1. Super Mario Bros – £7,568,523 – £35,855,948

Dropped 51.8% in the second weekend (14% without previews)

Took £2.88m Friday (38%) down 24.4% (biggest 2^nd Friday for an animated film); £2.63m Saturday (34.7%) down 13.5% and £2.05m (27.1%) up 13.9%

But had predictable huge drops with schools returning this week Mon £525k down 87.2% (from £4.1m) and Tuesday £340k down 82% (from £2.9m) as now will take the bulk of business Sat/Sun.

30^th biggest second weekend between LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring and Mary Poppins Returns (close to Marvel Avengers Assemble, The Jungle Book, Alice In Wonderland and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and 74^th biggest inflated between Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Incredibles (close to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The World Is Not Enough and Men In Black).

4^th biggest animation second weekend Toy Story 3 and Shrek 2 (close to Frozen 2, Toy Story 4, Toy Story 2 and Minions) and the 13^th biggest inflated between Incredibles 2 and The Lego Movie (close to Shrek The Third, A Bug’s Life, The Lion King (1994) and Toy Story).

Impossible to make any direct comparisons as being the second weekend of the school holidays and unique circumstances, as the two weeks of the Easter school holidays are as lucrative as the Christmas holidays. While Super Mario Bros plays to old and young as legacy sequels like Star Wars and Jurassic World.

The other reason for Super Mario Bros’ strong BO is that normally there is more than one major family film opening over Easter but as with the February half term with Puss In Boots 2 other films play to older audiences, tweens and teens for Dungeons & Dragons, late teens/young adults for John Wick: Chapter Four and Air for older audiences. The third weekend is its key weekend if it’s going to top out at £50m or go higher as it has two more weeks before Guardians of Galaxy Vol 3 opens on May 3^rd.

108^th biggest film between Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (close to Jumanji: The Next Level, Die Another Day, Jurassic World Dominion and Inception); (140^th film to take £30m+ since 1993’s Jurassic Park) and 236^th biggest inflated between A View to A Kill and The Fugitive (close to Casper, Back to the Future Part II, Armageddon and Moulin Rouge).

Illumination’s 13th film since Despicable Me in 2010 and the third based on existing IP after The Lorax and The Grinch.

19^th biggest animated film between The Secret Life of Pets and Ice Age III (close to Shrek The Third, Finding Nemo, The Lego Movie and Sing 2) and 38^th biggest inflated between Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Alvin And The Chipmunks II (close to Toy Story, Aladdin (1993), The Croods and Monsters vs. Aliens).

Super Mario Bros video games have sold 396.8m worldwide taking $22bn worldwide, the Mario games franchise up to Match 2022 has sold 776.8m games worldwide generating $35.1bn, including merchandise Mario franchise has generated $41.5bn worldwide, while Mario-related YouTube videos have exceeded 100bn views as of April 2023. Then you add the success Illumination has had over the last decade and add the two fan bases together it’s surely not a surprise how the film performed.

The only real surprise is why hasn’t the Nintendo Extended Universe happened yet as they have been talking about it for many years, but the problem is as with Marvel Nintendo sold off rights to many of their most popular games to studios already. This was similar to when Marvel sold rights to many of their properties to studios and had to wait until their rights ended before they could make their films. Universal Pictures still own the rights to The Incredible Hulk and several other characters even though they haven’t made a Hulk film since 2008.

Super Mario Bros social media reach was 644.1m across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok; Universal Pictures at 47.4m, Illumination at 4.1m; Nintendo at 34.4m. Super Mario Bros social media universe is 22% more than family animated including The Incredibles (667.2m), Minions: Rise of Gru (659m) and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (462.9m), but that’s expected for one of the most successful video game franchises that have sold hundreds of millions of games over the last 30+ years playing to audiences young and old,

Films based on video games have had mixed success at the box office as they should be hugely popular given, they have an established fanbase, but filmmakers often struggle to expand the story from game to screen. Only 5 have taken over $400m worldwide 2016’s Warcraft, 2018’s Rampage, 2019’s Detective Pikachu and 2022’s Uncharted and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, after opening with almost $400m Super Mario Bros will be the sixth film to do so.

