- Fast X – £5,886,940 – NE
Took £2.225m (37.8%); £2.156m (36.6%) Saturday; £1.515m (25.7%) Sunday.
332nd biggest opening between Inception and Fantastic Beasts 3 (Star Trek, The Mummy Returns, The Blair Witch Project and American Pie 2) and 352nd biggest inflated between The Bodyguard and Fantastic Beasts 3 (close to The Lion King (1994), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Charlie’s Angels (2000) and Speed).
6th biggest Fast & Furious opening between Fast & Furious 9 (£6,014,132) and Fast Five (£5,332,096).
Opened in 653 cinemas 64th widest opening similar to Lightyear and close to Yesterday, Stan and Ollie, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, It Chapter 2 and Avengers: Infinity War; 163rd 600+ cinema opening since 2015’s Jurassic World but as many of those probably playing in over double the number of screens.
17th biggest opening since cinemas reopened after the lockdown between Fast & Furious 9 and Fantastic Beasts 3 (close to Black Widow, Venom 2, Dune and Shang Chi) and 4th biggest opening of 2023 between Ant-Man 3 and John Wick: Chapter Four.
Took 8.8% of the US opening similar to Batman Vs Superman, Free Guy, X-Men, and The Lion King (2019)
Fast X opened two years after Fast & Furious 9 opened with £6,014,132 from 594 screens including £1,177,359 previews like the opening of 2019’s Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw £6,377,583 from 614 screens including £1,468,289 previews. Both openings were half of the openings of the previous two films 2015’s Fast & Furious 7 £12,765,033 (no previews) and 2017’s The Fate of the Furious £14,026,301 including £5,380,621 previews.
Fast X was to be the penultimate part of the Fast & Furious series and the eleventh film of the franchise, but Vin Diesel has recently said it would be a three-part finale not two.
The immediate premiere reaction was mixed, some saying it was the best since Fast 7 but others saying it was likely only going to play to fans. Originally Fast X was meant to be the first part of a two-part finale. Vin Diesel recently said he plans to make it into a trilogy of films and also spoke of spinoffs including an all-female spinoff and then probably a reboot as it’s now 22 years ago since the first film was released and film series never end.
The 10 Fast & Furious films have taken £182m and £215m inflation inflated.
- 2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – £2,798,816 – £28,916,954
Dropped 47.5% in the third weekend.
Took £732k (26.2%) 48.8% drop (£1.43m) Friday; £1.19m (40%) 54.3% drop (£2.45m) Saturday; £947k (33.8%) 48% drop (£1.82m) Sunday.
Third Weekends
Thor: Love and Thunder dropped 24% taking £3,052,799 #2 from 704 screens and £26,485,918 70.9% of £37,369,361; #1 Minions: The Rise Of Gru £3,086,374 (4th week)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness dropped 47% £2,968,358 #1 from 699 screens and £35,284,937 83.8% of £42,082,100
Black Panther Wakanda Forever dropped 56% £2,694,447 #2 from 669 screens and £27,066,685 78.8% of £34,345,903: #1 Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical £4,135,418 (1st week)
117th biggest third weekend between Mamma Mia! And Slumdog Millionaire (close to The Lego Batman Movie, It Chapter One, The Hangover Part II and The Lion King (1994) and 236th biggest inflated between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Hitch (close to Taken 2, True Lies, Bram Stokers Dracula and Interview with the Vampire).
18th biggest comic-book third weekend between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse and Captain America: Civil War (close to The Batman, Deadpool, Spider-Man and Suicide Squad) and the 29th biggest inflated between Iron Man and Deadpool 2 (Batman Forever, Man of Steel, Batman and Robin and X-Men).
13th biggest MCU third weekend between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse and Captain America: Civil War (close to Thor: Ragnarök, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Shang-Chi).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 being the 32nd MCU makes them less accessible than earlier films to fully understand everything you need to have done your homework before now over 100 hours of content that includes all the films and TV spinoff shows.
The 32 MCU films have made £1.1bn since 2008 and almost £1.3bn inflation inflated.
12th biggest MCU film after 19 days between Captain Marvel (£29,494,637) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (£27,220,581) close to Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man 3, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Thor: Love and Thunder).
