1. Toy Story 4 – £8,284,437 – £26,989,023

Dropped 37.7% in its second weekend despite record temperatures for June.

Had the 17^th biggest second weekend in the UK between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Dunkirk and the 39th biggest inflation inflated the second weekend between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and The Dark Knight Rises (close to Toy Story, Alice In Wonderland, The Jungle Book and Mary Poppins Returns

Disney’s 7^th biggest second weekend between Avengers Age of Ultron and Marvel Avengers Assemble

Took £18.7m in its opening week 19.7% more than Incredibles 2 and 18.3% more than Mary Poppins Returns (£15.8m); but 32.1% less than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£15.62m)

Comparisons with Toy Story 3 are more difficult as its opening was inflated with £9,693,440 from weekend previews but removing them took 14.9% more (£21.98m) but its second Friday was school holidays but also Toy Story 4 has 21%+ ticket inflation.

Toy Story 4 second weekend box office is 2% more than Toy Story 3 (£8,284,437 Vs £8,115,193) but with 21.3% ticket inflation since.

148^th biggest film in the UK after 10 days between X-Men: Days of Future Past and The LEGO Batman Movie and 233^rd biggest inflation inflated between A Christmas Carol and The Hunger Games.

By next weekend Toy Story 4 will be the 120^th film to take over £30m and 31^st Disney; 25 of those films released over the last decade with only 6 before 2009 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe; Toy Story 2; Monsters, Inc; Finding Nemo.

Since 2010 88 films have taken over £30m and Disney will have had 31 (40%); 66 films have taken over £40m Disney 21 (31%); 35 films taken over £50m Disney 11 (+5  from Fox)

Disney’s 6 2019 releases have taken over £224.1m in the first 6 months of the year

Had the sixth biggest animated opening in the UK (UK after Toy Story 3, Shrek the Third Shrek 2 Despicable Me 2 and The Simpsons)

Disney’s 15th biggest between Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; Disney’s third-biggest 3 day opening after Beauty and the Beast and Captain America: Civil War

Second weekends

1996’s Toy Story increased 4.4% £4,798,378 taking £9,392,832 42.1% of £22,297,733 (£43,510,711 inflation inflated)

2000’s Toy Story 2 dropped 15.9% £6,521,187 taking £17,333,696 40.1% of £44,306,070 (£72,702,233 inflation inflated)

2010’s Toy Story 3 dropped 61.7% (29% not including previews) £8,115,193 taking £39,791,223 54.2% 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);

Toy Story 3 was #1 for four weeks before The Expendables opened with £3,935,700 but Toy Story 4 will only last two weeks with Spider-Man; Far From Home opening Tuesday having a 6-day opening weekend could possibly return to #1 in its fourth weekend depending on how Spider-Man; Far From Home holds but with The Lion King, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Angry Birds 2 unlikely to stay in the top 5 as long as Toy Story 3.

21 Pixar films have taken almost £646m in the UK and almost £846m inflation inflated.

In the first 10 years of Pixar, they released 6 films with only one sequel. Over the last 13 years they have released 15 films, several years released two films and in upping the films 7 of the last 11 have been sequels. When Pixar can make such wonderful original films like Inside Out and Coco really don’t understand why they made so many sequels, its different for the likes of Dreamworks Animation and Illumination as they are not in the same league as Pixar.

Pixar has called Toy Story 4 the final film of the series, but they said similar with Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, while Toy Story 4 is the end of Woody’s story it does also set up the possibility of Toy Story 5 and spinoff Forky films. Pixar has said that they will concentrate on original animated films after Toy Story with onward and Soul next year are both original films.

2. Yesterday – £2,212,380 –  NE

639^th biggest opening in the UK between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Truman Show (close to Muppets Most Wanted, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, One Day and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) and 849^th biggest inflation inflated opening between Ali and This Means War (close to Mean Girls, 28 Weeks Later, Good Will Hunting and The Descendants).

76^th biggest Universal Pictures UK  film between Public Enemies and One Day (close to First Man, Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang, The World’s End and Burn After Reading) and 90^th biggest inflation inflated between Knocked Up and The Boxtrolls (close to The Boat that Rocked, Atonement, Dad’s Army and About Time).

Third biggest Danny Boyle film opening after T2 Trainspotting (£5,146,791) and The Beach (£2,418,321) but can’t be compared with either of them as T2 Trainspotting was a sequel to the classic 90s film while The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio (his third film after starring in Titanic.

