globally  but will come short of Fast & Furious 6 ($788.7m); after Hobbs & Shaw has taken over $700m Universal Pictures will surely be dating Hobbs & Shaw 2 for summer 2022 very soon.

9^th biggest international Universal Pictures film between Despicable Me 2 and Fast and Furious 6 and 12^th biggest Universal Pictures film worldwide between Fast and Furious 6 and Sing.

• The Lion King – Disney

Dropped 15.6% in its ninth weekend taking $3.64m and $534.08m total

83^rd biggest eighth weekend between Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Shrek; #10 Aladdin (1992) ($7.38m); #37 Beauty and the Beast (2017) ($4.8m); #55 The Lion King 1994 ($4.33m); #66 Aladdin ($4.08m); #68 Beauty and the Beast 1991 ($4.84m); #89 Incredibles 2 ($3.42m); #136 The Jungle Book ($2.76m); #153 Avengers: Infinity War ($2.58m);

8^th biggest Disney film in the US between Incredibles 2 and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 12^th biggest film in the US between The Dark Knight and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The Lion King was the 14th film to take over $500m at the US box office should be an amazing achievement for a film but as the original film took $313m in 1994 would be $700m+ inflation inflated its not as big as it looks.

Rather than exhibitors worrying about Netflix films shortened theatrical window should be more concerned with films like The Lion King (opening with $191.7m) and Avengers: Endgame (opening with $357.1m) as these films open big but then drop big  Avengers Endgame took 73%+ of total BO within 10 days while The Lion King took 66% of its total box office within 10 days.

The originally film took $422.78m (24th biggest film in the US between Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and $803.2m Inflation inflated (20th biggest film in the US between Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace and The Sting).

The Lion King took over $1m at the US box office for 35 weeks (till February 1995) taking $312.85m; re-released in IMAX in 2002 taking $15.68m and in 2011 in 3D taking $94.24m with $422.78m total;

Globally took $968.5m 42nd biggest film worldwide between Despicable Me 2 and 2016’s The Jungle Book; would be about $2.5bn worldwide inflation inflated.

Decade or more ago $1bn worldwide was cool but with China inflating global BO now 42 members since 1993 as with $100m used to being sign of success both need to be doubled as should really be $1bn US and $3bn+ global club that Avengers Endgame and The Lion King should be members?

14 Disney reimaginations have taken $3.28bn in the US and $9.01n worldwide

Took $6.9m from 44 territories and $1.083bn total and $1.61bn worldwide #7 biggest between Jurassic World and Marvel’s The Avengers; China $120.4m; UK $90.8m; France $78.6m; Brazil $68.8m; Japan $58.3m; Germany $53.2m; Mexico $51.8m; Russia $45.6m; Australia $43.6m; Spain $41m; Italy $40.4m; Korea $35m.

The Lion King surpassed Avengers: Endgame to become the #4 highest grossing title of all time in EMEA; Disney and Fox now have the top 5 films of all-time in EMEA with Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Lion King and Avengers: Endgame.

• The Peanut Butter Falcon – Roadside Attractions

Returns back into the top 10 down 13.5% in its sixth weekend taking $1.84m adding 180 screens and $14.96m

The film has had a slow platform release since opening on 17 screens six weeks ago; the film received positive reviews 95% Rotten Tomatoes.

Received its world premiere at South by Southwest in March where Roadside Attractions acquired rights to the film.

• Brittany Runs a Marathon – Amazon Studios

Up 42% in its fourth weekend adding 527 screens taking $1.47m and $3.72m

Had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival where Amazon Studios acquired the film for $14m; the film has received positive reviews (89% Rotten Tomatoes) has had a slow platform release opening with $175,969 from 5 screens four weeks ago.

• Official Secrets – IFC

Up 135.9% in its third weekend adding 326 screens taking $521,460 and $916,917             

Had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival; received positive reviews (78% Rotten Tomatoes) while the film has a familiar structure its Keira Knightley’s powerful performance which is the films highlight.

