Top 5 Breakdown
- The Grinch – £5,019,677 – NE
Had the 15th biggest opening of the year between Ready Player One and Ant-Man and the Wasp and Universal Pictures fourth biggest opening of the year after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again and Fifty Shades Freed and fourth biggest animation opening after Incredibles 2, Peter Rabbit and Coco.
Has the 44th biggest animation opening in the UK between Tangled and How to Train Your Dragon (ahead of Wreck-It Ralph, Toy Story, Shrek and Frozen but below Coco, Trolls, the Croods but they had previews inflating their openings); 61st biggest inflation inflated animated opening between Kung Fu Panda 3 and Flushed Away very close to Despicable Me opening in 2010 Illumination Entertainment’s first animation film.
Removing previews had the 28th biggest opening between Tangled and Shark Tale close to The Secret Life of Pets, Sing and The LEGO Batman Movie opening without previews
The Grinch had Illumination Entertainment’s second-worst opening in the UK after Despicable Me even after removing previews; Dr. Seuss’ film adaptations haven’t been as popular in the UK as the US, but his books have become more popular in recent years. In a 2015 survey of British primary school children found that Dr. Seuss
1960’s Green Eggs and Ham and 1967’s The Cat in the Hat were popular with children in Year 2, both growing in popularity; Green Eggs and Ham the 13th most popular book and The Cat in the Hat 10th most popular in 2015 both were more popular than JK Rowling.
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.
The eight Illumination Entertainment films have taken almost £240m at the UK box office since 2010 their next is The Secret Life of Pets 2 opening in May 2019 which will see them going head to with Pixar for the first time with Toy Story 4 opening less than a month later.
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
Opening in early November gives The Grinch a seven-week run till Christmas but five weeks of this will be limited to weekend matinees and faces competition from Ralph Breaks the Internet opening in three weeks’ time. Last year Paddington 2 opened the same weekend with £8,260,160 and played strongly through till after Christmas taking £42,642,938, but The Grinch is likely to take close to half which would be less than the inflation inflated total of the last adaption in 2000.
Universal Pictures 2018 slate has been filled with sequels and remakes Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Johnny English Strikes Back, Halloween, Fifty Shades Freed, The First Purge, Pacific Rim 2, Skyscraper, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Night School. Even their original films Darkest Light and First Man could be seen as sequels to other films Dunkirk and Hidden Figures. Most of them failed to match the success of previous instalments or versions.
Over recent years Universal Pictures has become the main rival to Disney but have done it with slates heavy on sequels and remakes, next year at least six of their films are sequels or reboots Glass, Happy Death Day 2U, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, A Dog’s Journey, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Fast & Furious Spin-Off. They acquired Dreamworks Animation a couple of years ago and as with Illumination Entertainment, most of their upcoming slate are sequels, Trolls World Tour, The Croods 2 and The Boss Baby 2.
Of course with Disney having so many properties and soon to acquire 20th Century Fox studios probably feel the only way the can compete with them is to make similar films but as seem by 20th Century Fox with films like The Greatest Showman and Bohemian Rhapsody audiences want other original films which is the one area Disney have failed over recent years.
Last year Arsenal announced a marketing partnership with Universal Pictures which was similar to the partnership 20th Century Fox made with Manchester United which saw their players integrated with marketing campaigns for films including Logan, Independence Day 2, Deadpool and Deadpool 2. Arsenal launched a marketing campaign for The Grinch on Friday.
- Bohemian Rhapsody – £4,559,647 – £28,907,411
Down 16% in its third weekend; had the fourth biggest third weekend of the year Peter Rabbit (£5,610,556), Avengers: Infinity War (£5,706,170) and Incredibles 2 (£5,146,128) taking more than Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (£4,121,275) while it held
Has become 20th Century Fox’s 18th biggest film in the UK after 19 days on release between Ice Age: Continental Drift and Life of Pi and their 37th biggest inflation inflated between Taken 2 and Night at the Museum 2.
Will shortly become the 114th film to take £30m+ at the UK box office and 20th Century Fox’s third film this year after The Greatest Showman and Deadpool 2 and their 16th in total.