The difference between recent video game adaptations compared to films made a decade ago is they are more family-friendly playing to a younger audience unlike 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (taking £8,829,805); 2005’s Doom (taking £1,309,725); 2016’s Assassin’s Creed (taking £8,003,907); 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (£12,822,883); 1995’s Street Fighter (£2,280,880).

More recent adaptations have targeted younger audiences as Super Mario Bros including 2020’s Sonic The Hedgehog (taking £19.3m); 2022’s Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (£26.7m); 2022’s Uncharted (£24.2m); 2019’s Pokemon Detective Pikachu (£13.8m); 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie (£10.7m); 2019’s The Angry Birds Movie 2 (£5.8m).

After having 5 different films #1 over the last 5 weeks Super Mario Bros will be #1 for the next 4 weeks until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 opens.

30 years ago, the live-action Super Mario Bros opened #1 £907,342 from 266 screens (opened the weekend before Jurassic Park) dropped 54% £417,378 #3 and £1,657,898 62% of £2,835,463 (£7,137,240 inflated) in the second weekend against Jurassic Park opening £4,875,137 from 434 screens and Cliffhanger #2 £572,152. Played in the top 10 for 4 weeks and top 15 for 7 weeks taking £2,835,463.

Many have asked why Super Mario Bros was a hit while the 1993 live-action version wasn’t, have to remember back then video game adaptations weren’t popular, and the approach studios adapted them was very different as was with comic-book films, the only success at that time was Batman.

Again, dating is key in 1993 Super Mario Bros was sandwiched between Cliffhanger and Jurassic Park, while Disney was releasing low-budget family films and not used to opening high-budget tentpoles. While also Disney only had US rights for Super Mario Bros so likely more focused on their films like Guilty as Sin opening the weekend after, probably why Super Mario Bros held far stronger in the UK as Entertainment Films heavily promoted the film despite Jurassic Park opening weekend after.

Similar questions were asked about why Warcraft was as big a success while it has sold over 11m copies as its fantasy like Dungeons & Dragons it doesn’t have the old and young appeal that Super Mario Bros had like Tetris (also had a film released last week) Mario Bros was released with the Nintendo and the game system sold millions so the games became hugely popular. Anyone who has brought a Nintendo device over the last 30+ years has probably played both games.

• 2. Dungeons & Dragons – £1,179,222 – £10,752,937

Down 27.4% in the third weekend; took £408k Friday (34.6% of weekend)

Had a similar third weekend as Alvin and the Chipmunks 2, Kung Fu Panda 3, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Ready Player One and inflation inflated similar to Turner & Hooch, Ant-Man, The Rock and The Wedding Singer.

Fantasy films have had mixed success at the box office including.

2006’s Eragon dropped 24% £630,821 and £4,236,858 taking £5,154,073

1996’s Dragonheart dropped 32% by £722,106 (£1,541,794 inflated) and £4,639,495 of £6,573,083 (£14,354,192 inflated); despite underwhelming in the US Dragonheart was hugely successful in the UK and had several straight to DVD sequels.

2010’s Clash of the Titans dropped 36% £1,557,034 #2 from 461 screens and £16,273,543 taking £20,111,003

2012’s Wrath of the Titans dropped 63% £495,768 #8 from 419 screens and £7,197,617 taking £7,812,578.

