- Moana 2 £6,904,866 – £21,494,240
Down 42.6% in its second weekend
Took £971k 14.1% (-65.3% £2.8m) Friday: £3.08m 44.6% (-35.1% £4.93m) Saturday; £2.85m 41.3% (-32.3% £4.21m) Sunday.
45th second biggest weekend between Shrek 2 and Black Panther (close to Alice In Wonderland, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Paddington In Peru and Incredibles 2) and the 90th-inflated second weekend between Ice Age III and Bridget Jones’s Baby (close to Incredibles, The Lego Movie, Men In Black and Chicken Run).
7th biggest animation second weekend between Shrek 2 and Incredibles 2 (close to Inside Out 2, Super Mario Bros, Toy Story 2 and Minions) and the 18th inflated animation between Ice Age III and Minions (close to A Bug’s Life, The Lego Movie, Chicken Run and The Lion King (1994).
4th biggest 2024 second weekend between Inside Out 2 and Paddington In Peru (close to Dune: Part 2, Despicable Me 4, Gladiator 2 and Beetlejuice 2)
2016’s Moana dropped 14% in second weekend £1,911,784 #2 and £4,773,161 23.82% of £20,041,031; 26% in third weekend £1,424,527. Dropped 22% fourth weekend £1,105,469 #3; up 45% in fifth weekend (Christmas) £1,620,268 #5; dropped 28% in sixth weekend £1,179,760 #6; dropped 11% in seventh weekend £1,050,979 #3; playing strongly to February taking £20,041,031.
Moana became a massive hit on home entertainment in 2017 (the fourth biggest of the year between Fantastic Beasts and Bridget Jones’s Baby) and was on Netflix for the next two years before moving to Disney+ in 2020.
Moana is one of Disney’s most loved recent animated films Kate Winslet said, “From a young age now, and all the mums remember this as well, you have to say to your daughters – ‘I am proud of myself, I feel good about how I look, you look amazing!’ Because guess what? With social media, they may never hear it from anyone else. You have to tell them. And that’s why that film (Moana) is so special to me. Because there’s that beautiful girl, she’s strong, she’s resilient, she’s powerful. She’s going out into the world by herself and has this gorgeous, soft, normal shape! I just love it.”
So, there were huge expectations for the sequel why it opened so big and what audiences are coming out in huge numbers for the sequel.
The last two Disney animated sequels 2018’s Ralph Breaks The Internet dropped 39.33% £2,446,583 and £7,404,787 of £17,299,915 and 2019’s Frozen 2 dropped 42.3% £8,711,498 and £27,349,269 of £53,549,035.
Moana 2 has received a mixed review. Some love it, giving it four and five stars, while others say it’s inferior to the original and feels like it has been joined together as it was previously planned as a TV series on Disney+. The original film was a steady performer but found a wider audience on home entertainment and Disney+.
The 34 Disney animated films have taken £485m and almost £745m inflated since 1989’s Oliver & Company.
262nd biggest between Crocodile Dundee and Migration (close to E.T, Men in Black 3, Arthur Christmas and Mrs Doubtfire) and 508th biggest inflated between Fantastic Beasts 3 and Migration (close to Matilda (1996), Spice World, Dumb and Dumber and Sister Act).
- 2. Wicked Part 1 £5,320,032 -£37,692,709
Dropped 36.4% in its third weekend.
Took £1.22m 22.93% (-44.55% £2.2m) Friday; £2.16m 40.6% (-29.71% £3.33m) Saturday; £1.94m 36.47% (-30.47% £2.79m) Sunday
The 29th biggest third weekend between Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and Casino Royale (close to Top Gun: Maverick, Toy Story 4, The Lion King (2019) and Bridget Jones’s Baby) and the 63rd inflated third weekend between Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Avengers Assemble (close to Gladiator, Shrek, Bohemian Rhapsody and Les Miserables).
The difference is Wicked isn’t like all other musicals as it’s a spinoff of L. Frank Baum’s 14-book Oz series and there were another 26 spinoff books written between 1921 and 1951. The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz was based on his first book, the film was a flop when it was first released and didn’t make a profit for MGM until being re-released in 1949.