Had 20th Century Fox’s second-biggest third weekend after 2009’s Avatar £5,940,479 and 17 and is their 17th biggest film after 19 days on release overtaking The Martian, Murder on the Orient Express and Life of Pi and between Slumdog Millionaire and Ice Age 2 and 60th biggest inflation inflated between War for the Planet of the Apes and Black Swan
Bohemian Rhapsody after 12 days on release is already 20th Century Fox’s second biggest film of the year after Deadpool 2 (took £20,68m after 12 days on release)
Is the 11th biggest film of the year (11th 2018 film to take over £20m at the box office this year: The Greatest Showman took £30m+)
Before the start of the year 20th 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
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.
Comparisons are
Musicals third weekends
2008’s Mamma Mia! took £2,830,207 down 38% and £24,608,293 36.1% of £68,162,804
2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took £4,121,275 down 42% £39,324,001 60.2% of £65,222,094
2017’s The Greatest Showman took £2,142,337 down 11% and £13,537,211 28.8% of £47,000,000
2013’s Les Miserables took £4,016,611 down 9% £24,618,896 60.3% of £40,818,299
2001’s Moulin Rouge took £1,533,223 down 18% and £8,366,042 46.6% of £17,934,410
La La Land took £3,105,328 down 29% and £20,954,690 70.2% of £29,816,588
2003’s Chicago took £1,248,340 (3rd week wide/6 week) down 35% and £7,975,054 50.1% of £15,927,431
Biopics
2006’s Walk the Line took £958,306 down 17% £4,864,122 49.9% of £9,737,493
2015’s Straight Outta Compton took £630,325 down 54% and £7,104,517 82.4% of £8,043,283
Five years ago Bohemian Rhapsody was expected to be a very different film when Sacha Baron Cohen was attached to play Freddie Mercury and Stephen Frears was signed to direct. As they wanted to make a much more outrageous film, “Outrageous in terms of his homosexuality and outrageous in terms of endless naked scenes. Sacha loved all of that.” Frears said in an interview.
With Queen producing the film, who control the rights to the music and wanting to preserve Freddie Mercury’s legacy was never going to be the film Sacha Baron Cohen and Stephen Frears wanted to make. While critics might have liked the outrageous biopic Sacha Baron Cohen wanted to make more than they did Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s unlikely it would have been anywhere nearly as successful as it would have been more like The Doors meets Velvet Goldmine (both underperformed at the box office).
Next summer the Elton John biopic Rocket Man opening which feels like it could be part of the same film universe as Elton John’s manager was also Queens and their Live Aid performances were focal points to their music careers while both are also directed by Dexter Fletcher. Rocket Man trailer says is based on a true fantasy, the film is produced by Elton John, who recently announced the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour 300 shows across the world ending In 2021 and will be six months into the tour when the film opens.
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’
As Bryan Singer received director credit on the film despite being replaced by Dexter Fletcher (who received executive producer credit instead) he was listed as the film’s director on the For You Consideration award campaign probably due to contractual obligations. Fox has said that no money will be spent on a campaign for Best Director for Bryan Singer who hasn’t given any interviews promoting the film since he was fired.
It was reported a few days ago Malaysian censors had cut over 20 minutes from Bohemian Rhapsody but only three minutes were actually removed. Last year Malaysian censors wanted to cut three minutes of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast removing the gay scene with LeFou.
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 in the film.
The film’s soundtrack held #3 with Queen’s The Platinum Collection holding #7 Greatest Hits #25 and A Night At the Opera #51 and Bohemian Rhapsody #46 in the singles chart.
In September John Lewis launched an advert featuring Bohemian Rapsody had nothing to do with the film but was free publicity for the film, they launch their Christmas advert next week which is expected to feature Elton John’s, Rocket Man song.
- Widows – £2,409,112 – NE
Took £800,000 from previews Tuesday-Thursday; 760th biggest Fri-Sun opening between The Full Monty and Night School close to Erin Brockovich, The Monuments Men, Atonement, Public Enemies and Crazy Rich Asians
Has the 553rd biggest opening in the UK between RoboCop and Fame (close to The Shape of Water, Into the Woods, The Social Network, Moulin Rouge and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri).
816th biggest inflation inflated opening between Peter Pan and Good Will Hunting (close to First Man, The Lady in the Van, The English Patient, The Descendants and True Grit
In September Widows had the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival receiving positive reviews from critics 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The film opened the London Film Festival last month as did Suffragette three years ago (also was a British film with strong female leads) also opened mid-week as Widows is 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; closing film Stan & Ollie opens in January.
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 year’s 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.
