1. Shazam! –  £979,787  –  £11,787,522

Down 54.7% in its third weekend and returning back to #1 over a very quiet weekend due to the hottest Easter for 70 years and a lack of new releases due to Avengers: Endgame opening on Thursday.

Shazam was the lowest #1 since American Made took £968,068 in its second weekend and the lowest top 10 since October 2013 Prisoners #1 taking £968,990 and The Fifth Estate opened with £502,495; previous lowest was December 2017 the weekend before Star Wars; The Last Jedi.

While the hot weather can take some of the blame for the poor box office over the weekend, ever since advance bookings for Avengers: Endgame opened on April 2nd has overshadowed the box office with it outgrossing the box office over the last three weeks with advance sales. UK box office has been soft since Bohemian Rhapsody opened six months ago with all the film’s opening since apart from Captain Marvel failing to match expectations.

55^th biggest comic-book film in the UK between The Wolverine and Fantastic Four (2005) and 61^st biggest inflation inflated between Watchmen and The Incredible Hulk (close to Ant-Man, Kick-Ass, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Warner Bros 68^th biggest film in the UK between Ocean’s Twelve and The Last Samurai (close to Batman and Robin, Batman and San Andreas) and 84^th biggest inflation inflated between Horrible Bosses and Swordfish (close to Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 4, Wild Wild West and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut).

Shazam has overtaken total box office of similar comic-book films including  

2010’s Kick-Ass £11,528,933 (£13,989,730 inflation inflated)

2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger £9,379,436

Had Shazam not suffered such a big drop in its third weekend could have taken more than Marvel cinematic Universe comedies 2015’s Ant-Man £16,309,117 and 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp £17,353,560 and topped 2017’s Justice League £17,420,228.

The seven DC Extended Universe films have taken £172m over the last 6 years; in comparison, MCU released 10 films over their first 6 years took 36% more (£225.47m); but after seven films DC Extended Universe films have taken 4% more than MCU £165m Vs £158.17m.

Next from DC is The Joker opening in October; Birds of Prey opening in February 2020 and Wonder Woman 1984 in June 2020. The Batman and The Suicide Squad in June and August 2021 and Aquaman 2 December 2022; Shazam sequel hasn’t been officially announced but likely to be released in 2022/23.

2. Dumbo £927,804  –  £21,311,999

Drown 60.4% in its third weekend

45th biggest Disney film in the UK between Brave and Cinderella 60^th biggest inflation inflated between Dinosaur and Die Hard with a Vengeance (close to Lilo & Stitch, Bolt, Cinderella and The English Patient)

After 24 days on release, Dumbo has overtaken total box office of Christopher Robin (£14,866,346), Oz the Great and Powerful (£14,987,064), 101 Dalmatians (£15,800,450), Maleficent (£19,292,000) and Cinderella (£20,960,275) becoming the fourth biggest Disney reimagination in the UK.

Dumbo has is Tim Burton’s third biggest film in the UK after 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory £37.29m and 2010’s Alice In Wonderland £42,169,542.

Aladdin is the next Disney reimagination opening in a months’ time and as Dumbo won’t have it all its own way as opens against The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Rocketman for half-term holidays; Odeon have surprisingly booked Rocketman over Aladdin for Odeon Leicester Square Dolby Cinema.

While many are comparing Rocketman to Bohemian Rhapsody but its unlikely to be anywhere nearly as a successful opening against Aladdin and The Secret Life of Pets 2.

26 years ago Aladdin was the second biggest film of the year after Jurassic Park despite opening in  1992 (was one of the final films Disney released through Warner Bros before they opened Buena Vista International with Sister Act their first release in November 1992). Aladdin took £16,115,822  would be £52,163,050 today  (close to Bohemian Rhapsody and Dunkirk).

A year later The Lion King was the biggest film of 1994 taking over £34,077,997 (Four Weddings and a Funeral was second with £27,762,650) would be £108,944,735 today (seventh biggest film ever between LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring and Jurassic Park. As trailers for both look like the reimaginations are almost scene by scene remakes would expect both to do similar box office, attracting the audience who original animated films and then their children?

The 11 Disney reimaginations have taken over £283m at the box of office and over £325m inflation inflated.

3. Captain Marvel –  £643,152  –  £37,888,172 

Down 28.2% in its seventh weekend; the smallest decline in the top 10

Sixth biggest MCU after Avenger Infinity War, Black Panther, Avengers Assemble, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2; overtaking Captain America: Civil War.

