UK This weekend
Key release
- Suicide Squad – Warner Bros
Anti-hero superhero film the third part of the DC extended Universe starring ensemble cast Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne and Ben Affleck and directed by David Ayer.
Held a panel at last year’s Comic-Con but before the event the trailer leaked online Warner Bros released a cut down version as a teaser trailer day after. The first trailer was released in January featuring Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody has been viewed over 50 million times, the second trailer featured cover of You Don’t Own Me has been viewed over 25 million times.
Has been top of ComScore PreAct social media weekly charts for months and after receiving very positive reaction from test screenings from May along with a positive reaction to screening at CineEurope. After disappointing reception of Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice in March Suicide Squad had reshoots as Warner Bros wanted to lighten its tone was seen in more recent trailers.
Before Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice not much was expected from Suicide Squad as it centred on characters’ unknown to non-comic book fans but after Batman Vs Superman failed to be the billion-dollar global success DC and Warner Bros expected put the DC Universe future on a group of misfits. After the success of Deadpool Warner Bros and DC saw Suicide Squad as a similar film but with a budget of almost three times it is a very different film.
After a summer of filled with underwhelming reboots and sequels audiences got bored with very quickly (apart from Finding Dory) many have been looking at Suicide Squad to save the day especially after the trailers which were well received and then strong buzz from research screenings. But reviews haven’t been nearly as positive the Suicide Squad is great as is Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn but suffers as many comic-book adaptions do with the script.
Advance bookings opened July 15th while most superhero films have been 2.5 hours long Suicide Squad is 2 hours long and a 15.
Earlier this year much was made by Deadpool’s marketing campaign being an R-rated comic-book movie but thanks to the BBFC Suicide Squad will be getting similar certificate but audiences won’t be getting the same R-rated content which could possibly disappoint audiences expecting more than the other comic-book movies that have been 12A.
This is probably due to the controversy caused by The Dark Knight after it received a 12A Warner Bros/BBFC probably thought the 15 certificate would avoid any trouble. Am still amazed at how films like Spectre, Jurassic World and Mockingjay Part 2 get 12A’s as they have some terrifying moments for young audiences.
After four comic-book films released in less than 100 days Suicide Squad had 76-day gap since X-Men: Apocalypse opened. Are similarities to Guardians of the Galaxy with a group of anti-heroes which opened same weekend two years ago with £6.35m but has a 15 certificate compared with Guardians of the Galaxy 12A: Has its US premiere August 1st and UK premiere August 3rd.
At the US premiere director David Ayer got a bit over excited shouting out to fans F**k Marvel he since apologised for saying this as of course with Marvel taking control of the comic-book business he doesn’t want to burn his bridges with Marvel in maybe directing one for them in the future.
| Deadpool | February 10th | £13.79m |
| Batman Vs Superman | March 25th | £14.62m |
| Captain America: Civil War | April 29th | £14.46m |
| X-Men: Apocalypse | May 20th | £7.35m |
Lindsay Lohan had another rant after her live Tweeting during the EU Referendum to tell people not to see Suicide Squad. She wrote on Instagram (which she later deleted) after the recent tragedies in France and Turkey. “a suicide squad movie is not helping the world but hurting people. Anger is not an answer for peace. #love #turnup #beherenow #lovenotwar”
Lohan also appeared to suggest Suicide Squad star Jared Leto, as well as actors Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson, had all drawn inspiration from Brandon Lee’s performance in The Crow when portraying the comic book character, The Joker.
First teaser for Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk will be released with Suicide Squad.
On TV channel London Live the presenter was introducing an interview with Will Smith calling Sucide Squad as one of Marvel’s most anticipated movies which will continue the crazy theory media are pro Marvel and against DC.
Also released
Unusually are no other releases from any of main UK film distributors as are many released over the following few weeks especially as Suicide Squad and Jason Bourne are targeting similar audiences.
Out next week
Key release
- Pete’s Dragon – Disney
Fantasy adventure is a remake of the 1976 film starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, and Robert Redford and directed by David Lowery.
As with Marvel films Disney hired an indie director for the film who previously directed three very low budget films that were screened at South by Southwest and Sundance. Indie to Hollywood is a huge jump for directors some sink Josh Trank went from Chronicle to Fantastic Four and fired from directing Star Wars anthology film while Colin Trevorrow went from indie film Safety Not Guaranteed and Jurassic World.