The only film Yesterday could possibly be compared to Danny Boyle’s is fantasy rom-com 1997’s A Life Less Ordinary, much was expected from the film as it was his follow up to Trainspotting  but was a very different film opened with £1,045,050 taking £1,911,260; his 13 films have taken over £100m at the UK box office.

After the success of Trainspotting Danny Boyle was in talks to direct Alien Resurrection but dropped out of it saying he preferred to make smaller story based films which was probably similar release for the creative differences he had with Bond 25 which saw him drop out which allowed him to spend much more time on post for Yesterday. Originally he would have done a Dexter Fletcher going directly from shooting Yesterday to directing Bond 25 as Dexter Fletcher did going from Bohemian Rhapsody 5to Rocketman.

Yesterday was very much a Danny Boyle film with him central to the films marketing and promotions alongside Richard Curtis while cast members Himesh Patel and Lily James were in support to them rather than normally the other way around.

Yesterday is the 9^th biggest film written by Richard Curtis, but as with Danny Boyle’s films hard to make comparisons with Bridget Jones films, War Horse (based on a hugely successful stage show) while Notting Hill starred the biggest actress on the planet o the time while Love Actually had a very strong ensemble cast, so Yesterday was always likely to open closer to The Boat that Rocked and About Time.

Richard Curtis is the British Judd Apatow his 13 films have taken over £315m at the UK box office over the last 30 years over £463m inflation inflated). Richard Curtis films have very long legs 25 years ago Four Weddings and a Funeral took 19 times it’s opening weekend, Yesterday received very positive word of mouth and should hold strongly over the coming weeks as its an alternative to the mega-movies.

Yesterday is 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 Bean sequence; Danny Boyle revealed that he was sent the script to Notting Hill but choose not to direct it instead directed A Life Less Ordinary.

It 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 20th 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 20th 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 has 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 these formulas in action that said are Richard Curtis films I enjoy and have watched multiple times.

1989 is the 30th 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 was then sold on to Universal Pictures in 1998

Working Title has 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.

The first trailer was released in February

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 is 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 re-imagination.

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 leave 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 several episodes of Trust) and Richard Curtis started with Blackadder, Comic Relief, Spitting Image and Bean.

3. Aladdin – £694,716 –  £33,882,953

42.1% drop in its sixth weekend;

Has become the 95^th biggest film in the UK between Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and the 116^th biggest inflation inflated film between It Chapter One and The BFG.

6th weekends

2.7% more than 2010’s Alice in Wonderland but 75.5% less than 2015’s Paddington (£2,834,003); 52% 2016’s The Jungle Book (£1,445,165); 47.1% less than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (£1,312,335); 30.4% Mary Poppins Returns (£998,726);

In its fourth weekend, Aladdin took 4.4% more than Beauty and the Beast but since then it has dropped off much heavier than Beauty and the Beast as it benefited from the Easter holidays a month after release. Aladdin had half term holidays the week it opened but has been limited since to mostly weekend box office.

While older audiences who grew up with the original animated Aladdin had issues with the reimagination feeling as with all the other Disney reimaginations many felt it was unnecessary addition as didn’t add anything to the original while younger audiences enjoyed it far more.

Tickets went on sale last week for The Lion King animation reimagination again for people who grew up with the original 1994 animated film will again wonder why a remake is needed after the original was excellent it will again probably play better to younger audiences.

The Lion King has been promoted as a live-action reimagination, but it is photorealistic animation as was Mouse Guard an original film Wes Ball was in pre-production with at 20^th Century Fox but was one of several projects was cancelled after Disney acquired the studio in March. Last week the director shared online a video of test shots which looked spectacular.

While many will look in amazement and wonder at the photorealistic animation of The Lion King audiences felt the same when they watched the original animated film 25 years later, as with 1999’s Iron Giant the film might have just been 2D animation, but they were real tears from cinemagoers.

Unlike Toy Story sequels, Disney reimaginations aren’t really for the children (now adults) who saw the original films in cinemas they are for their children. These reimaginations are similar to what Disney used to do every seven years with their classic animated films re-release them theatrically and then release them for a short time on video and then repeat the cycle again to the next generation. 

Aladdin is its Disney’s 30th biggest film in the UK between Up and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Despite mixed buzz ahead of release, Aladdin is performing as expected as 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 2 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.

4. Men In Black International –  £515,506 – £5,996,626

Down 48.7% in its third weekend;

With Avengers: Endgame re-release being a damp squib only attracting the biggest MCU fans and with the arrival of Yesterday saw Rocketman drop heavily in its sixth weekend (56.6%) it allowed Men In Black International to stay in the top 5 for a surprising third week.