72^nd biggest film in the UK between Paddington and Deadpool and 97^th biggest film inflation inflated between Fast & Furious 7 and Shrek Forever After.

22^nd biggest Disney film in the UK between Inside Out and Monsters, Inc. and 33rd biggest inflation inflated between Bruce Almighty and Captain America: Civil War (close to The Sixth Sense, Toy Story, Calendar Girls and The Pirates of the Caribbean).

8th biggest comic-book film in the UK between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Deadpool and Spider-Man 3 and 14th biggest inflation inflated between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Batman

The 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken almost £631m over the last 11 years (£650m+ inflation inflated).

Captain Marvel £39m+, Avengers: Endgame £80m+ and Spider-Man: Far From Home £40m+ will take over £155m between then over 12% of 2019’s UK box office.

4. Kalank –  £594,242 – NE  

With lack of new release Bollywood film in the biggest new release; the film opened on April 17^th playing in 5300 screens worldwide becoming the widest opening this year for a Bollywood film taking $10.4m worldwide ($9.4m from India) one of top ten highest grossing Bollywood films of 2019.

Kalank was produced by Fox Star Studios which was owned by 20^th Century Fox now part of the Walt Disney Company

5. Red Joan –  £432,866  –  NE   

Mid-April is normally a good time to open a film targeting older audiences; In 2018 The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society opened with £825,777 taking £5,812,090; 2017 Their Finest opened with £850,328 taking £4,028,128; 2016 Eye In The Sky opened with £1,110,959 taking £5,043,517; 2015 Woman In Gold opened with £494,512 taking £2,781,173

With Easter late, this year opening a week after Wild Rose, poor reviews and the weather Red Joan was never likely to find an audience.

The week before a major release is normally a dumping week for distributors Red Joan, Head Full Of Honey, Greta and Dragged Across Concrete as they clear their shelves of films they have held on to, they wouldn’t have a theatrical release but for lucrative Sky TV deal.

What was most interesting about Red Joan was how Lionsgate promoted the films critical acclaim on radio spots despite receiving poor reviews since having its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. While on its poster they used quotes from Sue from St Albans, Teresa from Tunbridge Wells and Claire from Epping.

Distributors used to often quote out of context from reviews; 2007’s Live Free or Die-Hard review “The action in this fast-paced, hysterically overproduced and surprisingly entertaining film is as realistic as a Road Runner cartoon. “became “hysterically…entertaining”; Entertainment Weekly’s B- review of 1995’s Se7en “The credit sequence, with its jumpy frames and near-subliminal flashes of psych paraphernalia, is a small masterpiece of dementia” became “a small masterpiece” on the poster.

In the US is no law against misleading movie blurbs, but the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive prohibits quoting out of context and targets companies who “falsely claim accreditation” if they are “not being true to the terms of the [original] endorsement”. In the UK it carries a maximum fine £5,000 fine or two years imprisonment.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £4,991,232 down 54.2% from last weekend £10,896,294

The weekend admissions 691,306 down 55.1% from last weekend 1,532,300 average ticket £7.22 down from last year’s £7.49

14 films opened at weekend taking (£1,556,435); Red Joan 27.8% (£432,866 ); Greta 21.3% (£xx); remaining 12 films shared 50.8% (£791,758)

Top three took 51.4% (£2,550,743) of the top 10; Shazam 19.7% (£979,787); Dumbo 18.7% (££927,804); Captain Marvel 12.9% (£643,152)    

The weekend was down 12.9% from 2018: (£5,699,055); The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (£825,777); The Leisure Seeker (£105,130); Funny Cow (£74,142); Wildling (£20,111); #1 Rampage £1,413,973 2nd week down 66%

Down 47.4% from 2017: (£9,428,676); Their Finest (£850,328); Eugene Onegin – Met Opera 2017 (£274,598); Unforgettable (£270,610); The Belko Experiment (£129,942); The Zookeeper’s Wife (£101,407); Rules Don’t Apply (£47,158); #1 Fast & Furious 8 £3,593,733 2^nd week 58% drop

Down 60.5% from 2016: (£12,580,441); Bastille Day (£762,598); Friend Request (£624,996); Shakespeare Live! (£250,893); Miles Ahead (£168,397); #1 The Jungle Book £8,095,442 2^nd week 18% drop

Down 33.6% from 2015; (£7,479,374); Child 44 (£505,558); A Little Chaos (£331,530); Ivan The Terrible – Bolshoi 2015 (£97,268); The Last Five Years (£5,371); #1 Fast & Furious 7 £3,039,720 3^rd week 44% drop