In January 2016 Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Paul Bettany, Natalie Dormer and Martin Freeman cast in the film based on the book The Spy Who Tried To Stop A War: Katherine Gun and The Secret Plot to Sanction the Iraq Invasion. Two years later Gavin Hood replaced Justin Chadwick as director and had a new cast including Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans and Ralph Fiennes.

Official Secrets receives its UK premiere at the London Film Festival before opening in the UK two weeks later.

UK Box Office Predictions

With Downtown Abbey opening strongly last weekend and likely to hold strongly in its second weekend as Murder on the Orient Express, Bridget Jones’s Baby and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel previously did.

Ad Astra will open sin second opening with £3m+ over its 5-day opening similar to Arrival, Elysium, Alita: Battle Angel and The Matrix boosted by PLF/IMAX as it needs to be seen on the biggest screens possible.

Ad Astra received critical acclaim after having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month but  August 29, 2019 receiving critical acclaim but as with Blade Runner 2049 two years could be do more damage than good as it will be a film for film fans but not mainstream audiences, as films like Gravity, Interstellar and The Martian.

Rambo: Last Blood will likely open similar to 2008’s Rambo £1,247,195 (taking £4,064,634) over its 4-day weekend.

Hustlers should have a strong hold due to strong word of mouth but does face competition from The Farewell which has received critical acclaim and as Entertainment Films do with many of their films has had a strong marketing campaign.

In the US The Farewell started on platform and slowly expanded over 4 weeks while it opens wide in the UK. Awkwafina starred in last years Crazy Rich Asians (opened with £1,599,858) as Hustler’s star Constance Wu and stars in Jumanji: The Next Level in December and has recently been cast in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

This weekend will be interesting in the US with five films likely to take high teens low twenties new releases Ad Astra ($21m), Rambo: Last Blood ($22m) and Downtown Abbey ($18m) and holdovers Hustlers dropping 40%+ ($19m) and It Chapter Two 50%+ ($21m)

Opening in UK Next Week

• The Goldfinch – Warner Bros

Drama starring Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, and Nicole Kidman and directed by John Crowley based on the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Donna Tartt.

Three years ago John Crowley directed the Oscar nominated Brooklyn opened on limited release with $187,281 and took $38.32m in the US and $62.1m worldwide.

Surprising Warner Bros aren’t platforming The Goldfinch opting instead to open wide a few days after receiving its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. It is seen as the first Fall award contenders, but received poor reviews.

The film was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins

After flopping in the US over last weekend unlikely to do much better in the UK and its UK release will likely be scaled down.

The Goldfinch had been described as an unfilmable book with TV now a much better suited for long-form storytelling.  Catch 22 and The Alienist both were in development for many years as feature films but moved to TV and were much better for it as they were allowed to expand the story. The Handmaid’s Tale was adapted into 1990 film but has been much more successful as the TV drama series, similarly Watchman was a 2009 film but has also been turned into as TV series. 

Before Dune was turned into 1982 David Lynch film the novel was also called unfilmable and flopped so are big questions over if Warner Bros reboot will be different next year, but there have been so good adaptions of unfilmable books including American Psycho, Life of Pi, Trainspotting

• Ready Or Not – 20^th Century Fox

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

Received positive reviews 88% Rotten Tomatoes but the art-house horror film failed to find an audience In the US opening with $8.01m taking $27.78m to date.

Art-house horror have had mixed success at the box office with films including 2013’s Stoker opened £367,509; 2015’s Crimson Peak opened £967,168; 2016’s The Witch opened £447,781; 2018’s Suspiria opened £166,257.

• Hotel Mumbai – Sky Cinema

Biographical thriller starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar and directed by Anthony Maras; premiered at 2018’s Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2018.