1999’s The Mummy dropped 49.5% £1,278,869 (£2,335,986 inflated) and £10,367,904 taking £17,439,339 (£33,470,275 inflated)

2016’s Warcraft dropped 55% £320,910 #8 420 screens and £5,687,259 taking £5,947,228

2002’s Reign of Fire dropped 46% £325,415 #8 313 screens and £2,983,525 taking £3,216,609 (£6,277,826 inflated)

1991’s Highlander 2: The Quickening dropped 39% £443,846 and £3,505,169 taking £5,250,692 (£14,001,845 inflated)

2007’s Beowulf dropped 40% £870,683 #4 and 423 screens £5,969,735 taking £7,043,429 (£11,269,486 inflated)

1988’s The Princess Bride took £27,325 from 9 screens: 1986’s Labyrinth £3,568,402 (£15,336,536 inflated); 1988’s Willow took £1,641,213 (£5,765,653 inflated); 1987’s Masters of the Universe took £2,198,857 (£8,263,611 inflated); 1986’s Highlander took £1,220,671 (£5,246,288 inflated)

617^th biggest film between Now You See Me and Speed (close to Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, London Has Fallen, Back to the Future Part II and The Lost City) and

Burn After Reading and Lethal Weapon 4 (close to 300: Rise of An Empire, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Jack the Giant Slayer and Gremlins 2: The New Batch) and 1,082^nd biggest inflated between Ruthless People and The Croods 2: A New Age (close to Working Girl, Die Hard, Chariots of Fire and Wrath of the Titans).

While Dungeons & Dragons performed well in the UK due to be heavily promoted by eOne will this be enough to justify another film as its budget was $150m and won’t likely take more than $200m?

Much will surely depend on the future of eOne as Hasbro put it up for sale last year only 3 years after acquiring it. This reminds me of the situation Polygram were in in the late 90s they had strong growth and was close to buying MGM but then a new boss came in at Philips who wasn’t interested in the film industry and sold Polygram off to the highest bidders with Universal Pictures acquiring Working Title and MGM acquiring Polygram film library.

• 3. John Wick Chapter Four – £823,624 – £14,959,483

Dropped 36% in the fourth weekend; took £263k (32% of weekend) Friday 64.1% drop

Had a similar fourth weekend as Fast & Furious 8, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Lucy and Snatch and inflated similar to Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon 4, Alien3 and Under Siege.

Fourth weekend

2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum dropped 27% of £463,005 #9 from 371 screens and £8,911,996 93% of £9,587,828

2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2 dropped 60% taking £171,633 #15 from 262 screens and £5,766,633.

2015’s John Wick took £1,439,149 over three weeks.

438^th biggest film between The Blair Witch Project and Superman Returns (close to Twister, X-Men, Batman and Robin and Grease) and 760^th biggest inflated between The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Lethal Weapon 4 (close to Labyrinth, Rocky III, Hot Shots and Arachnophobia).

• 4. Air – £723,166 – £2,825,367

Dropped 38.4% in the second weekend (10% without previews); took £249k Friday (34.4% of the weekend)

1,404^th biggest second weekend between Happy Feet 2 and Trance (close to Pulp Fiction, Analyze This, Changeling and Syriana) and 1,919^th biggest inflated between Amistad and The Next Three Days (close to White Men Can’t Jump, To Die For, Outrageous Fortune and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Jerry Maguire opened March 1997 £1,532,506 (£2,895,570 inflated) taking £9,930,120 (£18,762,315 inflated).

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have starred in many films together, first as extras in Field of Dreams and then Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, Jersey Girl, The Third Wheel, The Last Duel, School Ties and most famously 1998’s Good Will Hunting (£1,232,624 (£2,471,365 inflated) £7,806,051 (£15,650,842 inflated).

It’s the fifth film directed by Ben Affleck after 2008’s Gone Baby Gone (£351,127 opened #5 taking £1,694,405); 2010’s The Town (£1,005,039 #3 £4,771,263); 2012’s Argo (£1,287,770 #3 £7,488,365); 2017’s Live By Night (£698,218 #7 taking £1.3m). He was attached to direct and star in The Batman but stepped down from director in 2017 after the disappointing BO of Live By Night, replaced by Matt Reeves and then dropped out from being Batman in 2020 and was replaced by Robert Pattinson.

The script was on the 2021 Black List. Premiered at South by Southwest on March 18, 2023, receiving positive reviews.