Down 65.1% from 2014: (£14,230,137); The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (£9,011,114); The Love Punch (£613,424); Locke (£251,063); #1 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 £9,011,114 1^st week

Down 35.3% from 2013: (£7,677,512); Olympus Has Fallen (£2,247,900); Evil Dead (£1,375,842); Love is All You Need (£202,176); Promised Land (£52,664); The Lords of Salem (£925); The Words (£765); #1 Olympus Has Fallen £2,247,900 1^st week

Down 38.2% from 2012 (£8,037,734); Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (£1,169,235); Lockout (£596,500); Gone (£275,087); Marley (£203,062); #1 Battleship £1,282,091 2^nd week 66% drop

Down 50.4% from 2011 (£10,007,227); Fast Five (£5,332,096); Arthur (£764,468); Beastly (£553,069); TT3D (£312,998); Pina (£71,809); #1 Fast Five £5,332,096 1^st week

Down 45.6% from 2010: (£9,130,568); Dear John (£1,995,3010; The Ghost (£853,679); Cemetery Junction (£641,218); Repo Men (£182,798); #1 Dear John £1,995,301 1^st week

Down 47.7% from 2009; (£9,489,959); I Love You Man (£1,122,258); Crank 2: High Voltage (£554,565); In the Loop (£468,954); Good (£27,054); Not Easily Broken (£10,727); #1 Monsters vs. Aliens £2,057,367 3^rd week 1^st #1

Down 17.7% from 2008; (£6,030,881); Fool’s Gold (£975,498); In Bruges (expansion up 634%) (£638,654); Street Kings (£619,647); Happy-Go-Lucky (£383,365); Flashbacks of a Fool (£246,072); #1 21 £1,010,923 2^nd week 39% drop

Down 6.8% from 2007:(£5,328,808); Fracture (£851,289); Alpha Dog (£452,232); The Reaping (£310,591); Pathfinder (£109,262); #1 Wild Hogs (£954,553 2^nd week 44% drop

Down 23.6% from 2006; (£6,495,276): Silent Hill (£991,687); American Dreamz (£690,625); Eight Below (£413,525); Tristan and Isolde (£224,133); Mistress of Spices (£85,563); #1 Ice Age II £1,886,277 3^rd week 48% drop

Down 8.8% from 2005 (£5,446,480); The Wedding Date (£808,641); Guess Who (£697,561); Cursed (£207,597); Beauty Shop (£131,060); #1 The Interpreter £1,212,734 2^nd week 24% drop

Down 38.8% from 2004 (£8,118,464); The Butterfly Effect (£735,287); The Girl Next Door (£713,107); Hidalgo (£446,550); Barbershop 2 (£73,174); #1 Scooby-Doo Too £ Scooby-Doo Too 3^rd  week 13% drop

Down 34.6% from 2003 (£7,590,235); Phone Booth (£1,385,040); How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (£1,247,975); Bulletproof Monk (£607,839); Ghosts of the Abyss (£75,227); #1 Johnny English £ 2,529,665 2^nd week 26% drop

Down 22.1% from 2002 (£6,372,772); The Scorpion King (£1,610,794); #1 Bend It Like Beckham £1,721,146 2^nd week 14% drop

Next weekend in 2018: (£33,778,278); Avengers: Infinity War (£29,379,496); Cendrillon Met Opera 2018 (£212,367); Beast (£166,295); Bing at the Cinema (£65,535); #1 Avengers: Infinity War £29,379,496 1^st week

Also opened

• Greta – Universal Pictures

Opened with £331,811 from 385 screens

• Dragged Across Concrete – Studiocanal

Opened with £58,236 from 122 screens

• Monty Python’s Life Of Brian – Trafalgar

Opened with £187,847

The film was the fourth biggest film of the year when it was released in the UK in 1979 and the highest grossing British film of the year in the US; was named as one of “greatest comedy film of all time” receiving 97% Rotten Tomatoes score

• Head Full Of Honey – Warner Bros

Opened with £8,193 from 122 screens

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

 

 

• The Curse of La Llorona – Warner Bros

Opened with $26.34m; received poor reviews (30% Rotten Tomatoes score) and B- CinemaScore less than the two Annabelle films Bs and higher than The Nun C; #2906 biggest film in the US between Blast from the Past and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Took $2.75m from Thursday previews more than $2.3m Pet Sematary took to weeks ago and Escape Room in January; Pet Sematary opened with $24.5m and Escape Room opened with $18.23m.