Over recent years Venice and Toronto Film festivals have both overshadowed Cannes and London Film Festivals becoming the key launch platform for many award contenders received their world premieres. Films premiering at the London Film Festival don’t get the media coverage they generate at Venice or Toronto anymore
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
- A Star Is Born – £1,248,295 – £25,464,451
Down 31.4% in its sixth weekend; has become the 9th biggest film of the year and has become Warner Bros 29th biggest film in the UK between Sherlock Holmes and I am Legend and the 48th biggest inflation inflated between Clash of the Titans and Superman Returns.
The seventh biggest musical (or film with music) in the UK (behind Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, La La Land and Bohemian Rhapsody)
Musicals perform much stronger in the UK than the US and have long legs than other genres; Venom opened #1 six weeks ago and was out of the top 10 in its fifth weekend and Johnny English Strikes Back is on its last legs in week 6 but A Star Is Born will be in the top 10 for many more weeks.
Musicals sixth weekends
2008’s Mamma Mia! took £2,208,482 down 21% and £45,205,845 66.3% of £68,162,804
2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took £1,701,162 down 24 and £58,748,746 89.7% of £65,480,203
2017’s The Greatest Showman took £2,201,523 up 8% and £23,226,869 49.4% of £47,000,000
2013’s Les Miserables took £1,126,168 down 31% and £35,968,027 88.1% of £40,818,299
2001’s Moulin Rouge took £864,326 down 19% and £14,024,943 78.2% of £17,934,410
2017’s La La Land took £649,252 down 32% and £28,288,087 94.8% of £29,816,588
2003’s Chicago took £618,675 down 22% (sixth week wide/9th week on release) and £12,361,643 77.6% of £15,927,431
Other adult drama film comparisons (sixth weekends)
Comparisons could be made with 2013’s Gravity (was held back a month in the UK to avoid opening against Captain Phillips) took £592,321 down 46% and £25,763,353 78.3% of its £32,692,161 total down to fourth with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opening #1 £9,325,626 Frozen #2 down 11% £4,212,920 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire #3 £1,368,662; went on to receive 10 Oscars nomination winning 7 similar is currently expected for A Star Is Born
Captain Phillips took £231,338 down 66% and £15,249,377 total; (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire #1 £12,189,733); Gravity #1 (2nd w/e) £2,389,19 down 22% £14,711,488; Thor: The Dark World #2 £1,782,854 (3rd w/e) Philomena #3 £1,006,356 (3rd w/e) Captain Phillips #12 went on to be nominated for 6 Oscars
A Star Is Born total box office close now to Gravity, but took 47.5% more in its sixth 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 £696,874 down 34% and £20,634,368 93.2% of its £22,125,201 total; Gone Girl had an 18-certificate limiting its audience and stayed in the top 10 for 8 weeks.
In 2015 The Martian took £437,450 down 26% and £22,593,037 95.8% of its £23,578,878; 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 £725,047 down 36% and £20,963,772 94.1% of its £22,267,066 total; was nominated for 5 Oscars
Are rumours of a director’s cut as the film is 135mins long but the 1954 version is 176mins long and the 1976 version 140mins; the film’s cinematographer Matthew Libatique recently said in an interview said “I mean, they were different cuts. For me, I see an early cut, then see its evolution. Bradley was working on it — intensely working on it — to find a flow. It’s a rather long film because the music is in it. Things had to go so the music could take place; it couldn’t all exist at the same time. We shot, probably, more movie than is in the movie because of that. I think, editorially, he really started to shave it down to the bare essence of what the love story was. And that’s really all he was doing — making sure that was his priority — and you have to make some really tough decisions. Some performances.”
The film’s soundtrack holds in #2 (The Greatest Showman down to #5 in its 46th week on release with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again #19 in its 16th week on release). The single Shallow dropped #2; I’ll Never Love Again climbed up to #32 and Always Remember Us This Way #28.
The first song from the film’s soundtrack Shallow has now been viewed over 101m times viewed over 17m times over the last seven days.
In New Zealand the film has received M certificate (suitable for 16 years and over) but after reports of two people “severely trigged” the film has received a suicide warning, which is a major spoiler as is the scene when Bradley Cooper’s character Jackson Maine hangs himself.