But as with X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters won’t get into double figures and will take less than half of the previous films of the franchise; 1997’s Men in Black took £36,201,361 (£64,219,613 inflation inflated); 2002’s Men in Black 2 took £22,018,371 (£37,056,559 inflation inflated); 2012’s MIB 3 took £21,750,343.

The question is will Sony Pictures try again with the Me in Black or maybe try their planned Men In Black/22 Jump Street crossover? Despite the poor performance of the female reboot of 2016’s Ghostbusters they announced a new Ghostbusters film in January now called Ghostbusters 2020 directed by Jason Reitman the son of Ivan Reitman who directed the first two films. After the negativity and hostility that surrounded the female reboot seems to be more positivity surrounding this film and will feature cameos of many of the original cast.

There is still the question over as with Men In Black International who the target audience for the new Ghostbusters film as it is will be released 36 years after the original film, teenagers who say the original will be in their 50s, will it play to them and their children

5. Casino Royale £358,220 – £1,957,182

Secret Cinema always climbs up the charts when there is very hot weather as people often booked up several months ago to see Casino Royale unlike the majority of people who go to see regular films most deciding days or hours before.

Tickets for Casino Royale Secret Cinema are over £80 with every ticket sold adding over 11 admissions to the total of the year; Secret Cinema has already added over 270,000 admissions but only 23,000 attended. Secret Cinema and Event Cinema added about £40m to 2018’s box office which was about 6m admissions was the reason why admissions were the highest for almost 40 years.

A month ago Take That: Greatest Hits Live took £1,834,379 from Event Cinema, this weekend Westlife – The Twenty Tour Live and then next month BTS also have their concert screened in cinemas. Event Cinema as Secret Cinema has been a great addition to the cinema but with prices often more than three times more than regular cinema it can’t be included within regular cinema.

James Bond received much media coverage over recent weeks about its cursed production and with interviews with Danny Boyle talking about the reasons why he dropped out from directing.

Eon released a behind the scenes video on the set of Bond 25 which included the title A Reason To Die one of the many titles that has been scrapped. It is surprising that producers have yet to announce the films title but Marvel and Lucasfilm didn’t reveal Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker and Avengers: Endgame till the trailer reveal.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £13,549,874 down 26.3% from last weekend £18,378,720

The weekend admissions 1,831,437 down 26.7% from last weekend 2,500,968; average ticket £7.22 down from last year’s £7.49 but Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

13 films opened at weekend taking (£2,739,119); Yesterday 80.7% (£2,212,380); Apollo 11 11.8% (£324,732); remaining 13 films shared 7.3% (£202,007)

Top three took xx% (£11,191,533) of the top 10; Toy Story 4 (61.1%) (£8,284,437); Yesterday 16.2% £2,212,380); Aladdin 5.1% (£694,716);    

The weekend up 109.1% from 2018: (£6,480,095); Sicario 2: Soldado (£698,466); Tag (£475,373); Adrift (£405,240); Patrick (£299,862); The Bookshop (£65,558); Leave No Trace (£50,445); Zoo (£12,516); #1 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom £2,001,876 3rd week 4th week on release 633 screens 38% drop (30.9% of top 10)

Down 90.9% from 2017: (£19,630,337); Despicable Me 3 (£11,154,904); Baby Driver (£3,605,705); All Eyez on Me (£912,662); The House (£487,542); Alone in Berlin (£108,047); #1 Despicable Me 3 £11,154,904 1^st week 608 screens (56.8% of top 10)

Down 11.8% from 2016: (£15,368,987); Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (£4,042,959); Central Intelligence (£3,050,261); Notes on Blindness (£20,049); #1 The Secret Life Of Pets £4,739,295 2^nd week 601 screens 51% drop (30.8% of the top 10)

Down 31.2% from 2015; (£19,704,414); Minions (£11,558,946); Knock Knock (£250,825); Slow West (£140,858); The Terminator (Re: 2015) (£66,492); She’s Funny That Way (£22,311); Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief (£16,849); Everly (£160); #1 Minions £11,558,946 1^st week 571 screens (58.6% of top 10)

Up 29.4% from 2014: (£10,468,569); Mrs. Brown’s Boys d’Movie (£4,301,306); Chef (£605,976); How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Scotland) (£604,325); Walking on Sunshine (£403,490); Cold in July (£156,783); Seve (£47,294); #1 Mrs. Brown’s Boys d’Movie £4,301,306 1^st week 522 screens (41.1% of top 10)