Took more than 2014’s Annabelle $2.1m previews (opened with $37.13m taking $84.23m)

2016 Lights Out took $1.8m opened with $21.68m taking $67.26m; 2018’s The Nun took $5.4m from previews opened with $53.8m taking $117.45m

The five Conjuring Universe films have taken $543.6m in the US and $1.56bn worldwide; the Annabelle Comes Home is due for release in June and The Conjuring 3 is expected to be released in 2020. All the Conjuring Universe films apart from The Conjuring 2 have budgets of under $20m; The Curse of La Llorona having $9m budget is not an official part of The Conjuring universe even though its set in the 1970s and Father Perez also in Annabelle appears in the film.

The Curse of La Llorona topped the chart over the lowest Easter weekend for 14 years

Opened with $30m from 71 territories (opens in the UK May 3^rd and Japan May 10^th) $56.5m total worldwide.

• Shazam! – Warner Bros

Down 32.7% in its third weekend taking $16.34m and $120.43m; #526 biggest film in the US between Superbad and Speed

Took $22m from 80 territories $201.5m total and $322.8m worldwide; #413 biggest film worldwide between The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and Schindler’s List.

Top international territories China: $43.5m; UK $15.4m; Mexico: $14.2m; Brazil: $11.4m; Australia: $9.8m; Russia: $9.4m; France: $6.8m; Indonesia: $6.1m; Korea: $5m; Spain: $4.4m; Taiwan: $4.1m; Italy: $3.9m

• Breakthrough – 20th Century Fox

Opened with $11.28m (received mixed reviews 63% Rotten Tomatoes score and A CinemaScore) and $14.78m after 5 days

The first film made by 20th Century Fox to be released by Walt Disney after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox last month and one of the last films made by Fox 2000 Pictures after Disney announced they were closing Fox 2000 this year.

Religious dramas have been lucrative at the US box office over the last 15 years with The Passion of the Christ opening with a massive $83.48m in February 2004 taking $370.78m from $30m budget. Captain Marvel has taken a similar amount at the US box office but with a budget of vastly more.

More recent Christian dramas include

2018’s I Can Only Imagine opening $17.1m taking $83.48m

2016’s Miracles From Heaven opening $14.81m taking $61.7m

2014’s Heaven is for Real opening $22.52m taking $91.44m

The first trailer was released in December seen over 30m times over 2 days becoming the most-viewed trailer for a religious film over that time period.

Took $2.18m from 14 territories opens in the US this weekend $59m total and $20.5m worldwide

• Hellboy – Lionsgate

Dropped 67.2% in its second weekend taking $3.95m and $19.74m

Second weekends

In 2004 Hellboy dropped 53.3% taking $10.82m and $40.82m total $59.62m and $99.3m worldwide; $66m budget

In 2008 Hellboy II: The Golden Army dropped 70.7% taking $10.11m and $56.52m total  $75.98m and $160m worldwide  $85m budget

First trailers received missed reception with some comparing it to Suicide Squad, but the second trailer received much more positive response but, on the film, has been poor.

After Lionsgate had a very disappointing year in 2018 taking only $388.9m in the US Hellboy is a key film on their 2019 slate along with John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum, Angel has Fallen (probably their own chance of #1 film this year due to lack of competition opening late August) and Rambo: Last Blood.

Opened with $10.1m from 40 territories

• Dumbo – Disney

Dropped 29,6% in its fourth weekend taking $6.62m and $101.07m; #706 biggest film in the US between Eraser and Noah.

112^th biggest Disney film in the US between Gone in 60 Seconds and Con Air

If Dumbo holds like the other Disney reimaginations will take $120m+ but with Avengers: Endgame opening in three weeks and advance bookings already breaking records Dumbo is just a minor blimp with the rest of Disney’s slate this year.

Dumbo is the 6^th biggest Tim Burton film between Batman Returns and Sleepy Hollow

8^th biggest Disney reimagination between 101 Dalmatians and Alice Through the Looking Glass and 8^th biggest family remake between Freaky Friday and Flubber.