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms £1,115,243 – £3,414,557
Down 35.6% in its second weekend; despite mixed reviews and the opening of The Grinch held far stronger in the UK than the US
697th biggest second weekend between Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Team America: World Police close to SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, Mulan, The Smurfs 2 and Goosebumps
901th inflation inflated second weekend between King of Thieves and Flight close to Tomorrowland – A World Beyond, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Real Steel and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
116th biggest Disney film after 10 days between Muppets Most Wanted and Scream close to Lilo & Stitch, John Carter, Tron Legacy, Flubber and Freaky Friday
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £16,577,488 up 15.1% from last weekend £14,392,627
The weekend admissions 2,093,646 up 14.4% from last weekend 1,828,796; 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.
14 films opened at weekend taking £9,663,600; The Grinch 51.9% (£5,019,677): Widows 24.9% (£2,409,112): Overlord 7.1% (£677,844): remaining 11 films shared 16.1% (£1,556,967): Top three took 72.3% (£11,988,436) of the top 10; The Grinch 30.2%: Bohemian Rhapsody 27.5%; Widows 14.5%
The weekend was down 10.9% from 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
Up 50.9% from 2016: (£10,984,043): Arrival £2,924,059; American Pastoral £56,832; #1 Arrival (1 week)
Up 11.9% from 2015; (£14,812,116); The Lady in the Van £2,256,121; Steve Jobs £903,214; The Hallow £51,742; Fathers and Daughters £25,199; #1 Spectre (3rd week)
Up 44.6% from 2014: (£11,703,689); The Imitation Game £2,742,725; Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey? £1,800,419; The Drop £637,867; Third Person £2,294; #1 Interstellar (2nd week)
Up 15.5% from 2013: (£14,343,283) Gravity £6,238,375; #1 Gravity (1 week)
Up 9.1% from 2012 (£15,185,020); Argo £1,287,770; Here Comes the Boom £433,052; The Sapphires £337,641; Love Bite £73,129; People Like Us £19,901; #1 Skyfall (3 week)
Up 71.3% from 2011 (£9,676,951): Immortals £2,166,432; Arthur Christmas £2,112,516; The Rum Diary £608,055; The Awakening £273,083; Trespass £247,957; Wuthering Heights £156,931; #1 Immortals (1 week)
Up 114.9% from 2010: (£7,711,855): Skyline £1,206,207; You Again £145,034; #1 Due Date (2nd week)
Up 84.3% 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)
Up 20.3% from 2008 (£13,780,120); Pride and Glory £396,691; W £367,512; Easy Virtue £341,099; #1 Quantum of Solace (2nd week)
Up 116.1% from 2007 (£7,673,228); Good Luck Chuck £1,316,325; Lions for Lambs £658,282; Into the Wild £196,994; Planet Terror £80,894; The Band’s Visit £18,704; Silk £15,880; #1 Good Luck Chuck (1 week)
Up 77.3% from 2006; (£9,349,640); The Prestige £1,184,996; Breaking & Entering £364,886; Starter for Ten £207,345; #1 Borat (2nd week)
Up 117.3% from 2005 (£7,626,912); In Her Shoes £1,337,176; The Constant Gardener £1,004,641; Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang £458,826; #1 In Her Shoes (1 week)
Up 179.9% 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 17.1% from 2003 (£14,166,002); The Matrix Revolutions £8,712,350; Miranda £3,553: #1 The Matrix Revolutions (1 week)
Up 280.4% from 2002 (£4,357,114): Rabbit Proof Fence £221,758; Orange County £167,051; #1 28 Days Later (2nd week)
Up 248.3% from 2001 (£4,758,297); Kiss of the Dragon £478,811; The Piano Teacher £71,911; ; #1 The Others (2nd week)
Next weekend in 2017: (£18,740,071); Justice League £7,264,784; Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool £236,317; The Exterminating Angel – Met Opera 2017 £98,593; Ingrid Goes West £65,750; Good Time £34,046; #1 Justice League (1 week)
Also opened
- Overlord – Paramount Pictures
Opened with £677,844
- They Shall Not Grow Old – Warner Bros
Opened with £271,302
A month after receiving its world premiere on October 16th at the London Film Festival and Trafalgar Releasing screened it in cinemas for one night only taking £558,000 from 247 screens.
Warner Bros acquired it and re-released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I strong performance as it was also broadcast on BBC2 on Sunday Armistice Day.
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – Universal Pictures
Opened with $67.57m; received A- CinemaScore and 55% Rotten Tomatoes score
Was the third biggest opening weekend for an animated film in November after The Incredibles $70.4m and Frozen $67.39m; Ralph Breaks the Internet opens in three weeks’ time is expected to open bigger as the first film Wreck-It Ralph opened in November 2012 with $49.1m.
