- Wonka – £8,904,750 – NE
Took £2.05m (23%) Friday; £3.64m (40.9%) Saturday; £3.21m (36%) Sunday; Took £791 Monday
Being term-time the 77.5% increase from Fri-Sat and then 11.8% drop on Sunday was expected, as was 75% drop on Monday as Wonka will take the bulk of its BO Sat/Sun for the next two weeks and then could take similar daily BO from December 22nd to January 1st (except Christmas Day).
125th biggest opening between Shrek Forever After and The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (close to Jumanji: The Next Level, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Paddington 2 (£8,260,160) and 200th biggest inflated between Mission: Impossible and Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (close to Avatar, The Lego Movie, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle).
7th biggest 2023 opening between Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Ant-Man 3
Opened in 699 cinemas (in 1,668 screens) 27th widest similar to Black Panther Wakanda Forever and 10th widest opening in 2023 between Killers Of The Flower Moon (701) and Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (690); but screen average of £12,739 is meaningless as in multi-screen cinemas Wonka was playing in at least 3 screens.
Wonka has been generating strong buzz for weeks, received positive reviews with many critics comparing it to Paul King’s previous Paddington films and Roald Dahl’s film adaptions have been extremely popular in the UK.
2014’s Paddington opened £5,125,519 #1 from 518 screens; Friday £738k; Saturday £2.35m; Sunday £2.08m taking £37,965,541; it was #1 for 2 weeks; in the top 5 for 8 weeks and in the top 10 for 12 weeks; took £2m+ for 6 weeks and £1+ for 7 weeks.
2017’s Paddington 2 opened £8,260,160 #1 from 607 screens; Friday £1.08m; Saturday £3.91m; Sunday £3.25m taking £42,643,286; it was #1 for 3 weeks split over 5 weeks, opened #1, then dropped #2 for 2 weeks before returning #1 in early December; in top 5 for 8 weeks and top 10 for 10 weeks; took £2m+ for 4 weeks and £1m+ for 9 weeks.
Roald Dahl’s film adaptions play strongly to children and families, but the casting of Timothée Chalamet as Wonka will attract tweens/teens and as musicals are also very popular it should play to almost all demographics.
Paul King chose to direct Wonka instead of directing Paddington 3 after directing the first two Paddington films, both David Heyman produced Wonka and Paddington 3; (will be released next November) Paddington was originally developed by David Heyman at Warner Bros.
As Wonka was shot in the UK it received a similar 25% tax break as The Marvels and Barbie have had, with a reported $125m budget it was about $30m.
Roald Dahl’s film adaptions have been extremely popular in the UK.
1990’s The Witches opened £168,742 (£585,165 inflated) taking £2,135,460 (£7,405,372 inflated)
1996’s Matilda opened £1,252,726 (£2,735,683 inflated) taking £10,227,163 (£22,333,913 inflated); took £887k Friday; £1.74m Saturday; £1.48m Sunday
1996’s James And The Giant Peach opened £399,412 (£872,229 inflated) taking £5,750,628 (£12,558,128 inflated)
2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened £7,972,168 (£13,676,246 inflated) taking £37,354,584 (£64,081,749 inflated)
2009’s Fantastic Mr Fox opened £1,517,312 taking £9,260,892
2016’s The BFG opened £5,288,529 taking £30,694,086
2022’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical opened £4,135,418 taking £28,044,574
Wonka can also be compared to 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns opened £8,181,541 #1 from 735 screens; Friday £2.43m; Saturday £2.62m; Sunday £3.11m; #1 for 3 weeks and top 10 for 8 weeks; taking £44,541,719. The difference was Mary Poppins Returns opened the weekend before Christmas, so Friday was a holiday and that was why it didn’t have such a big increase on Saturday.
As the two Paddington films Wonka will have a strong second weekend holding down about 30% taking £6m and then the following weekend is the star of the Christmas holidays with Aquaman 2 opening Thursday which could see Wonka holding #1. With a strong hold over the next four weeks and a little direct competition until Migration at the end of January Wonka could take £50m+.
Warner Bros could have two £50m+ films in 2023 Barbie and Wonka two films that despite their success are unlikely to have sequels, for years Warner Bros was Disney’s biggest competitor they were regularly the two biggest studios, but in the year post-Harry Potter they have struggled to stay competitive and gazumped by Universal Pictures. While Disney has dropped off since their record breaking 2019, exhibitors complained a lot about Warner Bros releasing films day and date on HBO Max in 2021 but they released far more films Post-COVID than Disney and had far more success as they have released a wider mix of films, that said their comic-book films have performed poorer than MCU.