• 5.      Renfield – £680,661 – NE

Took £241k Friday (35.4% of opening)

Received mixed reviews with many saying it struggles with its tone in what it’s trying to be and comes off as dull. This has also been the struggle Universal Pictures has had in trying to launch their monster verse, first with 2014’s Dracula Untold (opened £1,713,283 taking £4,454,648) and then 2017’s The Mummy (opened £3,343,650 taking £8,744,766). As previous versions of their monster films including 1999’s The Mummy and 2004’s Van Helsing (opened £5,429,632 taking £15,019,852) were vastly more successful, but they did target a younger audience.

Chris McKay previously directed 2021’s The Tomorrow War (made by Paramount and sold to Amazon) and 2017’s The Lego Batman Movie, he also co-wrote the screenplay for Dungeons & Dragons.

Have been many different Dracula films from 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula featuring an ensemble cast directed by Francis Ford Coppola to 1996’s Dracula: Dead and Loving It directed by Mel Brooks (opened £236,237 #4 from 234 screens taking £487,833.

It felt like after Nicolas Cage played himself last year in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent felt like he had got his mojo back. As away from vocal roles in The Croods, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, it’s more than a decade since he starred in films that attracted a wide audience. While Nicolas Cage starred in three huge action films in the 90s, The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off have more in common with Johnny Depp than Tom Cruise with many quirky film choices.

Was expecting a similar opening to comedy horror 2009’s Zombieland £1,240,984 (the sequel opened similarly a decade later) taking £3,375,412 and 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn opened at £501,303 (£1,094,737 inflated) taking £12,458,967 (£5,369,852 inflated).

As with The Pope’s Exorcist Renfield will drop down the chart this weekend with the release of Evil Dead Rises, they might be three quite different horrors, but they will all play to a similar audience.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £12,342,706 down 41.7% from last weekend’s £21,185,037: 1,598,907 admissions down 42% from 2,754,881.

391^st biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,098) between 01 December 2006 #1 Casino Royale £5,307,969 (43% of top 10) and 19 February 2010 #1 Avatar £2,817,009 (22.8% of top 10) and 707^th biggest inflation inflated between 24 February 2006 #1 Date Movie £1,288,089 (17.3% of top 10) and 11 March 2022 #1 The Batman £7,406,390 (63.1% of top 10).

The top 3 took £9,571,369 77.5% of the top 10; Super Mario Bro 61.3% (£7,568,523); Dungeons & Dragons 9.5% (£1,179,222); John Wick: Chapter Four 6.7% (£823,624)

128^th of the top 10 48^th highest percentage #1 between 13 February 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey (61.4%) and 19 June 2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (61.2%).

266^th biggest admissions #1 (984,203) between 22 February 2002 Monsters, Inc. (987,015) and 30 May 2014 Maleficent (980,665).

Up 7.7% from 2022 (£11,463,631); The Lost City (£2,743,211); The Northman (£897,737); Operation Mincemeat (£895,008); K.G.F: Chapter 2 (£357,038); #1 The Lost City £2,743,211 1st week 617 screens (24% of top 10)

2021; Lockdown

2020; Lockdown

Up 13.3% from 2019; (£10,896,294) Wonder Park (£1,586,003); Hellboy (£989,562); Wild Rose (£772,060); Little (£540,579); Mid90s (£100,454); #1 Dumbo £2,345,046 down 33% 3^rd-week 2nd week #1 split over 3 weeks 697 screens 21.5% of top 10

Down 2.9% from 2018: (£12,710,945); Rampage (£4,109,247); Truth or Dare (£931,250); Luisa Miller Met Opera 2018 (£231,297); #1 Rampage £4,109,247 55 screens 1st week

Down 47.1% from 2017: (£23,325,163); Fast & Furious 8 (£14,026,301); The Handmaiden (£474,752); The Sense of an Ending (£329,948); #1 Fast & Furious 8 £14,026,301 1st week