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
Took $12.7m from 23 territories
- Bohemian Rhapsody – 20th Century Fox
Dropped 38.9% in its second weekend taking $31.2m and $100.36m
Taking $63.1m from 78 territories $185.3m total and $285m worldwide; 488th biggest film worldwide between Lethal Weapon 4 and Wedding Crashers
- The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story – Sony Pictures
Opened with $8.1m; received B CinemaScore and 43% Rotten Tomatoes score
After Sony Pictures acquired remake rights to the Millennium trilogy in December 2009, the first part The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was opened December 2011 with $12.76m taking $102.5m in the US and $232.61m worldwide.
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. After script difficulties, Sony Pictures decided to make a soft reboot adapting David Lagercrantz’s 2015 novel The Girl in the Spider’s Web which continued the Millennium trilogy after Stieg Larsson died.
Took $6.2m from 49 territories and $8.3m total;
- Overlord – Paramount Pictures
Opened with $10.2m; received B CinemaScore and 81% Rotten Tomatoes score
The film opened slightly lower than expected many expected low teens after received positive reviews.
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.”
Comparable to Life opened with $12.5m in March 2017 taking $30.2m (the film was originally developed at Paramount Pictures)
Took $9.2m from 52 territories
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – Disney
Dropped 50.4% in its second weekend taking $10.08m and $35.77m
Dropping similar to A Wrinkle in Time which took $16.25m and $60.75m, Disney managed to squeeze $100.4m out of it but unlikely
Performing closer to 2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass taking $11.31m in its second weekend and $51.30m taking $77.04m and $299.4m worldwide. Or 2008’s The Spiderwick Chronicles taking $13.1m in its second weekend and $44.07m taking $71.1m and $162.8m worldwide.
One positive is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is holding much stronger internationally than in the US taking $13.5m from 45 territories and $61.4m total $96.6m worldwide
- Halloween – Universal Pictures
Down 63.1% in its fourth weekend taking $3.99m and $156.96m
Halloween is the third biggest R-rated horror with It #1
Took $5.9m from 66 territories total $88.7m and $245.5m globally; #578 biggest worldwide between Dark Shadows and Hulk.
- A Star is Born – Warner Bros
Dropped 26.3% in its sixth weekend taking $8.01m and $178,11m
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
Sixth weekend
2017’s The Greatest Showman $9,550,367 down 10.3% and $126,525,599 of $174,340,174
2003’s Chicago $6,844,634 (11th week) down 12.9% and $114,442,185 of $170,687,518
2013’s American Hustle $7,061,676 down 28.48% and $127,000,429 of $150,117,807
2014’s Gone Girl $6,207,419 down 26.8% and $145,535,841 of $167,767,189
2015’s The Martian $9,074,319 down 22.5% and $196,841,665 of $228,433,663
2013’s Gravity $8,535,339 down 33.4% and $231,249,831 of $274,092,705
And similar to 2017’s Dunkirk taking $3,948,142 down 40.3% and $172,477,172 of $188,045,546
A Star is Born has overtaken Crazy Rich Asians becoming Warner Bros biggest film in the US in 2018 (will take over $200m) but Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be their biggest film of the year
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 $9m from 68 territories and $144.8m total and $322.8m worldwide; #400 biggest film worldwide between The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and Megamind
- Venom – Sony Pictures
Dropped 37.6% in its fifth weekend taking $4.91m and $206.29m total #39 biggest comic-book film in the US between Thor: The Dark World and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Took $118.2m internationally from 65 territories (including $111m from China) $467.3m total and $673.5m worldwide #115 biggest film globally between Interstellar and The Sixth Sense
- The Front Runner – Sony Pictures
Opened with $51,543 from 4 screens and $71,742 total
The Front Runner received positive reviews 62% Rotten Tomatoes score with Hugh Jackman receiving acclaim for his performance, Sony Pictures plans to open the film on Tuesday backfired taking only $6,849 from four screens in New York and Los Angeles. The film is set for expansion this weekend and the following weekend.
While midweek openings are a regular occurrence in the UK in the US they are limited to summer and Christmas, in the UK midweek box office before official opening (Friday) is including in its opening weekend as Widows/Overlord last weekend in the US it’s not.
The Front Runner was seen as a comeback film for Jason Reitman as after directing Oscar-nominated Juno and Up in the Air his last four films gave underwhelmed at the box office Young Adult, Labor Day, Men, Women & Children and Tully.