After similar themed The Jungle Book and The Legend of Tarzan did surprisingly well at the box office with trailers screened with both of those films along with the success of the two How to Train Your Dragon films likely to do well here too. Only issue is while it opens two months after Finding Dory in US opens only two weeks after it opened in US similar to The BFG could hurt its box office.
Reviews have been mixed some praising David Lowery indie feel to a blockbuster while others have described it as light-weight.
Also released
- The Shallows – Sony Pictures
Survival horror film starring Blake Lively and Sully “Steven” Seagull and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Received positive reviews when it was released in June taking more than $60m. Comparable to films like 1999’s Deep Blue Sea which opened with £1.94m and 2003’s Open Water £1.9m.
- Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates – 20th Century Fox
Romantic comedy starring Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza.
Comedies have had mixed success at the box office while Wedding Crashers and Bridesmaids were very successful The Five-Year Engagement wasn’t. But with a very watchable cast including Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick. Reviews have been positive but unlikely to spark up much interest.
Zac Efron’s previous openers this year Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising opened with £1.68m and Dirty Grandpa with £1.44m Anna Kendrick’s last major wide release was last summer’s Pitch Perfect 2 opening with £5.01m.
- Nerve – Lionsgate
Social media survival thriller Eagle Eye meets The Game where players of the online game have to do real life challenges set by the online game to survive. With the current globally success of Pokemon Go the film feels very real and current.
Reviews have been very positive and has had a strong social media campaign which was similar to similar films Friends Request and Unfriended had very strong online marketing campaigns they failed to bring in huge audiences; Friend Request opened with £0.62m earlier this year and 2015’s Unfriended £1.44m.
- ID2: Shadwell Army – Universal Pictures
Sequel to the 1995 football hooliganism cult movie I.D starring Lee Ross, Perry Fenwick, Richard Graham, Linus Roache, Simon Rivers and Neil Pearson and directed by Joel Novoa. Universal Pictures acquired UK rights at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.
Hoping to stir up some controversy opening the week new Premiere League season starts but unlikely to spark up much interest at the box office and will be released on home entertainment soon after. After the hooliganism that marred the recent European Championships in France it is a strange decision for Universal to opt to give it a theatrical release.
Out in two weeks
Key release
- David Brent: Life on the Road – eOne
Mockumentary comedy set 15 years after the events of The Office after leaving Wernham Hogg David Brent began his career as a rock star.
The UK show started in 2001 on BBC1 and ended in 2003 after just 14 episodes compared with The Office US which ran from 2005 – 2013 with 201 episodes.
While his co-stars Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook and Lucy Davis have moved on to better things Ricky Gervais acting career has always been in the shadows of David Brent which is similar to his The 11 O’clock Show co-star Sacha Baron Cohen with Ali G. All the characters they both have played since had similar awkward embarrassing cringing humour which was funny 15 18 years ago but now often feels very painful to watch which was similar to the trailers for Life on the Road which are more awkward and uncomfortable than funny.
While Ricky Gervais has had TV success since The Office with Extras, Life’s Too Short and Derek they have received far lower TV rating than The Office the final episodes broadcast Christmas 2002 received more than 8m compared with Derek in 2014 with 2 million.
Film-wise he has had bit part roles in many films including the successful Night at the Museum trilogy but when he was the lead in 2008’s Ghost Town and 2009’s The Invention of Lying flopped similarly when he directed The Invention of Lying, 2010’s Cemetery Junction and 2016’s Special Correspondents for Netflix all disappointed and he has also directed Life on the Road.
But despite all this negativity many still enjoy David Brent’s embarrassing cringing humour and the first teaser has been watched over 1 million times since its release in April which is over three times more than Absolutely Fabulous teaser trailer has been viewed and similar to Mrs Brown’s Boy’s D’Movie. Rival studios are unsure how it will play with no major releases opening against it as August has been very lucrative release date for films based on TV shows with Life on the Road likely to open similar to Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.
| The Inbetweeners | Entertainment | August 2011 | £13.2m |
| The Inbetweeners 2 | Entertainment | August 2014 | £12.5m |
| Bean | Polygram | August 1997 | £2.6m |
| Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa | Studiocanal | August 2013 | £2.2m |
| Keith Lemon: The Movie | Lionsgate | August 2012 | £1.2m |
| Bad Education | Entertainment | August 2015 | £0.59m |
Life on the Road receives its world premiere in London on August 10th Netflix acquired international rights and will release it I later in the year.