Took 274 days to take $100m between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and District 9

Fourth weekends

2018’s Christopher Robin dropped 29.3% taking $6.26m and $77.5m 78.2% of $99.21m; $197.74m worldwide

2017’s Beauty and the Beast dropped 47.9% taking $23.65m and $430.94m 85.5% of $504.01m;  $1.26bn worldwide

2016’s Pete’s Dragon dropped 14.7% taking $6.34m and $64.1m 84.1% of $76.23m; $143.69m worldwide

2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass dropped 24% taking $4.29m and $69.99m 90.8% of $77.04; $299.45m worldwide

2016’s The Jungle Book dropped 44% taking $24.88m and $287.6m 81.2% of $364m; $966.55m worldwide

2015’s  Cinderella dropped 40.3% taking $10.17m and $167.13m 83.1% of $201.15m; $543.51m worldwide

2014’s Maleficent dropped 30.2% taking $12.91m and $185.87m 77% of $241.41m; $758.53m worldwide

2013’s Oz The Great and Powerful dropped 45.7% taking $11.7m and $198.37m 84.4% of $234.9m; $493.31m worldwide

2010’s Alice In Wonderland dropped 48.2% taking $17.7m and $293.53m 87.8% of $334.19m; $1.02bn worldwide

1996’s 101 Dalmatians dropped 21.8% taking $6.98m and $84.77m 62.3% of $136.18m; $320.68m

Disney’s 10 live action reimaginations have taken $2.26bn (since 101 Dalmatians in 1996) in the US and over $6.08bn worldwide.

Took $13.7m internationally from 55 territories and $206.6m total and $307.9m worldwide; #443 biggest film worldwide between The Blind Side and The Fault in our Stars.

International BO UK $27.9m; China $21.8m; Mexico $20.2m; Spain $14m; France $12.4m; Italy $11.5m; Japan $8m; Russia $7.9m; Brazil $7.3m; Australia $7.1m

• Us – Universal Pictures

Dropped 38.9% in its fifth weekend taking $4.16m and $170.34m #287 biggest film in the US between Chicago and The Help

After Us opened with 1113% bigger than Get Out (71.17% Vs $33.37%) has taken 57.1% less than Get Out in its fourth weekend ($3.8m Vs $8.85m) taking 10.6% more after four weeks ($163.49m Vs $133.3m) Get Out went on to take $176.04m and Us will take about $183m only 4% more than Get Out.

Fifth weekend

2017’s Get Out took $8.85m down 34.1% and $147.66m 83.8% of $176.1m total and $255.4m worldwide with a $4.5m budget;

2018’s A Quiet Place took $7.76m down 29.9% and $160.05m 85.1% of $188.02m and $340.93m worldwide

Took $1.7m from 63 territories $75.3m total and $245.7m worldwide; #588 biggest film worldwide between The Peanuts Movie and Rango; slightly less than Get Out $79.36m internationally and $255.4m worldwide #563

• Captain Marvel – Disney

Up 5.7% in its seventh weekend taking $9.1m and $400.03m

Became the 11^th comic-book movie to take over $400m and 7^th MCU film to take over $400m at the US box office (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel’s The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War) with Avengers: Endgame expected to do similar within a 10 days on release.

34^th biggest film in the US between Frozen and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (16^th biggest Disney film in the US)

7^th biggest MCU between Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

11^th biggest comic-book movie in the US between Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

After opening 48.6% bigger than 2017’s Wonder Woman ($153.43 VS $103.25m) Captain Marvel took 12.2% less than Wonder Woman in week 7 ($8.6m Vs $6.8m); Captain Marvel is now only 4.9% of Wonder Woman after 6 weeks ( $386.53m Vs $368.47m) and is likely to take similar box office $412.56m; Disney has a habit of squeezing out money from films previously last year having double bills with A Wrinkle In Time and Black Panther so the film could squeeze past $100m at the BO.

Took about 90% of its final US BO of $415m+ taking similar BO as Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War (close to my expectations) and become the 7^th biggest comic-book movie taking similar total as Wonder Woman despite opening 48% bigger.

Took $8m from 52 territories and $678mm and $1,089bn worldwide #25 between Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Dark Knight Rises; China $153.6m; UK $49.7m; Korea $45.1m; Brazil $37.9m; Mexico $33.2m; Australia $28.4m; France $25.6m; Germany $23.4m; Russia $20.1m.

Disney’s 12^th biggest film worldwide (all released this decade) 19^th film to of taken over $1bn worldwide all from the last 13 years (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest #1 in 2006) 17 of the sequels reboots or comic-book films (10 from acquired existing properties) and two original films Frozen and Zootopia.

The 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have now taken $7.269bn in the US and $18.61bn worldwide; Avengers: Endgame will see the 22-film series taking over $20bn worldwide over 11 years.

 

• Penguins (Disneynature)

Opened with $2.28m and $3.23m over 5 days

DisneyNature released their first film Earth on Earth Day 2009 made by BBC’s Planet Earth

DisneyNature has released 7 films taking $143.92m in the US and $320.8m worldwide; all the films were released over the weekend before Earth Day (April 22^nd)

Born in China was the last released two years ago opening with $4.79m taking $13.87m; all of the films apart from Chimpanzee in 2012 and Earth in 2009 have taken BO between $13m-$19m and Penguins is likely to take a similar amount.

