Top 5 Breakdown

1. Bohemian Rhapsody – £5,750,267  – £20,427,866

Down 39.6% in its second weekend including previews only 10.5% without previews; had the second biggest second weekend for 20^th Century Fox film after 2002’s Star Wars: Attack of the Clones £5,955,017 and is their 38^th biggest film after 12 days on release between X-Men 2 and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and 60^th biggest inflation inflated between War for the Planet of the Apes and Black Swan

Had a similar second-weekend drop of 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express 12.2%; Lion 12.9%; 2013’s Frozen 10.5%; 1999’s American Pie 10.2%; 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham 14%

Bohemian Rhapsody after 12 days on release is already 20^th Century Fox’s second biggest film of the year after Deadpool 2 (took £20,68m after 12 days on release)

Took £14.67m in its opening week (9 days) 7th biggest week of the year after Avengers Infinity War, Black Panther, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Jurassic World 2, Deadpool 2 and Incredibles 2

Is the 11^th biggest film of the year (11^th 2018 film to take over £20m at the box office this year: The Greatest Showman took £30m+)

Before the start of the year 20^th Century Fox had only 13 to of taken over £30m at the box office (Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Full Monty, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Simpsons, Deadpool, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Independence Day, Die Another Day, Ice Age III, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Slumdog Millionaire).

This year in their final year being an independent distributor have already had two The Greatest Showman and Deadpool and Bohemian Rhapsody could join them by the end of next weekend.

Depending on how Bohemian Rhapsody holds over the coming weeks it could overtake The Greats Showman (both films received snobbish reviews with critics expecting different films than audiences) and could take over £45m.

It had the 46^th biggest second weekend between Monsters, Inc. and The Inbetweeners Movie (close to Bridget Jones’s Baby, It, The Lego Movie and Deadpool) and 110^th biggest inflation inflated second weekend between Bruce Almighty and The Hunger Game Mockingjay Part 1 (close to The Sixth Sense, The Bodyguard, Gravity, Notting Hill and Avatar)

Five films have taken more than £5m this year Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Incredibles 2 and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Having the lowest second-weekend drop   

Comparisons are

Musicals second weekends

2008’s Mamma Mia! took £4,561,109 down 31% and £16,851,641 36.1% of £68,162,804

2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took £7,104,808 down 27% £27,018,068 60.2% of £65,222,094

2017’s The Greatest Showman took £2,409,143 down 49% (6% without previews) and £9,998,783 28.8% of £47,000,000

2013’s Les Miserables took £4,406,828 down 46% £17,360,303 60.3% of £40,818,299

2001’s Moulin Rouge took £1,859,732 down 23% and £5,668,964 46.6% of £17,934,410

La La Land took £4,373,249 down 34% (down 23% without previews) and £14,907,148 70.2% of £29,816,588

2003’s Chicago took £1,918,232 (second week wide) down 3% and £5,552,239 50.1% of £15,927,431

Biopics

2006’s Walk the Line took £1,150,472 up 4% £3,024,681 of £9,737,493

2015’s Straight Outta Compton took £1,366,741 down 45% and £5,807,566 of £8,043,283

What critics got so badly wrong with Bohemian Rhapsody it isn’t a Queen biopic its part of The Greatest Showman Extended Universe as Elton John’s biopic Rocket Man released next year will also be. In the final trailer, Freddie Mercury describes Queen as ‘about misfits who don’t belong together that are playing for other misfits the outcasts at the back of the room who don’t belong’

Elton John’s upcoming biopic Rocket Man is produced by Elton John as Bohemian Rhapsody was produced by Queen also directed by Dexter Fletcher will likely be a similar film to Bohemian Rhapsody highlighting his greatest hits as Bohemian Rhapsody was.

Last year Universal Pictures announced plans to make a Madonna biopic called Blonde Ambition, but Madonna didn’t want to be made probably been a darker expose of her life as Oliver Stone had made in 1991 for The Doors the living band members disliked as did the fans. Saying “Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool looking for instant gratification without doing the work. This is a disease in our society.” Which is probably the reason why Queen and Elton John decided to produce their own biopics.

It is very different making a biopic for someone living than someone who died; films like Ray, Walk the Line, Great Balls of Fire, Beyond the Sea and Get on Up are able to tell the story differently, go deeper into their life story. But with Bohemian Rhapsody having access to the music was almost as important as the story and the producers of the film wouldn’t have gotten access to that if Queen weren’t involved in the film and were happy with what was n the film.

While many critics issue with Bohemian Rhapsody is that it doesn’t go deeper into Freddie Mercury’s life it wouldn’t of bee the commercial film Bohemian Rhapsody is and opened with a fraction of its box office as many of the other biopics have done.

Viewing numbers for Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody video dramatically increased over the last week with 674m views; over the past week has been viewed more than 1m times a day

Much written about the film’s long development and “troubled production” but unlike The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and Solo: A Star Wars Story with the directors replaced and major parts of the films were reshot Bohemian Rhapsody had almost completed filming., Dexter Fletcher wasn’t new to the film as he was previously attached to the film before Bryan Singer became the director.

The film was announced in 2010 in an interview with Brian May who spoke about an upcoming film about the band, in the interview Sacha Baron Cohen was to play Freddie Mercury and Peter Morgan writing the screenplay. Queen’s biggest concerns over the film were harming Freddie Mercury’s legacy (was why it took many years to be developed and was the film it became rather than the biopic critics expected it to be).

Sacha Baron Cohen left the film in 2013 after “creative differences” he wanted a more adult-oriented film, but Queen wanted a more family-friendly film, Queen also thought Sacha Baron Cohen too well known as a comedian to play the role.

In a 2016 interview Sacha Baron Cohen said in his first meeting with Queen he was told Freddie Mercury dies in the middle of the film and Sacha says So you mean it’s a bit like ‘Pulp Fiction,’ where the end is the middle and the middle is the end? That’s interesting.’ But the member of Queen says in the second half of the film ‘we see how the band carries on from strength to strength.’ Sacha said that it wasn’t the kind of film he would see but he could understand why Queen wanted to do it as ‘If you’re in control of the rights of your life story, why wouldn’t you depict yourself as great as possible?” Sacha said,  “Brian May is an amazing musician, but he’s not a great movie producer.”