Opened with $43.2m from 37 territories.
Universal Pictures is currently #1 studio in the UK in 2023 taking £215.1m, and Warner Bros is #2 taking £182m, but over the next 21 days Wonka and Aquaman could take the £33.1m+ to become #1 studio. Disney #3 with £159m; Sony Pictures £78m; Paramount Pictures £76m; Lionsgate/eOne £66m.
- 2. Wish – £1,119,644 – £5,804,888
Dropped 22.2% in its third weekend.
Took £83k 7.4% (55.8% drop £188k) Friday; £423k 37.8% (36.1% drop £662k) Saturday; £613k 54.8% (up 3.9% £590k) Sunday.
Analysts are often too quick to call a film a flop as most Disney animated films have long legs, Strange World and Encanto both had soft openings, but they took 4.6x and 4.3x openings.
Strange World stayed in the top 10 for 7 weeks, after having a 46% second weekend it had similar drops over the next three weeks before increasing in its sixth weekend.
Encanto was also in the top 10 for 8 weeks taking a third of its BO after being released on Disney+.
While Wish had a heavy Friday drop it increased BO from Sunday to Sunday, with the Christmas holidays starting next Friday and Wish not having any competition until Migration at the end of January Wish will more than double its BO over the next four weeks.
534th biggest third weekend between Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and Kill Bill Volume One (close to Four Christmases, The Boxtrolls, Twister and Alvin And The Chipmunks) and 842nd biggest inflated between Inglourious Basterds and The Addams Family (2019) close to Pitch Perfect, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Cocktail and Big).
21st biggest Disney animated film third weekend (since 1989’s Oliver & Company) between Hercules and The Lion King 3D (close to Mulan, Chicken Little, Treasure Planet and Planes) and Encanto) and 25th inflated between Atlantis and The Little Mermaid (1990) close to The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Moana, Planes and Encanto).
Late November opening for family films normally plays through to January as many Disney films have previously done with Frozen, Moana, Ralph Breaks The Internet and Frozen 2, While Encanto had a lower-than-expected opening it had long legs.
21st biggest Disney animated film between Planes and Lilo & Stitch (close to Beauty and the Beast (1992), Moana, Atlantis and Treasure Planet).
The 34 Disney animated films since Oliver & Company have taken over £455m and £720m+ inflated.
- 3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes – £961,055 – £14,791,638
Down 43.1% in its fourth weekend
Took £229k 23.8% (47.1% drop £433k) Friday; £407k 42.3% (41.6% £697k) Saturday; £325k 33.8% (41.9% £560k) Sunday.
357th biggest fourth weekend between Three Men and a Little Lady and Trolls Band Together (close to The Fugitive, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Transformers and Enemy of the State) and 615th inflated between Outbreak and G-Force (close to Good Morning Vietnam, Judge Dredd, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and She’s All That).
Fourth weekends
2012’s The Hunger Games dropped 37% £1,494,174 #4 and £19,419,136 of £23,684,966
2013’s THG: Catching Fire dropped 49% £1,368,662 #3 and £28,824,306 of £33,788,744
2014’s THG: Mockingjay, Part 1 dropped 51% £1,089,989 #3 and £27,227,289 of £30,840,529
2015’s THG: Mockingjay, Part 2 dropped 42% £1,286,244 #1 and £25,496,552 of £29,046,986
2016’s Fantastic Beasts dropped 39% £2,734,960 #1 and £42,392,249 of £54,703,625
2018’s The Crimes Of Grindelwald dropped 45% £1,468,736 #4 and £29,271,816 of £34,014,290
2022’s The Secrets Of Dumbledore dropped 24% £1,198,420 #4 and £18,325,387 of £20,923,375
Many of the tweens who grew up with The Hunger Games books and films watching the first film in 2012 have returned to see the prequel 11 years later, but as with Fantastic Beasts doesn’t play beyond the fanbase.
454th biggest between The Good Dinosaur and Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil (close to Oz: The Great and Powerful, Stardust, World War Z and The Fugitive) and 771st biggest inflated between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (close to Labyrinth, The Golden Child, The Karate Kid Part 2 and Arachnophobia).
- 4. Napoleon £951,101 – £11,381,100
Took £248k 26.1% (51.4% drop £510k) Friday; £395k 41.5% (49.3% £779k) Saturday; £308k 32.4% (50.3% drop £620k) Sunday.
Down 50.2% in the third weekend
640th biggest third weekend between Role Models and The Lady In The Van (close to The English Patient, Walk The Line, Collateral and Speed) and 959th biggest inflated between Wolf and Elysium (close to Alita: Battle Angel, Eyes Wide Shut, Natural Born Killers and There Will Be Blood).
