- The Roses £2,183,190 – NE
Friday £689k 30.65%; Saturday £879k 40.27%; Sunday £635k 29.09%
831st biggest opening between Why Him? And Wedding Crashers (close to The Truman Show, One Day, Basic Instinct and Get Out) and 1,280th biggest inflated opening between Hotel for Dogs and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (close to Arachnophobia, Miss Congeniality 2, Freaky Friday, and Something’s Gotta Give).
22nd biggest 2025 opening between Sinners and Mickey 17 (close to Weapons, A Complete Unknown, The Naked Gun and Freakier Friday).
The Roses is the latest Disney reimagination of a 20th Century Fox film, and as with all the others, it’s an inferior remake of the 1990s War of the Roses opened £814,534/£2,295,768 on 262 screens, taking £5,795,818/£16,335,544.
Back in 1990, many cinemagoers (including me) thought The War of the Roses was a continuation of the Romancing the Stone universe. Same stars (Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito), same tone (at first), and a misleading trailer that felt like a reunion rather than a savage domestic satire.
Disney has little real interest in Searchlight’s drama slate post-acquisition, like Nightbitch and See How They Run, but it has had success with The Menu also opened in August. 2020’s Downhill remake (Force Majeure) is a similar film to The Roses was one of the first films Disney released through Searchlight Pictures and flopped.
What was at play with The Roses was the Brit Boost, with it performing far stronger in the UK and getting far better reviews in the UK, with US critics calling it inferior to the original.
Comparisons have been made with Wicked Little Letters, and probably the release of The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix helped The Roses, along with Cineworld’s Discount weekend.
2024’s Wicked Little Letters opened £1,642,777 (£430k 26.19% Friday; £601k 36.60% Saturday; £611k 37.21% Sunday
It will be interesting to see how The Roses performs during the week, as grey pound films perform better Mon-Thurs than the weekend, as seen with Wicked Little Letters #1 Monday (£321k) and Tuesday (£357k), taking almost the same Mon-Thurs £1,443,897 as Fri-Sun.
The Roses isn’t a grey pound film, but plays to an older demographic who prefers going to the cinema during the week rather than the weekend. The problem with both is that they won’t film audiences rushing out to see over the weekend.
UK Box Office – Rom-Com / Relationship Dramedy Comparisons (Original vs Inflated £)
| Film (Year) | Opening Weekend (Original) | Opening Weekend (Inflated) | Final Gross (Original) | Final Gross (Inflated) |
| The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) | £2,222,051 | £2,762,738 | £20,308,480 | £25,250,104 |
| Meet the Parents (2000) | £2,261,785 | £1,135,411 | £15,107,452 | £27,193,414 |
| The First Wives Club (1996) | £1,510,858 | £3,234,053 | £5,634,022 | £12,059,852 |
| Intolerable Cruelty (2003) | £1,555,684 | £2,775,004 | £6,465,278 | £11,532,658 |
| Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) | £3,943,422 | £6,630,977 | £13,375,272 | £22,490,903 |
| Closer (2005) | £1,568,526 | £2,637,521 | £8,330,847 | £14,008,558 |
| The Break-Up (2006) | £2,412,097 | £3,922,753 | £10,049,790 | £16,343,806 |
| He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) | £1,913,542 | £1,784,619 | £9,284,864 | £13,517,670 |
| It’s Complicated (2010) | £1,098,659 | £1,462,417 | £8,838,051 | £11,764,263 |
| Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) | £860,112 | £1,124,107 | £3,160,633 | £4,130,728 |
| Hope Springs (2012) | £728,689 | £906,000 | £3,840,471 | £4,774,966 |
Its director, Jay Roach, first film since 2019’s Bombshell and is best known for Meet The Parents and the Austin Powers trilogy.
It’s Olivia Colman’s first leading role since 2024’s Wicked Little Letters. Most recently had small roles in Paddington in Peru and Wonka. Benedict Cumberbatch starred most recently in The Phoenician Scheme, with his last leading role in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Last weekend was the 28th anniversary of The Full Monty, opening #2 £1,586,945/£3,107,605 #2; it dropped only 1.6% in its second weekend £1,560,561/£3,055,939 and £4,552,179 8.72% of £52,232,058/£102,282,433; it became the people’s champion with audiences seeing it again and again for over 6 months in the UK.
It will be interesting to know what impact Cineworld Weekend had on the BO and on each film; Cineworld first ran Cineworld Day in 2022 with 650,000 admissions on one day with a ticket £3, generating about £2m. This year, it was over 2 days and £4; Cineworld announced the event soon after it was announced.