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson sparked debate on film criticism after said he really enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody. Most criticisms I’ve read about the film say it could’ve been something more. But I refuse to judge a film by I wanted it to be, I receive it for what it is.

He followed up on this by saying that his comments were not an attack on film critics more that the criticism the film received was more about the film Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t, as they were expecting a different film, but as with a film like The Greatest Showman audiences got the film they were expecting with Bohemian Rhapsody.

Bohemian Rhapsody could be seen as a modern day The Greatest Showman Freddie Mercury was a showman in a band of misfits similar to PT Barnum and as with The Greatest Showman audiences are reacting far more positively to Bohemian Rhapsody than critics. Critics wanted a more in-depth biopic about Freddie Mercury, but Bohemian Rhapsody was never going to be that film.

The film’s soundtrack entered #3 with Queen’s The Platinum Collection #7 Greatest Hits #23 and A Night At the Opera #55 and Bohemian Rhapsody #53 in the singles chart

2. A Star Is Born – £1,821,004  – £22,929,874

Down 16.3% in its fifth weekend; After 33 days on release A Star Is Born has become the 10th biggest film of the year and has become Warner Bros 39^th film to take over £20m at the UK box office and is on its way to become Warner Bros 25th film to take over £30m and first since It last year (will shortly be followed by Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opening in less two weeks’ time)

(should take £30m+ becoming the eighth film to do so in 2018) and has become Warner Bros biggest film of the year overtaking Ready Player One and The Meg to be their biggest film of the year until Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens in three weeks’ time the first film opened in November 2016 with £15.33m taking £54.7m  and the sequel should do similar.

A Star Is Born has become the sixth biggest musical in the UK (behind Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables and La La Land) overtaking High School Musical 3, Chicago and Moulin Rouge; (could overtake La La land by the end of next weekend).

Musicals perform much stronger in the UK than the US and have long legs than other genres; Venom opened #1 five weeks ago and is dropping down the chart quickly while A Star Is Born has held steadily for the last five weeks.

Musicals fifth weekends

2008’s Mamma Mia! took £2,803,272 down 12% and £39,168,064 47.1% of £68,162,804

(In 2008 Mamma Mia! was still in the top 10 #9 in its 17th weekend taking £142,664 in 189 screens and £67,379,780 the sequel lasted half as long in the top 10 took £2,822 in its 15th week in 20 cinemas)

2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took £2,241,507 down 37% and £54,523,054 73.8% of £65,480,203

2017’s The Greatest Showman took £2,042,450 down 3% and £19,965,506 35.8% of £47,000,000

2013’s Les Miserables took £1,640,857 down 41% and £33,456,340 73.8% of £40,818,299

2001’s Moulin Rouge took £1,072,657 down 20% and £12,494,719 59.3% of £17,934,410

2017’s La La Land took £949,283 down 48% and £26,497,599 82.2% of £29,816,588 (A Star Is Born is currently 21.5% down from La La Land in its fourth weekend but took 19% more in its fourth weekend so will likely overtake its total box office).

2003’s Chicago took £618,675 down 9% (fifth week wide/8th week on release) and £11,039,957 69.3% of £15,927,431

Other adult drama film comparisons (fifth weekends)

Comparisons could be made with 2013’s Gravity (was held back a month in the UK to avoid opening against Captain Phillips, First Man should have been done too to avoid A Star Is Born) took £1,092,998 down 37% and £24,557,256 75.1% of its £32,692,161 total down to third with Frozen opening #1 with £4,704,940 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire #2 £2,694,862 and Saving Mr Banks #4 £547,881; went on to receive 10 Oscars nomination winning 7 similar is currently expected for A Star Is Born

Captain Phillips took £682,571 down 36% and £14,671,703 96.2% of its £15,249,377 total; (Gravity #1 (2^nd w/e) £4,838,152 down 22% £14,711,488; Thor: The Dark World #2 £1,782,854 (3^rd w/e) Philomena #3 £1,006,356 (3^rd w/e) Captain Phillips #7 went on to be nominated for 6 Oscars

A Star Is Born total box office is currently 7% less than Gravity, but took 60% more in its fifth weekend, Gravity stayed in the top 10 for 11 weeks until the end of 2013, A Star is Born will likely hold similarly as long this year.

In 2014 Gone Girl took £1,061,282 down 34% and £19,330,235 87.3% of its £22,125,201 total dropped down to fourth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 £1,429,159 (3^rd w/e) and Ouija opening #2 £1,373,907; Gone Girl had an 18-certificate limiting its audience and stayed in the top 10 for 8 weeks.

In 2015 The Martian took £590,743 down 66% and £21,797,926 92.4% of its £23,578,878; dropping down to sixth with Spectre opening #1 £41,299,090; Hotel Transylvania 2 #2 £2,417,940 (3^rd w/e) Pan #3 £790,332 (3^rd w/e); The Martian stayed in the chart for 7 weeks and was nominated for 7 Oscars winning two Golden Globe’s Best Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actor for Matt Damon.

In February 2014 The Wolf of Wall Street took £1,130,707 down 30% and £19,602,680 88.1% of its £22,267,066 total; was nominated for 5 Oscars

The film’s soundtrack dropped down to #2 (The Greatest Showman up to #4 in its 45th week on release with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again #16 in its 15th week on release). The single Shallow held #1 for the second week; I’ll Never Love Again climbed up to #29 and Always Remember Us This Way #27.

The video for I’ll Never Love Again was released last week featuring a spoiler from the films ending

The first song from the film’s soundtrack Shallow has now been viewed over 84m times viewed over 14m times over the last seven days. 

The soundtrack isn’t able to compete for this year’s Grammy’s because it was released on October 5th five days after the cut-off point. Often film soundtracks are released a couple of weeks ahead of the film’s release but as the soundtrack includes clips of dialogue from the film which are spoilers to the film, it was released on the same day the film opened. The films first single Shallow was released on September 27th and does qualify for Grammy’s. Unlike The Greatest Showman, it is best to hear A Star Is Born after seeing the film and then it will be played as often as The Greatest Showman has been.

3. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – £1,733,235 – NE

753^rd biggest opening in the UK between This Means War and Yogi Bear (close to St. Trinian’s, Victoria and Abdul, Charlotte’s Web, Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?)

992^nd biggest inflation inflated opening weekend between Mama and The Hills Have Eyes (close to Penguins of Madagascar, Jack the Giant Slayer, Daddy’s Home and Real Steel)

103^rd biggest Disney opening in the UK between Scream and Calendar Girls (close to A Christmas Carol, The Hannah Montana Movie, Into the Woods and The Haunted Mansion

131^st biggest inflation inflated opening weekend between Memoirs of a Geisha and Real Steel

Promoted as Disney’s big Christmas film but this will be Ralph Breaks the Internet and Mary Poppins Returns as The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is unlikely to be in cinemas by December.

Always find it crazy when studios release a Christmas film the first week of November, while Selfridges Christmas shop might have opened in August and Sky Cinema launched their Sky Christmas channel over the weekend. But with The Grinch opening this weekend and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald the following weekend it was the only week Disney could have opened the film if it wasn’t going to affect the box office of their other Christmas films.

I might seem to be anti-Disney in my comments, but it is only because original children’s fantasy films like The Nutcracker and the Four Realms were what they were famous for decades before they moved into comic-book and properties business. Over the last decade Disney’s attempts to make these films have underwhelmed at the box office over recent years they have become a rarity as they concentrate on properties and those they make from John Carter to Tomorrowland and Wrinkle in Time.  

As with films like Ant-Man, Tomorrowland and A Wrinkle of Time, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms was poorly marketed this is sacrilegious to me as these family films were Disney’s bread and butter having so much success over decades helped created Disney brand which has over the last decade become the home of properties.

Trailers for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms felt too similar to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Alice In Wonderland and Beauty and the Beast. While the title The Nutcracker and the Four Realms was confusing while most people have heard of The Nutcracker why also include the Four Realms in its title, was it that ballet might be a turnoff to audiences and Disney wanted to make the title sound exciting to audiences.  As while Event Cinema screenings of The Nutcracker have performed well in cinemas over recent years, the last film version of The Nutcracker flopped.

2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass opened with £2,229,399 taking £9,544,781; despite having a disappointing opening it held much stronger than might of expected with its opening only 24% of its total (many family films opening is over 35% of opening but many have previews that make it higher)

2005’s The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe opened £8,884,111 (£14,844,576 inflation inflated) taking £43,905,853 (£73,362,858 inflation inflated)

2008’s Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opened £4,060,532 taking £11,611,495

2010’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opened £2,460,118 taking £13,940,030

Other children’s Christmas films

2004’s The Polar Express opened £2,136,898 (£3,745,521 inflation inflated) taking £9,343,096

2011’s Arthur Christmas opened £2,112,516 taking £20,994,673

2011’s Happy Feet 2 opened £1,686,197 taking £5,325,893

2009’s A Christmas Carol opened £1,917,539 taking £20,371,281

2014’s Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey? Opened £1,800,419 taking £7,287,422

2012’s Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! Opened £1,614,675 taking £9,119,219

2006’s The Santa Clause 3 opened £1,274,774 (£2,060,056 inflation inflated) taking £6,115,896

2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas opened £3,063,799 (£5,480,022 inflation inflated) taking £15,167,543 (£27,129,219)

Other disappointing Disney openings include

2012’s John Carter opened £1,960,414 taking £4,643,786

2013’s The Lone Ranger opened £1,342,196 taking £4,090,415

2015’s Tomorrowland – A World Beyond opened £1,482,178 taking £4,971,372

2018’s A Wrinkle In Time opened £655,542 taking £2,365,210

And the opening was close to another children’s clunker

2016’s Monster Trucks opening with £1,726,229 (£978,711 previews) taking £3,255,346

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann so why change its title?

After Disney announced a few months ago their original Christmas film Noelle starring Anna Kendrick wouldn’t have a theatrical release next November and instead premiere on their streaming service I half expected The Nutcracker and the Four Realms to also go directly to its streaming service. As with Ralph Breaks the Internet and Mary Poppins Returns it felt an unnecessary stocking filler. 

4. Smallfoot – £1,145,377  – £10,174,311

Down 32% in its fourth-weekend Smallfoot is holding surprising well helped to be the first family film released for half-term opening a week before Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

Has overtaken The Lego Ninjago Movie to be Warner Animation Group’s third biggest film after The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie. (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opens in February) and Warner Bros 6^th biggest animated film overall (Pokemon: The First Movie (Warner Bros currently developing reboot recently acquired from Universal Pictures) The Polar Express and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

Smallfoot has become the 98^th biggest animated film in the UK (69^th biggest original animated film in the UK) overtaking many original non-Pixar/Illumination animated films including Sherlock Gnomes, Ferdinand, Bee Movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Boxtrolls, Horton Hears a Who, Pixels, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Captain Underpants, SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water and Hotel Transylvania

With The Grinch opening on Friday Smallfoot is unlikely to climb much further but should match 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie total.

Smallfoot will be Warner Bros sixth film to take over £10m at the box office; in the first six months of 2018 Warner Bros only had one film to take £10m+ Ready Player One having five since June (Ocean’s Eight, The Meg, The Nun, A Star Is Born). Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens next week has received positive reactions from fan screenings over the weekend and Aquaman opens in December. 

5. Johnny English Strikes Back – £1,041,621   – £16,379,395 

Down 37.8% in its fifth weekend

Opening 15 years after the first film was released and seven years Johnny English Strikes Back is holding similar to both films but must remember is about 80% ticket inflation different from the first film released in 2003 and 30% from the first sequel released in 2011.

This follows a similar pattern of many films recently including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again many of today’s films are performing similar in the box office of many similar historical films but should be performing much stronger as they don’t take in count inflation increases between the films. 