Sony Pictures acquired US rights at the Cannes Film Festival; received the world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and also screened the Toronto Film Festival.
The Front Runner is another award contender wannabee that failed to find an audience this autumn after Collette, The Old Man & the Gun and First Man despite receiving critical acclaim.
Every year studios play the award lottery crowding the marketplace between September and December with award contenders but with only five slots to play for many will lose out while being cannibalized as they are targetting similar audiences, the audience for these films don’t rush out to see them over opening weekend unlike the summer blockbusters which causes them to cannibalize. In the autumn is often one film that breaks out, over recent years Gravity, The Martian, Sully and A Star Is Born all opened strongly and held steadily for many weeks after opening.
Studios will five platform releases for many of their award contenders as Sony did with The Front Runner opening on four screens week one and then slowly building over several weeks to expand to 2,000+ screens after 3-4 weeks.
Often a film performs strongly on limited release but then studio expands to fast and loses its momentum as was the case with The Old Man & the Gun opening in September. The film received critical acclaim and much media coverage as it was expected to be Robert Redford’s final acting role, opened strongly on 4 screens and expanded well in its second weekend but then almost tripled its screens in its third, and while entering the chart in week 4 dropped out after only one week.
This is why Netflix has become the home of prestige films as gives these films a better chance to find an audience but after releasing several films have missed out on award recognition over recent years have opted to give limited platform theatrical releases to several of thier most high profile films ahead of thier streaming release. Major exhibitors have of course rejected the idea as they want Netflix to stick to the 16 week theatrical window which rarely works anymore so the films will only be released in independent cinemas.
- The Boy Erased – Focus Features
Up 266.2% in its second weekend adding 72 screens taking $758,173 and $1.03m
- Beautiful Boy – Amazon Studios
Up 7.8% in its fifth weekend adding 236 screens taking 51.45m and $5.22m
- Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Fox Searchlight
Adds 211 screens up 39.7% in its fourth weekend taking $1.44m and $3.57m
- Suspiria – Amazon Studios
Dropped 62.6% dropping 50 screens taking $366,600 and $1.94m
UK Box Office Predictions
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald should have the fourth biggest opening of the 2018 and the biggest Fri0-Sun opening since Beauty and the Beast opening about £13.5m 15% less than 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them £15,333,146.
The Grinch is targetting a younger audience and is limited to weekend matinees will likely drop 30%+ taking £3.2m+ will be battling out with Bohemian Rhapsody for second dropping a similar amount in its fourth weekend
Strong word of mouth will see Widows hold strongly but due to its three days of previews will drop 40%+.
Two Event Cinema screenings should play strongly midweek Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams, on Wednesday in 321 cinemas and Burn the Stage: The Movie starring BTS on Thursday in 656 cinemas; as with all Event Cinema screenings both have 50%+ surcharges on regular tickets
Opening in the UK
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – Warner Bros
Sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the tenth overall in the Wizarding World franchise starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp and directed by David Yates with screenplay by J. K. Rowling.
David Yates directed the first Fantastic Beasts film and also the last four Harry Potter films.
After having fan screens on November 4th had the world premiere in Paris 8 November and UK premiere November 13th.
In October 2014 Warner Bros announced plans to make at least three films first released 18 November 2016, second 16 November 2018 and the third 20 November 2020 with J. K. Rowling writing the screenplays. In October 2016 it was announced Fantastic Beasts would be a five-film series with Eddie Redmayne starring in all of them.
In November 2016 was reported Johnny Depp had been cast in the film generating much criticism from fans only months after domestic violence allegations which saw Alice Through the Looking Glass and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales to underperform.
While reaction to fan screenings was positive critical reaction was far more mixed with the film getting the lowest score on Rotten Tomatoes of the Harry Potter franchise (57%) in comparison Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 90%, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 96% and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 74%.
Second parts of film series often see a drop off as seen with The Hobbit trilogy Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opened with £11,601,538 but the second film Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug opened with almost 20% less £9,325,626 and the third film Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opened similar £9,753,642. More recently Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened with £34,011,849 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened with £28,010,841 18% less two years later.
Last year studios blamed Rotten Tomatoes as the reason why many films failed at the box office after receiving low scores have been many films this year have been successful despite poor reviews.