National Cinema Day was cancelled this year after three successful years since it returned in 2022 after 24 years. National Cinema Day was hugely successful between 1996 and 1998. It was launched in 1996 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema all tickets £1; it had a huge marketing campaign.
- 2. Jaws (50th Anniversary Re-Issue) £1,104,471 NE
Friday £439k (39.8%), Saturday £354k (32.1%), Sunday £311k (28.2%). That’s a bite bigger than many new releases this summer, proving Spielberg’s shark still knows how to work a crowd.
The Numbers in Context
Opening Rank: 1,618th biggest UK debut of all time (nestled between The Last Exorcism and Superman III, close to The Mexican, Natural Born Killers, E.T. and Déjà Vu).
Inflated Opening Rank: 2,256th when adjusted, rubbing shoulders with The International, Drillbit Taylor, Unlawful Entry, Much Ado About Nothing, Don’t Say a Word and Wall Street.
2025 Placement: The 30th biggest opening of the year so far, between Materialists and The Amateur, near The Bad Guys 2, The Salt Road, Babygirl and Marching Powder.
Then vs Now
The last re-release in 2022 opened with £524,233 from 447 screens.
Back in 1975, Jaws grossed £11,826,000 (around £130,086,000 today). It opened in the US in June, but Britain had to wait until Boxing Day ’75 — a release strategy later mirrored by Star Wars.
The UK campaign was legendary: “You’ve heard the stories, read the headlines, seen the American hype. Now, finally, you can see for yourself.” It built anticipation off the US success and a bestselling Peter Benchley novel.
Re-Release League Table (2024–25)
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (April 2025, 20th Anniversary) — £1,762,623
Coraline (2024, 15th Anniversary) — £1,260,124
Jaws (2025, 50th Anniversary) — £1,104,000
Most anniversary reissues are handled by Park Circus (this weekend’s Jumanji 30th, next month’s Sound of Music 60th), with Universal also teeing up Billy Elliot (25th Anniversary) and Disney planning an Avatar: The Way of Water re-release in October ahead of Fire and Ash.
Spielberg Still Circling
This isn’t just nostalgia. Universal releases Spielberg’s next film in June 2026, a sci-fi written by David Koepp from a story by Spielberg, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson. Shot under the title Non-View, details are scarce — but half a century after Jaws launched the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is still the shark in the water.
- 3.Weapons £838,351 – £10,387,914
Down 26.9% in its fourth weekend
Fri £253k 30.19% (-28.5% £354k) Sat £354k 42.24% (-18.1% 432k) Sun £231k 27.57% (-36.2% £362k)
3rd biggest 18-rated horror after Smile (£11.6m) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (£11.5m).
What surely helped Weapons apart from the positive reviews was the trailer played with Sinners, Final Destination: Bloodlines and 28 Years Later, and it was hugely different to anything else on release.
460th biggest fourth weekend between The Mummy (1999) and Dolittle (close to Fast & Furious 6, 21 Jump Street, Iron Man and Apollo 13) and 746th biggest inflated fourth weekend between Star Trek: Insurrection and Black Widow (close to T2 Trainspotting, The Perfect Storm, Phone Booth and Mermaids)
8th biggest horror fourth weekend between Van Helsing and Sleepy Hollow (close to It: Chapter Two, A Quiet Place, The Ring and Split) and 12th biggest inflated horror fourth weekend between Saw and The Grudge (close to Smile, A Quiet Place, 28 Days Later and Jeepers Creepers).
Recent horrors fourth weekend
28 Years Later dropped 64.7% £498,015 and £13,729,504 88.19% of £15,527,027
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 36.5% £620,245 and £10,577,266, 92.73% of £11,407,110
Sinners dropped 41.1% £1,101,655 and £13,062,722 81.07% of £16,113,276
Zach Cregger previously directed 2022’s Barbarian, and he also wrote the screenplay along with the upcoming Resident Evil reboot. Many years earlier, he wrote the script for Miss March in 2009, one of the worst films ever made.
717th biggest between Beauty and the Beast (1992) and East Is East (close to Ocean’s Eight, Cape Fear, The Social Network and School of Rock) and 1,165th biggest inflated between True Grit and Shallow Hal (close to Black Hawk Down, The Krays, The Devil’s Advocate and Outbreak).
23rd biggest horror between Five Nights At Freddy’s and Final Destination (close to The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case, Interview with the Vampire, Get Out, and Sleepy Hollow) and 46th biggest inflated horror between Five Nights At Freddy’s and Scream 3 (close to Witches of Eastwick, The Haunting, Scream 3 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It).
- 4. The Bad Guys 2 £807,023 – £11,837,078
Up 58% in its sixth weekend.