Johnny English dropped 41% in its fifth weekend in May 2003 taking £713,416 (£1,269,880 inflation inflated) (dropping #3 against X-Men 2 and Old School) and £16,989,316 88.4% of £19,209,597 total (inflation inflated £34,049,443)

Johnny English Reborn dropped 53% in its fifth weekend in November 2011 £832,068 taking £18,994,878 92.1% of £20,632,010 total (inflation inflated £26,794,376). Johnny English Strikes Back opened the same weekend as Johnny English Reborn did in 2011 holding strong thanks to half-term dropping down to fourth behind The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn opening (2^nd w/e £2,199,171) In Time (1^st w/e) £1,882,365 Tower Heist (1^st w/e) £1,451,029.

In 2003 Johnny English was the ninth biggest film of the year behind LOTR: The Return of the King, Finding Nemo, Love Actually, The Matrix Reloaded, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Bruce Almighty, X-Men 2 and Calendar Girls.

In 2011 Johnny English Reborn was the eleventh biggest film of the year behind (Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Inbetweeners Movie, The King’s Speech, The Hangover Part II, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Twilight: Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Bridesmaids and Arthur Christmas.

If Johnny English Strikes Back was to take £19m+ will likely be the 18th biggest film of the year with Avengers Infinity Wars, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Incredibles 2, Black Panther, Peter Rabbit, Jurassic World 2, Deadpool 2, Mission impossible Fallout, Star Wars  Solo, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born, Venom currently ahead of it and films including The Grinch, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2, Wreck-It-Ralph 2 and Mary Poppins Returns will all take more than £20m.

Bean opened August 1997 with £2,563,326 (£4,956,603 inflation inflated) taking £17,972,562 (£34,752,841 inflation inflated)

Mr Bean’s Holiday opened March 2007 with £6,440,093 (£10,036,343 inflation inflated) taking £21,781,782 (£33,945,074 inflation inflated)

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £14,392,627 down 29.5% from last weekend £20,418,069     

The weekend admissions 1,828,796 down 29.2% from last weekend 2,583,146; average ticket up 3.87% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.87 for 2018; but as with the US claiming the ticket price dropped 6% in the summer wouldn’t be surprised UK claims similar at the end of the year to try to make admissions increase for the first time since 2002.

15 films opened at weekend taking £2,814,070; The Nutcracker And The Four Realms 61.5% (£1,733,235): Slaughterhouse Rulez 14.1% (£397,792): Peterloo 12.3% (£348,697): remaining 12 films shared 11.8% (£334,346): Top three took 64.6% (£9,304,506) of the top 10; Bohemian Rhapsody 39.9%; A Star is Born 12.6%; The Nutcracker And The Four Realms 12.04%;

The weekend was down 0.42% from 2017 (£14,453,653): Murder on the Orient Express £4,985,600; A Bad Moms Christmas £1,781,738; The Killing of a Sacred Deer £286,448; The Son of Bigfoot £23,213; #1 Murder on the Orient Express (1 week)

Up 25.9% from 2016: (£11,430,004): The Accountant £1,623,866; A Street Cat Named Bob £985,557; Nocturnal Animals £755,427; The Light Between Oceans £733,421; #1 Doctor Strange (2 weeks)  w/e)

Down 19.3% from 2015; (£17,844,077); Brooklyn £1,041,278; Burnt £445,777; Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse £297,263; Kill Your Friends £102,221; He Named Me Malala £101,776; #1 Spectre (2 weeks)

Up 29.9% from 2014: (£11,071,565); Interstellar £5,378,220; Say When £93,259; The Skeleton Twins £19,204; November Man £4,980; #1 Interstellar (1 week)

Down 18.2% from 2013: (£17,605,847) Thor: The Dark World £8,668,172; Philomena £1,509,726; Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia £102,955; Drinking Buddies £18,379; #1 Thor: The Dark World (1 week)

Down 37.4% from 2012 (£22,991,689); Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted £2,863,112; Silent Hill: Revelation 3D £1,043,068; Fun Size £410,028; Rust and Bone £252,099; The Shining (Re: 2012) £132,470; The Master £65,701; For a Good Time, Call… £43,882; #1 Skyfall (2 week)

Up 51.8% from 2011 (£9,478,695): In Time £1,882,365; Tower Heist £1,451,029; Machine Gun Preacher £331,578; Straw Dogs £41,912; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan £4,895;  #1 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (2 weeks)

Up 54.9% from 2010: (£9,291,445): Due Date £2,346,089; 3-D Jackass £1,696,909; Let Me In £488,402; Another Year £355,626; #1 Due Date (1 week)

Up 60.1% from 2009 (£8,993,624); A Christmas Carol £1,917,539; The Men Who Stare at Goats £1,211,791; The Fourth Kind £851,476; Jennifer’s Body £736,535; Bright Star £207,881; #1 A Christmas Carol (1 week)

Down 32.7% from 2008 (£21,398,860); Quantum of Solace £15,384,217; Hunger £136,413; #1 Quantum of Solace (1 week)

Up 77.9% from 2007 (£8,089,452); 30 Days of Night £1,532,976; Elizabeth: The Golden Age £1,348,440; Death at a Funeral £357,212; The Lookout £33,833; Brothers Solomon £21,231; Man of the Year £2,391;  #1 Ratatouille (4 weeks)

Up 33.9% from 2006; (£10,744,444); Borat £6,242,344; Sixty-Six £ 292,295; Little Children £158,012; #1 Borat (1 week)

Up 80.5% from 2005 (£7,969,627); The Brothers Grimm £919,713; Elizabethtown £668,604; #1 Nanny McPhee (1 week)

Up 143.1% from 2004 (£5,920,822): The Grudge £2,261,710; Bad Santa £474,450; Birth £421,758; Look At Me £88,161; #1 The Grudge (1 week)

Up 57.1% from 2003 (£9,161,054); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre £1,357,534; In America £284,259; In the Cut £279,068; Alien – Director’s Cut £208,081; #1 Finding Nemo (4 weeks)

Up 101.6% from 2002 (£7,135,820): 28 Days Later £1,500,079; Mr Deeds £879,441; Changing Lanes £808,268; They £225,867; Morvern Callar £82,014; #1 28 Days Later (1 week)

Up 103.1% from 2001 (£7,083,187); The Others £2,259,538; The Animal £345,651; #1 The Others (1 week)

Next weekend in 2017: (£18,610,649): Paddington 2 £8,260,160; Only the Brave £268,680; The Florida Project £241,490; Predator (30th Anniversary) £99,689; The Taming of the Shrew – Bolshoi 2017 (Ballet) £61,300; Professor Marston and the Wonder Women £9,148; #1 Paddington 2

Also opened

• Slaughterhouse Rulez – Sony Pictures

Opened with £397,792 from 379 screens including £143,000 from previews Wednesday/Thursday)

Opened even worse than 2009’s Lesbian Vampire Killers opened with £648,634 taking £1,669,480.