28th biggest comic-book film between Man of Steel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 (close to Suicide Squad, Deadpool 2, Hancock and Logan) and 43rd biggest inflated between Batman and Robin and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (close to X-Men: The Last Stand, Superman III, Batman Returns and X-Men).
156th biggest film between Shrek and Sing (close to Furious 8, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Life of Pi and The World Is Not Enough) and 334th biggest inflated between Ice Age and The LEGO Batman Movie (close to Jumanji (1996), Bram Stokers Dracula, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Dances with Wolves).
- 3. The Super Mario Bros. Movie- £541,436 – £51,834,471
Down 36.6% in the seventh weekend
Took £74k (13.7%) Friday 44% drop (£132k); £260k (48%) Saturday 49% drop (£510k); £207.4k (38.3%) Sunday 4% drop (£216k).
102nd biggest seventh weekend between Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Ocean’s 11 (close to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Men In Black, Avengers Assemble and Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug) and 229th biggest inflated between The Matrix and Wallace The Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (close to Twister, The Nutty Professor, My Girl and Batman Forever).
40th biggest film between The Full Monty and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (close to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Marvel Avengers Assemble and Quantum of Solace); (46th film to take £50m+ since 1997’s The Full Monty) and 117th biggest inflated between War of the Worlds and Ice Age III (close to Star Trek: The Movie, Mrs Doubtfire, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and The Flintstones).
Illumination’s 13th film since Despicable Me in 2010 taking over £400m at the UK BO and £425m inflated. Has overtaken Despicable Me 3 and Minions to become their biggest film in the UK. Next from Illumination Migration and Despicable Me 4 will be announced next year and will announce a Super Mario Bros sequel and spinoffs very soon.
5th biggest animated film between Frozen 2 and Shrek 2 (close to Incredibles 2, Minions, Despicable Me 3 and Despicable Me 2) and the 20th biggest inflated between Frozen and Ice Age III (close to The Lion King (1994), Chicken Run, Ice Age II and Toy Story).
Holding well despite being available to watch at home again, showing if it’s a film people want to see in the cinema, they will see it in the cinema.
- 4. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – £326,045 – NE
Took £83k (25.5%) Friday; £113k (34.6%) Saturday; £92k (28.2%) Sunday.
Kelly Fremon Craig previously directed 2016’s The Edge of Seventeen and opened #9 £273,272 from 313 screens taking £540,878.
Opened with 577 screens as with so many similar films it will lose a large number of screens in its second weekend along with much-reduced showtimes as of course The Little Mermaid must have screenings every 30 minutes.
The problem is films like Are You There God aren’t the kind audiences rush out to see over the opening weekend but will be films people see after hearing from friends and sadly of course as with Booksmart in May 2019 with Aladdin, it will be cannibalized by another coming of age film this week The Little Mermaid.
As with John Hughes films in the 80s (including 1987’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off opened £149,843 from 89 screens taking £791,122) Judy Blume’s novels wrote about how teens were feeling growing up, long before the internet. This was similar to the 80s John Hughes’s films were relatable to them on the same level as going through the same things which does make it feel less scary knowing that others feel as you do.
Other coming-of-age girls’ films including
1986’s Pretty in Pink (opened £114,669 106 screens taking £921,862)
1987’s Dirty Dancing (opened £160,707 246 screens taking £3,925,828)
1989’s Heathers (opened £31,472 from 6 screens taking £228,312)
1991’s Boyz n the Hood (opened £229,199 #7 83 screens taking £698,340)
1991’s Mermaids (opened £578,175 146 screens taking £3,938,024)
1992’s My Girl (opened £1,211,953 230 screens taking £7,629,917)
1995’s Clueless (opened £638,212 196 screens taking £3,802,232)
1996’s Now and Then (opened £381,714 272 screens taking £1.8m)
2002’s Bend It Like Beckham (opened £2,001,795 384 screens taking £11,084,161)
2003’s Thirteen (opened £53,553 #12 26 screens taking £275,808)
2004’s Mean Girls (opened £1,393,494 taking £5,411,323)
2010’s Easy A (opened £277,975 #8 taking £773,795)
2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (opened £827,983 #4 taking £2,145,840)
2017’s Call Me by Your Name (opened £235,760 #11 111 screens taking £1,173,150)
2018’s Love, Simon (opened £1,179,593 #4 458 screens taking £3,540,552),
2018’s Blockers (opened £1,349,627 #4 440 screens taking £3,808,366)
2019’s Booksmart opened with £632,363 from 408 screens over 7 days: Fri- Sun £324,917 and £307,446 from previews Mon-Thurs.