132nd biggest sixth weekend between Last Christmas and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (close to Mrs. Doubtfire, Paddington In Peru, Star Wars Attack of the Clones and The Lion King (1994) and 271st biggest inflated sixth weekend between Austin Powers In Goldmember and The Beach (close to Batman Forever, Beauty and the Beast (1992), Good Will Hunting and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey).
4th biggest Dreamworks Animation sixth weekend between Trolls and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (close to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Rise Of The Guardians, Puss in Boots and Home) and 10th biggest Dreamworks Animation inflated sixth weekend between Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (close to Trolls, Puss in Boots, Flushed Away and Madagascar).
2022’s The Bad Guys dropped 56.9% £311,459 and £11,040,668, 81.91% of £13,478,928
31st biggest Dreamworks Animation film between Over The Hedge and Turbo (close to Dog Man, Rise Of The Guardians, Flushed Away and Antz); 36th biggest Dreamworks Animation inflated film between Dog Man and The Croods 2: A New Age.
Animation films have surprisingly underperformed this year, with Dog Man (£12.89m) still the biggest animated film of the year so far. Of course, there have been the live-action photo-realistic re-imaginations, How To Train Your Dragon (£22.57m) and Lilo & Stitch (£36.1m), but even they have come short of last year’s biggest animated films, while many, including Elio, Smurfs and The Bad Guys 2, have come short of expectations. Why have animated films struggled so far this year?
That said, Zootopia 2, opening in November, will take £40m as the original film was beloved by audiences and has been a huge hit on streaming.
614th biggest between Lethal Weapon 3 and Jaws (close to Home Alone, Pretty Woman, Fantastic Four (2005) and Space Jam) and 1,022nd biggest inflated between Shadowlands and Role Models (close to Shaun of the Dead, The Delinquents, Moonwalker and 28 Days Later).
113th biggest animated film between Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Over the Hedge (close to Lilo & Stitch (2002), Wish, Cars 3 and The Smurfs 2) and 142nd biggest inflated animated film between Open Season and Treasure Planet (close to Horton Hears a Who, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Snow White (1992 re-release) and Coraline).
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie is the next DreamWorks Animation film to be released next month, ahead of half-term. Shrek 5 was due to open next summer against Toy Story 5, but has recently been delayed to summer 2027.
- 5 Freakier Friday £744,302 – £7,433,263
Down 0.6% in its fourth weekend
538th biggest fourth weekend between Deep Impact and Walk The Line (close to Flubber, Pitch Perfect 2, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and New Year’s Eve) and 830th biggest fourth weekend between Beetlejuice and Superbad (close to The Fall Guy, The Birdcage, Cheaper By The Dozen and Herbie: Fully Loaded).
23rd biggest 2025 film between The Salt Road and The Naked Gun (close to We Live In Time, Mickey 17, Karate Kid and The Amateur),
Fourth weekends
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 38.4% £526,328/£944,782 and £5,367,190 83.94% of £6,393,998/£11,477,514
Similar films include.
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 31.9% £404,836/£718,606 and £4,955,523 91.58% of £5,411,323/£9,605,400
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 42.8% £482,291 and £7,577,630, 82.1% of £9,229,629
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 44.3% £401,604/£773,136 and £3,965,204 80.85% of £4,904,418/£9,441,597
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2 dropped 19.2% £274,405/£487,084 and £3,773,713 96.78% of £3,899,320/£6,921,510
1,033rd biggest between Bridge of Spies and Step Up 3 (close to Emma (2020), Romeo and Juliet, Annie (2014) and George and the Jungle) and 1,578th biggest inflated between Olympus Has Fallen and Up In The Air (close to Mannequin, West Side Story, She’s the Man and Bridge to Terabitha).
———-
Also opened
- Caught Stealing – Sony Pictures
Opened £570,842 #6 567 screens
Darren Aronofsky’s films often polarise audiences after receiving positive reviews. His previous films include 2000’s Requiem for a Dream, 2006’s The Fountain, and 2017’s Mother! And also directed 2010’s Black Swan and 2014’s Noah.
It was surprising Sony Pictures didn’t open it in September/October after having a Toronto/Venice Film Festival premiere, but after the polarised reaction to 2017’s Mother! At the Venice Film Festival, they were likely concerned similar thing would happen with Caught Stealing.
Darren Aronofsky’s previous films,
2017’s Mother opened £831,676, taking £2,106,554
2014’s Noah opened with £2,511,397 taking £9,851,448.
2011’s Black Swan opened £2,762,429, taking £15.7m.
2009’s The Wrestler opened £802,046, taking £1,592,098
2007’s The Fountain opened £80,506, taking £235,315
2001’s Requiem for a Dream took £84,189.