Also released
- Lights Out – Warner Bros
Supernatural horror directed by directed by David F. Sandberg based on his 2013 short film starring Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke and Maria Bello produced by New Line Cinema; received its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival receiving positive reviews.
Apart from last summers The Gallows which opened with £330,000 last July Warner Bros have had a lot of success with their low-budget horrors 2013’s The Conjuring opened with £2.1m taking £10.46m its sequel this year opened £4.64m (from a 7 day opening weekend) taking $10.71m with spin-off Annabelle in 2014 opening with £1.94m taking £7.51m. Upcoming are sequels to Annabelle another spin-off The Nuns and The Conjuring 3 while afer Lights Out successful opening last month in the US have already announced a sequel.
While Lights Out will unlikely match The Conjuring opening will likely open similar to Annabelle as received positive reviews and likely to generate good buzz with i’m sure another cinema stunt Warner Bros have done recently for The Conjuring and Annabelle.
- Swallows and Amazons – Studiocanal
Adventure film based on the children’s novel by Arthur Ransome starring Andrew Scott, Rafe Spall, Kelly Macdonald, Jessica Hynes and Harry Enfield and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.
Film generated some controversy last summer when it was revealed of the children’s name would be change from Titty to Tatty as producers thought it would get some sniggers. The BBC previously adapted the book in 1963 changing the name to Kitty but the 1974 film and the BBC Radio 4 2012 broadcast kept the original name Titty.
Received its world premiere on July 24 in Keswick where the film is set; reviews have been soft as the film swapping the children’s innocent fantasy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to something more sinister which worked fine with Paddington as was set in modern but was it needed in Swallows and Amazons 1935 setting? Early reviews have been positive but the question is what is the audience for the film as pre-teens would I’m sure be more interested in Finding Dory or Pete’s Dragon this is more Sunday afternoon TV?
- Nine Lives – Lionsgate
Comedy starring stars Kevin Spacey, Robbie Amell, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Walken, Malina Weissman and Mark Consuelos and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld his first since 2012’s Men in Black.
In recent years we have had many reboots of 80’s films while this isn’t a reboot the film plot feels very 80’s with body swaps and talking animals but for something fun and different this is a very funny 90 minute movie that adults will love as much as children but is questionable if audiences will discover it with all the many other films being released over the last three weeks of August.
Christopher Walken plays a similar character as he did in Click (Adam Sandler’s last good comedy) in that he gives Adam Sandler a universal remote control to control his life and in Nine Lives a Pet Store owner
Lionsgate held a press screening on Sunday and reaction was very positive with adults and children describing it as one of the funniest films seen at the cinema and was hysterically funny; is surprising has been so little buzz for the film so far but the same can be said for Pete’s Dragon but with The BFG and Finding Dory generating much media coverage family audiences will be seeking out something new to see by the middle of August.
Over the years have been many films about swapping including films like Freaky Friday, The Change-Up, Liar, Liar, The Hot Chick, It’s a Boy Girl Thing and Virtual Sexuality and have had many successful talking animal movies (most recently with The Secret Life of Pets) Nine Lives combines to the two making for a very funny film for the whole family; in Nine Lives Kevin Spacey (Francis Underwood) is a hard-working dad who has seven days to reconnect with his family but has to do it as a cat.
- Tickled – Studiocanal
Documentary about the international tickling competition
Opening Friday
- Suicide Squad – Warner Bros
133 days ago Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice opened after 18 months of hype the film opened strongly with $166m but disappointed critics and audiences dropping 69.1%in its second weekend.
A year after screening the first trailer at Comic-Con Warner Bros released the final trailer also showing Wonder Woman and Justice League all generated huge
Suicide Squad has received the most coverage on social media and for weeks has been tracking to open with $120m+. But the biggest August opening to date was Marvel’s similar themed Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 with $94.3m. Suicide Squad has a darker tone even after Warner Bros had reshoots in April to lighten the film after reaction to Batman Vs Superman.
But Suicide Squad can look to Deadpool which opened February with $132.4m breaking the record by Fifty Shades of Grey the year before which had opened with $85.1m.