7th biggest Ridley Scott second weekend between American Gangster and House Of Gucci (close to Robin Hood, Alien: Covenant, Kingdom Of Heaven and Black Hawk Down) and 9th biggest inflated between Kingdom Of Heaven and Black Rain (close to House Of Gucci, Alien: Covenant and Exodus: Gods And Kings).
Ridley Scott has been nominated for Best Director Oscar three times for Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down but hasn’t won and also nominated three times for Best Director BAFTA (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and The Martian) but never won. Surely Ridley Scott deserves to finally win Best Director for Napoleon as aged 85 he’s unlikely to make many more films after next year’s Gladiator 2, having directed so many incredible and hugely successful films over the last 44 years.
It is Ridley Scott’s 27th film (currently shooting Gladiator 2 set for November 2024 release) his films have taken $1.7bn in the US almost $4.4bn worldwide including over £250m in the UK (£350m inflated).
Third weekend
2000’s Gladiator dropped 13.6% £2,987,696 (£5,602,809 inflated) and £12,796,789 of £31,257,293 (£58,616,618 inflated)
1995’s Braveheart dropped 20.6% £874,408 (£2,002,595 inflated) and £5,009,017 of £11,909,670 (£27,275,882 inflated)
2004’s Troy dropped 49.1% £1,263,942 (£2,243,567 inflated) and £13,951,468 of £18,001,854
2020s 1917 dropped 27% £4,518,270 and £26,297,179 of £44,094,898
Others include.
2003’s Master and Commander dropped 35.3% £712,849 (£1,279,596 inflated) and £5,882,795 83.1% of £7,078,944 (£11,660,311 inflated)
2005’s Kingdom of Heaven dropped 51% £311,113 (£526,448 inflated) and £5,230,533 of £7,755,814 (£13,123,957 inflated)
2007’s 300 dropped 55.2% £1,023,145 (£1,614,746 inflated) and £11,586,135 of £13,986,190 (£22,073,254 inflated)
1992’s The Last of the Mohicans dropped 20.5% £546,956 (£1,358,018 inflated) and £2,905,022 of £4,872,044 (£12,096,633 inflated)
2004’s The Last Samurai dropped 39.6% £1,236,008 (£2,193,983 inflated) and £8,273,288 of £11,688,667 (£20,419,028 inflated)
595th biggest between I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (close to Kill Bill Volume One, The Last Samurai, Enemy of the State and Batman Returns) and 1,024th biggest inflated between Phone Booth and Fun with Dick and Jane (close to Far and Away, Blood Diamond, Black Rain and Wolf).
- 5. Saltburn – £417,609 – £4,110,885
Took £117k 28.1% Friday; £161k 38.6% Saturday; £139k 33.3% Sunday.
Down 29.3% in the fourth weekend; has had strong legs taking 4.9x opening (20.4%) Barbie took 5.16x opening (19.37%);
Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn received positive reviews but as her last film Oscar-nominated Promising Young Woman wasn’t given a cinema release in the UK due to the COVID lockdown (released on Sky Cinema) it was harder to see if that would translate into BO.
Emerald Fennell compared Saltburn to 1989’s Dangerous Liaisons took £2,687,526/£9,962,596 inflated)
1999’s Cruel Intentions dropped 39.52% £242,808 (£459,663 inflated) and £3,141,557 of £5,129,562/£9,710,834 inflated)
2013’s The Bling Ring took £468,949 and 1999’s The Talent Mr Ripley £6,598,782
The most recent eat-the-rich films include.
2022’s The Menu dropped 42% £192,827 #5 and £3,018,300 of £3,866,701
2020’s Parasite dropped 39% £1,047,024 #3 and £10,361,508 of £11,971,951
2017’s The Handmaiden took £817,153; 2022’s Triangle Of Sadness £1,287,088; 2015’s It Follows £1,058,742; 2000’s American Psycho £3,141,585 (£5,769,092 inflated); 2019’s Ready Or Not took £1,637,064
Saltburn has also been compared to 2008’s Brideshead Revisited dropped 50% £35,393 #19 and £1,236,438 of £1,425,495.
Saltburn will be released on Amazon on December 22nd.
1,597th biggest between Be Cool and Zathura (close to The Faculty, High Fidelity, Falling Down and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) and 2,113th biggest inflated between Striking Distance and The Avengers (1998) (close to The Last Boy Scout, The Fly II, The Saint and The Nice Guys).
Also opened.
- Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure Of Foggy Mountain – Universal Pictures
Opened £11,622 #40 from 134 screens.