- Andre Rieu’s 2025 Maastricht Concert: Waltz The Night Away! – Piece Of Magic
Opened £566,324 #7 5467 screens (ticket prices £20)
The fourth lowest opening for Andre Rieu’s after COVID affected 2020’s Andre Rieu: Magical Maastricht: Together In Music (September) £124,101 #4 403 screens and 2021’s Andre Rieu: Summer Concert: Together Again (August) £420,056 #4 551 screens; similar to 2025’s Andre Rieu’s 75th Birthday Celebration: The Dream Continues £596,897 #4 and below 2024’s Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert #5 £629,652 from 649 screens.
A long way from the biggest opening for Andre Rieu 2018’s Maastricht Concert Amore £1,783,222; 2019’s Maastricht Concert – Shall We Dance? £1,492,154 #4 587 screens and 2016’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,414,075; 2017’s Andre Rieu: Maastricht Concert £1,439,604.
Andre Rieu’s 2025 Christmas Concert: Merry Christmas is released in December. Releasing three Andre Rieu concerts a year has diluted the brand, as has the £20 ticket price. As fans have probably realised, these concerts will be shown on Sky Arts a few months later
- Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (20th Anniversary) – Warner Bros
Opened £507,767 #8 428 screens
Over the last four years, Warner Bros have been re-releasing the Harry Potter films, celebrating their 20th anniversary.
2021’s Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone opened £965,008
2022’s Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets opened £454,250
2024’s Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban opened £394,066
—
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £8,161,723, up 60.2% from last weekend’s £5,095,939: 1,013,679 admissions, up 54% from 658,390 admissions.
The 2025 BO is up 9% ahead of 2024; in June, it was 21% ahead of 2024. Unless Downton Abbey 3 surprises in September, by October 2025, it will be below 2024.
The 39th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 28 February 2025 #1 Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy £4,130,747 (48.95%) and 15 August 2025 #1 Weapons £1,557,828 (19.60%)
160th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 250 weeks between 23 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse £1,995,517 (24.33%) and 21 January 2022 #1 Spider-Man No Way Home £2,335,488 (28.86%)
867th biggest top 10 of the last 24 years (out of 1,221) between 23 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse £1,995,517 (24.33%) and 29 September 2006 #1 Click £1,797,073 (22.02%) and 1,081st inflated between 28 September 2018 #1 Night School £1,596,377 (21.37%) and 17 September 2010 #1 The Other Guys £1,980,601 (32.36%)
The top 3 took £4,126,012 (50.5%) of the top 10; The Roses 26.75% (£2,183,190); Jaws (50th Anniversary Re-Issue) 13.53% (£1,104,471); Weapons 10.27% (£838,351).
866th biggest percentage share #1 (26.75%) between 25 August 2006 #1 You, Me and Depree £1,636,249 (26.79%) and 01 August 2025 #1 The Fantastic Four – First Steps £3,098,336 (26.74%)
1,049th biggest admissions #1 (282,066) between 26 September 2014 #1 Billy Elliot The Musical Live 2014 (Theatre) £1,904,098 (283,348) and 27 February 2009 #1 Slumdog Millionaire £1,676,508 (281,766)
Up 12.78% from 2024; (£7,236,745); Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert: Power Of Love (£629,653); Afraid (£216,620); The Amazing Spider-Man 2 RE (£129,875); The Terminator (4K Restoration – 40th Anniversary) (£97,668); The Italian Job (55th Anniversary 4K Re-Issue) (£20,097); #1 Despicable Me 4 £1,244,979 down 12% in 8th week 686 screens (17.20% of top 10).