After the success of March of the Penguins in 2005 taking $77.43m in the US and $127.39m worldwide from $4m budget winning Best Documentary Feature Oscar; Disney had French rights, but they failed to acquire US and other rights instead of being acquired by Warner Bros instead. Bob Iger felt that the film “should have been a Disney film worldwide” and he then launched DisneyNature.

UK Box Office Predictions

Advance bookings records have broken throughout the world for Avengers since advance bookings opened on April 2^nd with exhibitor websites crashing around the world and breaking advance booking records; the US has sold $140m in advance (sold twice as many tickets in its first week as Aquaman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain Marvel combine sold) 4,000 screens are sold out in the US.  

Research by Fandango says 97% of fans will stay for the mid and post-credits scenes; 81% are trying to avoid all spoilers for Endgame; 63% feel that the release of Endgame qualifies as a historic moment in cinema; 57% have temporarily unplugged from social media in order to avoid Endgame spoilers.

Expected to open between $260m-$300m overtaking previous biggest openings Avengers: Infinity War $257.68m and Star Wars: The Force Awakens with $248m) similar has happened in many other countries including Korea, India and China ($60m); Latin America 5m tickets in one week.

The UK sold 1.65m tickets £17m in the box office (up to last Tuesday 10am); 477 screenings are sold out or at 95% capacity and 905 shows at 90%.

Avengers: Infinity War opened last year in 650 cinemas but probably played in over 1,500 screens and Avengers: Endgame will probably be opening in close to 2,000 screens having 30,000 performances over its 4-day opening with over 8 million seats available.

Many expect Avengers: Endgame to have the biggest ever opening in the UK overtaking 2015’s Spectre £41,299,090 (included 4 days of previews of £21,321,626). James Bond films as Star Wars: The Force Awakens targeted a much wider demographic than comic-book movies.  Star Wars films are cross-generational across three generations children who saw originals in the 70s and 80s, who were adults with the prequels in the 00s who now have their own children.

Star Wars; The Force Awakens opened with £34,011,849 (including £9,679,746 previews)

Avengers: Infinity War opened with £29,379,496 (including £6,530,000 previews)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened with £28,010,841 (including £7,684,217 previews)

Infinity War opened with $640.5m without China (opened two weeks later taking $191m) so many expect Avengers: Endgame to open with over $800m worldwide; Infinity War was tracking to open between $185m and $225m opening 30% more with $257.68m.

Much has been made about the films 3 hours running time in the US saying could stop it from having the biggest over opening but will open in over 4,500 cinemas playing in close to 13,000 screens with many multiplexes having it every 15/30 mins over 300,000 screenings over 4 days with over 60m seats available; $300m+ opening would be about 40% capacity with $12 average ticket price as a large amount of the sales will be from IMAX/PLF/4DX/Screen X/Dolby Cinema/3D screens.

A year ago Infinity War was tracking to open with $200m in early April but opened with $257m 29% more so was expecting similar to happen for Infinity War tracking with $250m+ and open with $300m+.

This was until reviews started being published on Tuesday and many have called the film the greatest hits of Marvel, while that is a wet dream for fanboys who have watched every second of the previous films, it’s not going to be accessible to new audiences as Black Panther. Saying that still expect $280m+ opening but it will be much more front-loaded as Avengers: Age of Ultron was, reviews have been much more mixed than Infinity War with many saying after the initial 20 mins the next hour or more is slow,. Do often think filmmakers often feel they need to make a film 3 hours long to be seen as an epic, but as Christopher Nolan showed with Dunkirk a film can be less than 2 hours long and still be as epic. 

Avengers: Endgame is expected to be as front-loaded as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but there are many who believe it can never live up to the hype and expectations surrounding it, as Star Wars: The Force Awakens failed to do.

Last weekend was one of the slowest weekends in the UK since 2013, the lowest Easter this century and the weekend box office has been down 14 out of 16 weeks from last year, but as Avengers: Endgame opens this weekend the industry doesn’t seem to find this concerning.

Avenger: Endgame had its world premiere in Los Angeles on Monday social media reaction afterwards was very positive (the only issue some had been the first two hours did drag a bit but the final 40mins made up for it) embargo breaks at 11pm tonight immediately after press screenings which is also expected to be very positive.