Third weekends
Wonka last year up 14% £7,234,062 #1 787 screens and £37,149,971 of £63,277,138
2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dropped 35% £2,886,352 (£5,539,602 inflated) and £26,058,703 69.7% of £37,354,584 (£64,081,749 inflated)
2022’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical dropped 17% £2,102,867 #1 717 screens and £10,784,500 of £28,040,411
2018’s Mary Poppins Returns dropped 40% £4,444,023 #1 from 718 screens and £34,295,862 77% of £44,541,719
The popularity of the stage show Wicked in the UK is similar to Mamma Mia! In April 2024, the stage musical became the 10th longest-running stage show in London’s West End, seen by over 12 million people, having over 6,500 shows and generating over £2bn in ticket sales since its premiere in 2006.
Cynthia Erivo starred in the 2013 revival of The Color Purple in London, which was moved to Broadway in 2015, starring alongside Jennifer Hudson. Ariana Grande has sold over 90 million albums worldwide and has a huge fanbase in the UK, selling over 31 million units, having 7 UK number 1s, and hosting the One Love Manchester Concert in June 2017 after the terrorist attack at her Manchester Arena concert.
97th biggest between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Deadpool (close to The Simpsons, Paddington, Aladdin (2019) and Love Actually) and 220th biggest inflated between Aladdin (1993) and A View to A Kill (close to Last Tango in Paris, Ratatouille, Fantastic Beasts 2 and Calendar Girls).
The soundtrack album is at #1 on the compilations chart, album downloads chart and soundtrack albums chart and three songs are in the singles chart Defying Gravity #7; Popular #17; What Is This Feeling #16.
- 3. Gladiator II £1,629,112 – £26,623,303
Down 35.7% in its fourth weekend
Took £411k 25.23% (-44.01% £734k) Friday; £738k 45.3% (-27.05% £1.05m) Saturday; £480k 29.47% (-34.78% £736k) Sunday
151st biggest fourth weekend between Rocketman and Lilo & Stitch (close to The Martian, Darkest Hour, Incredibles and The Wolf of Wall Street) and 307th inflated between Four Christmases and St. Trinian’s (close to The English Patient, Mission: Impossible II, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and X-Men 2)
Fourth weekends
2000’s Gladiator dropped 30.6% £2,073,765/£3,888,919 and £17,004,308 54.4% of £31,257,293/£58,616,618 inflated; #1 for 7 weeks.
2024’s Dune Part 2 dropped 35.1% #2 £2,626,763 and £30,717,100 of £39,466,555
2021’s Dune dropped 24% £1,172,873 #3 651 screens and £18,942,227 86.3% of £21,947,056; Dune took 3.73x opening if Dune part 2 did similar it will take £34m+
2010’s Inception dropped 30% £2,259,595 #3 468 screens and £25,719,644 73.5% of £34,976,999 (£46,851,543 inflated); took 5.92x opening
2013’s Gravity dropped 27% £1,741,279 #2 479 screens and £22,522,241 68.7% of £32,756,514; 5.24x opening
2014’s Interstellar dropped 38% £1,157,875 #5 413 screens and £18,001,495 85% of £21,173,601; 3.73x opening
2015’s The Martian dropped 28% £1,732,329 #2 561 screens and £20,391,517 86.4% of £23,589,854; 3.61x opening
2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 42% £3,167,967 #2 757 screens and £45,794,079 76.9% of £59,550,750; took 5.37x opening
2007’s I Am Legend dropped 47% £1,082,585 #4 464 screens and £23,779,153 93.8% of £25,348,532 (£39,754,529 inflated); 2.3x opening
2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 21% £1,753,266 #4 454 screens and £25,286,713 83.2% of £30,367,791 (£51,386,687 inflated); 3.43x opening
2017’s Dunkirk down 43% £2,634,839 #1 677 screens and £44,794,468 78.9% of £56,797,955; 5.65x opening
185th biggest between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 (close to Spider-Man, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and I am Legend) and 380th biggest inflated between Mission Impossible: Fallout and Trainspotting (close to Top Gun, Clash of the Titans, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Speed).