Down 10.05% from 2023; (£9,073,887); The Equalizer 3 (£2,783,302); Sound Of Freedom (£760,060); Cobweb (£325,904); Jurassic Park (30th Anniversary) (£283,297); #1 The Equalizer 3 £2,783,302 1st week (30.67% of top 10)
Up 45.56% 2022 (£5,607,200); Spider-Man: No Way Home (Extended) £469,309; E.T. (40th Anniversary) (£438,715); Three Thousand Years Of Longing (£307,176); The Forgiven (£182,772); Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan – Director’s Cut 4K (40th Anniversary) (£96,105); #1 Minions: The Rise Of Gru #1 £1,056,163 up 84% 3rd weekend #1 over 10 weeks (National Cinema Day) (23.23% of top 10)
Down 9.69% 2021 (£9,037,234) Shangi-Chi (£5,759,504); Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins (£122,898); Annette (£86,670); Here Today (£28,577); #1 Shangi-Chi £5,759,504 640 screens 1st week (63.7% of top 10)
Up 31.13% 2020; (£6,099,807); Tenet (£5,335,654); Hope Gap (£72,769); Bring The Soul: The Movie (£39,085); #1 Tenet £5,335,654 611 screens 1st week (85.7% of top 10)
Up 8.80% 3.5% 2019; (£7,501,395); The Informer £301,424; #1 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood £1,841,873 3rd week 9% drop 697 screens (24.5% of the top 10)
Up 3.62% 2018: (£7,876,859); Searching (£765,050); The Happytime Murders (£694,044); Yardie (£438,088); Cold War (£228,780); Upgrade (£58,006); Action Point (£33,993); #1 Disney’s Christopher Robin £1,173,235 3rd week 646 screens (14.9% of top 10)
Up 31.78% 2017: (£6,193,484); The Limehouse Golem (£371,412); God’s Own Country (£167,824); Patti Cake$ (£121,446); Inhumans (£80,176); #1 American Made £968,068 2nd week 556 screens 9% drop (15.6% of the top 10)
Down 25.40% 2016: (£11,014,615); Sausage Party (£2,690,156); Brotherhood (£1,979,309); Cafe Society (£494,457); Morgan (£193,686); Equity (£12,923); #1 Sausage Party £2,690,156 1st week 525 screens (24.4% of the top 10)
Down 4.87% 2015; (£8,579,970); Straight Outta Compton (£2,498,231); Hitman: Agent 47 (£961,411); 45 Years (£331,196); We Are Your Friends (£260,715); #1 Straight Outta Compton £2,498,231 1st week 429 screens (29.1% of top 10)
Down 10.25% 2014: (£9,093,638); Let’s Be Cops (£1,650,912); Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (expansion) (£1,077,370); If I Stay (£505,704); As Above, So Below (£398,787); Million Dollar Arm (£150,050); Obvious Child (£42,022); The Grand Seduction (£41,322); #1 Lucy £1,972,039 2nd week 504 screens (21.7% of top 10)
Down 17.34% 2013: (£9,874,123); One Direction: This Is Us (£3,471,872); Pain & Gain (£1,016,136); The Way, Way Back (£532,487); You’re Next (£523,549); Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (£36,882); #1 One Direction: This Is Us £3,471,872 1st week 476 screens (35.1% of top 10)
Down 24.51% 2012 (£10,812,241); Total Recall (£2,493,230); The Watch (£2,235,933); The Possession (£979,192); A Few Best Men (£263,770); Thomas & Friends: Blue Mountain Mystery (£108,503); Berberian Sound Studio (£45,516); Cockneys vs. Zombies (£11,474); Rec 3 (£1,263); #1 Total Recall £2,493,230 1st week 464 screens (23.1% of top 10)
Down 5.30% 2011; (£8,618,765); Friends with Benefits (£1,947,272); Jane Eyre (£1,012,111); Colombiana (£424,049); Troll Hunter (£200,607); #1 The Inbetweeners Movie £3,679,555 3rd week 475 screens 42% drop (24.9% of top 10)
Up 12.92% 2010: (£7,227,858); The Last Exorcism (£1,104,856); Dinner for Schmucks (£940,586); The Switch (£666,018); Jonah Hex (£36,456); #1 The Last Exorcism £1,104,856 1st week 313 screens (15.3% of top 10)
Down 11.07% 2009; (£9,177,873); The Final Destination (£3,633,395); Funny People (£1,001,152); The Hurt Locker (£308,887); Broken Embraces (£296,048); Mesrine: Public Enemy No.1 (£57,978); The Final Destination £3,633,395 1st week 427 screens (39.6% of top 10)
Down 7.59% 2008; (£8,832,337); Stepbrothers (£1,681,492); The Strangers (£1,250,624); Babylon A.D. (£536,968); #1 Stepbrothers £1,681,492 1st week 362 screens (19.04% of top 10)
Up 5.61% 2007: :(£7,728,093); 1408 (£1,073,963); No Reservations (£512,657); Death Sentence (£260,733); Breach (£156,140); Hallam Foe (£132,972); Two Days in Paris (£110,284); Year of the Dog (£5,733); #1 The Bourne Ultimatum £2,232,971 3rd week 468 screens 22% drop (28.9% of top 10)
Up 30.03% 2006; (£5,908,103); Little Man (£1,090,761); The Wicker Man (£736,316); The Sentinel (£627,838); Crank (£450,141); Adrift (£337,718); #1 You, Me and Depree £1,165,610 2nd week 412 screens 29% drop (19.7% of top 10)
Up 34.18% 2005: (£6,082,782); The 40-Year-Old Virgin (£1,757,540); Red Eye (£891,582); The Business (£531,267); On a Clear Day (£58,257); #1 The 40-Year-Old Virgin £1,757,540 1st week 394 screens (28.9% of top 10)
Down 6.01% 2004; (£8,683,904); Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (£2,200,271); The Chronicles of Riddick (£1,043,685); The Motorcycle Diaries (£333,368); Raising Helen (£209,201); #1 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story £2,200,271 1st week 315 screens (25.3% of top 10)
Up 7.69% 2003 (£7,578,928); Jeepers Creepers 2 (£1,069,346); The Lizzie McGuire Movie (expansion) (£405,205); Hollywood Homicide (£352,445); Intermission (£146,220); #1 The Pirates of the Caribbean 4th week (2nd #1) £2,037,014 444 screens 3% drop (26.9% of top 10)
Up 30.89% from 2002: (£6,235,380); Insomnia (£1,159,754); The Sweetest Thing (£592,722); Windtalkers (£388,212); #1 Insomnia £1,159,754 1st week 264 screens (18.6% of top 10)
Up 27.97% from 2001 (£6,378,036); A Knight’s Tale (£1,678,264); Angel Eyes (£162,648); What’s Cooking (£45,445); #1 A Knight’s Tale £1,678,264 1st week 377 screens (26.3% of top 10).