Hotel Mumbai received positive reviews (76% Rotten Tomatoes); opened in the US in March taking $11.5m and $21.2m worldwide.

The Weinstein Company originally acquired US and UK rights in 2016 but in April 2018 was announced Weinstein Company would no longer release the film and Sky Cinema acquired UK rights in March 2019, to premiere on Sky Cinema the same day as in cinemas. Major exhibitors have refused to book any of Sky Cinema films which meant their films opened in less than 50 screens.

• Don’t Let Go – Universal Pictures

Supernatural horror thriller starring David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Byron Mann, Mykelti Williamson and Shinelle Azoroh directed by Jacob Aaron Estes and produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions; premiered under the title Relive at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival receiving mixed reviews 41% Rotten Tomatoes.

Opened in 922 screens at the end of August in the US with $2,338,669 taking $4,965,201 and will get a very limited release in the UK.

Opening in US Next Week

• Abominable – Universal Pictures  

Animated adventure produced by DreamWorks Animation featuring voices of Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin and Michelle Wong and directed by Jill Culton; premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival receiving positive reviews 83% Rotten Tomatoes.

The project was in development at DreamWorks Animation since 2010 originally called Everest

The first trailer was released in March exclusively in cinemas with Dumbo, the second trailer was released in May.

Abominable opens almost a year to the day Smallfoot opened that was also the story about a yeti and a human; Smallfoot opened with $23.01m (taking $83.24m) and Abominable early this month was tracking to open similar.

It is Universal Pictures second Dreamworks Animation release (after How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) and their first original film and Dreamworks Animations first original film since 2013’s Turbo acritical and box office flop. While the marketplace is crowded with adult films Abominable is the first children’s film to be released since Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Angry Birds Movie 2 and in two weeks’ time The Lion King should be on its way out of the top 10.

• The Day Shall Come- IFC

Black comedy thriller starring stars Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks and Denis O’Hare and written and directed by Chris Morris; had its world premiere at South by Southwest  in March receiving positive reviews 81% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Chris Morris follow-up to Four Lions only had a very limited cinema release in November 2010 almost 6 months after its UK release and almost a year after its US premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

Four Lions opened in May 2010 in the UK taking £608,608 from 115 screens; expanding into 218 screens in its second weekend taking £496,649 and £1,444,364 going on to take £2,928,884.

It’s surprising the film is opening in the US two weeks before the UK as the UK will be its key market but eOne had success opening Chris Morris’s former cohort Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin also opening in October (Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci 25 years ago made TV series The Day Today, news spoof fake news show that also launched Alan Partridge which was a spin-off of 1991 On the Hour a spoof radio news magazine show. Chris Morris went on to make Brass Eye and Armando Iannucci The Thick of In and In The Loop.

The Death of Stalin opened in the UK October 2017 with £995,458 from 138 screens expanding to 314 screens in its second weekend taking £812,288 and £5,013,045 total;

It opened in March 2018 with $184,805 on limited release taking $8,047,856

Armando Iannucci’s latest film The Personal History of David Copperfield had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019 and has its UK premiere next month at the London Film Festival opening in the UK in January 2020 by Lionsgate UK ad in February by Fox Searchlight.

Maybe the addition of Anna Kendrick in The Day Shall Come the film could find a wider audience in the US as her last film A Simple Favour opened with $16.01m last September taking $53.54m; Anna Kendrick has had mixed success at the box office away from Pitch Perfect trilogy and Trolls (Trolls World Tour opened next year).

• Judy – Roadside Attractions

Biographical drama about Judy Garland’s time in London in 1969 and based on the Olivier and Tony-nominated West End and Broadway play End of the Rainbow. The film stars Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon and directed by Rupert Goold.

Had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019 received positive reviews (88% Rotten Tomatoes) highlighting Zellweger’s performance which has generated Oscar buzz.

Was surprising the British made film set in London didn’t open the London Film Festival opening in the UK two days after the film festival starts in the UK.