Down 38.3% from 2013: (£21,973,402); Despicable Me 2 (£14,822,427); This is the End (£1,390,323); Hummingbird (£206,731); The East (£65,523); Stand Up Guys (£44,845); #1 Despicable Me 2 £14,822,427 1^st week 534 screens (67.4% of top 10)

Up 162.5% from 2012 (£5,161,480); Ice Age: Continental Drift – Scotland only (£853,226); Friends with Kids (£357,520); Killer Joe (£208,553); Storage 24 (£131,342); Your Sister’s Sister (£81,098); Joyful Noise (£32,205); #1 Ice Age: Continental Drift (Scotland only) £853,226 1^st week 134 screens (16.5% of top 10)

Down 12.1% from 2011 (£15,422,378); Transformers: Dark of the Moon (£10,728,503); Larry Crowne (£346,486); A Separation (£55,511); The Conspirator (£39,217); #1 Transformers: Dark of the Moon £10,728,503 1^st week 521 screens (69.5% of top 10)

Up 330.9% from 2010: (£3,145,120); Get Him to the Greek (£1,569,556); The Collector (£109,519); Whatever Works (£72,678); When in Rome (£61,512); #1 Get Him to the Greek £1,569,556 1^st week 389 screens (49.9% of top 10)

Up 38.6% from 2009; (£9,778,033); Year One (£978,008); My Sister’s Keeper (£922,947); Blood: The Last Vampire (£232,190); #1 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen £4,368,024 2^nd week 521 screens 48% drop (44.6% of top 10)

Up 21.2% from 2008; (£11,174,084); Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (£4,060,532); Wanted (£3,814,055); Female Agents (£68,412); A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (£12,772); #1 Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian £4,060,532 1^st week 546 screens (36.3% of top 10)

Down 35.9% from 2007:(£21,135,733); Shrek the Third (£16,671,727); Hostel 2 (£681,426); The Flying Scotsman (£60,754);#1 Shrek the Third £16,671,727 1^st week 536 screens (78.8% of top 10)

Up 112.9% from 2006; (£6,362,835); Over the Hedge (£3,589,038); Just My Luck (£579,306); Cave of the Yellow Dog (£12,623); #1 Over the Hedge £3,589,038 1^st week 504 screens (56.4% of top 10)

Up 13.7% from 2005 (£11,909,005); War of the Worlds (£8,644,787); #1 War of the Worlds £8,644,787 1^st week 507 screens (72.6% of top 10)

Up 151.3% from 2004 (£5,390,891); The Ladykillers (£565,137); The Notebook (£309,507); Eurotrip (£147,439); You Got Served (£68,255); #1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban £2,029,289 4^th week 499 screens 40% drop  (37.6% of top 10)

Up 31.2% from 2003 (£10,329,409); Bruce Almighty (£7,260,467); Wrong Turn (£370,562); Nicholas Nickleby (£222,376); Biker Boyz (£65,412); Feardotcom (£23,025); #1 Bruce Almighty £7,260,467 1^st week 446 screens (70.3% of top 10)

Up 147.2% from 2002 (£5,480,099); Murder By Numbers (£729,164); Big Fat Liar (£406,105); Birthday Girl (£237,165); Rollerball (£136,243); What’s The Worst That Could Happen? (£69,194); #1 Spider-Man: The Movie £2,605,993 3^rd week 507 screens 39% drop (47.5% of top 10)

Next weekend in 2018: (£5,570,742); The First Purge (£1,778,157); The Beatles Yellow Submarine (50th Anniversary) (£163,155); Uncle Drew (£151,337); Whitney (£142,936); The More You Ignore Me (£8,420); #1 The First Purge £1,778,157 1^st week 481 screens (31.9% of top 10)

Also opened

• Apollo 11 – Dogwoof

Opened with £324,732 from 91 screens (including £24k from previews)

Always surprised Universal Pictures didn’t delay the release of First Man to this summer after Warner Bros moved A Star is Born from May to October 2018 in December 2017. While First Man receiving strong media coverage and positive reviews opening the Venice Film Festival was always in the shadow of A Star Is Born.

Warner Bros had huge success opening Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk in July 2017 and despite opening in the summer still received more Oscar nominations than First Man received opening in October. Had First Man opened in July this year would have received huge free media coverage with the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon on July 20^th.

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

Two different versions of the Apollo 11 documentary were released an edited cut down 45 minutes version for IMAX cinemas released as Apollo 11: First Steps on May 17th and 93-minute theatrical version which was released into commercial cinemas.