Down 21.8% from 2016: (£15,777,777); The Jungle Book (£9,901,921); Eye in the Sky (£1,110,959); Criminal (£248,376); 28 Days Later (Secret Cinema) (£160,185); #1 The Jungle Book £9,901,921 594 screens 1st week (62.7% of the top 10)

Down 0.5% from 2015; (£12,405,583); The DUFF (£891,691); John Wick (£539,602); Woman in Gold (£494,512); Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (£480,158); Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (£90,301); Force Majeure (£87,398); Lost River (£54,264); #1 Fast & Furious 7 £5,407,918 2nd week 57% drop 540 screens

Up 40.7% from 2014: (£8,774,743); The Quiet Ones (£681,305); Calvary (£571,489); The Raid 2 (£454,150); The Last Days on Mars (£46,925); #1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier £1,782,201 2^nd week split over 3 weeks (3rd week) #1 517 screens

Up 12.5% from 2013: (£10,971,615); Oblivion (£4,959,386); Scary Movie 5 (£1,085,932); The Place Beyond the Pines (£671,119); #1 Oblivion £4,959,386 520 screens 1st week

Down 1.9% from 2012 (£12,576,386); Battleship (£3,763,348); Cabin in the Woods (£1,601,161); Delicacy (£81,683); A Night to Remember (Re) (£3,273); #1 Battleship £3,763,348 1st week 496 screens

Up 53.8% from 2011; (£8,022,776); Scream 4 (£2,061,885); Your Highness (£926,338); Red Riding Hood (£842,398); Winnie the Pooh (£159,369); Little White Lies (£125,273); #1 Scream 4 £2,061,885 408 screens 1st week (25.7% of top 10)

Up 35.2% 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 £1,995,301 402 screens 1st week

Down 11.5% from 2009; (£13,950,469); Fast & Furious (£4,928,784); 17 Again (£2,564,102); Race to Witch Mountain (£581,250); Dragonball Evolution (£379,777); Let the Right One In (£224,154); 50 Dead Men Walking (£99,440); #1 Fast & Furious £4,928,784 364 screens 1st week

Up 92.7% from 2008; (£6,403,618); 21 (£1,649,855); Leatherheads (£474,780); Shine a Light (£338,061); Pathology (£313,886); Rec (£92,545); Strange Wilderness (£13,360); #1 21 £1,649,855 1st week.

Up 80.4% from 2007: (£6,842,807); Wild Hogs (£1,691,797); Shooter (£716,202); Curse of the Golden Flower (£362,169); Perfect Stranger (£277,047); The Lives of Others (£223,586); #1 Wild Hogs (£1,691,797 1st week

Up 39.4% from 2006; (£8,853,843): Scary Movie 4 (£1,953,094); Take the Lead (£621,735); An American Haunting (£541,446); Glastonbury (£23,893); #1 Ice Age II £3,608,531 2nd week 67% drop

Up 87.7% from 2005 (£6,573,859); The Interpreter (£1,589,829); The Amityville Horror (£1,339,417); #1 The Interpreter £1,370,577 1st week £1,589,829 1st week 370 screens (24.2% of top 10)

Up 52% 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 £1,772,130 3rd week 487 screens 13% drop

Up 72.5% from 2003 (£7,153,823); Johnny English (£3,435,342); The Jungle Book 2 (£1,436,730); S Club Seeing Double (£338,383); The Little Polar Bear (£71,408); #1 Johnny English £3,435,342 445 screens 1st week 48% of top 10

Up 73.9% from 2002 (£7,099,174); Bend It Like Beckham (£2,001,795); The Queen of the Damned (£611,440); K-Pax (£567,349); The One (£493,491); Y Tu Mama Tambien (£182,166); #1 Bend It Like Beckham £2,001,795 1st week 384 screens 28.2% of top 10

Next week 2022; (£7,659,588); The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent (£516,697); #1 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2^nd week split over 4 weeks) £1,637,442 20% drop 647 screens (21.4% of top 10)

US Box Office

• Super Mario Bros – Universal Pictures

Dropped 37% in the second weekend taking $92.34m and $353.17m

It was expected to drop up to 60% in its second weekend taking about $60m but after a stronger-than-expected Friday estimates grew over the weekend with Sunday weekend estimates $87m but Monday finals were $92.34m 6.1% more, this often happens with Disney underestimating weekend BO so the film get a double boost.