Shaun of the Dead (opened April 2004 with £1,603,410 taking £6,463,463) and Attack of the Block (opened May 2011 with £1,133,859 taking £2,412,985)

• Peterloo – eOne

Opened with £348,697 from 138 screens

Opened lower than recent Mike Leigh films opening on fewer screens, but probably performed stronger in Manchester where the film is set and had its London Film Festival premiere last month. Reviews while being positive did say it was long and dull.

2014’s Mr Turner opened October with £904,947 (from 129 screens) taking £6,726,514

2010’s Another Year opened with £355,626 (from 105 screens) taking £1,605,545

2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky opened April with £383,365 (from 77 screens) taking £1,571,154

Vera Drake opened January 2005 with £266,010 (from 65 screens) taking £2,178,874; (playing to a maximum of 85 screens on its release)

• Juliet, Naked – Universal Pictures

Opened with £51,813 from 124 screens

Received positive reviews but failed to find an audience as so many of types of films do these days, these films need time to find their audience in cinemas but will be pulled by exhibitors after only a week.

Cinema over the last decade is littered with similar films that have received critical acclaim but fail to find an audience will be far better for these films to get VOD release.

Other news

October box office was up 36% from last year due to A Star Is Born, Venom and Johnny English Strikes Again and the year to date is now up 2% for the year.

But the box office is being shared with fewer films in 2017 were 19 films taking over £20m this year have so far been only 11 The Greatest Showman and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle also took £20m+ this year released last year.

Apart from The Grinch, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Mary Poppins Returns its hard to see any other of the remaining films of the year taking more than £20m.

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Bohemian Rhapsody – 20th Century Fox

Opened with $51.06m; received 60% Rotten Tomatoes score but a far more positive A CinemaScore showing audience reaction has been similarly as positive as it was in the UK.

Had the second biggest opening music biopic after 2015’s Straight Outta Compton $60.2m) (taking $161.19m) and ahead of 2017’s All Eyez on Me opened with $26.4m (taking $44.9m); 2005’s Walk the Line $22.34m (taking $119.51m)

Opening bigger than both A Star Is Born opened $42,908,051) and Mamma Mia: Here We Go $34,952,180.

Critics probably were probably expecting/hoping a biopic more like Oliver Stone’s The Doors but as that received mixed reviews and was received poorly by fans and surviving members of The Doors, With Queen producing film it was always going to be more a greatest hits of Queen as the most important thing for them was to do harm the legacy of the band or Freddie Mercury.

Many critics highlighted the films “problematic production” but unlike with films like Solo, Venom and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms the film was near completion when Dexter Fletcher replaced Bryan Singer. Bring the film forward to early November which is normally a slot for Marvel/Bond or Disney family film it gave it ahead start for Thanksgiving while benefited being trailered with A Star Is Born. 20^th Century Fox had massive success earlier this year with another misfit musical The Greatest Showman that also received snobbish reviews but became the people’s favourite, while this was likely to happen in the UK it was more of a surprise that also performed so strongly outside the UK.

It’s interesting that 20^th Century Fox has seemingly been shifting their slate over the last few months with the acquisition by Disney in mind but then opened Bohemian Rhapsody against The Nutcracker and the Four Realms which squeezed its box office, but no one probably expected it to play so wide and young.

It was reported that 20^th Century Fox saw a rough-cut of the film before Bryan Singer was replaced and they loved what they saw (went to Fox in February for an interview and told me how impressive the Live Aid scene was in the film, is the key scene of the film) and predicting The Greatest Showman numbers back then.

The film was originally due to be released on Christmas Day but that would have seen it compete directly with Mary Poppin s Returns while the audience is very different it would have likely suffered.

As with A Star Is Born five weeks ago Bohemian Rhapsody opened bigger than tracking predicted a month ago, was expected to open with $30m+.

The film was always likely to open strongly in the UK but the $53m budget film was riskier outside the UK.

ComScore’s PostTrak, 17% were aged 18-24; 26% were between 25 and 44, similar to the audience who saw A Star Is Born. 19% aged 35-44 and 45-54. Moviegoers 55 and 14% 55+ compared with 22% for A Star Is Born; 51% female and 49% male compared to 61% female and 39% for A Star Is Born.

For all the positives Bohemian Rhapsody opening far bigger than most expected it still had the lowest #1 opening this weekend since 2013 previous years had Marvel and Bond films opening; 2017 Thor: Ragnarok $122.7m; 2016 Doctor Strange $85.1m; 2015 Spectre $70.4m; 2014 Big Hero 6 $56.2mand in 2012 the original Wreck-It Ralph opened with $49.3m.

It was the first time since early February when the top three were all new releases but while Bohemian Rhapsody overperformed The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and Nobody’s Fool both underperformed.

Taking $72.5m from 64 territories $91.7m total and $141.8m worldwide

25m tasking

• The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – Disney

Opened with $20.35m; received poor reviews 34% Rotten Tomatoes score and B+ CinemaScore

Disney shrugged off it’s disappointing opening after similar poor performances for Solo: A Star Wars Story and A Wrinkle In Time earlier this year saying Disney can afford to take these swings, particularly as they take over Fox which does adult fare with aplomb.

While Disney has had massive success with properties after buying Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm none of their non-property films have been anywhere nearly as successful. Disney was the most creative studio in Hollywood for decades and family films like The Nutcracker were its bread and butter that helped create the Disney brand. 