Other Box Office News

• Avengers: Endgame £355,340 from 369 screens

Up 351% from last weekend after being re-released in cinemas for five days before the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home with additional 6 minutes of footage in the hope that it would overtake Avatar to become the biggest film worldwide.

Reaction online to the re-release was mixed with fans eagerly awaiting to see the extra 6 minutes but to many others Marvel has been accessed of trolling fans reminding many of the scenes from The Big Bang Theory when the boys are watching Indiana Jones on Tv only to see it again in the cinema a few days later with an extra 21 seconds.

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Toy Story 4 – Disney

Dropped 50.6% in its second weekend taking $59.7m and $238.69m

Do find it strange that Toy Story 4 took just over what Toy Story 3 took in its second weekend in 2010 $59.33m down 46.2% taking $226.88m (this was similar with its second-weekend box office for the UK)

As both the UK and US had 20%+ ticket inflation despite claims of otherwise Toy Story 4 suffered from the sequel fatigue other sequels have suffered from this summer.

Toy Story trilogy has taken $1.12bn in the US and $2.47bn worldwide

20 Pixar films have taken $5.71bn in the US and $13.72bn worldwide since 1995

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

Took $80.6m from 45 territories and $259.6m and $496.5m worldwide; its 205^th biggest film worldwide between Rio 2 and Troy just overtaking Toy Story 2 ($497.4m); Mexico $49.5m; UK $33.0m; China $24.3m; Korea $16.7m; Brazil $15.9m; Argentina $14.6m; Australia $11.8m; Spain $9.7m; Panama $7.5m; Colombia $7.3m; France $7m; Chile $6.6m.

• Annabelle Comes Home – Warner Bros

Opened with $35m; received mixed reviews 69% Rotten Tomatoes and B- CinemaScore

Opened 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.

The five Conjuring Universe films have taken $575m in the US and $1.64bn worldwide; The Conjuring 3 will be released September 2020 (in their horror slot).

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

Opened with $45m from 63 territories and $76.2m worldwide

• Yesterday – Universal Pictures

Opened with $10m; received mixed reviews in the US (60% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore

Was surprising Universal Pictures gave Yesterday such a prime summer slot in the US as the only Danny Boyle film that has 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 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 films 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

Opened with $7.7m from 30 territories opened similar to Me Before You; 18%+ The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; 31%+ The Intern; 67%+ About Time

• Aladdin – Disney

Dropped 23.6% in its sixth weekend taking $10.11m and $306.636m

40^th biggest sixth weekend between Shrek 2 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1; The Jungle Book #26; #29 Beauty and the Beast; #44 The Lion King;

76^th biggest film in the US between Return of the Jedi and Independence Day; Disney’s 28^th biggest film in the US between Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

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 (#171 biggest film in the US between The Da Vinci Code and Alvin and the Chipmunks) taking $504.1m worldwide; adjusted for inflation Aladdin is 102nd biggest film in the US taking $472.5m.

Has overtaken the global box office of 1996’s Independence Day $817.4m to become Will Smith’s biggest film worldwide but impossible to compare the two films as he wasn’t the main reason for either film’s success.

The reason for Aladdin’s success was the film, not Will Smith or director Guy Ritchie in a similar way thanks to the success of starring in MCU films the cast have taken more box office than the likes of Will Smith or Tom Cruise.  

Was similarly the case with Suicide Squad, if Will Smith was the megastar of the late 90s and early 00s (Men in Black, Enemy of the State, I, Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend and Hancock) MIB 3 would have opened much bigger than Men in Black II and Focus, Concussion and Collateral Beauty opened stronger. How Gemini Man, Bad Boys for Life (opening 17 years after sequel and 25 years after original) and King Richard perform will be a far better indication over if Will Smith is back.

As like other Disney reimaginations Aladdin played best with younger audiences (as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) older audience who grew up with Will Smith in the 90s in Men in Black and Independence Day were also growing up with Robin Williams in Aladdin and Jumanji so were the ones vehemently opposed to him being the genie as were also opposed to Dwyane Johnson starting in Jumanji but younger audience were fine about it.

Took $33.7m from 55 territories and $568.3m total and $874.2m worldwide #62 biggest film worldwide between Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Secret Life of Pets; Japan $66.6m; Korea $60.2m; China $53.3m; UK $42.8m; Mexico $32.1m; Spain $23.7m; Australia $21.4m; Russia $20m; Brazil $19.6m; Indonesia $18.1m; Italy $17m; Germany $15.7ml; France $15.4m; Philippines $10.9m.