2024 Next week: (£11,405,575); Beetlejuice 2 (£7,352,760); The Greatest Of All Time (£768,842); Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith RE (£159,314); Firebrand (£119,952); blur: Live At Wembley Stadium (£81,680); Spider-Man: Homecoming RE (£70,800); The Third Man (75th Anniversary Reissue) (£18,602); Batman Forever (Re: 2024) (£21,104); #1 Beetlejuice 2 £7,352,760 1st week 714 screens (64.47% of top 10).
Summer US BO Report
In May, industry experts predicted US BO would top $4.2bn in the summer; historically, summer BO took 40% of the annual BO $4bn+. Every summer slate looks strong with many big franchises. The problem was they were tired franchises, including Jurassic Park 7, Superman 7 and Fantastic Four 4 that didn’t add anything new to previous versions.
Instead, summer took $3.67bn. Sadly, it was very predictable that summer 2025 would come short of expectations as the industry gets caught up in its own hype, only thinking about how big a film will open, not how big it will drop second weekend.
EntTelligence surprisingly reported admissions increased by 1m to 275m as average prices are higher than last year.
While there were many dating errors like opening Elio the week after How To Train Your Dragon, Karate Kid: Legends close to Lilo & Stitch, M3GAN 2.0 to close to 28 Years Later and opening Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman and Fantastic Four: The First Steps so close to each other despite playing to the same under-35 male audience. Surely with studios using AI and all the data they have, they shouldn’t be making these illogical dating decisions made over a year in advance.
If you delve deeper into the numbers, it’s far more concerning with 40%+ from IMAX/ PLF and other premium formats, so as with 3D a decade ago, BO is being artificially inflated by 30%+.
Andrew Cripps summed up the issue of the summer in a comment in an article in Variety in May: “We all point to the success of sequels and known IP, but at some point, you need new franchises,” … “I think there’s room in the summer for an original movie to break out.”
The problem is Disney aren’t making these original films anymore, and the original success the summer came from Warner Bros (where Andrew Cripps was previously based) with F1 and Weapons.
While Alicia Reese, VP of equity research at Wedbush Securities, said highlights how cinema used to be, “Typically, the box office has been recession proof,” … “People need escapism during tough times, and trips to the movies are relatively inexpensive outings.”
But it’s not anymore with $20 tickets. Showing that the gap between exhibitors and audiences has widened as exhibitors still believe a trip to the cinema is only $11.54 and a cheap night out, as they compare it to a live sports event, while audiences compare it to their monthly streaming service cost.
Why audiences have become far more selective in the films people see in the cinema, and the gap is getting wider between the biggest three films of the summer #1 Lilo & Stitch $423.37m; #2 Superman $351.81m; #3 Jurassic World: Rebirth $338.31m and #4 The Fantastic Four: First Steps $266.4m; #5 How to Train Your Dragon $262.94m; #6 Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning $197.41m; #7 Thunderbolts* $190.27m; #8 F1: The Movie $188.24m; #9 Final Destination: Bloodlines $138.13m; #10 Weapons $135.28m.
There were more $100m films in 2025 than 2024, but the BO of them was much lower; while $100m/$200m is no longer a sign of BO success, it was 20+ years ago, but now these films with their $200m+ budgets and marketing costs need to take $300m+ and another $300m+ internationally. The problem is that the industry is still calculating success as it did 20+ years ago.