7^th biggest second weekend between The Avengers and Beauty and the Beast; Frozen II #10 $85.97m; Incredibles 2 #12 $80.34m; The Lion King #14 $76.62m; Finding Dory #18 $72.9m.

14^th biggest animated film between Inside Out and Zootopia; 62^nd biggest film between Aladdin (2019) and Furious 7; 161^st biggest inflated between Aladdin and The Firm; 9^th biggest Universal Pictures film between Despicable Me 2 and Furious 7.

17 Illumination Entertainment films have taken almost $3.5bn in the US and almost $8.75bn worldwide.

Took $102.5m from 71 territories and $339.8m and $693.1m worldwide; Mexico $53.5m; UK $44.4m; Germany $30m; France $21.7m; Australia ($19.9M).

Took $21.6m from IMAX worldwide including $5m internationally.

26^th biggest animated worldwide between Up and Kung Fu Panda 2; 141^st biggest worldwide between Gravity and Forrest Gump; 16^th biggest Universal Pictures film between F9: The Fast Saga and Sing.

• The Pope’s Exorcist – Sony Pictures

Opened $9m; received mixed reviews (47% Rotten Tomatoes).

The Pope’s Exorcist is based on a true story as The Conjuring was and is the first of two Exorcist films opening this year with Blumhouse Productions reboot-quel The Exorcist opening in October. The Pope’s Exorcist is directed by Julius Avery, who previously directed 2018’s Overlord opened $10.2m taking $21.7m and $41.65m worldwide. Will be front-loaded as Renfield with Evil Dead Rises opening on Friday.

The film opened internationally last weekend and was surprising didn’t also open in the US as never makes any sense to open two films of the same genre, while The Pope’s Exorcist and Renfield are two very different films, they are both horror films likely to attract a similar audience.

Took $10.4m internationally from 51 territories $27.4m total.

• Renfield – Universal Pictures

It opened $8.02m; received mixed reviews (60% Rotten Tomatoes) and B-+ CinemaScore.

Universal had planned to make a series of films based on their library of monsters, their first attempt was 2014’s Dracula Untold taking $56.3m in the US and $159.2m, their second attempt was 2017’s The Mummy starring Tom Cruise took $80.22m in the US and $409.23m worldwide. Had more success with the lower budget Blumhouse horror taking $70.41m in the US and $144.49m, the box office was affected by COVID with cinemas closing within a month of opening.

Opened with $2.27m from 46 territories.

• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 46% in the third weekend $7.52m and $74.24m.

1,140^th biggest film between Alien: Covenant and Jack and Jill; 1,922^nd biggest inflated between The Prestige and Can’t Buy Me Love; 7^th biggest 2023 film between M3gan and Cocaine Bear; the 91^st biggest fantasy film between Poltergeist and Sin City; 160^th biggest Paramount Pictures film between Four Brothers and Along Came a Spider.

Third weekends

2006’s Eragon dropped up 17.1% taking $8.2m and $56.42m of $75.03m and $250.42m WW

1996’s Dragonheart dropped 40.4% taking $4.55m and $35.04m of $51.36m and $115.26m WW

2010’s Clash of the Titans dropped 42.2% taking $15.38m and $132.6m of $163.21m and $493.21m WW

2012’s Wrath of the Titans dropped 53.1% taking $6.9m and $71.25m of 483.67m and $301.97m WW

1999’s The Mummy dropped 44.5% taking $13.79m and $100.21m of $155.38m and $415.93m WW

2016’s Warcraft dropped 69% taking $2.24m and $44m of $47.36m and $438.04m WW

2002’s Reign of Fire dropped 52.6% taking $3.46m and $36.4m of $43.06m and $82.15m WW

2007’s Beowulf dropped 50.4% taking $8.2m and $68.94m of $82.28m and $196.39m WW

Dungeons & Dragons should surely open similarly to Clash of the Titans if BO were back to pre-pandemic levels but despite the industry’s claims of normality, it is a new normal since cinemas reopened with industry expectations lower than they would have been 3 years ago.