7th biggest 2024 film between Wicked and Beetlejuice 2 (close to Paddington In Peru, Kung Fu Panda 4, It Ends with Us and Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes).
- 4. Paddington In Peru £1,213,581 – £29,029,662
Dropped 32.9% in the fifth weekend.
Took £204k 18.2% 11.05% (-57.6% 316k) Friday; £569k 46.9% (-27% £780k) Saturday; £510k 42% (-25.9% £688k) Sunday
123rd biggest fifth weekend between Avengers Infinity War and Harry Potter & Prisoner Of Azkaban (close to Babe, The BFG, Mrs Doubtfire and The Bodyguard) and the 257th biggest inflated fourth weekend between The Wolf of Wall Street and Lethal Weapon 3 (close to Twister, Ted, Hook and Puss in Boots).
Paddington in Peru took 52.6% less than Paddington (£2,558,263) and 28.2% less than Paddington 2 (£1,690,027) in its fifth weekend and has taken similar to Paddington 2 after 5 weeks have the legs of the first two films.
164th biggest between The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 and Shrek (close to A Bug’s Life, A Star Is Born, The Boss Baby and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical) and 332nd biggest inflated between Sense and Sensibility and Scooby-Doo Too (close to Chicago, Elf, Jumanji and Batman and Robin).
5th biggest 2024 film between Dune: Part 2 and Wicked (close to Beetlejuice 2, Kung Fu Panda 4 and It Ends with Us)
The first two films were hugely popular in the UK, but they faced lesser competition over the weeks after opening so both had exceedingly long legs which saw them play through to January.
2014’s Paddington up 1.8% £2,558,263 and £23,959,025 63.37% of £38,027,750; stayed in top 5 for 8 weeks (£943,320) and top 10 for 12 weeks (£208,857) (mid-February)
2017’s Paddington 2 dropped 41.4% £1,690,027 and £29,332,318 68.79% of £42,661,628; stayed in the top 5 for 8 weeks (£1,884,062) and top 10 for 10 weeks (£401,521) in mid-January.
- 5. Pushpa 2 – The Rule – £1,118,894 NE
Took £485,323 from previews Weds/Thurs
1,571st biggest opening between Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Stuck On You (close to Seven Psychopaths, Groundhog Day, Candyman (2021) and Eye in the Sky) and 2,207 inflated opening between Ben-Hur and Chappie (close to The Ghost, Man Called Otto, Unlawful Entry and Spooks: The Greater Good).
The highest opening for an Indian film in 2024 is 26% more than Kalki 2898 AD £886,366 and 88% more than Fighter (£596k) as with many Indian films, it was front-loaded taking about 40% of Wed/Thurs.
Also Opened
• Andre Rieu’s Christmas Concert: Gold And Silver
Took £931,024 #6 from 558 screens
Had the biggest opening for Andre Rieu concert since the lockdown.
2020’s Andre Rieu: Magical Maastricht: Together In Music (September) £124,101 #4 403 screens.
2021’s Andre Rieu: Summer Concert: Together Again (August) £420,056 #4 551 screens.
2022’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Summer Concert opened #1 £798,706
2023 Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert: Love Is All Around #5 £710,326
2024’s Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert #5 £629,652 from 649 screens
Before lockdown
2014’s André Rieu: Maastricht Concert £830,586,
2015’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,107,000.
2016’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,414,075.
2017’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,439,604.
2018’s André Rieu’s Maastricht Concert Amore £1,783,222.
Andre Rieu 2019 Maastricht Concert – Shall We Dance? £1,492,154 #4 587 screens.
• Nightbitch – Disney
Opened £133,976 #9 from 98 screens
Included £94,210 from previews
Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival receiving mixed reviews; received its UK premiere at the London Film Festival. Many took issue with the tone of the trailer which felt very different to the novel.
Searchlight acquired world rights in 2022 from Annapurna for $25m as with several other films was originally set for release on streaming in the US until Searchlight announced in April would be released in December.