• Men In Black International – Sony Pictures

Dropped 37.5% in its third weekend taking $6.68m and $65.16m

Second weekends

1997’s Men in Black dropped 36.7% taking $19.02m and $172.14m 68.6% of $250.69m and $589.29m worldwide

2002’s Men in Black 2 dropped 40.4% taking $14.55m and $156.12m 82% of $190.41m and $441.81m worldwide

2012’s MIB 3 dropped 50.5% taking $13.89m and $135.9m 75.9% of $179.02m and $624.02m worldwide

The four films have taken $685.16m in the US and $1.87bn worldwide

Took $11.5m from 65 territories and $154m and $219m worldwide; #693 biggest between Knocked Up and Captain Phillips; 1997’s Men in Black took $689.4m worldwide; 2002’s Men in Black II $441.8m and MIB 3 $624m

• The Secret Life of Pets 2 – Universal Pictures

Dropped 26.7% in its fourth weekend taking $7.32m and $131.43m;

The Secret Life of Pets dropped36.1% in its fourth weekend taking $18.91m and $296.88m 80.6% of $368.38m total; if The Secret Life of Pets 2 held similarly will take about $160m 43% of The Secret Life of Pets and similar amount worldwide.

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’s Soul.  

Illumination Entertainment films have taken $2.58bn in the US and $6.48m worldwide

Took $11.8m from 52 territories $91.8m total and $223m worldwide; #677 biggest between Yes Man and Non-Stop;  2016’s The Secret Life of Pets took $875.45m worldwide

• Avengers: Endgame – Disney

Up 207.3% (adding 1,040 screens) in its tenth weekend taking $6.1m and $841.88m

Re-released in cinemas with 6 minutes of additional footage the hope that it could overtake Avatar to become the biggest film globally as it’s the one box office record Disney don’t have but looks like it will fail to do so.

But after having the biggest opening weekend, second biggest second weekend, fourth biggest third weekend and fifth biggest fourth weekend there is no excuse that Avengers: Endgame didn’t overtake Avatar weeks ago.

Despite opening $99,416,824 more than Star Wars: The Force Awakens Avengers: Endgame has still taken $94,772,328 less; people seem to make excuses for MCU but after having the biggest opening g ever in the US as in the UK it should have the legs to become the biggest film in both countries too.

Four years ago ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and after having the biggest ever opening box office analysts all predicted it would overtake Avatar, (I thought it was unlikely) those same experts predicted Avengers: Endgame would overtake Avatar who are now making excuses for it not doing so.

The biggest excuse is that Avatar took the majority of its box office from 3D, but Avengers: Endgame also took a large percentage of its global box office from premium formats 3D; Dolby Cinema; IMAX; PLF, ScreenX, 4DX. 3D alone took over $1bn worldwide in its first week and all tickets had 21% ticket inflation.

Despite having a re-release and receiving much media coverage still only had 21^st biggest 10^th weekend (between There’s Something About Mary and Green Book) with Avatar #2 taking ($16,240,857) 193.3% more, while Titanic took ($21,036,343) 280% more 22 years ago.

Marvel made such a big deal about cinemagoers not revealing spoilers for Avengers: Endgame as they did with Infinity War last year but then released a trailer last week for its DVD release with lots of spoilers including footage of the dead Avengers.

What I also find strange about its digital and DVD release is that its release on Digital in the US July 30^th and then on DVD two weeks later but won’t be released internationally till several weeks after despite the film opening globally day and date. Delaying a films DVD release only plays into the hands of piracy and Avengers: Endgame has been widely available online illegally from China since May.

Avengers: Endgame has the third worst opening to total after Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War, this compares to Marvel’s The Avengers 5th best with 3x opening; Avengers Infinity War 14th 2.63x opening and Avengers: Age of Ultron 19th 2.4x opening; the best is 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 98% of its total box office after 10 weeks and will end with $853m but could get a boost with Spider-Man: Far From Home opening this weekend as many will want to have a double bill

Took $2.3m from 40 territories; $1.92bn and $2.761bn worldwide; China $629.1m; UK $114.4m; Korea $105.1m; Brazil $85.3m; Mexico $77.4m

The fact that no film has beaten Avatar over the last decade highlights how front-loaded box office has become as Avatar took $2.788bn taking $1m+ for 18 weeks after opening with $77.02m which was less than half Avengers: Endgame took in its first day. It would be good for the industry if Avatar was to be able to stay #1.