The film was released on Peacock in the US made no sense to give the film a theatrical release in the UK as features cast from Saturday Night Live. This was similar to Warner Bros giving cinema releases for Superintelligence in 2020 opening £72,574 #4 from 167 screens and American Pickle £27,732 #4 from 162 screens as both were released on HBO Max.
Studios were contractually bound to give certain films a cinema release and would often give films a cinema release so they could put on the video box had a nationwide cinema release, but it surely benefits no one to release films in cinemas that are never going to find audiences.
Exhibitors might moan about the lack of films being released but the films they want aren’t The Treasure Of Foggy Mountain as are hundreds of similar films released each year that never find an audience. There will be over 900+ films released again this year and the top 50 will take 80%+ of BO with the top 5 again taking about a third.
So there’s a need for fewer films, not more films being released, 30 years ago 400+ films were being released each year and that was seen as too many, the problem is the top 10 BO is getting bigger and the rest is getting smaller as audiences over the last decade have become much more selective with the films they see in cinemas if they don’t have subscription cinema, many of those with Cineworld Unlimited and Odeon Limitless are seeing 100+ films a year whilst the rest are seeing two or three, so Barbie, Oppenheimer and one other.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £13,378,556 up 46.9% from last weekend’s £9,107,292: 1,609,918 admissions up 61.4% from 997,116 admissions.
10th biggest weekend of the year out of 49 weeks between 11 August 2023 #1 Barbie (£4,428,044) and 13 October 2023 #1 Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (£5,729,998)
29th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 160 weeks between 11 February 2022 #1 Uncharted (£4,705,948) and 13 October 2023 #1 Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (£5,729,998)
325th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,132) between 22 January 2010 #1 Avatar £5,155,844 (38.41% of top 10) and 05 October 2012 #1 Taken 2 £7,378,048 (55.16% of top 10) and 617th biggest inflated between 08 March 2002 #1 Ocean’s Eleven £1,850,350 (25.69% of top 10) and 29 September 2006 #1 Click £1,797,073 (22.02% of top 10)
The top 3 took (£10,985,449) 82.1% of the top 10; Wonka 66.56% (£8,904,750); Wish 8.37% (£1,119,644); Napoleon 7.18% (£961,055);
93rd highest #1 percentage (66.56%) between 04 October 2019 Joker (66.82%) and 16 May 2014 Godzilla (66.32%).
223rd biggest admissions #1 (1,117,284) between 15 October 2021 No Time To Die (1,117,575) and 28 October 2011 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (1,115,301)
Up 193.5% from 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 156.4% from 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 2,470% from 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)
Down 17.6% 2019 (£16,232,465); Jumanji: The Next Level (£9,464,661); Black Christmas (£283,507); The Nutcracker – Bolshoi Ballet 2019 (£187,697); #1 Jumanji: The Next Level 1st week £9,464,661 637 screens (58.3% of top 10)
Up 35.8% 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 35.6% 2017: (£9,864,139); Wonder (£1,240,245); The Man Who Invented Christmas (£168,137); The Nutcracker – Bolshoi 2017 (£160,421); Happy End (£135,682); The Disaster Artist (£130,238); #1 Paddington 2 £2,883,617 3rd week 2nd #1 37% drop 652 screens (29.2% of top 10)
Up 58.1% 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 126.5% 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)
Down 21.7% 2014: (£17,095,720); The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (£9,753,642); Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (£395,454); Merchants of Doubt (£323); #1 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies £9,753,642 1st week 594 screens (57.1% of top 10)
Down 25.6% 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 81.2% 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 79% 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 66.9% 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 95.8% 2009; (£6,826,766); Where The Wild Things Are (£883,990); Carriers (£69,224); The Stepfather (£40,056); The Red Shoes (re) (£13,336); #1 A Christmas Carol £1,544,226 6th week 2nd #1 week 1 and week 5 7% drop 434 screens (22.6% of top 10)
Down 53.1% 2008; (£8,742,920); The Day the Earth Stood Still (£2,752,132); Inkheart (£700,146); Dean Spanley (£42,898); White Christmas (re) (£7,518); #1 The Day the Earth Stood Still £2,752,132 1st week 465 screens (31.5% of top 10)
Down 25.4% 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)
Down 6.4% 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)
Down 0.7% 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)
Down 29.7% from 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 83.5% from 2003 (£7,288,995); The Fighting Temptations (£151,994); Touching the Void (£115,332); Dead End (£52,130); Lord of the Rings: The 2 Towers (Sp. Ed) (£42,378); #1 Love Actually £2,273,706 4th week 486 screens 29% drop (31.2% of top 10)
Up 56.7% 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 110.3% 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);
Next week: (£13,929,358); Avatar: The Way Of Water (£11,187,562); The Muppet Christmas Carol (30th Anniversary) (£93,615); It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) (75th Anniversary) (£93,832); Die Hard (30th Anniversary) (£32,429); Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (Re: 2018) (£30,790); (The Amazing Maurice (£30,316); Eyes Wide Shut (20th Anniversary) (£3,468); #1 Avatar: The Way Of Water £11,187,562 1st week 721 screens (80.32% of top 10);
Film News
November UK BO was £59.8m 9% less than November 2022 would see admissions of about 7.2m down 10.9% from 2022 (8.08m) using an £8.21 average from October. Admissions Jan-Nov 111.8m.