Marielle Heller previously directed 2015’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl (opened £81,185 #12 from 80 screens); and 2019’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? (opened £518,230 #8 256 screens taking £1,170,469) and 2020’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (opened £493,770 ‘8 taking £1,129,994).
Other films about motherhood include 2018’s Tully opened £138,674 #8 200 screens and 2021’s The Lost Daughter Netflix.
- Unstoppable – Met Film Distribution
Opened £3,112 #55 from 66 screens
Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez were on the Graham Norton Show and also had a London film premiere in November.
Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival receiving positive reviews (72% Rotten Tomatoes).
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £18,597,949 down 30.1% from last weekend’s £26,589,338: 2,283,874 admissions down 32% from 3,357,240 admissions.2,283,874
5th biggest weekend between of the last 52 weeks between 15 November 2024 £19,676,839 #1 Gladiator II £9,155,050 (46.53%) and 08 November 2024 £16,336,256 #1 Paddington In Peru £9,649,984 (59.07%)
17th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 21 2 weeks between 10 June 2022 £18,965,681 #1 Jurassic World: Dominion £12,121,728 (63.91%) and 08 October 2021 £18,399,057 #1 No Time To Die £15,235,947 (82.81%)
110th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,184) between 10 November 2017 £18,601,350 #1 Paddington 2 £8,260,160 (44.41%) and 28 April 2017 £18,596,685 #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £13,092,657 (70.4%) and 276th inflated between 23 November 2012 £14,870,977 #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 £5,344,508 (35.94%) and 27 June 2003 £10,329,409 #1 Bruce Almighty £7,260,467 (70.29%)
The top 3 took (£13,854,010) 74.5% of the top 10; Moana 2 37.13% (£6,904,866); Wicked Part 1 28.61% (£5,320,032); Gladiator II 8.76% (£1,629,112)
342nd biggest admissions #1 (871,827) between 26 April 2002 #1 About A Boy (873,652) and 23 September 2016 #1 Bridget Jones’s Baby (870,958)
510th biggest percentage share #1 (37.13%) between 15 January 2010 #1 Avatar (37.14%) and 18 September 2015 #1 Everest (37.06%)
Up 39% from 2023; (£13,378,556); Wonka (£8,904,750); Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure Of Foggy Mountain (£11,622); #1 Wonka £8,904,750 1st week 699 screens (66.56% of top 10)
Up 308.1% 2022 (£4,557,646); The Nutcracker – ROH, London 2022 (£133,397); The Hours – Met Opera 2022 (£54,274); The Silent Twins (£33,599); #1 Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical £1,385,835 3rd week 17% drop 717 screens (30.41% of top 10)
Up 256.5% 2021 (£5,216,792); West Side Story (£1,297,786); Clifford The Big Red Dog (£1,293,354); Home Alone (Re) (£122,999); The Nutcracker – ROH, London 2021 (£89,705); Sword Art Online The Movie (£64,612); #1 West Side Story £1,297,786 1st week 678 screens (24.9% of top 10)
Up 3,472% 2020; £520,600); Little Mix: Lm5 – The Tour Film (£83,519); Superintelligence (£72,574); The Polar Express (Re: 2014) (£28,350); #1 Elf (Re: 2020) £98,157 2nd week 173 screens (18.85% of top 10)
Up 16.3% 2019; (£15,983,967); Les Miserables: The Staged Concert (£946,786); Gremlins (4K Restoration) (£162,528); Motherless Brooklyn (£153,821); Elf (Re: 2019) (£148,489); Friends 25th: The One With The Anniversary (£126,302); Ordinary Love (£66,688); Honey Boy (£33,463); Frozen 2 £8,711,498 50% drop 2nd week 676 screens (54.5% of top 10)
Up 88.8% 2018: (£9,850,637); The Old Man & the Gun (£317,831); Sorry to Bother You (£250,453); The Nutcracker – ROH, London 2018/19 (£191,828); Die Hard (30th Anniversary) (£86,628); Tulip Fever (£49,539); White Boy Rick (£30,090); #1 Ralph Breaks the Internet £2,446,583 2nd week 619 screens 39% drop (24.8% of top 10)
Up 237.2% 2017: (£5,515,125); The Nutcracker – ROH, London 2017/18 (£137,862); Stronger (£102,379); Brigsby Bear (£36,778); The Muppet Christmas Carol (Re: 2017) (£36,287) #1 Paddington 2 £1,690,027 5th week third #1 spit over 5 weeks 42% drop 601 screens (30.64% of top 10)