Would be good for the industry if  Avengers: Endgame didn’t overtake Avatar globally as would give Disney’s rivals and filmmakers hope the biggest film globally doesn’t need to be a property franchise reboot reimagination or sequel it just needs to excite cinema audiences

After opening with $357.11m 10 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 shiny new film opening a few weeks later.

22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have now taken $8.13bn in the US and $21.53bn worldwide

• Rocketman – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 29.8% in its fifth weekend taking $3.93m and $83.24m;

Has become Paramount Pictures 123^rd biggest film in the US between Airplane! And Patriot Games

Fifth weekends

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 42.8% taking $8.1m and $164.33m 75.2% of $218.42m and $903.65m worldwide

2018’s A Star is Born dropped 21.6% taking $11m and $165.53m 76.9% of $215.28m and $434.18m worldwide

2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again dropped 41.9% taking $3.4m and $111.2m 92.2% of taking $120.53m and $394.74m worldwide

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 14.6% taking $10.64m and $113.12m 64.8% taking $174.34m and $434.99m worldwide

Took $2.6m from 47 territories and $81.4m total and $165.6m worldwide; the UK remains the biggest international territory taking £22.1m 60% less than Bohemian Rhapsody (£54.94m) and 53% less than The Greatest Showman (£47m).

Ahead of its release, many thought Rocketman could match Bohemian Rhapsody as its a far better film, the problem for Rocketman was its May release date meant it was sandwiched in and didn’t have time to find and build its audience as Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman did.

Always surprises me when a film is successful at a certain time of the year why studios don’t release similar films the same date, the problem was probably due to Elton John being much busier with his concerts in October/November and probably wanted the film to be the trailer for the concerts. 

Bohemian Rhapsody took $904.65m worldwide; A Star is Born took $434.88m; The Greatest Showman $434.99m; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again $395m

UK Box Office Predictions

Opening today (Tuesday) Spider-Man: Far From Home follows on from events featured in Avengers: Endgame and is the end of the Infinity Saga as Spider-Man deals with the death of his mentor Tony Stark while on a European adventure.

Two years ago Spider-Man: Homecoming opened with £9,369,166 (including £2,600,680 from 2 days of previews) which opened a year after Spider-Man first appeared in Captain America: Civil War (opened with £14,466,681 without previews) Spider-Man: Far From Home has four days of previews as Doctor Strange and Thor: Ragnorok previously had taking £3,796,170 and £5,141,794 (while Black Panther had three days of previews taking £7,190,000.

2007’s Spider-Man 3 has currently the biggest opening for a Spider-Man film in the UK £11,827,013 and is also the biggest Spider-Man film in the UK taking £28,491,501 but with the hype surrounding Spider-Man: Far From Home and being the continuation of the story arc from Avengers: Endgame should expect much of the audience to come back to see it.

Just the knowledge of Spider-Man: Far From Home was a spoiler for Avengers: Endgame as Spider-Man was one o those who died at the end of Avengers: infinity War which made marketing the film awkward as it needed to be done alongside Avengers: infinity War as just seeing Spider-Man in the trailer is a spoiler which is why many cinemas showed the second trailer released a few days after Avengers: Endgame which mentioned the death of Tony Stark after the film rather than before.

Spider-Man: Far From Home opened with $111m from 3 territories (including $98m from China fourth biggest comic-book opening in China after Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War and Venom) 45% more than Spider-Man: Homecoming and 21% more than Captain Marvel.

Toy Story will continue to hold strongly in its third weekend as it continues to hold similar to Toy Story 3 (took £4,666,021 in its third weekend) and Yesterday should also hold strong in its second weekend thanks to strong word of mouth and both films targetting different audiences.

Unusually with the release of a massive film four other films have wide releases director Ari Aster’s Midsommar his follow up to 2018’s Hereditary received positive reviews opened with £1,863,913 taking £5,498,016; critical reviews have been positive for Midsommar but audience will be polarized.

After the success of Take That: Greatest Hits Live last month its now the turn of Westlife The Twenty Tour Live which should also open with £1m+

The Queen’s Corgi might attract younger audiences for which Toy Story 4 might be a little scary while the Luc Besson actioner Anna is unlikely to find much of an audience but might just squeeze into the top 10 as it did last week in the US.

The film was overshadowed by the director being accused of sexual misconduct by nine women last year. Trailer feels like it’s the Black Widow film audiences have been waiting to see since her first appearance in Iron Man 2.