Also opening is Eighth Grade; the film has received critical acclaim since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year (99% Rotten Tomatoes) opened in the US in July 2018 by A24 on platform release ($263,797 from 4 screens) taking $13.53m total.

It was screened at Sundance London in June 2018 winning the Audience Favourite award; international rights were acquired by  Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions in September 2018. Eighth Grade could have opened any time after September 20218 in the UK so surprising Sony Pictured UK decided to date it open against Avengers: Endgame as it won’t get much screen time.

Opening in the UK Next Week

• A Dog’s Journey – eOne

Comedy-adventure starring Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott and Henry Lau and directed by Gail Mancuso based on the 2012 novel by W. Bruce Cameron and a sequel to the 2017 film A Dog’s Purpose.

The first week of May has been a lucrative weekend to open children’s films over recent years thanks to May Day Bank Holiday and being in the middle of Easter Holidays and the half term, but this year with Easter late the children’s films opened later and will be still in play.

A Dog’s Journey opens two weeks ahead of the US in the UK opening the same weekend A Dog’s Purpose two years ago; opened with £1,300,097 including £667,168 previews, dropping 62.2% in its second weekend £490,942 going on to take £2,840,210

A Dog’s Journey generated controversy ahead of its release after a video appeared to show a dog in distress on the set of the film, the video was “leaked” sparking outrage with calls to boycott the film, which helped it to open with $18.22m taking $64.5m. It was later revealed that the video was “deliberately edited for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking public outrage”.

Other recent animal films

2016’s A Street Cat Named Bob opened £985,557 taking £4,182,976

2018’s Show Dogs opened £546,405 taking £2,820,827

2018’s Patrick opened £299,861 taking £1,205,535

Pet children’s films have been popular for decades in cinemas  with films including Beethoven (and the many sequels), Bolt, Cats and Dogs, The Shaggy Dog, 101 Dalmatians, Oliver & Company, My Dog Skip, Eight Below, White Fang, Lassie, The Lady and the Tramp, Snow Dogs and The Incredible Journey.

• The Curse Of La Llorona – Warner

Supernatural horror starring Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velásquez and directed by Michael Chaves; it is the sixth film of the Conjuring Universe; in some international territories it has been retitled as The Curse of the Weeping Woman.

The film is a standalone film but has been marketed set within the Conjuring Universe

The film premiered at SXSW in March receiving mixed reviews from critics, who felt that the film  delivers anything new but neither did The Nun opening strongly with £4,098,198 and taking £11,302,155 ($117.45m in the US and $365.55m worldwide)

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 28^th 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.

The Weeping Woman is a minor character within The Conjuring universe so is unlikely to open as strongly as previous films closer to Annabelle £1,939,963 rather than The Nun £4,098,198

• Tolkien – 20^th Century Fox

Biographical drama starring Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, and Derek Jacobi and directed by Dome Karukoski about the early life of English professor and writer J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings; has fan premiere on April 29^th

The Tolkien Estate has said that the family “did not approve of, authorise or participate” and don’t approve of the film.

Early May is an unusual time to open a film like Tolkien, but it does allow it to be advertised with the final series of Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic and Fox Searchlight opened Far From the Madding Crowd a week after Avengers: Age of Ultron in May 2015 with £1,450,297 #2 taking £6,029,236

It’s the first Fox Searchlight Pictures since 20^th Century Fox was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in March 2019.

Finding Neverland opened October 2004 with £776,124 taking £3,306,342

Miss Potter opening in January 2007 with £1,400,943 taking £6,115,011.

Saving Mr Banks opened November 2013 £662,625 taking £4,338,941

Goodbye Christopher Robin opened September £781,110 taking £2,793,497

• Long Shot – Lionsgate

Romantic comedy starring Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, Andy Serkis, Bob Odenkirk and Alexander Skarsgård and directed by Jonathan Levine; had world premiere at South by Southwest in March receiving positive reviews 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. (originally called Flarsky

Was originally set for February release but was pushed back to May after strong test scores, this was similar to what Lionsgate did with The Spy Who Dumped Me last year originally set for July but pushed back to August (opened with $12.4m taking $33.6m in the US and $75.3m worldwide in the UK opened with £1.05m taking £1.93m).

Last year STX released I Feel Pretty the week after Avengers: Infinity War opened with £1.27m taking £5.38m (opened week before Avengers: Infinity War in the US with $16.03m taking $48.79m and $94.53m)

Rom-coms were the mainstays of cinema for decades  it’s the 30 years ago tis year since When Harry Met Sally opened (the 80s and 90s was peak time for summer rom-coms that were often sleeper surprise hits of the summer over the last decade they have failed to have similar success having more success on Netflix with films like The Set Up).