The biggest films in November
| THG: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes £11.3m |
| Napoleon £7.4m |
| The Marvels £6.74m |
| Trolls Band Together £4.18m |
| Killers of the Flower Moon £3.31m |
| Five Nights at Freddy’s £3.16m |
| Wish £2.93m |
| Saltburn £2.56m |
| Taylor Swift: Eras Tour £1.51m |
| Tiger 3 £1.45m |
December admissions last year 9.26m with Avatar 2. Matilda and I Wanna Dance With Somebody and 13.54m in 2021 due mostly to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Before 2020 December admissions were far higher; 2013 15.7m; 2014 17.11m; 2015 16.48m; 2016 15.21m; 2017 17.16m; 2018 15.66m and 2019 18.5m.
December 2023 will likely be less than last year; this will see UK admissions of about 120m similar to what they were in 1994 when there was real positivity and steady growth for almost 10 years. There was hope admissions could top 200m by 2000, while they didn’t get to 200m they still grew steadily for the next 9 years to 175m.
2023 monthly admissions
| January | 8,606,271 |
| February | 9,206,408 |
| March | 8,234,751 |
| April | 11,453,626 |
| May | 9,563,166 |
| June | 8,905,084 |
| July | 17,600,142 |
| August | 14,576,128 |
| September | 7,444,987 |
| October | 9,027,927 |
| November | 7,200,000 |
| Total | 111,818,490 |
Post-COVID has been much talk about the next Golden Age of cinema and that admissions could get finally to 200m but that no feels a long way away. BO for 2023 is expected to return to about £1bn for the first time since 2019, but to put that into perspective it would be similar to inflation inflated BO of 1994
US Box Office
- The Boy And The Heron – GKIDS
Opened $12.97m; received positive reviews #1 (88% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore
The first foreign-language animation film to be #1
Took 38% from IMAX/PLF
Hayao Miyazaki’s previous animated films mostly had platform-opening.
2014’s The Wind Rises opened $313,751 from 21 screens and expanded into 496 screens in the second weekend taking $1,517,404 (didn’t expand further) taking $5.2m and $136.45m worldwide
2009’s Ponyo opened $3.58m from 927 screens taking $15.09m and $204.17m worldwide
2002’s Spirited Away opened $449,839 from 26 screens taking 28 weeks to expand into 711 screens (after winning Best Animated Film Oscar) taking $10.05m and $274.92m worldwide
His films have taken over $50m in the US and $1.24bn worldwide.
Disney released Studio Ghibli films in many territories until 2020 when Wild Bunch took over distribution.
IMAX has taken $1bn in 2023 for only the third time after 2018 ($1.03bn) and 2019 ($1.11bn); the biggest IMAX films Oppenheimer ($185m) and Avatar 2 ($110m) with $231m from local language films worldwide.
- Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce – AMC
Dropped 75% in the second weekend $5.47m #5 and $28.52m.
Hannah Montana dropped 67%; Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 55%; Michael Jackson’s This Is It -43%.
956th biggest opening between Notting Hill and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (close to Life of Pi, The Social Network, My Best Friend’s Wedding and American Reunion.
Eras Tour dropped 64.2% $33.2m and $131.99m 73.7% of $178.9m; with $19.89 standard price 8.9m admissions) (17m $10.53) and $248.97m worldwide (12m) (23.6m $10.53).
As with Eras Tour, It’s impossible to compare the opening with any other concert film due to the standard price of $22, but that hasn’t stopped the industry from doing so.
Greed killed Beyonce, as why did AMC think that they could do something no other film has managed to do open strongly the weekend after Thanksgiving? As the first few months of 2024 are soft why didn’t AMC open the film next year? Extending Eras Tour beyond its four weeks also likely similarly affected Beyonce opening two comic-book films close together will see them cannibalize each other. Whilst exhibitors were their own worst enemy having a $22 standard price so soon after Eras Tour $19.89.