Up 119.7% 2016: (£8,465,385); Office Christmas Party (£1,198,176); Snowden (£209,352); The Birth of a Nation (£135,162); Life, Animated (£25,612); The Pass (£18,673); #1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them £2,734,960 4th week 620 screens 40% drop (32.3% of the top 10)
Up 214.9% 2015; (£5,906,053); Grandma (£35,916); By the Sea (£24,770); When Harry Met Sally (Re: 2015) (£4,975); #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 £1,286,244 4th week 513 screens 43% drop (21.7% of top 10)
Up 62.3% 2014: (£11,455,843); Penguins of Madagascar (£1,575,949); Get Santa (£576,722); St. Vincent (£389,136); Black Sea (£246,309); The Pyramid (£190,049); Men, Women and Children (£73,393); #1 Paddington £3,837,885 2nd week 540 screens 25% drop (33.5% of top 10)
Up 74.7% 2013: (£10,647,204); Frozen (£4,704,940); Homefront (£440,306); Nebraska (£151,332); Old Boy (£94,818); Black Nativity (£61,324); Kill Your Darlings (£38,984); Getaway (£26,467); #1 Frozen £4,704,940 1st week 505 screens (44.2% of top 10)
Up 151.8% 2012: (£7,384,684); Seven Psychopaths (£1,121,679); So Undercover (£99,340); The Man with the Iron Fists (£49,072); The Oranges (£18,513); Celeste and Jesse Forever (£6,915); Gremlins (Re: 2012) (£1,147); #1 Rise of the Guardians £1,602,689 2nd week 1st #1 495 screens 19% drop (21.7% of top 10)
Up 148.8% 2011; (£7,474,721); Puss in Boots (£1,975,758); New Year’s Eve (£1,285,552); A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (£183,798); Another Earth (£90,950); #1 Puss in Boots £1,975,758 1st week 1st #1 510 screens (26.4% of top 10)
Up 132% 2010: (£8,015,202); Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (£2,460,118); The Tourist (£1,341,143); Somewhere (£125,581); The Shop Around the Corner (Re) (£8,038); #1 Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader £2,460,118 1st week 536 screens (30.6% of top 10)
Up 82.4% 2009; (£10,195,907); Planet 51 (£1,513,003); The Box (£474,938); The Descent: Part 2 (£313,739); Me and Orson Welles (£166,389); #1 Paranormal Activity £1,839,273 2nd week 398 screens 49% drop (18.1% of top 10)
Up 68.1% 2008; (£11,060,816); Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (£6,342,997); Transporter 3 (£958,615); Lakeview Terrace (£224,493); The Secret Life of Bees (£74,626); #1 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa £6,342,997 1st week 520 screens (57.3% of top 10)
Up 74.4% 2007: (£10,663,935); The Golden Compass (£7,243,984); Code Name: The Cleaner (£61,734); Southland Tales (£18,241); #1 The Golden Compass £7,243,984 1st week 507 screens (68% of top 10)
Up 48% 2006; (£12,568,238); Happy Feet (£3,689,166); The Holiday (£2,826,520); The Covenant (£181,365); The Nativity Story (£78,553); Bugsy Malone (re) (£231); #1 Happy Feet £3,689,166 1st week 445 screens (29.3% of top 10)
Up 40% 2005: (£13,287,703); The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (£8,884,111); March of the Penguins (£183,798); #1 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 1st week £8,884,111 498 screens (66.9% of top 10)
Up 80.3% 2004; (£10,315,744); Blade: Trinity (£2,633,626); The Polar Express (expansion) (£2,136,898); Phantom of the Opera (£1,219,310); Garden State (£128,366); #1 Blade: Trinity £2,633,626 1st 329 screens (25.5% of top 10)
Up 76.2% 2003 (£10,553,520); S.W.A.T. (£1,960,281); Brother Bear (£887,321); Timeline (£279,505); Thirteen (£53,553); #1 Love Actually £3,202,417 3rd week 478 screens 31% drop (30.3% of top 10)
Up 117.9% from 2002: (£8,535,252); Deathwatch (£334,657); The Dancer Upstairs (£61,622); 8 Crazy Nights (£48,440); #1 Die Another Day £3,426,623 3rd week 443 screens 36% drop (40.1% of top 10)
Up 192.3% from 2001 (£6,363,002); The 51st State (£913,239); Riding In Cars With Boys (£237,279); Christmas Carol: The Movie (£171,576); #1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone £3,345,310 4th week 501 screens 42% drop (52.6% of top 10).