While Luc Besson has had strong female characters in many of his films; 1985’s Subway; 1990’s La Femme Nikita (John Badham directed Point of No Return US remake in 1993 starring Bridget Fonda); 1994’s Léon: The Professional; 1997’s The Fifth Element; 1999’s The Messenger; The Story of Joan of Arc;  2011’s The Lady; 2014’s Lucy and now 2019’s Anna.

2014’s Lucy opened £3,076,997 taking £14,129,734

1997’s The Fifth Element opened £3,182,983 taking £6,923,356

1994’s The Professional opened £1,678,766 taking £3,400,349

Opening in the UK Next Week

• Annabelle Comes Home – Warner Bros (Wednesday)

Supernatural horror sequel to 2017’s Annabelle: Creation and the 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 almost £50m at the UK box office since 2013 ($543.6m in the US and $1.56bn worldwide); Annabelle Comes Home opens 28th June and The Conjuring 3 is expected to be released in 2020.

In December 2017 Warner Bros settled a $900m lawsuit for The Conjuring brought by the author Gerald Brittle who claimed the Conjuring films infringed his exclusive rights to tell the story married ghost hunters portrayed in the films.

Annabelle Comes Home is the first of three horror sequels from Warner Bros this year It: Chapter 2 opens in September and The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep opens on October 31^st.

• Stuber – 20^th Century Fox

Action comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino and Karen Gillan and directed by Michael Dowse; had world premiere at South by Southwest in March receiving a positive reaction.

Mismatched buddy comedies have been popular at the cinema for more than a century going back to Laurel and Hardy back then it was normally just a straight man and a punchline.

1982’s Eddie Murphy film 48 Hours in 1982 brought something new to the genre with a criminal partnering up with a cop that leads into films like Lethal Weapon and Planes Trains and Automobiles and many films since.

Its the first of two mismatched action comedies starring Dave Bautista this summer as he also stars in My Spy opening in August 

• The Dead Don’t Lie – Universal Pictures

Zombie comedy starring Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Austin Butler, RZA, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez and Carol Kane and written and directed by Jim Jarmusch; had world premiere opening the Cannes Film Festival last month receiving mixed reviews (51% Rotten Tomatoes)

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)

• The Matrix – Warner Bros (20^th Anniversary)

Warner Bros is re-releasing the classic sci-fi film in cinemas to celebrate the films 20^th anniversary digitally remastered in 4K before its 4K video release; unlike other anniversary screenings including the 30^th anniversary of Batman, it’s a month after its UK release in the UK (13^th June 1999) rather than before.

In May

Batman (4K Restoration) £38,112 from 221 screens

Batman Returns (4K Restoration) £7,906 from 90 screens

Batman Forever (4K Restoration) £293 from 2 screens

Batman & Robin (4K Restoration) £154 from 2 screens

The problem with these re-releases is few will pay £15+ to see the film in the cinema even though it’s remastered in 4K as swill be able to buy the 4K DVD for a little bit more in a months’ time. If exhibitors would reduce prices for re-releases then many more would see them.

The Matrix opened June 1999 with £3,384,948 taking £16,918,842 (£30,100,268 inflation inflated)  

The Matrix Reloaded opened May 2003 with £12,165,276 taking £32,510,686 (£54,843,477 inflation inflated)

The Matrix Revolutions opened November 2003 with £8,712,350 taking £17,754,338 (£29,950,449 inflation inflated)

As with Batman the first film The Matrix will get the widest release with the two sequels having a much more limited re-release.

Opening in US Next Week

• Crawl – Paramount Pictures

Disaster horror starring Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper and directed by Alexandre Aja;

Opening almost 20 years to the day of the similarly themed Lake Placid opened with $10.97m (opened third Eyes Wide Shut opening #1 and American Pie 2) taking $31.77m and %6.67m had a similar B-movie vibe to it as

Similar films

1999’s Deed Blue Sea opened $16.89m taking $73.64m

2010’s Piranha 3D opened $10.1m taking $25m

2016’s Don’t Breathe opened $26.41m taking $89.21m

2016’s The Shallows opened $16.8m taking $55.12m

2017’s 47 Meters Down opened $11.2m taking $44.3m

2018’s The Meg opened $45.4m taking $145.44m

Expected to open between $15m-$25m

• Stuber – 20^th Century Fox

The trailer received positive reaction and comparisons have been made with last year’s Tag (opened $14.94m taking $54.73m)

Crawl and Stuber are sandwiched between Spider-Man: Far from Home and The Lion King that would previously be seen as possible sleepers but are films that have been squeezed the most over recent years.