Next summer, the films are bigger (how will The Odyssey cope without a Barbie opening against it?), but the issues are the same, with the added factor of what impact the World Cup will have on US BO from June 11 to July 19, as it will have far more impact than 1994.
NRG study about Gen Alpha moviegoers. NRG polled 6,100 moviegoers online between May and June, ages 6 to 60, said PLF (65%), 3D or virtual screenings (58%) and screenings with special effects (54%) were key for under 12 audiences, as they see them more as theme park rides than films?
US Box Office
- Weapons – Warner Bros
Dropped 32% $10.47m in its fourth weekend, taking $132.65m
303rd biggest fourth weekend between X2: X-Men United and The Da Vinci Code (close to Venom, The Meg, Logan and It: Chapter Two)
524th biggest between Chicken Little and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 1,287th biggest inflated between The Jackal and Free Guy; 13th biggest 2025 between Final Destination: Bloodlines and Dog Man; 17th biggest horror between Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Silence of the Lambs; 92nd biggest Warner Bros between Argo and Superman.
2022’s Barbarian dropped 41.6% $2.82m and $33.11m of $40.84m and $45.35m worldwide
Sinners dropped 33.2% $22.1m and $215.43m of $278.57m and $363.87m worldwide.
Final Destination: Bloodlines dropped 40.8% $6.44m and $123.51m of $138.13m and $285.33m worldwide.
28 Years Later dropped 39.5% $2.76m and $65.77m of $70.44m and $150.44m worldwide.
2017’s Get Out dropped 35.2% $13.43m and $133.5m of $176.04m and $255.4m worldwide
Took $9.4m from 74 territories $100m total, and $232.4m worldwide; UK $13.9m; Mexico $8.6m; France $7.6m; Spain $7m; Australia $5.9m.
- Jaws (50th anniversary) – Universal Pictures
Opened $9.64m, including $950k from Thursday previews
Was playing in IMAX/PLF screens; IMAX took $2.2m (21%) from 400 screens
in 1975, Jaws opened $7.06m/$39.8m from 409 screens, taking $266.6m/$1.5bn; $210.65m/$1.2bn internationally $477.91m/$2.69bn worldwide with about 250m admissions worldwide.
Previous Steven Spielberg re-releases (both had more limited openings with no IMAX/PLF)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind’s 40th anniversary opened $1.76m, taking $3.1m
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’s 40th anniversary opened $1.07m, taking $2.23m
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is the first modern summer blockbuster and opened wide across the US with a huge TV and marketing campaign. Before Jaws opened, films would never open as widely; they would be slow expansions across the US. 20th Century Fox repeated the release blueprint with Star Wars two years later with similar success.
- Caught Stealing – Sony Pictures
Opened $7.85m; received positive reviews (84% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore
Took $1.2m from previews; similar to House of Gucci $1.3m and War Dogs $1.25m
22% from PLF; men 57%; 39% men 25+; 29% women 25+; 18% men under 25; 13% women under 25; 18-34 65%.
Darren Aronofsky’s previous films include
2022’s The Whale opened after platform $1.03m, taking $17.46m and $57.61m worldwide
2017’s Mother! Opened $7.53m, taking $17.8m and $44.51m worldwide
2014’s Noah opened $43.72m, taking $101.2m and $359.2m worldwide
2010’s Black Swan opened after platform $3.3m, taking $106.95m and $329.39m worldwide
2008’s The Wrestler opened after platform $1.7m, taking $26.23m and $44.73m worldwide
2006’s The Fountain opened $3.76m, taking $10.14m and $16.46m worldwide
2000’s Requiem for a Dream took $3.63m and 1998’s Pi took $3.22m on limited release
Opened $5.4m from 48 territories and $14.9m worldwide.
- The Roses – Searchlight Pictures
Opened $6.26m; received mixed reviews (66% Rotten Tomatoes) and a B+ CinemaScore.
Took $800k from previews; The Menu $1m; Black Bag $850k
15% was from PLF; women 57%; 46% 45+; 25+ 51%; men 25+ 35%; men under 25 8%; women under 25 6%.
1989’s War of the Roses opened $9.48m/$25.9m, taking $86.9m/$237m
2025’s Black Bag opened $7.6m, taking $21.47 and $43.53m worldwide
2022’s The Menu opened $9m, taking $38.5m and $79.62m worldwide
Opened $9.2m from 40 territories; UK $3m; Germany $800k; France $800k; Holland $700k; Italy $600k.