• Vox Lux – Curzon

Musical drama starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin and Jennifer Ehle and directed by Brady Corbet; had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival receiving mixed reviews.

Opened in the US in December on a platform release opening in six screens taking $155,714 but then expanded in its second weekend into 325 screens expanding far too quickly with $727,119 total.

Released in cinemas and on demand from Curzon Home Cinema               

• Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile – Sky Cinema

Biographical crime thriller starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, Jeffrey Donovan, Angela Sarafyan, Dylan Baker, Jim Parsons and John Malkovich and directed by Joe Berlinger based on the memoir The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Bundy’s former girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer.

Had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival received positive reviews with Efron’s performance being widely praised.

Netflix acquired US rights after the Sundance Film Festival and Sky Cinema acquired UK rights and will be released in selective cinemas at the same time it is on Sky Cinema.

Sky Cinema Original Films was launched last year with Monster Family, but major exhibitors have refused to book the films which have meant all of the first with the exception of Monster Family opened on less than 50 screens.

Opening in the US

• Long Shot – Lionsgate

Seth Rogen films have had mixed success at the box office his last live-action wide release was 2016’s Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising opening with $21.76m taking $55.45m and The Night Before opening with $9.88m taking $43.04m.

2014’s Neighbors was his biggest opening live-action film $49.3m taking $150.15m but that was a gross-out comedy targeting a younger audience.

Charlize Theron’s last two films Tully and Gringo both opened last year poorly; 2017’s Atomic Blonde opened with $18.28m taking $51.68m; her last comedy was 2014’s A Million Ways to Die in the West opened with $16.79m taking $43.13m

Tracking to open between $14m-$19m; early buzz has been strong, but the market is crowded with similar films in early May with The Hustle and Poms.

 

• Ugly Dolls – STX

An animated musical comedy featuring voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Pitbull, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, Wang Leehom, Emma Roberts, Bebe Rexha, Charli based on the toys of the same name.

In 2011 Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights to Uglydolls but four years later in 2015 STX announced it would be the first film from their new family and animation division and Robert Rodriguez was signed to direct, write and produce the film.

Was originally set for release on May 10^th brought forward a week to avoid competition Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.

STX will be hoping Ugly Dolls would perform similar to 2016’s Trolls opening with $46.58m taking $153.7m also based on a popular toy and also includes songs from Kelly Clarkson who voices one of the characters; Justin Timberlake had the global summer hit single Can’t Stop The Feeling viewed almost 1 billion times on YouTube to date.

 

Kelly Clarkson’s song Broken & Beautiful video from Uglydolls has been viewed 1.4m times on YouTube over the last three weeks; the film’s soundtrack is released by Atlantic Records featuring songs including Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Bebe Rexha, Pentatonix and Anitta.

Atlantic Records will be hoping for similar success with the soundtrack as The Greatest Showman which is still in the top 3 68 weeks after release in the UK and still in the top 30 on the Billboard charts after 70 weeks,  

Rather than 2017’s My Little Pony opening with $8.88m taking $21.88m

Toy to film adaptations have had mixed success at the box office from The Lego Movie to Bratz; Sony Pictures are currently developing Masters of the Universe reboot for 2010 release previously made in 1987 by Cannon taking $17.6m.

Expected to open with $10m-$15m targetting younger audiences before Pokémon: Detective Pikachu opens the next week.

 

The Intruder – Sony Pictures

Psychological thriller starring Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Joseph Sikora, Dennis Quaid and directed by Deon Taylor It is a loose remake of the film Cold Creek Manor.

2003’s Cold Creek Manor opened with $8.19m taking $21.38m and $29.11m worldwide

Screen Gems acquired world rights to the film then called Motivated Seller at the Cannes Film Festival

Domestic thrillers were very popular in the late 80s and 90s with films including Pacific Heights, Unlawful Entry and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

The Intruder adds the racial element to the plot, in those films it was a white man, woman terrorising a white family in The Intruder it’s a white man terrorising an African-American couple, as Get Out did two years ago.

The Intruder is likely to open similar to Breaking In opened last May with $17.63m taking $46.84m

Unlawful Entry opened in 1992 with $10.06m taking $57.13m

Pacific Heights opened in 1990 with $6.91m taking $29.38m

Tracking to open with $11m-18m: Screen Gems have had strong success with urban thrillers over the years, they are low-budget and often very profitable for the studio