It probably left exhibitors with thousands of collectable popcorn and syrup holders likely to have ordered a large amount after so many were sold for Eras Tour. I’ve always said Event Cinema is a great addition to cinema, but it can’t be used as a way to increase ticket prices by 100% as it will limit audiences.
Much was made about Eras Tour taking $179m in the US and $250m but with over 102m Swifties in the world, it’s only about 10% of Swifties 12.5m worldwide. 4.5m tickets have been sold for Eras Tour live concerts worldwide, taking over $1bn. Surely many of the fans who missed out on getting tickets would have wanted to get the opportunity to see it so why did so few go to see it in the cinema?
Again, greed was at play as when the Eras Tour film was originally announced was for the US only. As Taylor Swift’s international concerts run through to next August, they surely wouldn’t spoil the live experience for fans, but of course they did and despite over 80m Swifties outside the US took $71m 28% of its BO.
Had it been released afterwards surely it would have taken far more. Industry has heralded US BO as the highest concert film but as the price point is so much more than all other concert films it’s impossible to compare the two.
After the huge success of Barbie, taking $636m in the US and $1.44bn worldwide, playing to a similar audience as Eras Tour and with its much higher price point than Barbie surely $500m+ US and $1bn+ worldwide should have been expected?
It goes back to the post-COVID industry that has lowered its expectations of what is a hit. despite all the costs increasing.
Other concert films charging regular prices include.
2009’s Michael Jackson: This Is It dropped 43.4% $13.15m and $57.01m of $72.09m and $261.18m worldwide
2011’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never dropped 54.9% $13.3m and $48.18m of $73.01m and $99.03m worldwide
2012’s Katy Perry’s Part of Me dropped 46.8% $3.8m and $18.65m of $25.32m and $32.72m worldwide
2013’s One Direction: This Is Us dropped 74.4% $4.04m and $23.93m of $28.87m and $68.56m worldwide
In the second weekend, the Eras Tour took $16.1m from 94 territories (played in 4,527 screens internationally) $46.7m total and $178.7m worldwide.
Took $7.5m from 94 territories and $28.5m total.
- Napoleon – Sony Pictures
Dropped 43% in the third weekend taking $4.11m #7 and $53.01m.
1,729th biggest between Letters to Juliet and Blow; 2,957th inflated between Super Mario Bros (1993) and The Great Wall; 40th biggest 2023 between Saw X and AIR; 103rd biggest drama between Sleepers and Blow; 226th biggest Sony Pictures between La Bamba and Gandhi.
Napoleon is Apple’s second $200m budget drama released this autumn after Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon took $65.61m and $151.81m worldwide, Post-COVID studios seem to have lower their expectations on what a film needs to do to be profitable.
As Killers of the Flower Moon was released on VOD on December 5th after 45 days Napoleon will likely be released on VOD about January 8th.
Ridley Scott has directed 29 films over the last 44 years taking $1.752bn in the US and $4.5bn worldwide.
Third Weekends
2000’s Gladiator dropped 19.9% $19.74m and $103.14m of $187.7m and $503.16m worldwide
1995’s Braveheart dropped 27.1% $5.48m and $34.43m of $75.6m and $213.21m worldwide
2004’s Troy dropped 50% $11.95m and $106.6m of $133.37m and $497.4m worldwide
2020’s 1917 dropped 27.6% $15.91m and $76.6m of $159.22m and $384.57m worldwide
Others include.
2003’s Master and Commander dropped 20.8% $12.04m and $66.63m of $93.92m and $211.62m worldwide
2005’s Kingdom of Heaven dropped 63.3% $3.53m and $41.21m of $47.39m and $218.12m worldwide
2007’s 300 dropped 39.6% $19.86m and $161.7m of $210.62m and $456.08m worldwide
2004’s The Last Samurai dropped 44.8% $7.76m and $59.48m of $111.12m and $454.62m worldwide
2005’s Alexander dropped 68.9% $1.47m and $32.59m of $34.29m and $167.29m worldwide
2014’s Exodus: Gods and Kings dropped 17.2% $6.71m and $52.48m of $65.01m and $268.17m worldwide
Took $16.1m (dropped 43.7%) from 64 territories $117.7m total and $170.8m worldwide; UK $14.4m, France $12.2m; Spain $8.7m; Germany $8.2m; Italy $7.8m…
1,084th biggest worldwide between Zookeeper and Meet the Robinsons; 39th biggest 2023 between Trolls Band Together and Scream VI; 59th biggest drama between The Mule and The Impossible; 134th biggest Sony Pictures between Zookeeper and Looper.