2023 Next week: (£9,899,366); Godzilla Minus One (£816,891); The Nutcracker – ROH, London 2023 (£180,826); Seventeen Tour ‘Follow’ To Japan: Live Viewing (£80,609); #1 Wonka £6,362,787 2nd week 29% drop 741 screens (64.27% of top 10).
UK Box office
November BO was £145m up 95% from last year due to Moana 2 (£14,589,374); Wicked (£32,372,677); Gladiator II (£24,994,191) and Paddington In Peru (£27,816,081) took £100m combined. Admissions for November could top July 2023 when Barbie and Oppenheimer opened depending on what industry average price is this year.
2024 total BO is now 2% down from 2023, Kraven the Hunter, Mufasa: The Lion King, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Better Man are still to open.
US Box Office
- Moana 2 – Disney
Dropped 63% in its second weekend $51.28m and $299.32m
72nd biggest second weekend between Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Iron Man (close to Inside Out, Zootopia, The Lego Movie and Minions)
Took $1m from IMAX and $7.7m total: IMAX screens are being shared with Wicked taking $1m and $12.2m total; Gladiator II taking $570k and $16m total and 10th anniversary of Interstellar taking $4.4m from 165 screens.
2016’s Moana dropped 50.1% $28.27m and $119.78m of $248.75m and $643.33m worldwide
The 36 Disney animation films since 1988’s Oliver & Company have taken over $5.6bn and $9.6m inflated in the US.
Took $103.7m (down 41%) $300m total and $600.03m worldwide; France $32.5m; UK $27.2m; Germany $19.7m; Mexico $19.1m; Brazil $16m; Italy $14.8m; S. Korea $14.4m; Australia $14.3m; Spain $11.3m; China $10.8m; $14m worldwide from IMAX.
- Wicked Part 1 – Universal Pictures
Dropped 55% in its third weekend $36.44m and $322.1m
EntTelligence said the average price of Wicked ($14.36) and Gladiator II ($14.32) with PLF screens $18.33 Vs $17.72.
34th biggest third weekend between The Batman and Iron Man 3 (close to The Lion King (2019), Zootopia, Frozen II and Alice in Wonderland)
90th biggest between Shrek the Third and Transformers; 293rd biggest inflated between Brave and Speed; 4th biggest 2024 between Despicable Me 4 and Moana 2; Biggest musical ahead of Grease and Chicago; 14th biggest Universal Pictures between Oppenheimer and Meet the Fockers.
Wicked is a one-off due to the massive fanbase the musical is the second highest-grossing musical on Broadway after The Lion King took $1.25bn and $5bn worldwide, over 65 million have seen the stage show. Add in the massive global fanbase of Ariana Grande, and you’re talking Taylor Swift numbers.
Wicked has more in common with 2023’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour opening $93.22m taking $180.75m and $261.65m worldwide as it had a similar sized existing fanbase for the stage show and also the massive popularity of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
2014’s Into the Woods dropped 49% $9.55m and $105.07m of $128m and $212.9m WW; 2
2012’s Les Miserables dropped 39.8% $9.64m and $118.72m of $149.26m and $442.75m WW.