While the marketing of the film made it look like it played young, the film has a darker tone, Disney seem to have an issue with their trailers while Marvel/Star Wars are very generic they often get the tone wrong with other films as was the case also with Tomorrowland, A Wrinkle in Time and Ant-Man which might be a Marvel film but tonally it’s a Disney family film attracting a much younger audience than other MCU films.

The last non-property original film success Disney released was 2009’s The Proposal taking $164m in the US and 315.4m worldwide; the last original property launched was 2004’s National Treasure taking $171.3m in the US and $347.5m worldwide.

2005’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opened with $65.5m taking $291.7m and $745 worldwide

2008’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opened with 455.03m taking $141.6m and $419.6m worldwide

While The Nutcracker and the Four Realms was unlikely to take anywhere near those two films should have opened closer to the third Narnia film

2010’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opened with $34m taking $104.3m and $415.6m worldwide

2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass opened with $26.8m taking $77.04m and $299.4m

But instead, it was more like 2008’s The Spiderwick Chronicles opening with $19m taking $71.1m and $162.8m worldwide

One thing all those films have in common is they performed much stronger internationally than in the US which should have been the case also for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms especially in the UK where the film was made for over £100m with a strong British cast.

With poor word of mouth and The Grinch opening this weekend, the Christmas film is unlikely to last in cinemas until Thanksgiving let alone Christmas a month later

Opened with $38.5m from 45 territories (including $12m from China) and $58.5m worldwide

• Nobody’s Fool – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $13.74m; received poor reviews 20% Rotten Tomatoes but an A- CinemaScore

Since 2003 Tyler Perry has had success with his 17 Madea films which have taken almost $900m at the US box office all for Lionsgate, but the films failed to find an audience internationally.

Paramount Pictures was hoping Nobody’s Fool would be more commercial and with the casting of Tiffany Haddish (after last years Girls Trip) would make the film a success in the US and internationally.

After the film underwhelmed in the US having Tyler Perry’s worst opening since 2014, its unlikely Nobody’s Fool will do much better international. Tiffany Haddish’s Girls Trip was a success last year due to good reviews and strong word of mouth neither Nobody’s Fool will receive, and her last film Night School performed ok in the US but didn’t travel well and neither will Nobody’s Fool.

Opened with $256,000 from 3 territories

• Halloween – Universal Pictures

Down 65.5% in its third weekend taking $10.83m and $165.53m

Halloween is the fourth biggest R-rated horror with It #1  

Took $18.3m from 66 territories total $79.2m and $229.6m globally; #630 biggest worldwide between Mr. Bean’s Holiday and Life Is Beautiful; performed far stronger in the US than internationally despite horrors normally travelling well.

• A Star is Born – Warner Bros

Dropped 21.6% in its fifth weekend taking $11m and $150.22m

Has overtaken final BO of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again $120.63m; La La Land $151,101,803; Les Miserables $148,809,770; The Great Gatsby $144,840,419; Mamma Mia! $144,130,063

After five weeks A Star Is Born is holding stronger than The Greatest Showman ($113,125,431 of $174,340,174) and Chicago ($104,901,344 and $170,687,518 and

Holding stronger than

2013’s American Hustle $9,866,363 up 18.8% and $115,697,554 of $150,117,807

2014’s Gone Girl $8,480,992 down 23.2% and $136,282,506 of $167,767,189

But less than

2015’s The Martian $11,715,097 down 25.5% and $183,121,850 of $228,433,663

2013’s Gravity $12,825,346 down 36.3% and $218,891,359 of $274,092,705

And similar to 2017’s Dunkirk taking $6,614,385 down 39.2% and $165,422,464 of $188,045,546

A Star is Born has overtaken The Meg to be Warner Bros second biggest film of 2018 and will overtake Crazy Rich Asians by next weekend to be #1 taking over $200m.

After a disappointing first five months of the year with only one $100m+ film Ready Player One, five of their last six films have taken over $100m

Took $13.9m from 73 territories and $128.3m total and $29.3m worldwide; #463 biggest film worldwide between Ferdinand and Ghostbusters

• Venom – Sony Pictures

Dropped 26.1% in its fifth weekend taking $7.87m and $198.69m total #41 biggest comic-book film in the US between Superman Returns and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Took $15.6m internationally from 65 territories $342.9m total and $541.6m worldwide #174 biggest film globally between Despicable Me and Brave; expected to top $600m worldwide similar to last year’s Logan.

• Smallfoot – Warner Bros

Dropped 18.9% in its sixth weekend taking $3,.86m and $77.54m; #120 biggest animated film in the US between Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and The Adventures of Tintin and has overtaken Storks, The Lego Ninjago Movie and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Smallfoot took $12.1m from 77 territories and $115.2m total and $192.7m worldwide will shortly overtake Storks global total $183.3m.

• Johnny English Strikes Again – Universal Pictures

Dropped 36.1% in its second weekend taking $1.03m and $3.25m

In 2003 Johnny English took $28,082,366

In 2011 Johnny English Reborn took $8,305,970      

Took $5.7m from 57 territories international $118.3m total and $121.5m worldwide; in 2003 Johnny English took $160.58m worldwide 82.5% ($132.5m) outside US; in 2008 Johnny English Reborn took $160.07m worldwide 94.8% ($131.77m) outside US.

• First Man – Universal Pictures

Dropped 55.1% in its fourth weekend taking $2.18m and $41.94m;

When First Man opened with only $16m Universal Pictures said “Audiences, critics and award pundits will be talking about ‘First Man’ for months, well into the New Year,” he said. “We anticipate ‘First Man’ to have a very long, successful run at the domestic box office, which it certainly deserves.”

A month later after dropping almost 2,000 screens over two weeks and has also dropped out of the top 10, this won’t happen. As with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms last weekend a lot has to do with poor dating decisions.

As soon as Warner delayed A Star Is Born from May to October at the end of last year Universal Pictures should have moved First Man, either forwards to early September as Warner Bros did with Sully or back to late November.

While First Man opened the Venice Film Festival at the end of August receiving critical acclaim but was immediately overshadowed next day with the premiere of A Star Is Born as its theatrical release was. Which was always expected as this happened two years earlier with La La Land overshadowing many far more deserving films.

Opening First Man a week after A Star Is Born was always going to see it underperform and in so doing harming its award campaign as The Martian did in 2015 with The Walk.  