And also, Lady Bird, Little Women, Juno, Sixteen Candles, and Eighth Grade many of those struggled to find a wide audience despite receiving positive reviews and strong word of mouth but found their audiences away from cinemas.
While the male equivalent including 2007’s Superbad opened with £1,484,456 taking £6,064,632 and 1999’s American Pie (opened £2,094,122 on 338 screens taking £13,923,015) were often far more successful as they played strongly to both men and women, for films like Are You There God the audience would be mostly female.
Coming-of-age girl’s films are often very different to coming-of-age boys’ films focused on sex but John Hughes’s films would break that barrier telling it from both sides as Superbad also did.
But the question with films like these is will they find an audience, and will they be given time to find that audience even with positive reviews it’s going to be a word-of-mouth film that girls will talk about with friends as it’s not a film they will rush out to see. But the problem is similar to Booksmart in May 2019 opening days after Aladdin it will be overshadowed by Disney’s coming-of-age reimagination of The Little Mermaid opening the following weekend.
While the industry celebrates the performance of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 and Fast X its films like Booksmart should be champions and need to be a success if cinema is the success, it claims it to be. Over the last decade, people have become much more selective in the films they pay to see and those they wait to see.
- 5. Beau Is Afraid – £229,532 – NE
Took £74k (32.2%) Friday; £70k (30.5%) Saturday; £57k (24.8%) Sunday
Ari Aster previously directed 2019’s Midsommar opened #5 from 457 screens £812,052 (including £176,114 previews) taking £2,360,060 and 2018’s Hereditary opened #2 from 527 screens £1,863,913 (including £300k from previews) taking £5,498,016.
While Midsommar and Hereditary both received critical acclaim 92% and 90% Rotten Tomatoes scores Beau Is Afraid received more polarized reactions with 68% Rotten Tomatoes and been compared to David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, but Ari Aster said: “I think that some of (the comparisons) have felt, to me, lazy.”
While Martin Scorsese called Ari Aster “one of the most extraordinary new voices in world cinema.”
Beau Is Afraid opened similar to Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook opened 24th October 2014 with £347,512 taking £1,191,222 and Robert Eggers’ The Witch opened 11th March 2016 with £447,626 taking £883,088.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £10,340,735 up 29.5% from last weekend’s £7,986,182: 1,290,635 admissions up 31.1% from 984,084.
555th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,103) between 22 May 2015 #1 Pitch Perfect 2 £2,665,428 (25.8% of top 10) and 19 May 2017 #1 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword £2,501,993 (24.2% of top 10) and 861st biggest inflation inflated between 21 September 2007 #1 Run, Fat Boy, Run £1,206,177 (18.7% of top 10) and 19 September 2008 #1 Tropic Thunder £2,483,271 (37.3% of top 10).
The top 3 took £9,250,688 89.5% of the top 10; Fast X 57% (£5,895,674); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 27.2% (£2,810,731); Super Mario Bro 5.3% (£544,283).
181st highest percentage #1 between 12 December 2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (57.05%) and 05 May 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (56.9%).
415th biggest admissions #1 (739,733) between 13 May 2022 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (739,968) and 04 July 2003 Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (737,180).