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes – Lionsgate
Dropped 34% in the fourth weekend #2 $9.29m and $135.55m.
366th biggest fourth weekend between Venom: Let There Be Carnage and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (close to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and Uncharted).
490th biggest between Anger Management and Chicken Little; 1,134th inflated between The Nun and Girls Trip; 18th biggest 2023 between Five Nights at Freddy’s and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; 11th biggest Lionsgate film between Divergent and Wonder.
The Hunger Games films have taken over $1.6bn in the US and $3.22bn worldwide.
Third Weekends
2012’s The Hunger Games dropped 36.3% $21.09m and $336.66m of $408.01m and $695.22m WW
2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire dropped 47.8% $13.67m and $357.5m of $424.66m and $865.01m WW
2014’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 dropped 42.4% $12.68m and $276.88m of $337.13m and $755.35m WW
2015’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 dropped 39.5% $11.41m and $244.6m of $281.72m and $659.54m WW
2016’s Fantastic Beasts dropped 42.5% $10.42m and $198.94m of $234.03m and $816.03m worldwide; $582m internationally 71.3%
2018’s The Crimes of Grindelwald dropped 38.8% $6.95m and $145.35m of $159.55m and $655.775m worldwide; 75.7% internationally $496.2m
2022’s The Secrets of Dumbledore dropped 48.7% $4.26m and $86.32m of $95.85m and $407.15m worldwide; internationally 76.5% $311.3m
Took $11m from 87 territories $143.3m total and $279m worldwide; UK $16.2m; Germany $10.9m; France $9.4m; Australia $9.3m; Mexico $8.7m.
630th biggest worldwide between The Flash and Maze Runner: The Death Cure;25th biggest 2023 between The Flash and TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR; 18th biggest Lionsgate film between The Expendables and Fahrenheit 9/11.
- Wish – Disney
Dropped 31% in the third weekend $5.3m #6 and $49.41m.
190th biggest animated film between Oliver & Company and The Rescuers; 1,880th biggest between Land of the Lost and Shampoo; 3,132nd biggest inflated between Hero and The Thing; 44th biggest 2023 between No Hard Feelings and Talk To Me; 270th biggest Disney between Old Dogs and Hocus Pocus.
After all the negativity after its opening as with all Disney animated films Wish is holding similar to Encanto.
Disney animated films
2013’s Frozen dropped 28.6% $22.56m and $164.77m of $400.73m and $1.28bn worldwide
2014’s Big Hero 6 dropped 41.9% $20.12m and $135.74m of $222.52m and $657.86m worldwide.
2016’s Zootopia dropped 27.6% $37.16m and $200.92m of $341.26m and $1.025bn worldwide
2016’s Moana dropped 34.4% $18.53m and $144.7m of $248.75m and $687.22m worldwide
2018’s Ralph Breaks The Internet dropped 36.4% $16.25m and $140.97m of $201.09m and $529.32m worldwide
2019’s Frozen 2 dropped 59.1% $35.16m and $338.09m of $477.37m and $1.453bn worldwide
2017’s Coco dropped 33% $18.45m and $135.65m of $210.46m and $807.81m worldwide
2021’s Encanto dropped 24.1% $9.98m and $71.9m of $96.09m and $256.78m worldwide
2022’s Strange World dropped 25.6% $3.78m and $30.63m of $37.96m and $73.62m worldwide
The 34 Disney Animated Classic films since 1988 have taken over $4.24bn in the US; $9bn inflated and over $11bn worldwide.
Took $12.1m (dropped 34%) from 37 territories total $56.1m and $105.51m worldwide; France $7.1m; UK $7m; Germany $5.8m; China $5.7m; Mexico $4.3m.
Strange World in its third weekend took $3.7m from 43 territories and $23m and $53.5m worldwide.
206th biggest animated film worldwide between Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Rugrats in Paris; 58th biggest 2023 between Pathaan and The Creator; 216th biggest Disney between Mission to Mars and Race to Witch Mountain.
Platform opening
- Poor Things – Searchlight
Opened with $661,230 from 9 screens.
Received positive reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes)
The third-best screen average this year behind Asteroid City ($142k) and A24’s Beau Is Afraid ($80k).
Yorgos Lanthimos previously directed 2018’s opened $422,410 from 4 screens; took 10 weeks to expand into over 1,500 screens; taking $34.36m and $95.91m worldwide.
2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer opened in $115,120 from 4 screens (expanded into 238 screens after 4 weeks); taking $2.29m and $6.93m worldwide.
Re-released
Oppenheimer added 1,200 screens (from 101 to 1,316) but only took $362,675 and $275k for the weekend; last weekend took $17,095 from 101 screens; it has taken $325.7m in the US and $950m and has just confirmed Japan release next year.