Comparison films include.
2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful dropped 47.7% $21.56m and $177.09m of $234.91m/$311.48m and $493.31m/$654.1m WW
2017’s Beauty and the Beast dropped 49.8% $45.42m and $393.33m of $504.01m and $1.263bn worldwide
2014’s Maleficent dropped 46.1% $18.5m and $163.02m of $241.41m/$318.53m and $758.41m/$1bn
2023’s Barbie dropped 43% $53m and $459.39m of $636.23m and $1.446bn worldwide
Jon Chu previously directed.
2018’s Crazy Rich Asians dropped 11.5% $21.96m and $110.69m of $174.83m and $239.34m worldwide
Also directed 2016’s Now You See Me 2; 2015’s Jem and the Holograms; 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation; 2010’s Step Up 3D and 2008’s Step Up 2: The Streets; 2021’s In the Heights taking $29.97m and $45.17m worldwide.
Took $26.0m from 79 territories $135m total and $455.55m worldwide; UK $47.4m; Australia $17.2m; S. Korea $10.6m; Mexico $8.1m; Spain $4.5m; Brazil $3.5m; Italy $3.3m and France $2m; Global IMAX $18m.
299th biggest worldwide between San Andreas and 300; 10th biggest 2024 between Venom: The Last Dance and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; 10th biggest musical between La La Land and Beauty and the Beast (1991); 36th biggest Universal Pictures between Lucy and The Secret Life of Pets 2.
- Gladiator II – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 59% in the third weekend $12.57m #3 and $132.86m
467th biggest third weekend between Atlantis: The Lost Empire and 50 First Dates (close to Die Another Day, Fantastic Four (2005), Minority Report and Speed).
Had a budget of about $310m and $100m+ marketing.
523rd biggest between Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Bringing Down the House; 1,230th inflated between Natural Born Killers and Angels in the Outfield; 17th biggest 2024 between A Quiet Place: Day One and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; 38th biggest historical film between Troy and The Flintstones; 65th biggest Paramount Pictures between Mission: Impossible III and The Last Airbender.
Third weekends
2000’s Gladiator dropped 19.9% $19.74m/$39.5m and $103.14m/$206.3m of $187.7m/$375.41m and $465.51m/$931,03m WW
Similar films include.
2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped 55.3% $12.26m and $145.62m of $174.48m and $383.96m WW
2022’s Top Gun: Maverick dropped 42.4% $51.85m and $395.2m of $718.73m and $1.495bn worldwide
2024’s Dune: Part Two dropped 38.3% $28.5m and $204.72m of $282.14m and $714.44m worldwide
2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 37.6% $29.12m and $228.98m of $329.86m and $975.59m WW
2017’s Dunkirk dropped 35.6% $17.13m and $133.09m of $189.74m/$228.1m and $526.04m/$632.19m WW
2004’s Troy dropped 50% $11.95m and $106.6m of $133.37m/$231.53m and $497.4m/$863.45m WW
2015’s The Martian dropped 42.4% $21.3m and $143.59m of $228.43m and $630.62m worldwide
2001’s Hannibal dropped 46.9% $15.76m and $128.51m of $165.1m/$314.43m and $351.69m/$669.83m WW
2012’s Prometheus dropped 52.2% $9.9m and $108.45m of $126.47m/$171.28m and $403.35m/$546.25m WW
Ridley Scott’s 29 films have taken $2bn in the US and almost $5bn worldwide.
Took $17m (39% drop) and $235.7m from 65 territories and $368.4m worldwide; UK $29.7m; France $22.5m; Spain $15m; Mexico $12.9m; Australia $11.5m.
413th biggest worldwide between Twisters and Mad Max: Fury Road; 17th biggest 2024 between Twisters and Alien: Romulus; 30th biggest historical film between 1917 and Raiders of the Lost Ark; 47th biggest Paramount Pictures between Captain America: The First Avenger and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Red One – MGM/Amazon Studios
Dropped 45% in the fourth weekend $7.01m #4 and $85.79m
657th biggest fourth weekend between The Grudge and Mission: Impossible III (close to The Last Boy Scout, Eagle Eye, Fantastic Four (2005) and The Simpsons Movie)
993rd biggest between Fury and Pokemon: The First Movie; 2,002nd biggest inflated between The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Vegas Vacation; 24th biggest 2024 between The Garfield Movie and Longlegs; 237th biggest action film between Alita: Battle Angel and Real Steel.