So the question will be will Harry Potter fanbase still go and see the latest Fantastic Beasts film and will it join the long list of films including The Greatest Showman, The Meg, The Nun, Venom, Bohemian Rhapsody audiences have still come out to see.
The nine Wizarding World Extended Universe films have taken almost £500m at the UK box office over the last 17 years (£750m inflation inflated) are the third biggest film series in the UK but with half the films made by Pixar and Marvel that have taken more.
Comparisons hard not have access to much historical box office data before 2001
Pixar 20 films took £620m (£885m+ inflation inflated)
Marvel Cinematic Universe 20 films £595m (£662m inflation inflated)
James Bond 7 films (1995+) £390m (£650m inflation inflated)
Star Wars 13 films (missing BO for 2 films) £370m (£725m inflation inflated)
Steven Spielberg 21 films (missing BO) £365m (£655m inflation inflated)
Tom Cruise 35 films (missing BO for 5 films £332m (£530m inflation inflated)
Jurassic Park 5 films almost £200m (£310m inflation inflated)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is Warner Bros6th biggest film in the UK after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight Rises and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone opened this weekend 17 years ago with £16,335,627 its opening was the biggest ever in the UK (now 19th) but included £6,735,259 from weekend previews.
Prior to the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone previews used to be limited to how they still are in the US Thursday evening performances and midnight previews. Over the years since they have helped artificially inflate opening weekends with some films having up to 10 days of previews.
After four of the first Harry Potter films had previews all the films since from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Fantastic Beasts haven’t. One day previews for a film like Fantastic Beasts could help inflate the opening weekend by 20%+, two days 30%+ and three days 40%+. But this also means the film will drop much heavier in its second weekend.
Extended previews will often share box office over more days rather than increase a film’s opening, Widows opened last weekend having a 6-day opening took £800,000 from 3 days of previews but took the same as Three Billboards Outside opened in 3 days.
Seven years after opening Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is still the 6th, Skyfall the 8th biggest opening in the UK (6 years after opening) and Beauty and the Beast 10th biggest opening and none of them needed previews to open so big.
Extended previews will also make films front-loaded Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban 7 day opening weekend took 52% of its total box office compared to 32% for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Extended previews are often a poisoned chalice for films that received poor reviews and word of mouth as they could be DOA before their official opening weekend.
Opening in the US
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – Warner Bros
Despite receiving the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of the Harry Potter Universe it was voted the most anticipated fall movie by Fandango
Expected to open with $65-75m will be slightly less than the first Fantastic Beast film opened with $74m in 2016
Warner Bros brought the rights for the first four Harry Potter films in 1999 for $2m, the nine films to date have taken over $2.6bn in the US and $8.6m worldwide but box office is only a fraction of the revenue generated from properties as billions more will be generated from merchandise and theme parks.
When the Harry Potter films ended in 2011 were rumours for several years Warner Bros were planning to extend the universe. In December 2013 was announced Harry Potter stage shoe was in development, in June 2015 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was announced receiving a world premiere in July 2016. JK Rowling said wasn’t going to be a prequel instead of a new story. (was later revealed it would be set 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The show opened in June 2016 in London as a two-parter and opened on Broadway in April 2018. Have been rumours ever since the stage shows opened that it will be made into films after the five Fantastic Beast films have been released would be after 2024 when Fantastic Beasts 5 is released.
- Instant Family – Paramount Pictures
Comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne and directed by Sean Anders, the third film he has directed starring Mark Wahlberg (other two Daddy’s Home films).
Was originally set for February release being brought forward to November in August to try to replicate the success of the Daddy’s Home films being an alternative to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald as the first Daddy’s Home was to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In December 2015 Daddy’s Home opened $38.74m taking $150.35m and $243m worldwide
In November 2017 Daddy’s Home 2 opened $29.65m taking $104.02m and $181m worldwide
Expected to open with low teens
- Widows – 20th Century Fox
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 95% 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 October 2013 on platform release with $923,715 taking $56.67m and $187.73m worldwide; was nominated for nine Oscars winning three.
His other two films Shame in 2011 and Hunger in 2008 only received a limited release.
- Green Book – Universal Pictures
Comedy-drama starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen and directed by Peter Farrelly; about tour of the Deep South in the 1960s by Jamaican-American classical pianist Don Shirley
Had world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2018 winning the People’s Choice Award and received positive reviews from critics; 90% Rotten Tomatoes.
Peter Farrelly is best known for directing gross-out comedies with his brother including Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal.