Aladdin – £2,881,535 –  £30,419,724

26.6% drop in its fourth weekend; #1 for four weeks the longest #1 of the year (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Captain Marvel were both #1 for three weeks) and the first film to be #1 for 4 weeks since Peter Rabbit.

Disney have been #1 for 16 of the 24 weeks this year Toy Story 4 and The Lion King will be #1 for at least 2 weeks and then  could see Disney topping the box office from November 22^nd to January 10^th with Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of  Skywalker.

Has become 119^th film to take over £30m at the UK box office since 1993 and Disney’s 32^nd (Disney’s first was 2000’s Toy Story 2); Its Disney’s third so far in 2019 after Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame with Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of  Skywalker all joining the list later this year.

Disney’s 2019 releases including Mary Poppins Returns 2019 box office has taken £214m with £80m+ Toy Story; £90m+ The Lion King; £50m+ Frozen 2 and £100m+ Star Wars: The Rise of  Skywalker Disney could easily take £600m+ this year not including 20^th Century Fox will be about 50% of the years box office.

Incredibly despite opening 64% less than Beauty and the Beast (£19,700,000 Vs £7,066,773) Aladdin took 4.4% more in its fourth weekend (Beauty and the Beast £2,759,448) and p15.4% more than 2010’s Alice in Wonderland (£2,496,673); 34.6% more than 2016’s The Jungle Book (£2,139,629); 14.6% 2015’s Paddington (£2,513,675) and 18.1% less than 2013’s Frozen and 8.9% less than 2010’s Toy Story 3

 

Overtook Cinderella and Dumbo to become the 4th biggest Disney reimagination; will come short to overtaking Alice in Wonderland (£42,169,542) due to the arrival of Toy Story 4 next week.

116^th biggest film in the UK between The BFG and The Da Vinci Code (close to Gladiator, Notting Hill, War of the Worlds and La La Land) and 188th inflation inflated biggest film between Guardians of the Galaxy and Tarzan (close to Wall·E, Moulin Rouge, What Women Want and Hot Fuzz).

32^nd biggest Disney film between Thor: Ragnarok and Monsters University (close to Incredibles, Up, A Bug’s Life and Ratatouille) and 42^nd biggest inflation inflated between Guardians of the Galaxy and Tarzan (close to High School Musical 3, Monsters University, Armageddon and Signs).

Despite mixed buzz ahead of release Aladdin is performing as expected as the 1992 original animated was the second biggest film of 1993 after Jurassic Park despite opening in 1992; took £16,115,822 would be over £52m today.

In 4 weeks’ time Disney release The Lion King reimagination, the original animated film was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £34,077,997 (would be £108,944,735 today, the seventh biggest film in the UK between Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Jurassic Park. Opening the start of the summer holidays it will open bigger than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£19.7m) and could be the biggest film of the year (£100m+).

The 11 Disney reimaginations have taken over £320m at the box of office and over £360m inflation inflated.

2. Men In Black International – £2,823,117 –  NE

Was #1 on Friday £683,000 taking £58,418 less than Aladdin #1 had it had Thursday previews would of opening #1

478^th biggest opening in the UK between The Holiday and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (close to Megamind, Men in Black 3, GI Joe: Retaliation and Batman Returns) and 643^rd biggest inflated opened between Total Recall and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (close to The Full Monty, Non-Stop, Swordfish and Gone in Sixty Seconds)

35^th biggest Sony Pictures UK opening between Men in Black 3 and Django Unchained (close to Elysium, Baby Driver, The Pursuit of Happyness and Passengers) and 42^nd biggest inflation inflated opening between Total Recall and Pixels 9close to District 9, The Legend of Zorro, Ghost Rider and Salt).

Opened 4% less than 2012’s Men in Black; 54.4% less than 2002 Men in Black 2 and 61% less than 1997’s Men in Black

Men in Black 3 opened May 2012 £2,935,736 (opening was hurt by hottest temperatures of the year increasing its box office in its second weekend by 3% £3,032,053 (very rarely happen) taking £7,958,460 after 10 days and £21,750,343 total.

1997’s Men in Black opened £7.07m (including £800k previews) £12.54m inflation inflated and £36.2m total (£64.21m inflation inflated)

2002’s Men in Black 2 opened £6.19m (including £1.3m previews) £10.42m inflation inflated and £22.01m total (£37.05m inflation inflated)

The first three films starred Will Smith at the peak of his stardom while Men In Black International while Chris Hemsworth has had limited success away from MCU films.

Have non film events surrounding both Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson earlier this year have any effect on the films box office.

The disappointing opening for Men In Black International follows on from similar disappointing opening for X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Secret Life of Pets 2 allowed Aladdin to hold much stronger than expected in such a crowded marketplace.

Men In Black International as X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Godzilla: King of the Monsters will struggle to take £10m at the UK box office

The failure of film like Men In Black International must be concerning for rivals to Disney as next year they release many sequels to try to compete with Disney they have failed to do so this year having  similar large gaps between them including Bad Boys for Life (25 years after Bad Boys); Legally Blonde 3 (19 years after Legally Blonde); Top Gun: Maverick (34 years after Top Gun); Untitled Ghostbusters (36 years after Ghostbusters); Coming 2America (32 years after Coming to America).

Many recent films that had long gaps between them have also underperformed including Tron Legacy (28 years), Mary Poppins Returns (54 years) and Bladerunner 2049 (35 years) the only real success was 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road (29 years); as the question is what is the audience these sequels are targetting its it teens who saw the original films who are now in their 50’s or millennials.

After a disappointing first 6 months of 2019 Sony Pictures (8^th biggest distributor in the UK)  have a much stronger slate for the rest of the year including Spider-Man: Far from Home, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt), The Angry Birds Movie 2, Zombieland 2: Double Tap, Jumanji Sequel, Little Women reboot, the only question is their Charlie’s Angels reboot opening in November but no trailer released, but chances are that will be released along with Jumanji with Spider-Man: Far from Home in two weeks’ time.

3. Rocketman –  £1,633,127 – £19,255,598

Down 24.6% in its fourth weekend

Took 48.4% less than Mamma Mia! (£3,167,377); 46% Bohemian Rhapsody (£3,021,648); 24.1% A Star Is Born (£2,150,987); 22.3% The Greatest Showman (£2,103,605); 17.6% Chicago (£1,983,505); 7.3% Calendar Girls

42.8% more than Billy Elliot (£1,142,988); 22.1% Moulin Rouge (£1,337,411);

256^th biggest film in the UK between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2012 (close to The Hangover Part III and Maleficent) and the 361^st biggest inflation inflated between How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Flubber (close to Moana, Spice World and Bend It Like Beckham)

15^th biggest Paramount Pictures film in the UK between Iron Man 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction (Paramount Pictures biggest non animated original film in the UK) Kung Fu Panda 2  and 21^st biggest inflated Paramount Pictures film between Kung Fu Panda 2 and Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn.

Rocketman won’t now take £30m+ but should overtake last year’s Mission Impossible: Fallout ending with about £25m+ depending on how it holds against Toy Story 4;

Fourth weekends

Comparisons have been made with

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 2% taking £2,103,605 and £16,865,309 34.9% of £48,300,000; 

2018’s A Star Is Born dropped 25% taking £2,150,987 and £19,238,711 65.6% of £29,299,129;

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 34% taking £3,021,648 and £34,854,038 63.4% £54,947,598;

The films soundtrack dropped to 12th on the album chart with Elton John’s Diamonds album 8th and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 93^rd; while The Greatest Showman dropped to 6^th in its 77th week on release and Bohemian Rhapsody is 10^th in its 34^th week on release.

Paramount Pictures remaining films for the year are unlikely to be anywhere nearly as successful with Will Smith’s Gemini Man leading the way along with Dora & The Lost City Of Gold, Crawl, Rhythm Section and Playing With Fire.

4. The Secret Life of Pets 2 – £1,521,488  –  £16,865,992

Down 25.3% in its fourth weekends.

Had the second lowest 4^th weekend for an Illumination Entertainment film after 2010’s Despicable Me 29% more (£1,177,507) taking 29%

Took 50.6% less than Despicable Me 3; 43.7% Minions;;34% The Grinch; 28% Sing; 34% The Grinch; 28% Sing; 26% The Secret Life of Pets; and 18% less than Despicable Me 2.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is holding similar to last years The Grinch which would see it take £23m+ about 40% less than The Secret Life of Pets and over 50% less than Despicable Me 2, Despicable Me 3 and Minions.

64^th biggest animation film between How to Train Your Dragon and The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists (close to Bolt, Hotel Transylvania 3, Aladdin and Kung Fu Panda 2) and the 82^nd biggest inflation inflated animated film between Mulan and Rio 2 (close to Puss in Boots, Cars 2, Flushed Away and Mr. Peabody).

Since Incredibles 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3 last summer animation films have failed to match expectations with Wonder Park, The Lego Movie: The Second Part, How to Train Your Dragon 3, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Ralph Breaks The Internet, The Grinch and Smallfoot.

Of course this will change this week with the arrival of Toy Story expected to open with close to £20m which is more than the total box office of all those films apart from The Grinch.

The 9 Illumination Entertainment films have taken almost £280m since 2010; with Toy Story 4 opening next week The Secret Life of Pets 2 will probably be the first Illumination Entertainment not to take over £25m since Despicable Me in 2010.

Illumination Entertainment’s next two film Minions: The Rise of Gru and Sing 2 opening summer 2020 and 2021 when Pixar are likely to have original films which should see them topple Pixar again.

5. X-Men: Dark Phoenix £1,043,284 –  £5,930,679

Dropped 72.3% in its second weekend

771th biggest second weekend between Joy and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (close to The Scorpion King, GI Joe: Retaliation, Tomorrowland – A World Beyond and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and 926^th biggest inflation inflated second weekend between The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Tomorrowland – A World Beyond.

69^th biggest comic-book film between Green Lantern and Fantastic Four (2015)

Had the 45^th biggest second weekend drop between The Omen and King Kong but hard to make direct comparisons as soon films had up to 16 day opening weekends while X-Men: Dark Phoenix opening included £1,017,305 from Thursday previews

Second weekend

312.08% more than Elektra; 48.74% Fantastic Four (2015); 8.49% Daredevil;

35.55% less than Fantastic Four (2005); 42.06% The Wolverine; 48.52%; X-Men; 53.15% X-Men: Origins Wolverine; 54.85% X- Men Last Stand; 56.56% X-Men First Class; 58.98%  X-Men: Apocalypse; 66.13% X2; 70.35% X-Men: Days of Future Past; 72.34% Deadpool 2; 72.96% Logan and 81.68% Deadpool.

Has been so much hostility towards X-Men: Dark Phoenix while its far from a good film it doesn’t deserve the negativity towards and had it opened when last November would have received a completely different response.

The question is now what happens to 20^th Century Fox’s final X-Men film New Mutants which has been delayed as many times as Dark Phoenix which had been planned to lead into X-Force spinoff  mentioned in Deadpool 2. Are rumours that New Mutants will go to Disney’s streaming service next year instead of having a theatrical release.

In Deadpool 2 there was a spoiler for Dark Phoenix after Wade Wilson goes to the X0-Men mansion after the death of Vanessa and walks past an X0Men meeting that included Beast, Quicksilver, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Storm, Professor X but both Mystique and Jean Grey were both missing.

13 Marvel 20th Century Fox films (including Daredevil and Fantastic Four) have taken over £268m in the UK and £320m inflation inflated; 11 X-Men films have taken £246m and £290m inflation inflated.