Jake Kasdan previously directed Dwayne Johnson in two Jumanji films (which took $1.7bn worldwide) and also directed 2014’s Sex Tape, 2011’s Bad Teacher, and 2007’s Walk Hard. He will also direct Jumanji 3, set for release on December 11th, 2026.
Red One is released worldwide on Amazon on December 12th after all the negativity surround the film for months before opening few would have expected it to take $164m worldwide.
Took $3.5m from 75 territories $78.2m total and $163.98m worldwide
1,181st biggest worldwide between No Country for Old Men and Saw III; 33rd biggest in 2024 between Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Beekeeper; 316th action film between Miami Vice and The Island.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Moana 2 will drop about 40%-45% in its third weekend taking between £3.8m-£4.2m with Wicked dropping slightly less in its fourth weekend £2.7m-£3.2m
Kraven The Hunter is the sixth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. While Spider-Man films have been hugely successful since 2002 the extended universe films have been underwhelming both critically and at the box office.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
2018’s Venom opened £8,031,342 #1 taking £20,123,186
2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened £6,167,833 #2 597 screens taking £18,027,072.
2022’s Morbius opened £3,254,830 #2 638 screens taking £6,417,947
2024’s Madame Web opened £2,273,544 #3 575 screens taking £4,196,294
2024’s Venom: The Last Dance opened £4,299,477 #1 taking £12,297,704
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim received mixed reviews and will likely play only to the biggest fans of the film series.
It’s 10 years since the last Hobbit film was released and 21 years since the last Lord of the Rings film was released. Warner Bros have announced plans for a new Lord of the Rings film to be released in 2026 The Hunt for Gollum directed by Andy Serkis.
It was announced in 2021 to stop New Line from losing rights to the J. R. R. Tolkien novels and is based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.
2001’s LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings opened £11.058m/£21.3m taking £62,759,288/£120.81m
2002’s LOTR: Two Towers opened £13.063m/ £24.26m taking £55,889,009/£103.83m
2003’s LOTR: Return of the King opened £15,021,761/£26.96m taking £60,666,284/£108.89m
2012’s Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opened £116m/£14.51m taking £52,329,481/£65.47m
2013’s Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug opened £9.32m/£11.38m taking £42.91m/£52.38m
2014’s Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opened £9.75m/£10.49m taking £40.9m/£44m
Opening in three weeks
- We Live In Time – Studiocanal
Romantic comedy-drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh and directed by John Crowley
It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September receiving positive reviews and opened in the US in October, after performing strongly on platform opening struggled to find a wide audience taking $24.62m and $31.74m worldwide.
John Crowley previously directed 2003’s Intermission opened £146,220 on 28 screens taking £2,141,314/£3,819,641; 2015’s Brooklyn opened £1,041,278 308 screens taking £4,981,577/£5,472,135; 2019’s The Goldfinch opened £320,849 515 screens
- Nosferatu – Universal Pictures
Supernatural horror remake of the 1922’s German film based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe and directed by Robert Eggers
Development in 2015 and was planned as Robert Eggers’s second film but was delayed making 2019’s The Lighthouse and 2022’s from The Northman.
Had a world premiere in Berlin, Germany, on December 2 and a UK premiere on December 4th receiving critical acclaim (94% Rotten Tomatoes)
2022’s The Northman opened £897,737 #4 528 screens taking £4,349,002
2016’s The Witch (opened #7 £447,626 from 179 screens taking £883,088)
2020’s The Lighthouse (opened #10 £384,284 from 83 screens) both received critical acclaim and had incredibly low budgets.
1993’s Bram Stoker Dracula opened £2,640,584/£6,515,086 335 screens taking £11,548,429/£28.5m