Took $13.8m from 64 territories and $83m and $157m worldwide.

• Air – Amazon

Dropped 46% in the second weekend $7.84m and $33.4m

Critics compared Air to 1996’s Jerry Maguire dropped 23.2% $13.12m and $36.28m taking $153.95m and $273.55m WW.

Surprisingly industry has used Ticket To Paradise as their comparison film but while it might be targeting an older audience its audience is very different to the female-heavy audience of Ticket to Paradise. Ticket to Paradise dropped 40% in the second weekend $9.85m and $33.5m

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have starred in several films together, as extras in 1989’s Field of Dreams and then 1997’s Chasing Amy, 1999’s Dogma (taking $30.65m), 2001’s Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (taking $30.85m), 2019’s Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, 2004’s Jersey Girl (taking $25.26m), 2002’s The Third Wheel, 2021’s The Last Duel (taking $10.85m), 1992’s School Ties (taking $14.71m) and most famously 1997’s Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting opened on platform $272,912 from 7 screens and $10.26m wide taking $138.43m.

It’s the fifth film directed by Ben Affleck after 2007’s Gone Baby Gone (opened $2.29m taking $20.29m); 2010’s The Town ($23.8m taking $92.18m and $154.02m); 2012’s Argo ($19.45m taking $136.02m and $232.32m); 2016’s Live By Night ($33,336 from 4 screens $5.1m wide taking $10.37m and $22.67m).

Air is the first film made by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company Artists Equity and the film had an advert during the Super Bowl in February.

Amazon started releasing films including Manchester by the Sea and The Big Sick in cinemas and also acquired several films from studios to release straight to streaming including Coming 2 America, Without Remorse, The Tomorrow War, Cinderella and Shotgun Wedding. Amazon also acquired MGM Studios for $8.5bn last year and Bloomberg recently reported they will spend $1bn making 12-15 films yearly.

Took $6.2m internationally from 66 territories and $20.8m and $54.1m worldwide.

• John Wick: Chapter Four – Lionsgate

Dropped 44% in the fourth weekend $8.04m and $160.23m.

492^nd biggest fourth weekend between Black Adam and Central Intelligence

356^th biggest film between Straight Outta Compton and Die Another Day; 731^st biggest inflated between How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; 3^rd biggest 2023 film between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III; 8^th biggest Lionsgate film between Knives Out and La La Land; John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum #6 $171.01m.

Fourth weekends

2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum dropped 33.1% of $7.41m and $138.67m 81.1% of $171.01m and $328.34m

2017’s John Wick: Chapter Two dropped 48.7% by $4.8m and $82.94m 90.1% of $92.02m and $171.53m worldwide.

2014’s John Wick dropped 46.2% by $2.22m and $38.91m by 90.4% of $43.03m and $88.76m WW

John Wick Chapter 3 dropped 56.7% taking 33% of its total BO over the opening weekend; took $24.58m #2 and $101.22m 59% of the total against Aladdin #1 $91.5m.

Took $18.6m from 76 territories and $189.6m total and $349.7m worldwide; UK $18m; Germany $16.9m; Australia $13.3m; Mexico $12.7m.

428^th biggest worldwide between Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Hannibal; 7^th biggest Lionsgate film worldwide between La La Land and Now You See Me.