Up 65.6% from 2022 (£6,243,546); Lucia Di Lammermoor – Met Opera 2022 (£78,829); Robocop (35th Anniversary 4K Restoration) (£20,004); On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Re: 2022) (£11,114); #1 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness £2,968,358 3rd week 699 screens 48% drop (47.5% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown
2020; Lockdown
Down 2.5% from 2019; (£10,607,906) John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum (£3,562,524); Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups (£521,504); Breakthrough £81,134; Batman 30th anniversary 4K (£38,112); Batman Returns (£7,906); Batman Forever (£293); Batman & Robin (£154); #1 John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum 1st week £3,562,524 (77.4% of top 10)
Down 39.3% from 2018: (£17,042,583); Deadpool 2 (£12,974,669); An American in Paris – The Musical (£68,201); On Chesil Beach (£67,017); 2001: A Space Odyssey (Re) (£4,646); #1 Deadpool 2 £12,974,669 636 screens 1st week (76.1% of top 10)
Down 18.2% from 2017: (£8,745,494); King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (£2,501,993); Snatched (£842,489); Colossal (£150,642); King Arthur: Legend of the Sword £2,501,993 564 screens 1st week (28.6% of top 10)
Down 26.5% from 2016: (£14,060,126); X-Men: Apocalypse (£7,354,293); A Hologram for the King (£378,759); Thomas & Friends: The Great Race (£147,617); Sing Street (£126,269); X-Men: Apocalypse £7,354,293 598 screens 1st week (52.3% of top 10)
Down 0.1% from 2015; (£10,348,193); Tomorrowland – A World Beyond (£1,482,178); Poltergeist (£1,463,014); The New Girlfriend (£94,839); Moomins on the Riviera (£84,595); #1 Pitch Perfect 2 £2,665,428 534 screens 2nd week 47% drop (25.7% of top 10)
Down 37.4% from 2014: (£16,521,299); X-Men: Days of Future Past (£9,144,971); Postman Pat (£774,750); Blended (£688,547); Fading Gigolo (£160,781); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – NT Live 2012 (£40,484); Driving Miss Daisy – Melbourne 2013 (£65,389); #1 X-Men: Days of Future Past £9,144,971 537 screens 1st week (57.2% of top 10)
Down 44.3% from 2013: (£18,557,112); Fast & Furious 6 (£8,717,534) The Great Gatsby (£4,095,325); #1 Fast & Furious 6 £8,717,534 462 screens 1st week (46.9% of top 10)
Down 15.8% from 2012 (£12,276,016); The Dictator (£4,963,745); The Raid (£417,596); 2 Days in New York (£87,385); #1 The Dictator £4,963,745 1st week 509 screens (40.4% of top 10)
Down 30.2% from 2011; (£14,816,587); Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (£11,634,860); Blitz (£266,148); Win (£155,463); Fire in Babylon (£107,312); Julia’s Eyes (£49,142); #1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides £11,634,860 1st week 569 screens (78.5% of top 10)
Up 48.9% from 2010: (£6,945,108); Streetdance (£2,493,948); Prince of Persia (£1,371,066); Bad Lieutenant (£178,953); Cop Out (£64,935); #1 Streetdance £2,493,948 1st week 412 screens (35.9% of top 10)
Down 0.8% from 2009; (£10,425,478); Night at the Museum 2 (£4,160,496); Tormented (£284,757); Awaydays (£39,045); Everlasting Moments (£9,530); #1 Night at the Museum 2 £4,160,496 515 screens 1st week (39.9% of top 10)
Up 31.5% from 2008; (£15,095,445); Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (£12,227,799); Cassandra’s Dream (£47,359); #1 Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull £12,227,799 1st week 538 screens (81% of top 10)
Up 75.2% from 2007: (£5,900,836); Zodiac (£818,369); Magicians (£366,188); Love Wrecked (£223,400); Spider-Man 3 £2,549,712 3rd week 508 screens 54% drop (43.2% of top 10)
Down 23.1% from 2006; (£13,433,839); The Da Vinci Code (£9,501,444); Waiting (£307,791); #1 The Da Vinci Code £9,501,444 1st week 523 screens (70.7% of top 10)
Down 40.6% from 2005: (£17,406,831); Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (£14,361,469); Mysterious Skin (£39,382); Only Human (£26,574); #1 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith £14,361,469 1st week 490 screens (82.5% of top 10)
Up 15% from 2004 (£8,995,085); Bad Education (£202,324); #1 Troy £6,017,523 2nd week expansion up 6,640% 1st week wide 504 screens (66.9% of top 10)
Down 30.6% from 2003 (£14,900,979); The Matrix Reloaded (£12,165,276); The Hot Chick (£169,452); #1 The Matrix Reloaded £12,165,276 1st week 481 screens (81.6% of top 10)
Down 29.8% from 2002 (£14,728,512); Star Wars Ep II: Attack of the Clones (£11,386,209); The Closet (£75,396); #1 Star Wars Ep II – Attack of the Clones £11,386,209 467 screens 1st week 32% drop (77.3% of top 10)
Next Week 2022 (£19,286,684); Top Gun Maverick (£15,931,497); The Bob’s Burgers Movie (£346,592); #1 Top Gun Maverick 1st week £15,931,497 741 screens (82.6% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Fast X – Universal Pictures
Opened with $67.01m; received mixed reviews (54% Rotten Tomatoes; B+ CinemaScore
F9 B+; Fate of the Furious A and Hobbs & Shaw A-.