With the exception of The Favourite 20^th Century Fox have had a disappointing 2019  with films including Alita: Battle Angel, The Kid Who Would Be King and Tolkien as the studio gets absorbed within Disney which includes them moving out the offices the studio has been based in Soho Square for 81 years.  Upcoming releases including Stuber, Ad Astra, The Woman In The Window, Ready Or Not, Judy and Le Mans ’66 UK title for FordVFerrari.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £11,536,988 down 31.1% from last weekend £16,761,295

The weekend admissions 1,560,431 down 26.6% from last weekend 2,127,995; average ticket £7.22 down from last year’s £7.49 but Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

15 films opened at weekend taking (3,351,384); Men in Black International 84.2% (£2,823,117); remaining 14 films shared 15.8% (£528,267)

Top three took 63.6% (£7,337,779) of the top 10; Aladdin 24.9% (£2,881,535); Men in Black International 24.5% (£2,823,117); Rocketman 14.1% (£1,633,127);   

The weekend down 13.5% from 2018: (£13,335,853); Hereditary (£1,863,913); The Happy Prince (£107,178); Super Troopers 2 (£101,881); Swan Lake – ROH, London 2017/18 (£71,257); #1 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 2nd week £7,220,952 50% drop 667 screens (54.1% of top 10)

Up 100.8% from 2017: (£5,745,646); Churchill (£392,732); Gifted (£305,323); Whitney “Can I Be Me” (£93,867); Rock Dog (£13,351); #1 Wonder Woman £1,868,607 3^rd week 613 screens 46% drop  (32.5% of top 10)

Up 33.9% from 2016: (£8,610,329); The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case (£4,637,862); Gods of Egypt (£484,467); Barbershop: A Fresh Cut (£91,502); The Keeping Room (£26,199); #1 The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case £4,637,862 1^st week 504 screens (53.8% of the top 10)

Down 51.9% from 2015; (£24,008,316); Jurassic World (£19,350,727); London Road (£216,248); Gascoigne (£47,455); Queen And Country (£31,966); #1 Jurassic World £19,350,727 605 screens 1^st week (80.6% of top 10)

Up 67.4% from 2014: (£6,889,969); Oculus (£413,578); Belle (£407,120); Devil’s Knot (£122,892); The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (£44,777); The Hooligan Factory (£6,518); The Food Guide to Love (£1,293); #1 22 Jump Street £2,255,100 477 screens 2^nd week (32.7% of top 10)

Down 30.6% from 2013: (£16,628,964); Man Of Steel (£11,198,786); Stuck In Love (£34,859); Admission (£33,557); #1 Man Of Steel £11,198,786 1^st week  572 screens (67.3% of top 10)

Up 44.5% from 2012 (£7,983,254); Rock of Ages (£1,003,107); Red Lights (£445,109); Fast Girls (£335,700); Jaws (Re: 2012) (£187,197); Cosmopolis (£116,519); A Royal Affair (£75,960); #1 Prometheus £2,009,955 3^rd week 522 screens 36% drop (25.2% of top 10)

Up 1.8% from 2011 (£11,331,755) Green Lantern (£2,472,969); Bad Teacher (£1,958,656); The Beaver (£55,185); #1 Green Lantern £ £2,472,969 1^st week 478 screens (21.8% of top 10)

Up 112.5% from 2010: (£5,427,181); Letters to Juliet (£793,425); Brooklyn’s Finest (£468,279); Greenberg (£118,804); #1 Sex and the City 2 £1,489,833 3^rd week 542 screens 40% drop (27.3% of top 10)

Up 30.1% from 2009; (£8,867,112); The Hangover (£3,193,806); The Last House on the Left (£392,163); Looking for Eric (£366,242); Red Cliff (£153,288); #1 The Hangover £3,193,806 1^st week 422 screens (36.1% of top 10)

Up 17.3% from 2008; (£9,828,672); The Incredible Hulk (£3,253,723); The Happening (£1,632,055); Priceless (£125,433); #1 The Incredible Hulk £3,253,723 1^st weeks 484 screens (33.1% of top 10)

Up 17.5% from 2007:( £9,816,017); Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (£4,137,169); Vacancy (£565,936); Tell No One (£173,852); The War on Democracy (£8,144); #1 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer £4,137,169 1^st week 475 screens (42.1% of top 10)

Up 99.5% from 2006; (£5,781,153); The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (£1,813,359); Hard Candy (£527,910); Thank You for Smoking (£188,676); Imagine Me and You (£39,950); #1 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift £1,813,359 1^st week 415 screens (31.3% of top 10)

Up 44.5% from 2005 (£7,979,378); Mr and Mrs Smith (£3,943,422); #1 Mr and Mrs Smith £3,943,422 1^st week 450 screens (49.4% of top 10)

Down 52.3% from 2004 (£7,575,851); Connie and Carla (£155,374); I’m Not Scared (£41,407);  #1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban £4,391,262 2^nd week 536 screens (57.9% of top 10)

Up 161.8% from 2003 (£4,406,684); Identity (£719,468); Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry (£673,202); A Guy Thing (£134,956); Igby Goes Down (£86,581); #1 The Matrix Reloaded £1,071,551 4^th week 457 screens 57% drop (24.3% of top 10)

Down 8.5% from 2002 (£12,613,797); Spider-Man: The Movie (£9,426,969); #1 Spider-Man: The Movie £9,426,969 1^st week 509 screens (74.7% of top 10)

Next weekend in 2018: (£10,066,964); Ocean’s 8 (£4,347,070); In the Fade (£25,963); Overboard (£19,304); #1 Ocean’s 8 £4,347,070 1^st week 641 screens (43.2% of the top 10)

 Also opened

• Diego Maradona – Altitude

Opened with £284,949 from 139 screens

Documentary directed by Asif Kapadia featuring never before seen archival footage; was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival receiving positive reviews.

Asif Kapadia previously directed 2010’s Senna opened with £375,000 from 67 screens taking £3.17m; 2015’s Amy opened with £397,000 from 133 screens (including £127,000 previews) taking £3.73m.

UK Box Office Top 10

 

US Box office

• Men In Black International – Sony Pictures

Opened with $30.03m; received poor reviews (24% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore) 22 years ago Men in Black received positive reviews (92% Rotten Tomatoes) opened a year after Independence Day and Will Smith was king of the box office)

Was then surprising took 5 years for Men in Black 2 received mixed reviews(39% Rotten Tomatoes) Will Smith likely agreed to star in Men in Black 2 and Bad Boys 2 with Sony co-financing Ali in 2001) and then another 10 years for Men in Black 3 (received better reviews 68% Rotten Tomatoes), against probably due to Sony making Seven Pounds and After Earth.

22 years after the first Men in Black film Men In Black International is expected to open similar to the previous three films

1997’s Men in Black opened $51.1m taking $250.69m and $589.29m worldwide

2002’s Men in Black opened $52.14m taking $190.41m and $441.81m worldwide

2012’s MIV 3 opened $54.59m taking $179.02m and $624.02m worldwide

The three films have taken $620.13m in the US and $1.65bn worldwide

Sony Pictures will be hoping the Marvel Cinematic Universe will rub off on Men In Black International with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson reteaming again after starring in several Avengers films together.

Director F. Gary Gray films have taken $756m in the US and $1.94bn worldwide directed many great action films including The Fate of the Furious, The Italian Job and The Negotiator.

After Men In Black International’s disappointing opening it was revealed it had a troubled production with the director almost leaving and the producer trying to remake the scrip as they shot the film.

Rumours of a fourth Men in Black film started after the release of the third film in 2012 with ideas of a Men In Black Jump Street crossover but they had script issues as the tone of the two films was very different. For many years Sony were trying to get Will Smith to return for Men in Back and Bad Boys sequels, with Bad Boys 3 finally a go had he also returned for Men in Black 4 it would have made it a very expensive film.  Instead they opted to relaunch the franchise with new stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth and making an international Men in Black film set in London.

While Dark Phoenix troubled production was very public Sony managed to avid stories leaking about similar issues with Men in Black International until after it was released.

The problem with these massive films is that they are no longer films made by the director as Danny Boyle said recently in an interview about why he left Bond 25 he described it as a producers film, as the producers are probably pulling the strings (with Men in Black International producer Walter Parkes had final cut on the film) with the director a figurehead. It was reported that at times during the filming Walter Parkes took over directing duties and director F. Gary Gray tried to leave several times, but Sony made him stay.

Sony tested two cuts, one by the producer the other by the director, the one by the producer was chosen (but that was always going to be the case as he had final cut). The one positive Sony has with the film is they kept the budget down to $110m about half of Dark Phoenix and brought in outside finance.

As with Godzilla: King of the Monsters and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Men In Black International will have a big second weekend drop this weekend.

The one positive they have is unlike Warner Bros or Fox it wasn’t their big film of the summer as Spider-Man: Far From Home open in two weeks and being the follow-up to Avengers: Endgame is expected to open upwards of $200m.

Spider-Man: Homecoming opened with $117m in 2017 taking $334.2m in the US and $880.16m worldwide and the sequel should take $1bn+ becoming their first to take more than $1bn since Skyfall in 2012 and probably only non-Disney film to do so this year.

Opened with $73.7m from 56 territories and $102.2m worldwide; similar to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but 19% down from Men In Black 3

• The Secret Life of Pets 2 – Universal Pictures

Dropped 47.7% in its second weekend taking $24.4m and $92.65m;

In 2016 The Secret Life of Pets opened 4 weeks after Finding Dory allowing it to play much stronger than its sequel will do opening two weeks before Toy Story 4.

Nine years ago Universal Pictures opened Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 4 weeks after Toy Story 3 managing to hold its own opening with $56.39m against Toy Story 3 $21.01m

The Secret Life of Pets dropped 51.3% in its second weekend taking $50.83m and $203.42m  55.2% of $368.38m total; if The Secret Life of Pets 2 held similar will take about $167m 45% of The Secret Life of Pets and similar amount worldwide.

When Illumination Entertainment have opened against Pixar they have done so with very different films and opened several weeks afte; 2013 Despicable Me 2 opened two weeks after Monsters University; 2015 Minions opened 4 weeks after Inside Out; 2017 Despicable Me 3 opened 3 weeks after Cars 3.

So was surprising they opted to open two weeks ahead of Tory Story 4 especially as they were two similarly films as many see The Secret Life of Pets as a Toy Story clone and after opening in the UK two weeks earlier. Of course doing so would have put it against Aladdin while they couldn’t have their normal July release date due to The Lion King, but saying that Illumination Entertainment film often play much younger than Disney films.

With Pixar concentrating on original animated films after Toy Story 4 Illumination Entertainment will have better success next summer opening Minions: The Rise of Gru in their regular two weeks after Pixar slot.

Illumination Entertainment films have taken $2.54bn in the US and $6.41m worldwide

Took $8.5m from 36 territories $62.5m total and $154.6m worldwide; 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets took $875.45m worldwide including $507.1m worldwide with Toy Story 4 opening next weekend the sequel

• Shaft – Warner Bros

Opened with $8.9m; receiving mixed reviews (35% Rotten Tomatoes) but more positive A CinemaScore)

the fifth film in the Shaft film series and sequel to the 2000 film; the 2000 film was released by Paramount Pictures Warner Bros own the rights to the other three films and TV series as they are part of pre-1986 MGM library they acquired when they brought Turner Entertainment in 1996.

The film will be released in the US theatrically by Warner Bros but internationally two weeks later by Netflix (Netflix acquired international rights in October 2018; It is the second 2019 Warner Bros film Netflix acquired international rights for after a similar deal earlier this year with Isn’t It Romantic.

2000’s Shaft opened with $21.71m taking $70.33m taking $107.19m worldwide

• X-Men: Dark Phoenix – 20th Century Fox

Dropped 71.5% in its second weekend taking $9.35m and $52.11m;  

Dropped 83% more than Deadpool; 78% Deadpool 2; 75% Logan; 72% X- Men Last Stand; 71% X-Men: Days of Future Past; 64% X-Men: Origins Wolverine; 61% X-Men First Class; 60% X-Men; 59% X-Men: Apocalypse and Fantastic Four (2005); 48% Daredevil; 46% X2 but 14% more than Fantastic Four (2015) 136% more than Elektra

Had the 129^th biggest second weekend between Happy Death Day and TMNT; 79^th biggest drop between Supercross and Believe but the second biggest drop for a film playing in over 3,500 screens after 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey, how many of those screens will it be playing in in its third weekend?

With films like X-Men: Dark Phoenix dropping over 80% in their second weekend and will be played out of cinemas within a month its still madness they have to keep to the antiquated 3-month theatrical window as they will have no second-run potential. If they were given an VoD release after a month would give them the second-run release they don’t get anymore and stop many going illegally as they will be also available from China within a month.

Disney investors were told not to worry about Dark Phoenix flopping (Dark Phoenix cost over $300m to make and release worldwide and would need to take $600m+ worldwide to turn a profit) as Fox’s failure is Disney’s win. This does make you think Disney were pulling the strings over Fox’s decision to delay the release till after Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. As ever since Disney announced they were buying 20^th Century Fox the X-Men were going to be rebooted into the MCU, so it was in their interest Dark Phoenix wasn’t a hit.

When 20^th Century Fox first planned Dark Phoenix it was soon after the disappointing X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016 which opened in the shadows of Batman Vs Superman and Captain America: Civil War and was planned to be made as two films but the studio decided as Warner Bros did with Justice League to make it into just one film which is one of the reasons why the film feels disjointed as Justice League was.

Director Simon Kinberg surprisingly opened up to what went wrong with Dark Phoenix taking the blame for its failure, as often the case with a flop the actors, producers and studio will move on, but the director will take the blame.

He said, “It’s clearly is a movie that didn’t connect with the audiences that didn’t see it, it clearly didn’t connect enough with audiences that did see it, so that’s on me,”…. “I always felt that we had a tough date for this particular movie,”…..“It wasn’t made as a classic superhero movie, it was made as more of a dramatic, intimate, smaller film. Originally it was going to come out in November, then it was going to come out in February, and those were the date that I felt like it actually would have felt more appropriate to.”

“And think also coming out five, six weeks after what may well be the biggest movie or the second biggest movie in the history of cinema, that also happens to be also in the genre of superheroes, was tough for us,” he continued, “and I always anticipated that it was going to be tough to be int he tailwinds of that movie. But I wouldn’t blame it on the weekend.”

“I’m here and I’m saying when a movie doesn’t work, put it on me,”… “I’m the writer/director of the movie, the movie didn’t connect with audiences, that’s on me.”

Many have said the failure for Dark Phoenix is solely due to Fox but do believe it and their other films this year have been collateral damage to the Disney acquisitions as he also said..

“Well, there’s no question that people were either getting fired or leaving,”… “I think the massive layoffs, people were well aware of, and ultimately in the last six months or so, there were massive layoffs. Like thousands and thousands of people. So the marketing and publicity side of Fox were very badly hit, and I noticed it because oblivious I was going to marketing meetings every week and there were people who weren’t there anymore. They were people that I worked with for many years on many movies that I made.”

“Disney are clearly the best in the world at marketing movies,”… But I know that their process is usually that they start from a year out from a movie’s release, and in our case, they were given the film two months out from release… they couldn’t do anything until the merger was finalized.”

(that is one thing I do disagree with him with as Disney are the best in the world at marketing a property or existing franchise but with original films 20^th Century Fox had far ore success with over recent years as its been many years since Disney have had success with an original film that wasn’t animated).

With all of this going on in the background it’s no wonder their films have underperformed with many employees who had worked for the studio for many years not being there anymore and many those who stayed knowing their days were numbered too. While it was in Disney’s interest for the film to flop as now they can move on with their plans to reboot the film series into the MCU. Had taken $400m+ worldwide after the success of both Deadpool 2 ($778m) and Logan ($619m) many will question why the film series couldn’t continue, as its very unlikely we will see Deadpool in an MCU film anytime soon unless its PG rated.

The 12 X-Men films have taken $2.41bn in the US and $5.98bn worldwide while that is a fraction of what the MCU have taken over a similar time they were two very different film series. Marvel had leant from what Fox did with X-Men and Warner Bros with Batman and made their hybrid when they launched their first film in 2008 Iron Man.

Everything he said many others have said too as people forget the original X-Men films weren’t as big as MCU films and Dark Phoenix shouldn’t have been compared with the MCU as it’s a very different film. As a film Dark Phoenix has its issues but its far from a terrible film as Fantastic Four.

Will be interesting to see if taking the blame will harm his next fil female spy thriller 355 starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Sebastian Stan, was expected to start shooting later this year.

1994’s North: directed by Rob Reiner while he did director The American President immediately after was 13 year till his next hit The Bucket List (Rob Reiner is different as the films he directed in between were made by his production company Castle Rock)

1991’s Hudson Hawk:  Michael Lehman had just directed the excellent low-budget comedy Heather and to direct Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk; he directed a few low budget comedies since having more success with TV.

1995’s Waterworld: While not the flop everyone thinks it was as the $175m budget film took over $264m worldwide and despite also directing Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves a few yeas earlier Kevin Reynolds has only directed a few films since

2003’s Gigli: Martin Brest directed the comedy starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez both who have had many comebacks since but now despite Martin Brest previously directing Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run, Scent of a Woman and Meet Joe Black he hasn’t directed a film since.

X-Men films deserve more respect than they get as had 20^th Century Fox not taken a chance making the first X-Men film in 2000 when comic-book movies were on life-support with turkeys Judge Dress, Barb Wire and Batman and Robin, the only successes were Spawn and Blade, both were non white led comic-book movies 20 years before Black Panther.

Took $24.2m from 55 territories and $152.5m and $204.3m worldwide; #761 biggest film worldwide between Eat Pray Love and King Arthur; China $55.4m; Mexico $8.3m; France $7.7m; UK $7.5m; Korea $6.3m; Russia $5.8m; Brazil $5.3m; Indonesia $3.5m; Philippines $3.4m; Australia $3.1m

• Aladdin – Disney

Dropped 29.9% in its fourth weekend taking $17.3m and $264.04m

58th biggest fourth weekend between Aquaman and Guardians of the Galaxy; (Alice in Wonderland #54 and The Jungle Book #16).

Has become Disney’s 33^rd biggest film in the US between Monsters University and The Incredibles

It’s not a surprise Aladdin is performing strongly despite mixed buzz ahead of release as the original animated film was the biggest film in 1992 taking $217.35m in the US (#170 biggest film in the US between The Da Vinci Code and Alvin and the Chipmunks) taking $504.1m worldwide; 2019’s Aladdin #167 biggest film in the US between Doctor Strange and The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Adjusted for inflation Aladdin is 102^nd biggest film in the US taking $472.5m a similar box office to Mrs Doubtfire which opened the following year #202 biggest worldwide between Ghost and Rio 2.

27 years ago Aladdin had two weeks of platform release before expanding first into 1,131 screens in its third weekend (#2 to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York #1) and then 2,255 screens in its 7^th weekend (#2 to A Few Good Men #1) taking $19.28m and $13.88m. Aladdin didn’t  become #1 until its 8^th weekend (#1 for 4 out of 5 weeks of January having minimal drops until end of February 16^th week).