- Freakier Friday – Disney
Dropped 24% in its fourth weekend $6.74m and $80.69m
707th biggest fourth weekend between Daddy Day Care and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (close to Bridge to Terabithia, Pitch Perfect, Old School and Journey to the Centre of the Earth)
1,066th biggest between Monster-in-Law and Are We There Yet?; 2,190th biggest inflated between Little Nicky and Son of God; 16th biggest 2025 between Disney’s Snow White and The Bad Guys 2; 186th biggest Disney between Saving Mr. Banks and Mr. Holland’s Opus.
2003’s Freaky Friday dropped 0.9% $9.22m and $87.46m of $110.23m and $160.84m worldwide
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 32.2% $6.9m and $64.7m of $86.05m and $130.19m worldwide
2024’s Mean Girls dropped 44.4% $3.83m and $66.22m of taking $72.58m and $104.97m worldwide
2001’s The Princess Diaries dropped 31.2% $6.6m and $82.39m of $108.24m and $165.33m worldwide
2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement dropped 31.3% $5.55m and $83.51m of $95.17m and $134.73m worldwide
Took $4.6m from 50 territories $50.4m total, and $130.9m worldwide.
UK Box Office Top 10
Box Office Preview
After the strong opening of Weapons (£2,818,535), Final Destination: Bloodlines £4,009,856 and 28 Years Later £4,780,374, The Conjuring: Last Rites should open similarly to the last film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which opened £2,708,455, taking £9,367,720.
The Roses will drop about 40% in its second weekend, taking £1.1m-£1.5m, similar to the second weekend of 2024’s Wicked Little Letters, taking £1,172,890 and £4,259,564.
With The Conjuring: Last Rites opening, Weapons will drop about 50% in its fifth weekend, as will The Bad Guys 2, and Freakier Friday will drop similarly with big drops Fri-Fri with schools back.
With many films dropping 50%+ from last weekend, Honey, Don’t! Will likely open similar to the previous lesbian B-movie trilogy after 2024’s Drive-Away Dolls (opened £278,082 #6 530 screens taking £579,013.
On Swift Horses could also get into the top 10 due to Daisy Edgar-Jones starring in Twisters last year and 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing over a quiet weekend.
Opening in three weeks
- One Battle After Another – Warner Bros
Paul Thomas Anderson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Warner Bros Aim Big with $130m IMAX Thriller
The Film
Action-thriller One Battle After Another stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. Written, produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, it marks his first film shot for IMAX and, notably, the first since Boogie Nights to undergo audience test screenings.
Release Strategy
Warner Bros originally had the film set for August, but shifted to September. At first, speculation centred on a festival premiere at Venice or Toronto — Anderson has a long history of debuting on the circuit. But after last year’s Joker: Folie à Deux fiasco at Venice, the studio may have decided to avoid that gamble. Even with DiCaprio’s name guaranteeing red-carpet buzz, WB seemed wary of a repeat.
The Stakes
Budgeted at $130m, this is Anderson’s biggest swing by far. For comparison:
There Will Be Blood (2007) grossed $40.2m domestic / $76.4m worldwide.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023, starring DiCaprio) opened in the UK to £2.53m, finishing with £9.67m.
WB will be hoping for something closer to DiCaprio’s 2019 hit Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which had a broader mainstream pull.
Anderson at the UK Box Office (Selected Openings)
Boogie Nights (1998) — £792,712 opening, £4.35m total
Magnolia (2000) — £428,435 opening, £1.02m total
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) — £151,494 opening, £322,921 total
There Will Be Blood (2007) — expanded from £215,490 opening to £4.39m total
The Master (2012) — £65,701 (1 screen), expanded to £1.21m total
Inherent Vice (2014) — £363,133 opening, £739k total
Phantom Thread (2017) — £727,104 opening, £2.61m total
Licorice Pizza (2022) — £879,373 opening, £2.36m total
- Hamilton (10th Anniversary) – Disney
10 years after the show opened on Broadway and five years after Disney acquired world rights for $75m to a filmed version of the musical shot in 2016. Disney planned to give it a theatrical release in October 2021, but due to COVID and, more likely, the launch of Disney+, opted to send it straight to streaming in July 2020.
Hamilton’s stage show has taken $1.5bn+ in the US; about $400m in the UK, with about £1m in weekly sales since 2017 and over $2.2bn worldwide since its debut in January 2015.
- Billy Elliot (25th Anniversary Reissue) – Universal Pictures
Billy Elliot: The Musical Live opened in April, £295,143 #8 from 373 screens
Billy Elliott The Musical – Live was previously released in 2014, opening £1,904,000 #1
It’s the 25th anniversary of the film, the musical was based on opened £1,541,109/£2,890,033, taking £16,972,531/£31,828,488