Fourth weekends

Apollo 13 dropped only 20.3% taking $12.45m and $111.24m total $173.83m.

In Hidden Figures (fourth week of expansion) dropped only 10.9% taking $14m and $104.02m total $169.6m

While Bridge of Spies dropped only 30.4% taking $5.83m and $54.72m of $72.31m total

Fourth weekends of October openings

Gravity dropped 32.9% taking $20.13m and $199.64m of $274.09m total

Gone Girl dropped 36.9% taking $11.04m and $124.03m of $167.76m total

The Martian dropped 26.1% taking $15.73m and $166.18m of $228.43m

The Walk dropped 82.4% taking $212,340 and $10.04m of $10.1m

Took $4.7m from 50 territories taking $45m and $87.1m total; similar films Hidden Figures took $235.9m; Apollo 13 took $355.23m and Bridge of Spies took $165.47m while Damien Chazelle’s La La Land took $446.09m worldwide.

• The Old Man & the Gun – Fox Searchlight

Down 40.4% in its sixth weekend dropping 277 screens taking $1.01m and $9.18m

Another award contender casualty pre-release was built as Robert Redford’s final acting performance received critical acclaim, performed strongly on platform release but then was cannibalized when it expanded.

Many exhibitors have taken issue with Netflix having limited three-week platform releases of their Oscar contenders Roma, Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Bird Box before being released on Netflix. They wanted these films to keep to the 16-week theatrical window and so major exhibitors won’t screen them.

But the art-house marketplace is very crowded which means exhibitors will pull films much quicker than they used to and these are films that need time to find their audience. Exhibitors pulled almost 300 screens from The Old Man & the Gun in is the sixth week will it be still in cinemas by its 16^th weekend?

If exhibitors demand films have a 16-week theatrical window distributor should demand they play them for those 16 weeks. I am like a broken record when I say that this is where Paramount Pictures 2015 idea was so good as if exhibitors kept their films on over 1,000 screens they wouldn’t be released on VOD.

Are very few films these days that play wide in cinemas for 16 weeks, after The Nutcracker and the Four Realms underwhelmed at the box office over the weekend the Christmas film is expected to be out of cinemas before Thanksgiving, but its 16 weeks aren’t up until the end of January. Why can’t it be released on VOD in mid-December it won’t have any effect on the box office and Disney don’t need to wait a whole year before they can release it.

Are so many films that fail to find audiences in cinemas and because of the sheer amount of films being released don’t get the time they deserve in cinemas. If exhibitors could realise that early VOD for these films would be a positive as it doesn’t harm them as once a film is out of cinemas there isn’t much of a second-run market anymore.

• Beautiful Boy – Amazon Studios

Up 105.9% in its fourth weekend adding 348 screens taking 51.34m and $3.14m  

• Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Fox Searchlight

Adds 155 screens up 189.7% in its third weekend taking $1.03m and $1.75m

• Suspiria – Amazon Studios

Added 309 screens up 432.4% in 311screens taking $979,882 and $2.89m

UK Box Office Predictions

The Grinch will open #1; the book was last adapted in 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey opened £3,063,799 taking £15,167,543; The Grinch is likely to take similar to its inflation inflated opening £5,480,022 and total £27,129,219.

The film is sandwiched between The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (underwhelmed last weekend) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (received positive buzz from fan screenings last weekend likely to do similar to the first film)

After Bohemian Rhapsody dropped only 10.5% (without previews) should hold strong in its third weekend dropping about 30% £4m+

Widows has received critical acclaim and having a six-day opening weekend should open similar to 12 Years A Slave opened in January 2014 with £2,511,349 and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri £2,361,782; surprising the film opens on Tuesday, but older audiences prefer seeing films during the week rather than the weekend. But with A Star Is Born continuing to hold so strongly could get squeezed.

Widows opened the London Film Festival last month as did Suffragette three years ago which also was a British film with strong female leads, the film also opened mid-week as Widows is doing opening with £2,938,446 (including £1,394,771 previews) taking £10,600,616. The film received similarly positive reviews as Widows has received but opened immediately after it its premiere Widows opens three weeks later.

Suffragette opened #2 behind Hotel Transylvania 2 opening with £6,317,438 (including £3,498,129 preview) Pan opened #3 with £2,738,758 and The Martian holding strongly in fourth with £2,419,958.

Over recent years opening and closing London Film Festival films have had a mixed performance at the box office last years opener Breathe disappointed while Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri went on to Oscar glory, but the buzz was growing ever since premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August.

2016 opening A United Kingdom and closing Free Fire both underperformed

2015 opened Suffragette performed well but closing Steve Jobs flopped

While 2014 opening The Imitation Game and closing Fury and 2013 opening Captain Phillips and closing Saving Mr. Banks all performed well. The opening and closing films don’t generate as much media coverage as they used to, while Widows is a good film wasn’t a big enough film to open the film festival as Venice in comparison opened with First Man.

Widows faces a similar sandwich of Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born holding strongly and The Grinch opening against it.

With the arrival of The Grinch and after poor reviews The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will likely drop heavily as the Christmas film will probably be out of cinemas before the end of November.

After Slaughterhouse Rulez and Halloween underwhelmed Overlord should generate some interest

They Shall Not Grow Old gets its third release in less than a month after being shown at the same time as its London Film Festival world premiere in cinemas and encore screenings Warner Bros then acquired world rights and re-release the same weekend it will be shown on BBC2 on Remembrance Sunday commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War I.

This weekend last year Paddington 2 opened with £8,260,160 with Murder on the Orient Express #2 down only 12% in its second weekend £4,376,429 and Thor: Ragnarok #3 £3,073,349

Opening in the UK

• Widows – 20^th Century Fox (opening Tuesday)

Crime drama starring an ensemble cast Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson and directed by Steve McQueen based upon the 1983 ITV series, script was written by Gillian Flynn; received 96% Rotten Tomatoes score

Had world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and opened the London Film Festival earlier this month; received positive reviews from critics 95% Rotten Tomatoes score with many praising the performances of Davis, Kaluuya and Debick.