Took $16.7m from 55 territories and $461.4m total and $724.8m worldwide #105 biggest film worldwide between Up and Gravity; China $51.7m; UK $38.3m; Korea $38.1m; Japan $32.6m; Mexico $29.6m; Spain $20m; Australia $18.7m; Russia $18m; Indonesia $17.3m; Brazil $16.7m; Italy $16m; France $13.6m; Germany $13m; Philippines $10.4m

• Rocketman – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 31.8% in its third weekend taking $9.42m and $66.76m;

Has become Paramount Pictures 176^th biggest film in the US between Changing Lanes and The Godfather Part III

Third weekends

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 48.6% taking $16.04m and $128.22m 58.7% of $218.42m and $903.65m worldwide

2018’s A Star is Born dropped 33% taking $19.05m and $126.12m 58.5% of $215.28m and $434.18m worldwide

2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again dropped 40.4% taking $9m and $91.24m 75.7% of taking $120.53m and $394.74m worldwide

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 11.3% taking $13.77m and $76.87m 44.1% taking $174.34m and $434.99m worldwide

Took $8.5m from 55 territories and $67m total (almost 50% from the UK $24.3%)

• Late Night – Amazon Studios

Up 2,033.8% in its second weekend adding 2,216 screens taking $5.25m and $5.56m; received positive reviews (80% Rotten Tomatoes) but mixed CinemaScore B+ (similar to Booksmart)

After having a strong platform release last week Late Night failed to build on to its opening despite positive reviews and strong word of mouth as it becomes another casualty of the summer.

Films like Late Night and Booksmart have probably suffered the most with the loss over Moviepass last year as audiences would have given these films a chance, but now have become far more selective with the films they pay to see.  

Comparisons were made with 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada opened with $27.53m taking $124.74m but that of course had Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway and Mindy Kaling is best known for TV but saying that as was he Office co-star Steve Carell when he appeared in The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005 (opened with $21.42m taking $109.44m). The US market is very different now than it was then as probably neither The 40-Year-Old Virgin or The Devil Wears Prada would be as big as success today.

The film was originally developed at Fox 2000 in 2016 with Paul Feig attached to direct but in August 2017 he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. In February 2018 was announced FilmNation Entertainment would co-finance the film.

Had world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival were Amazon Studios acquired US rights for $13m which was similar to $17.5m Fox Searchlight paid for The Birth of the Nation and  $12m Amazon paid for The Big Sick.

Studios get caught up in the hype when films are screened at the Sundance Film Festival acquiring films for huge sums but when they get release several months later they rarely find an audience.

• John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – Lionsgate

Dropped 13.7% in its fifth weekend taking $6.4m and $148.92m

John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum continues to hold surprising strongly having the lowest drop of the weekend

John Wick: Chapter 3:Parabellum is Lionsgate’s 8^th biggest film between Divergent and    Wonder by next weekend will become their biggest film since The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. .

Fifth weekends

2014’s John Wick dropped 60.6% taking $876,324 and $40.61m of $43.03m and $88.76m worldwide

2017’s John Wick: Chapter Two dropped 44.4% taking $2.67m and $88.39m of $92.02m and $171.53m worldwide

Keanu Reeves has made a wide range of genres over the years; his 48 films have taken over $2.11bn over the last 33 years and $4.49bn worldwide;  

Took $6.2m from 87 territories and $127.5m internationally and $276.1m worldwide; #516 worldwide between Spirited Away and The Bourne Legacy; UK $12.5m; Germany $9.8m; Australia $9.7m; Russia $7.5m;  Mexico $7.2m

• Avengers: Endgame – Disney

Dropped 23.6% in its eighth weekend taking $3.72m and $830.7m

After having the biggest opening weekend, second biggest second weekend, fourth biggest third weekend and fifth biggest fourth weekend dropped down to 77th biggest sixth weekend; 146^th biggest 7^th; 134^th biggest 8^th weekend between Steel Magnolias and Look Who’s Talking

Avengers: Infinity War #51; Marvel’s The Avengers #24; Captain Marvel #12; Avatar #2 taking 22,850,881 took 83.7% more than Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War took 31.5% more than Avengers: Endgame

Ahead of opening many expected Avengers: Endgame to have long legs as they did previously with Star Wars: The Last Jedi but while the film played strongly to fans it wasn’t as accessible to non-fans who enjoyed Black Panther and Captain Marvel.

Avengers: Endgame will have the third worst opening to total after Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War, this compares to Marvel’s The Avengers 5^th best with 3.01x opening; Avengers Infinity War 14^th 2.63x opening and Avengers: Age of Ultron 19^th 2.4x opening; the best are Guardians of the Galaxy 3.53x; Black  Panther 3.47x; Iron Man 3.23x.

If Avengers: Endgame holds similar to Avengers: Infinity War it would have taken 97.9% of its total box office after 8 weeks and will end with $848m but could get a boost with Spider-Man: Far From Home opening in two weeks’ time as Captain Marvel did when Avengers: Endgame opened.

Took $3.5m from 45 territories; $1.912bn and $2.742bn worldwide; China $629.1m; UK $113.8m; Korea $104.8m; Brazil $85m; Mexico $76.9m

Avengers: Endgame is now $46m away from overtaking Avatar now very unlikely for it to overtake Avatar or if it does it will squeeze past it late summer rather than canter past it weeks ago; Avenger: Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of 22 films over the last 11 years and should have become the world’s biggest film along with the US and UK but will come short of all three;

After opening with $357.11m 8 weeks ago in the US whatever many say it should have easily toppled Star Wars: The Force Awakens$936.66m US box office and after opening with $1.3bn worldwide $3bn+ globally should have been expected. Despite all the hype and critical acclaim these films receive the pixie dust only lasts for a month and audiences will move on to the next shinny new film opening a few weeks later.

After Avengers: Endgame came short of taking over Avatar worldwide now will The Lion King, if it performs as the original film did 25 years ago taking $423m in the US and $546m international it should come close as inflation inflated US BO $803m and internationally $2bn+ the original film didn’t open in China.

22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have now taken $8.12bn in the US and $21.4bn worldwide

• The Dead Don’t Die – Focus Features

Opened with $2,540,240 from 613 screens;

It is the first of two zombie comedies starring Bill Murray Zombieland: Double Tap, the long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Zombieland opens in October (on the 10th anniversary of the original film)

UK Box Office Predictions

As with The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Toy Story 4 opens without the normal weekend previews have become regular addition for most children’s films over the last two decades artificially inflated their openings. Toy Story 3 opened with £21,187,264 in July 2010 including £9,693,440 (46% from previews).