Took $7.5m from Thursday midnights compared to $7.1m for 2021’s F9; 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw $5.8m; 2011’s Fast Five took $3.8m; 2009’s Fast and Furious $1.8m; 2015’s Fast 7 $15.8m; 2017’s Fate of the Furious $10.4m and 2013’s Fast and Furious 6 $7.5m.
161st biggest opening between Rush Hour 2 and Black Adam (close to Aquaman ($67.87m), Quantum of Solace ($67.52m), X-Men: Apocalypse ($65.76m) and Captain America: The First Avenger ($65.05m)
2021’s Fast 9 opened with $70.04m taking $173m and $726.22m worldwide; the opening audience was 57% males; 51% under 25 and 46% between 18-34 years old. IMAX and PLF took 24%; PLF from 750 screens took 16% and 358 IMAX screens took 8%.
Impossible to make direct comparisons with F9 as opened a month after cinemas reopened after the second lockdown and the film had a staggered release opening in China a month ahead of the US. As took $38m in 45 territories weekend opened in the US taking its international BO to $334.8m and $404.85m worldwide.
2001’s The Fast and the Furious opened $40.1m taking $144.51m in the US; $206.45m WW
2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious opened $50.47m taking $127.12m in the US; $236.41m WW
2006’s FF: Tokyo Drift opened $23.97m taking $62.61m; $157.79m WW
2009’s Fast & Furious opened $70.95m taking $155.06m in the US; $359.34m WW
2011’s Fast Five opened $86.19m taking $210,03m in the US; $630.16m WW
2013’s Fast and Furious 6 opened $97.37m taking $238.67m in the US; $789.3m WW
2015’s Furious 7 opened $147.16m taking $353.1m in the US; $1.516bn WW
2017’s The Fate of the Furious opened $98.78m taking $225.76m in the US; $1.236bn WW
2019’s Hobbs & Shaw opened $60.03m taking $173.95m in the US; $760.37m WW
The 11 Fast and Furious films have taken over $1.93bn in the US and over $6.92bn worldwide.
Fast X was expected to open with $300m worldwide $235m internationally and $60M+ US the third biggest Fast X to $295M worldwide the third biggest global opening for Fast & Furious after 2017’s Fate of the Furious ($541.9m) and 2015’s Furious 7 ($397.6m) and more than 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($290m), 2017’s Justice League ($278.8m), and 2009’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($274.9m).
Top studios 2023 BO; Universal $967.5m; Disney $502.7m; Lionsgate $301.9m; 20th Century Studios $283.1m; Paramount $261.7m.
The box office of the Fast and the Furious franchises highlights the way global BO has changed over the last 20+ years and the impact China has had on the global box office.
The first four films performed far stronger in the US than internationally, but after the success of Tokyo Drift producers expanded the franchise globally; 66% of 2011’s Fast Five box office internationally; 69.7% of 2013’s Fast and Furious 6 box office came from internationally; franchise exploded with 2017’s Furious 7 taking 76.7% internationally taking $391m in China and $1.51bn worldwide; 81.7% of 2017’s The Fate of the Furious came from international with $392.8m from China and $1.236m worldwide; 77.1% of 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw $760.73m came from international $586.77m Vs $173.95m US; 76.2% of 2021’s F9 $726.22m came from internationally $553.22m Vs $173m with $216.93m from China opening with $136m almost double Fast X opening.