After being one of the most anticipated films of the year generating positive buzz from research screenings in May reviews will be released on Tuesday and we will see if they match up to expectations the problem is the film has received so much hype can it possibly live up to expectations.
While seen as an ensemble will be compared to previous Will Smith films 20 years ago he was king of the world starring in Bad Boys. Independence Day, Men in Black and Enemy of the State. Then came Wild Wild West (turning down role of Neo in The Matrix) which he admitted recently he did purely by the hunger of fame overshadowed his artistic vision (surprisingly didn’t mention Another Earth which was far worse).
Will Smith’s biggest opening to date was 2007’s I Am Legend $77.2m followed with Hancock following year with $62.6m then MIB 3 in 2012 with $54.5m which was 10 years after first sequel opened with then huge $52.1m and 15 years after original opening with $50.1m which was biggest ever opening weekend beating Independence Day $50.2m the year before.
But since MIB 3 Will Smith had the massive failure which was Another Earth and Winter’s Tale. Last year’s Focus did ok showing off the chemistry he has with Margot Robbie. Upcoming stars in Collateral Beauty which could be another The Pursuit of Happyness and Bad Boys 3 14 years after the first sequel with Joe Carnahan replacing Michael Bay.
The one big unknown Suicide Squad has to deal with is the Rio Olympics as it is the first Olympics for 20 years that are in the same time zone. 20 years ago Independence Day was still toping the chart for the opening of Atlanta 1996 but newcomers The Frighteners, Fled, Multiplicity and Kazaam all had unspectacular openings. Of course Suicide Squad is a completely different film and movie-going has changed dramatically in the years since.
For several weeks has been tracking to open with $115m- $125m in the last couple of days that has climbed to $130-140m; received its world premiere in New York on Monday but its embargo broke on Tuesday ad reviews were mixed the better than Batman Vs Superman but still far worse than most expected after the positive reaction from test screenings. Now Suicide Squad has received the mixed reviews will they hurt its opening with the Rio Olympics Warner Bros have an excuse if it doesn’t match up to the $140m opening a more conservative figure of around $100m is more likely which will leave many questions still for Warner Bros plans with DC as they want to be tonally different to the Marvel Universe as the DC comics are darker toned but they also want them to be as accessible to non comic-book fans as Marvel have with their films.
Fans of DC believe there is a Marvel conspiracy at film review algorithm website Rotten Tomatoes with a petition to close the site after Suicide Squad received similar low scores as Batman Vs Superman in March while Marvel films get positive scores. With Captain America Civil War there could be some truth as it didn’t deserve the rave reviews it received compared to the mixed and poor reviews Batman Vs Superman and X-Men Apocalypse received but really shows how crazy this whole comic-book business has become.As there was similar complaint about Rotten Tomatoes with Ghostbusters.But it is was suprising yet again after for months Suicide Squad was generating strong buzz after positive research screenings that the film didn’t get more positive critical response but the film and the comic-book it is based on is wild and crazy and very different from other adaptions that have come before and maybe the need to Deadpool the film added extra pressure as they changed the tone of the film during the editing room. There was a similar issue with Fantastic Four last year when the trailers felt completely different to the final film many who saw it said there was a good film in there as was seen in the trailers but became a different film when studio didn’t like what they saw the same thing is rumoured to be happening with Star Wars Rogue One as Disney were reportedly unhappy with the tone.
Next year Warner Bros have Wonder Woman and the Justice League both trailers wowed audiences at Comic-Con but similar happened last year with Suicide Squad and Batman Vs Superman, But the one comic book Warner Bros seem to have tonally right is The Lego Batman Movie which has all the fun from 2014’s The Lego Movie.
- Nine Lives – EuropaCorp
Talking animal family films have been very successful in recent years with films like Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield, Doctor Doolittle, Stuart Little and have body swap films The Change-Up, Freaky Friday, Big and 13 Going on 30 Nine Lives combining the two with stars Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner and Christopher Walken and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld who was at his best directing quirky films like The Adams Family and the Men in Black trilogy.
Instead of using real critic quotes in the TV spots EuropaCorp have used cat pun reviews which didn’t get people talking about the film on social media which is something there has been very little.
Social media awareness has been low which often happens with family films being released by independent EuropaCorp doesn’t help especially as it is a very different kind of film they have distributed before a family comedy rather than action thrillers like The Transported Refuelled and Big Game.