Despite not having previews Toy Story 4 should have one of the top 10 biggest openings upwards of 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£19.7m)

Toy Story opened in March 1996 (5 months after US) with £4,594,454 (£8,965,394 inflation inflated) taking £22,297,733 (£43,510,711 inflation inflated)

Toy Story 2 opened February 2000 (3 months after US) with £7,758,936 (£12,731,709 inflation inflated) taking £44,306,070 (£72,702,233 inflation inflated)

Toy Story 3 opened July 2010 (1 month after US) with £21,187,264 (£25,709,588 inflation inflated) taking £73,405,113 (£89,073,095 inflation inflated)

In 2010 Toy Story 3 was Disney’s biggest ever film in the UK (until Star Wars: The Force Awakens  in 2015) previous highest was 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (£51,998,590)

Toy Story 3 was in the top 5 for 9 weeks (taking £1m+ for 6 weeks) and in the top 10 for 12 weeks (taking £261,359 in its 12th weekend)

20 Pixar films have taken almost £620m in the UK and almost £820m inflation inflated.

2012’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opened with £23,753,171 (£28,299,983 inflation inflated); 2017’s Beauty and the Beast opened with £19,700,000 and 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 with £18,319,721 (£22,229,981 inflation inflated);  all without previews and Toy Story 4 will likely open with £23m+ over its opening weekend.

Previous biggest opening for an animated film without previews was 2007’s Shrek The Third £16,671,727 (£23,835,618 inflation inflated).

Opening against Toy Story 4 are two horror Childs Play and Brightburn

The marketing for Childs Play was a parody of Toy Story 4.

Child’s Play films were surrounded by controversy  in the UK after Child’s Play 3 was seen as the “inspiration” for two murders in the United Kingdom.

We will sorely have a screening of Child’s Play “accidently” played instead of Toy Story 4 in front of screaming children and will generate much media coverage as often still seems to happen despite cinemas now all digital.

Brightburn is a superhero horror produced by James Gunn received mixed reviews and failed to find an audience in the UK surprising two horrors open same weekend which will likely cannibalize each other.

US Box Office Preview

 

After disappointing openings for Men In Black International, Dark Phoenix, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters being seen as the wrong kind of sequels Toy Story 4 will give Disney another $200m+ opening this year. This will be followed I a months’ time by The Lion King and then in December with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Toy Story 4 was tracking to open with $150m+ a month ago but $200m+ opening was always likely if you compare it the box office increases of previous Pixar films.

Toy Story 2 ($97.38m) opened 97% bigger than Toy Story ($29.14m) and Toy Story 3 ($110.3m) opened 92% bigger than Toy Story 2 ($97.38m)

Finding Dory ($70.25m) opened 92% bigger than Finding Nemo ($135.1m)

Incredibles 2 ($70.4m) opened 159% bigger than Incredibles ($182.6m)

If Toy Story 4 opened 92% bigger than Toy Story 3 would be looking at opening of $210m+

Toy Story took $191.79m in the US and $374.6m worldwide

Toy Story 2 took $245.85m in the US and $597.4m worldwide

Toy Story 3 took $415m in the US and $1.067bn worldwide

Reviews have been positive (98% Rotten Tomatoes) but many have said its not as good as Toy Story 3 ending the trilogy so perfectly fans.

Toy Story 3 had very long legs in the top 10 for 8 weeks and taking over $1m for 12 weeks as with most of Disney films lately Toy Story 4 will be much more front-loaded opening with $200m+ taking $600m+. and $1.6bn+ worldwide

The 3 Toy Story films have taken $883.35m in the US and $1.97bn worldwide; with the first released over 20 years ago would be $1.4bn+ in the US and $2.7bn+ worldwide

Often wonder why cinema goers seem to be happy to go and see a Disney reimagination or sequel much more than other studios probably for the same reason people would come to Iowa (Field of Dreams)

“People will come, Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. “Of course, we won’t mind if you look around”, you’ll say, “It’s only $20 per person”. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again. Oh…people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”

 

Opening in UK Next Week

• Yesterday – Universal Pictures

Fantasy comedy starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Richard Curtis; had world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in May receiving mixed reviews 67% Rotten Tomatoes with British critics much more positive than US.

It’s the first film Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis have worked together but they did work together on the 2012 London Olympics opening Ceremony with the Ben sequence.

Was surprising such a British film received its world premiere in the US as the film was always likely to receive far more positive reaction from British critics and be far more successful in the UK; the plot feels very similar to 90s British TV wartime comedy Goodnight Sweetheart about a man who travels back to the Second World War cheering up people singing classic songs of his era that he said he wrote.

In March 2018 it was announced Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis were teaming up for a musical fantasy and started shooting in April 2018, originally Danny Boyle had planned to go immediately into directing Bond 25 but left the film in August 2018 due to “creative differences” allowing him to concentrate fully on Yesterday.  

22 years ago Danny Boyle was connected to directing Alien Resurrection but choose to direct A Life Less Ordinary instead.

Whenever a Danny Boyle film opens in the UK always look back to October 2002 when I spent 10 days touring the UK with the director writer producer and cast of 28 Days Later with the 35mm print for preview screenings and Q&As and the passion he had when he engaged with the audience. A few months earlier attended several research screenings in cinemas across the country remember having to try to explain to a senior executive at Fox Searchlight who arrived late for the screening it wasn’t possible to rewind the film and start the film again.

Danny Boyle directed short Alien Love Triangle which was planned as part of a trilogy of sci-fi shorts made by Miramax, but the other two films were turned into feature films Mimic and Impostor.

Danny Boyle’s Alien Love Triangle was then shelved for over 8 years before Mark Kermode screened the film in the smallest cinema in the UK, but hasn’t been released on video. Did screen the short when I worked at 20^th Century Fox in 1999 when Danny Boyle was making The Beach for the studio and it’s a shame it was never widely seen.

Did a workprint screening of The Beach in 2000 that was very different to the final version, The Beach was one of the many films I screened so many times at 20^th Century Fox I could quote scenes word for word…

Was also at Rank Film Distributors when they released his first film Shallow Grave in January 1995 and screened his iconic Trainspotting many times ahead of its release in February 1996.

The 12 films Danny Boyle has directed since his directorial debut Shallow Grave in 1995 have taken over £105m; his biggest by far was 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire.

Richard Curtis has become a brand over the last 25 years since Four Wedding and a Funeral opened they feel like the British version to what Disney have created with their reimaginations of Star Wars and animated films playing on nostalgia and having a tearjerker moment 9the two combined shortly with Richard Curtis writing the script for the reimagination of Disney’s The Little Mermaid). Might sound a little cynical but you only need to see Mama Mia! Here We Go Again to see this formulas in action that said are Richard Curtis films I enjoy and have watched multiple times.

1989 is the 30^th anniversary of the first film based on Richard Curtis script The Tall Guy, which was also based on his life, but it was through Comic Relief and Blackadder he made a name for himself in the UK before writing the script for Four Weddings and a Funeral, which became the biggest British film in the UK in 1994.

Richard Curtis has written 12 films over the last 30 years taking over £315m at the box office and £463m inflation inflated.

 

Yesterday is produced by Working Title, the “British” film production company, or was British when it first opened in 1984 before being acquired by Polygram (owned by Philips a Dutch company) which wad then sold on to Universal Pictures in 1998

Working Title have made almost 100 films since they were acquired by Polygram in 1992; before 1992 they made 5 films including Richard Curtis’s The Tall Guy in 1989; (about 25 released by Polygram with majority of the released by Universal Pictures (Studiocanal have released a few of the films due to their co-ownership of Working Title); taking £750m at the UK box office.

While Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis early films were made by Polygram they then split over the two sides of the British film industry Danny Boyle to Fox Searchlight/Pathe and DNA Films keeping up his relationship with Film 4 which co-produced his first film Shallow Grave, while Richard Curtis stayed closer to home with Working Title.

First trailer was released in February

Danny Boyle previously directed fantasy rom com in 1997 A Life Less Ordinary starring Ewan Macgregor and Cameron Diaz which was the film he directed after Trainspotting; opened October 1997 with £1,045,050 taking £1,911,260 receiving mixed reviews.

The surviving Beatles rarely allow their songs to be licenced in films and TV shows over the years but did feature heavily 2002’s I Am Sam opened £151,079 taking £456,635) and 2007’s Across the Universe (opened with £27,471).

After the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman and summer being a good time to release music-based films from Mamma Mia to Hairspray Yesterday gives audiences something different to enjoy instead if another remake sequel, reboot or reimagination.

Danny Boyle, Richard Curtis, Lily James and Himesh Patel all started their careers in TV: Lily James Secret Diary of a Call Girl, War & Peace and Downton Abbey and had her film career breakthrough with the 2015 Disney Cinderella reimagination; Himesh Patel spent 9 years on EastEnders (as Ben Hardy also did leaving in 2015 and starring in X-Men: Apocalypse and Bohemian Rhapsody); Danny Boyle directed episodes of Inspector Morse in the early 90s before directing Shallow Grave (went back to TV directed seral episodes of Trust) and Richard Curtis started with Blackadder, Comic Relief, Spitting Image and Bean.

• Apollo 11 – Dogwoof

Documentary edited, produced and directed by Todd Douglas Mille to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing includes archival footage and 70 mm film previously unreleased to the public; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving critical acclaim (98% Rotten Tomatoes) receiving its UK premiere at Sundance London

Released in the US in March taking $8m.

There are two different versions of Apollo 11 an edited cut down 45 minutes version for IMAX cinemas released as Apollo 11: First Steps on May 17^th and 93-minute theatrical version

Opening in US Next Week

• Annabelle Comes Home – Warner Bros

Supernatural horror sequel to 2017’s Annabelle: Creation and seventh instalment in the Conjuring Universe franchise; starring Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, and Katie Sarife, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and directed by Gary Dauberman.

The five Conjuring Universe films have taken $543.6m in the US and $1.56bn worldwide; the Annabelle Comes Home is due for release in June and The Conjuring 3 is expected to be released in 2020. All the Conjuring Universe films apart from The Conjuring 2 have budgets of under $20m so are very profitable to Warner Bros.

Tracking to open between $35m-$40m

Opening similar to 2014’s Annabelle $37.14m taking $84.27m and $257m worldwide and 2017’s Annabelle: Creation $35m taking $102.1m and $306.5m worldwide

Opens only a week after Child’s Play and after two months after The Curse of La Llorona set in the same Conjuring Universe but wasn’t marketed as part of the film series. Previous films like The Nun received poor reviews but still managed to open with $53.8m taking $117.45m.

Annabelle Comes Home is opening several weeks after the US in the UK which is surprising for a horror as they will normally open day and date due to being normally very front-loaded.

• Yesterday – Universal Pictures

Surprising Universal Pictures have given Yesterday such a prime summer slot in the US as the only Danny Boyle film that gas been successful in the US was 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire which had a slow platform release going wide after 10 weeks on release after it was nominated for 10 Oscars (winning 8 including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay); taking $141.31m in the US (Fox Searchlight’s second biggest film ever) and $377.91m worldwide.

The films he directed since 2010’s 127 Hours $18.33m; 2013’s Trance $2.32m: 2015’s Steve Jobs $17.78m and 2017’s T2: Trainspotting $2.4m all apart from Steve Jobs performed much stronger in the UK than the US as did the films he directed before; 2007’s Sunshine $3.67m; 2005’s Millions $6.58m; 2003’s 28 Days Later $45.1m; 2000’s The Beach $39.78m; 1997’s A Life Less Ordinary $4.36m; 1996’s       Trainspotting $16.49m; 1995’s Shallow Grave $2.1m

Danny Boyle’s 12 films have taken $300m in the US and $809.6m worldwide

Richard Curtis films have had mixed success at the US box office while US audiences enjoyed Four Wedding and a Funeral was a hit in the US in 1994 taking $52.7m after a slow platform opening over 6 weeks; 1999’s Notting Hill success was due to Julia Roberts opening with $21.81m taking $115.1m; the Bridget Jones trilogy.

While of the three film he directed 2004’s Love Actually opened $6.88m taking $59.69m but 2009’s Pirate Radio opened $2.9m taking $9.1m and 2013’s About Time opened with $1.1m taking $15.32m