Widows is Steve McQueen’s first film since the Oscar-nominated 12 Years A Slave opened in January 2014 with £2,511,349 taking £20,001,093

Trailers feel like a grown-up Ocean’s Eight surprised the film opens on Tuesday and also so close to Bohemian Rhapsody but needed to distance itself from The Girl In The Spider’s Web was delayed two weeks to avoid opening against it.

• Seuss’ The Grinch – Universal Pictures

Animated comedy produced by Illumination Entertainment the second film adaption based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Previous was live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard in 2000.

Featuring voices Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury and narrated by Pharrell Williams and directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier.

The first trailer was released in March, second in June and third and final trailer in September; in January was dated for November 2017 but was delayed to November 2018 in June 2016.

Last year Arsenal announced a marketing partnership with Universal Pictures which was similar to the partnership 20^th Century Fox made with Manchester United which saw their players integrated into marketing campaigns for films including Logan, Independence Day 2, Deadpool and Deadpool 2.  Arsenal launched a marketing campaign for The Grinch on Friday.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas opened 3 December 2000 with £3,063,799 (£5,480,022 inflation inflated) taking £15,167,543 (£27,129,219 inflation inflated).

Other Dr. Seuss adaptations include

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax opened July 2012 with £1,853,294 taking £7,017,256

Horton Hears a Who opened in March 2008  with £2,947,089 taking £8,350,015

The Cat in the Hat opened April 2004 with £1,739,814 taking £7,500,297

 

Unlike most Illumination Entertainment films The Grinch doesn’t have weekend previews to inflate its opening probably due to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms opening the weekend before. Previews inflate weekend box office by a third; Despicable Me 2 32.84%; Sing 40.06% and The Secret Life of Pets 37.89%

Removing previews

Sing opened with £6,286,082

The Secret Life of Pets £5,949,995

In 1998 Universal Pictures acquired rights for two of Dr. Seuss books How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Oh, the Places You’ll Go for $9m, when Dr. Seuss was alive he refused to licence rights to the characters he created, after he died in 1991 his widow sold rights to Universal but strict demands on who would make the film, a director who had earned over $1m for their last film, an actor of similar status as Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, 4% of box office gross and 50% share of  merchandise sales.

In January 2018 Warner Animation Group announced a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to produce several films based on Dr. Seuss characters, the first will be The Cat in the Hat.

• Overlord – Paramount Pictures

Horror starring Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, and Bokeem Woodbine and directed by Julius Avery and produced by J. J. Abrams by Bad Robot Productions. (who have been based at Paramount Pictures since 2008

When the film was first announced was much speculation it was the fourth Cloverfield film as was shortly after Paramount Pictures announced plans to release a Cloverfield film annually. (10 Cloverfield Lane released in 2016 and Cloverfield Paradox was set for 2017 release before it was sold to Netflix, both were untitled Bad Robot films when they started production as Overlord), J. J. Abrams denied this at CinemaCon in April when footage was shown.

The first trailer was released in July and film premiered at Fantastic Fest 2018, in September reviewing positive reviews; 91% Rotten Tomatoes score

• They Shall Not Grow Old – Warner Bros

Documentary directed by Peter Jackson who used 100 hours of Imperial War Museums’ film archive footage and 600 hours of audio from BBC archives it was colourized, and the sound was added and was retrofitted in 3D; received critical acclaim (93% Rotten Tomatoes)

The film received its world premiere on October 16^th at the London Film Festival and Trafalgar Releasing screened it in cinemas for one night only taking £558,000 from 247 screens. (had encore screenings the following week).

The week later Warner Bros acquired world rights to the film and dated the film to open November 9^th and will be broadcast on BBC1 on Armistice Day, November 11.

Must be the first film to be released twice by two different distributors and broadcast on TV within a month.

Opening in the US

• Seuss’ The Grinch – Universal Pictures  

The Grinch is Universal’s second film based on the Dr. Seuss book 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas opened November 2000 with $55.08m taking $260.04m and $345.1m worldwide 

Other Dr. Seuss adaptions

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax opened March 2012 with $70.2m taking $214.03m and $358.8m worldwide

Horton Hears a Who opened in March 2008 with $45.01m taking $154.5m and $297.1m worldwide

The Cat in the Hat opened November 2003 with $38.3m taking $101.1m and $133.9m worldwide

Previous Illumination Entertainment (not Despicable Me films)

The Secret Life of Pets opened July 2016 with $104.3m and $368.3m and $875.4m worldwide

Sing opened December 2016 $35.2m and $270.3m and $634.1m worldwide

While the first Despicable Me opened July 2010 $63.9m and $251,.5m and $543.1m worldwide

Expected to open with $50m+   

Biggest opening for an animated film in November is 2004’s The Incredibles with $70.46m

 

• The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story – Sony Pictures

Thriller starring Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, LaKeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, and Stephen Merchant and directed by Fede Álvarez. Is a sequel to David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the second instalment in the American-produced Millennium film series and reboot featuring a new cast; premiered at the Rome Film Festival receiving mixed reviews (65% Rotten Tomatoes) opened in Sweden on October 26, 2018, ahead of its US opening.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opened December 2011 with $12.76m taking $102.5m in the US and $232.61m worldwide.

Sony Pictures acquired remake rights to the Millennium trilogy in December David Fincher wanted to direct the two sequels (The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (back to back with the first film set to be released in 2013 but was delayed due to script difficulties.

In 2015 Sony Pictures announced plans to adapt The Girl in the Spider’s Web the 2015 novel David Lagercrantz continued the Millennium trilogy written by Stieg Larsson after he died would be a soft-reboot of the franchise skipping past the two books they had so much trouble trying to adapt.

The film was expected to be a reboot of the series but is expected to open in the teens.

• Overlord – Paramount Pictures

Footage was screened at CinemaCon earlier this year J.J. Abrams described as “It’s bat shit crazy,” is the first R-Rated film made by Bad Robot.

Stephen King tweeted last week “Don’t miss Overlord, coming November 9th. I’ve seen it, and it’s as good–as scary-fun–as the early Spielberg.”

With Halloween playing out and trailer screened with it might generate some interest opening in the low teens