UK Box Office Top 10

UK Box Office Preview

Super Mario Bros will be the first film since Avatar: The Way of Water to be #1 for three weeks and will surely make it 4 before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 opens in two weeks, but after having a strong second weekend not including previews (down 51.8% including previews) will likely drop 40%-50% taking £3.5m-£4.5m similar to Frozen 2 (£4,397,903), Despicable Me 2 (£4,154,359) and Minions (£3,839,659). After taking about £3m Mon-Thurs during half-term (£4.1m Easter Monday, £2.9m Tues £3.08m Weds and £3m Thurs) has taken less than half Monday-Friday this week taking about £45m by Sunday; Mon £525k down 87.2% and Tuesday £340k down 82% similar drops likely for Weds-Fri.

Evil Dead Rises should open #2 with £1m+ opening close to similar to 2013’s Evil Dead opened £1,375,842 #3 from 394 screens taking £3,355,676. While 1993’s Army of Darkness opened at £161,150 from 93 screens taking £430,146 and 1987’s Evil Dead II opened £142,757 taking £1,180,250 (£4,435,544 inflated).

Two Event Cinema will have encore screenings over the weekend Coldplay – Music Of The Spheres: Live At River Plate screening on Wednesday and Good – NT Live on Thursday which will likely chart ahead of Missing sequel to 2018’s Searching opened £765,050 #5 from 401 screens taking £2,023,281. It was originally due to be open the same day as the US but then was surprisingly delayed to April, maybe Sony was hoping that if it was trailered with the March releases it might spark up more interest.

Other holdovers Dungeons & Dragons, John Wick: Chapter Four and Air will likely drop about 50% while Renfield, Suzume and The Pope’s Exorcist will drop much heavier. While after having two weekends of top 10 BO £10m+ it will drop down to about £8m with the following weekend lower still.

There are almost 40 films released this week including two major Event Cinemas Coldplay – Music Of The Spheres: Live At River Plate and Good – NT Live 2023, but the majority will struggle to find an audience. When exhibitors ask for more films to be released it’s the right kind of film as there are far too many being released already. Surely exhibitors should be trying to get audiences to see these other releases. Super Mario Bros third weekend will take more than the 39 new releases together and that’s not healthy to be dependent on a dozen films to take the majority of the annual BO as it shows that something isn’t right, but of course, nothing will ever change as industry never thinks long-term.

Opening in two weeks

• Love Again – Sony Pictures

Romantic comedy-drama English-language remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich (Text for You) based on a novel by Sofie Cramer, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion and directed by James C. Strouse.

In April 2022 it was retitled as It’s All Coming Back to Me, after Celine Dion song “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”, but in November it was announced that it would be called Love Again. Over the years many films have been retitled with a classic song including The Body becoming Stand By Me and 3000 becoming Pretty Woman. Always find it strange when book titles are changed as they already have an inbuilt audience.

It was originally set to be released in February.

Its Priyanka Chopra Jonas first leading role in a film best known for starring in TV show Quantico starring in films including Baywatch, Isn’t It Romantic and The Matrix Resurrections. Sam Heughan is also best known for TV roles and for starring in The Spy Who Dumped Me.

• Book Club: The Next Chapter – Universal Pictures

Romantic comedy sequel to 2018’s Book Club starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen and directed by Bill Holderman.

The first film was released by Paramount (opened £720,858 #5 from 518 screens taking £3,661,322) but the sequel is released by Universal Pictures/Focus Features. Paramount Pictures released 80 For Brady last month opening with £158,937 #9 from 427 screens after opening with $12.7m in the US taking $39.33m which was similarly targeting the grey pound.

• Eurovision – Grand Final Live – CinemaLive

Both new releases will be overshadowed by the Eurovision Final Live on 600 screens in cinemas on Saturday. 25 years after Eurovision was last in the UK May 9^th, 1998 when the top 5 was #1 Scream 2 £1,233,274; #2 Sliding Doors £950,180; #3 Breakdown £366,084; #4 Martha Meets Frank, Daniel & Lawrence £341,018 and #5 Titanic £297,605 16^th week.