Interestingly the US BO of Hobbs & Shaw and F9 were almost the same.
Opened with $251.4m from 84 territories and $319m worldwide; China $77.5m; Mexico $16.7m; France $9.6m; Brazil $9.6m; India $8.6m; Indonesia $8.4m; Germany $8m; UK $7.5m; Japan $7m.
Took $22m worldwide from IMAX including $16.2m internationally.
2nd biggest global opening of 2023 after The Super Mario Bros $377m.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – Disney
Dropped 48% in the third weekend taking $32.4m and $266.95m
46th biggest 3rd weekend between Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (close to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($34.65m), Captain America: Civil War ($32.93m), Iron Man ($31.83m) and Deadpool ($31.11m).
124th biggest between Shrek and Despicable Me 3; 2nd biggest 2023 film between The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; 307th biggest inflated between Elf and Mr and Mrs Smith; 33rd biggest comic-book film between Man of Steel and The Amazing Spider-Man; 42nd biggest Disney film between Monsters University and The Incredibles.
Third Weekends
2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 dropped 40.4% taking $25.11m (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 $28.52m) and $222.66m 66.8% of $333.17m
2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 dropped 46.9% taking $34.65m (Alien: Covenant #1 $36.16m) and $301.39m 77.3% of $389.81m
12th biggest MCU third weekend between Captain America: Civil War ($32.93m) and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness ($32.3m) close to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and Captain America: Winter Soldier).
2014’s GOTG took $333.7m US, $439.6m internationally and $773.3m worldwide; GOTG2 took $389.8m US, $473.09m internationally and $863.8m worldwide, so GOTG3 should take $1bn+ worldwide.
Took $48.8m from 52 territories and $392.6m internationally and $659.1m worldwide; China $71.7m; UK $36.4m; Mexico $30.8m; Korea $26.8m; France $24.2m; Germany $18.1m; Australia $16.3m; Brazil $15.6m; Italy $10.7m.
149th biggest worldwide between Kung Fu Panda 2 and Star Wars Ep. II: Attack of the Clones; 37th biggest comic book worldwide between Man of Steel and Justice League; 49th biggest Disney film between Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Tangled.
- Super Mario Bros – Universal Pictures
Dropped 24% in the seventh weekend taking $9.6m and $549.09m
28th biggest seventh weekend between The Lion King (1994) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (close to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Beauty and the Beast (1991), A Bug’s Life and Finding Nemo).
2nd biggest animated film between Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory; the 14th biggest film between Incredibles 2 and The Lion King (2019); the 43rd biggest inflated between Spider-Man 2 and The Passion of the Christ; 2nd biggest Universal Pictures film between Jurassic World and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Universal Pictures gave exhibitors two options when they booked Super Mario Bros either a flat fee of 63% rental for the entire run or 63% in the opening weekend and then a sliding scale dropping down to 35% after a few weeks.
17 Illumination Entertainment films have taken $3.7bn in the US and $9.32bn worldwide.
Took $17.1m (33% drop) from 80 territories and $698.5m and $1.25bn worldwide; Mexico $83.9m; Japan $67.4m; UK $64.2m; France $56.5m; Germany $52m; Australia $33.7m; Spain $27.1m; Brazil $25.7m; China $24.3m.
3rd biggest animated worldwide between Frozen and Incredibles 2; 21st biggest worldwide between Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Incredibles 2; 4th biggest Universal Pictures film between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Fate of the Furious.
Universal became the second studio to take over $2bn in 2023bn; $910m US and $1.03bn internationally.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Disney’s 20th reimagination of their classic animation films; first was 1996’s 101 Dalmatians and all apart from Mulan, Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio had theatrical releases.
For decades Disney would re-release their classic animation films to new generations, and they were always successful in cinemas and in the 80s and 90s, their theatrical re-release would be followed by its home video release. In the 90s and 00s, Disney made direct-to-video sequels to their classic animated films. As these films feature photo-realistic animation they are not live-action films but almost shot-by-shot animated films with more advanced technology.