Die Hard returned to US cinemas 35 years after opening taking $934,421 #15 from 1,355 screens.
Die Hard opened in July 1988 on platform $601,851 from 21 screens and then $7.1m taking $83m. Since its release, it’s been called a Christmas film as it’s set at Christmas as all other films based on Shane Black screenplays but at the time of release in 1988 in the US and then February 1989 it wasn’t. There has been much debate since the film set at Christmas but has no impact on the plot is a Christmas film.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Wonka will drop about 30% in its second weekend holding #1 taking £5.7m-£6.6m having the fourth biggest second weekend of 2023 between The Super Mario Bros and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
Wish will continue to hold well In its fourth weekend taking £750k-£850k.
Opening third the latest Event Cinema concert from Trafalgar Seventeen Tour ‘Follow’ To Japan: Live Viewing. Seventeen is the new BTS and is likely to open similar to BTS Permission To Dance On Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing opened last March with £899,127 #3 from 351 screens.
The other wide new releases will likely open at the bottom of the chart if they manage to open in the top ten despite The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes and Napoleon both dropping up to 50%.
The Three Musketeers: Milady will likely open similarly to the first part of The Three Musketeers: D’artagnan £161,609 #10 from 266 screens and Godzilla Minus One opening similar; opened earlier this month with $11.41m in the US.
Also, opening is What Happens Later romcom from Meg Ryan her first cinema-released film since 2008’s The Women and her first leading role since 2003’s In The Cut, the film was poorly received critically and her interview on Micheal Parkinson turned the actress who had huge success with romcoms in the 80s and 90s (many with Tom Hanks) into a recluse.
The Nutcracker – ROH screened live in cinemas on Tuesday and has encore screenings on Sunday.
While Angel Studio’s follow-up release to Sound Of Freedom (opening £94,044 #15 from 229 screens) The Shift will open with a fraction of that.
- Opening in two weeks
- One Life – Warner
Biographical drama starring Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin, Romola Garai, Alex Sharp, Jonathan Pryce, and Helena Bonham Carter and directed by James Hawes.
Had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and European premiere at the London Film Festival, receiving positive reviews (84% Rotten Tomatoes).
Nicholas Winton was in the audience of 1998’s BBC’s That’s Life show and found him surrounded by adults he saved as children in Prague from the Nazis. He saved 669 children and was called British Schindler, but he carried grief for almost 50 years afterwards he wasn’t able to save more children.
The first weekend of January has been a key launch date for award contenders but One Life is unlikely to be an award contender.
Warner Bros acquired UK rights in September 2020 and was made by BBC Films.
Schindler’s List opened 30 years ago in February 1994 with £723,973 (£1,775,405 inflated) taking £14,150,675.
And will likely open similar to 2015’s Woman In Gold £494,512 #7 from 245 screens taking £2,851,499
Some recent biographical dramas
2022’s Emily opened £276,322 #10 taking £950,070
2000’s Angela’s Ashes opened £1,351,095 (£2,481,102 inflation inflated) taking £7,753,488 (£14,238,223 inflation inflated) taking 5.7x opening
2002’s The Hours opened £616,573 #8 (£1,122,052 inflation inflated) from 209 screens taking £4,311,523 (£7,846,195 inflation inflated) taking 7x opening
2017’s Goodbye Christopher Robin opened £781,110 #4 from 573 screens taking £2,793,497
2018’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society opened £825,777 #3 from 499 screens taking £5,731,735
- Night Swim – Universal Pictures
Supernatural horror starring Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren and directed by Bryce McGuire based on the 2014 short film and produced by Blumhouse.
- Priscilla – Mubi
Biographical drama starring Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi and Dagmara Domińczyk and written, and directed by Sofia Coppola, based on the 1985 book Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley.
Premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released in the US Oct/Nov received positive reviews (82% Rotten Tomatoes).
Priscilla is Sofia Coppola’s eighth film taking $89m in the US and $252.33m worldwide; winning Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation.
2004’s Lost in Translation opened £797,071 #5 from 97 screens (expanded into 280 after 4 weeks) taking £9,865,162
2006’s Marie Antoinette opened £283,883 #12 from 179 screens taking £641,566
2010’s Somewhere opened £125,581 #8 from 62 screens taking £288,689
2013’s The Bling Ring opened £141,425 #7 from 65 screens taking £468,949
2017’s The Beguiled opened £414,924 #6 from 250 screens taking £1,021,116
2020’s On the Rocks opened £93,821 #7 from 61 screens taking £453,819