One of the problems with photo-realistic animation is how the animals look, in animated films the animals interact with human characters expressing emotions which just looks weird with real animals.
2D animation is often a far more emotional experience than watching the original; The Lion King, like the scene where Mufasa dies, or when The Iron Giant sacrifices himself to protect everyone on Earth as Superman would do. While it makes these animated films very rewatchable, have seen these animated films countless times reimaginations aren’t rewatchable, but they have done their job as hype brings in the audience and they take a predictable £40m+ in the UK and $1bn worldwide before the pixie dust fades away.
These reimaginations are nostalgia-led due to the love of the original and attract audiences of all ages, but as with Disney’s Star Wars films they are all hype and no sustenance once the pixel dust fades away, but that often happens after they have taken $1bn+ worldwide. Critics have given The Little Mermaid mixed reviews with Halle Bailey being the best thing about it, but as with Rachel Zegler cast in the Snow White reimagination (opening next year) surely their talents are being wasted remaking a classic animated film rather than starring in a remake.
This is also my issue with Disney over the last 15 years always taking the easy option of remaking, rebooting and building on the success of other studios with Marvel, Star Wars and Indiana Jones rather than making something original as Disney used to be the most creative film studio in the world.
The Little Mermaid was first released in cinemas in October 1990 almost a year after its US opening in November 1989; was the 9th biggest film of 1990 between Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Parenthood taking (15.46x opening) £6,266,749 (£21,731,902 inflated) after opening with £405,473 from 258 screens (£1,406,104 inflated) had 29th biggest opening of 1990 between Internal Affairs and Family Business (biggest 1990 openings were Ghost £1,504,893; Back To The Future Part III £1,361,879; Gremlins 2: The New Batch £1,358,347; Total Recall £1,211,167; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids £1,196,710.
It was re-released in 1998 opening with £234,783 (£470,731 inflated) taking £1,768,481 (£3,545,739 inflated).
The biggest Disney re-imaginations openings:
2017’s Beauty and the Beast opened £19,700,000 taking £72,430,579
2019’s The Lion King opened £16,671,764 taking £75,938,299
2010’s Alice in Wonderland opened £10,555,220 taking £42,169,542
2016’s The Jungle Book opened £9,901,921 taking £46,235,032
2019’s Aladdin opened £7,066,773 taking £36,710,978
While the original animated film is as beloved as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King the film is unlikely to get anywhere near their BO, instead will be more likely similar to Aladdin. The excuse will be the hot sunny weather with the highest temperatures of the year from Thursday to Bank Holiday Monday, but if it is a film people want to see they will see it no matter the weather.
Fast X will drop 50%-55% in the second weekend, taking £2.5m-£2.9m, having a similar drop as Hobbs & Shaw and Fast & Furious 9.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 will drop 50% in its fourth weekend, taking £1.2m-£1.5m and The Super Mario Bros. Movie will have a similar drop in its eighth weekend.
The other new releases Hypnotic and Sisu will struggle to find an audience.
Opening in two weeks
- The Flash – Warner Bros
13th DC Extended Universe comic-book film, starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Kiersey Clemons and Michael Keaton and directed by Andy Muschietti.
The film generated much controversy during production due to Ezra Miller’s arrest, which saw Warner Bros consider delaying or cancelling the film as they did with the Batgirl film, but as the film was key to the DCEU and received positive results from test screenings they were committed to releasing it in cinemas.
The first footage was shown at the DC FanDome event in October 2021, in February 2022 the first teaser trailer was released, and another trailer was shown at CinemaCon in April 2022, with a TV spot shown during the Super Bowl and was shown in cinemas with Ant-Man 3 receiving 97.4m views within 24-hours.
The film was screened at CinemaCon in April. Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav said “It’s a very emotional movie. You’re going to go through all the emotions” … “It’s the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen.” And audience reactions were very positive but must take those comments with a pinch of salt as in 2014 Disney said Million Dollar Arm was the highest-tested film ever, CinemaCon’s reaction was very positive but the film failed to find an audience in cinemas.
In March Tom Cruise saw the film and loved it and said similar about Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
The problem with The Flash is it opens two weeks after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and a week after Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and all three are targeting the same audience.