- Super Mario Bros – £3,067,431 – £45,780,596
Dropped 28.2% in the fourth weekend; took £440k (14.3%) down 32.1%; £1.34m Saturday (43.7%) down 33%; £1,287m Sunday (42%) down 20.5%
Took £1.34m on Bank Holiday Monday
36th biggest fourth weekend (37th £3m+ fourth weekend) between Jumanji: The Next Level and Bohemian Rhapsody (close to Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Paddington 2 and Aladdin) and 79th biggest inflated between Aladdin (2019) and Calendar Girls (close to Babe, Ghost, Lilo & Stitch and The Lion King (1994).
59th biggest film between The Jungle Book and The King’s Speech (close to Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Paddington 2 and Alice In Wonderland); (80th film to take £40m+ since 1993’s Jurassic Park) and 148th biggest inflated between Paddington 2 and The Silence of the Lambs (close to Crocodile Dundee II, Batman Forever, Cats and Dogs and 101 Dalmatians).
Illumination’s 13th film since Despicable Me in 2010 taking over £400m at the UK BO and £425m inflated. On Tuesday Despicable Me 3 and Minions to become their biggest film in the UK. Next Illumination has Migration and Despicable Me 4 next year and will announce a sequel probably released in 2027 and spinoffs very soon.
10th biggest animated film between Minions The Rise of Gru and Toy Story 2 (close to Minions, Despicable Me 3, Inside Out and The Simpsons) and 27th biggest inflated between Minions The Rise of Gru and Toy Story 2 (close to Shrek 2, Despicable Me 2, Shrek The Third and Finding Nemo).
2. Evil Dead Rises – £1,059,777 – £3,356,627
Dropped 28.3% (28% without previews) in the second weekend.
Took £325k Friday (30.7%) down 35.5%; £393k Saturday (37.1%) down 31.5%; £341k Sunday 14.8% drop.
Evil Dead Rises had a lower-than-expected second weekend as horrors normally drop 50%+ as the film did drop in the US and the previous film; 2013’s Evil Dead dropped 60% in the second weekend £538,466 #5 from 394 screens and £2,560,331; while 1993’s Army of Darkness took £559,298 and 1987’s Evil Dead II took £1,180,250 (£4,435,544 inflated).
Had similar horror second-weekend drop as Candyman, The Invisible Man, A Quiet Place and Split.
961st biggest second weekend between GI Joe: Retaliation and 3-D Jackass (close to Blade, Black Hawk Down, Fatal Attraction and Contagion) and 1,548th inflation inflated between Full Metal Jacket and History Boys (close to Carlito’s Way, Sneakers, Event Horizon and Super Mario Brothers).
53rd biggest horror second weekend between Mama and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (close to The Haunting, 28 Days Later, The Ring Two and Scream (1997) and 91st inflation inflated between The Lawnmower Man and The Wolfman (close to Stigmata, Jeepers Creepers 2, House on Haunted Hill and Pitch Black).
110th biggest horror between The Hills Have Eyes and Evil Dead (close to Don’t Breathe, The Menu, The Forever Purge and Old) and 154th biggest inflated between Pet Sematary (2019) and The Exorcist III (close to Sleepwalkers, Boogeyman, Psycho (1999) and The Lost Boys).
3. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – £784,698 – NE
Includes £24,645 from previews
Took £218k Friday (27.8%); £267k Saturday (34%); £299.7k Sunday (39.2%)
Opened in 642 cinemas the 78th widest opening in the UK similar to Eternals and Aladdin (close to Spider-Man: Far from Home, Black Widow, Darkest Hour and Bridget Jones’s Baby) 161st 600+ cinema opening since 2015’s Jurassic World.
eOne’s 5th widest opening after 1917, Dungeons & Dragons, The Fabelmans and Stan and Ollie.
Opened similar to films including Mrs Harris Goes To Paris, History Boys, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Sunshine on Leith and About Schmidt, but as with last year’s The Phantom of the Open (opening with £456,829 in 626 screens) eOne heavily promoted the film and opened it very wide, so should have opened with £1m+ as similar films would have done a decade or more ago.
These feel-good British films used to be the lifeblood of UK cinema but the audience for these films didn’t rush out to see them over the opening weekend they took time to find their audience, but films aren’t now allowed to do so anymore and The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry will see a big reduction of showtimes this weekend.
It’s madness that films like Harold Fry open as wide as films like Eternals and Aladdin, but it highlights the problem these films have as exhibitors won’t give them time to find an audience. Exhibitors keep talking about the need for more films and also want studios to have 90-day windows but then can remove a film from cinemas within a couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer having a 100-day window with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opening the weekend before and opening against Barbie.
While exhibitors increase prices for tentpoles. surely should go the opposite way for smaller British films to try to get audiences into cinemas as Lionsgate’s Zygi Kamasa said in 2014 “Something drastic was needed” but nothing, of course, has been done since.
The industry celebrates the predictable success of Super Mario Bros audiences will always come out to see these films, it’s the smaller films that have been squeezed over the last 20 years. Exhibitors demand studios play out theatrical windows before films can be released on other platforms but they will pull films like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry within a week, as they will also do with Polite Society opening far worse, but they aren’t the kind of films audiences rush out to see over opening weekend. As the recent Rye Lane which received rave reviews but as with so many similar films opened far too wide, these films used to expand over weeks as they got a chance to find their audience.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry could be compared to films like 2018’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato opened £825,777 #3 from 499 screens taking £5,937,280; 1989’s The Accidental Tourist opened £21,356 from 2 screens taking £55,561; 1999’s The Straight Story opened £48,410 #12 from 8 screens.
The book was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, won the UK National Book Award for the New Writer of the Year, and was a New York Times bestseller in 2012 selling more than 5 million copies worldwide. Starring Jim Broadbent, his last film role The Duke opened £992,659 #3 from 651 screens taking £5,283,515 and 2015’s The Lady In The Van opened £2,256,121 #2 from 523 screens taking £13,237,194.
Playing to an older demographic who prefers going to the cinema during the week rather than the weekend. The problem with both is they won’t film audiences rush out to see over the weekend so as 2022’s The Phantom of the Open opened with £456,829 #5 from 626 screens it lost showtimes in its second weekend losing almost half of its screens by third weekend taking £2,023,765.
Recent films targetting older audiences include Allelujah opened £715,783 #4 from 558 screens taking £3,393,983 and Man Called Otto £1,088,410 #4 from 638 screens taking £4,780,386. The problem with these films is they open far too wide as they used to open on limited wide release and then expand, the problem distributors have is if these films don’t find an audience at their opening weekend they won’t expand further.
Exhibitors always talk about the need for more films to be released but it’s not more films they want but the right kind of films as they should be supporting films like Polite Society and Harold Fry and give them a chance to find their audience as similar feel-good British films 20+ years ago would.
There are already far too many films being released, what he means is the right kind of films, as last year 911 films were released in the UK, while 26 took over £10m, 59 didn’t take £1k and 254 didn’t take more than £10k.
4,. Ponniyin Selvan 2 – £618,244 – NE
Took £228k Friday (36.9%); £203k Saturday (32.8%); £187.2k Sunday (30.3%)
Opened in 210 screens; had a screen average of £2,944 the third best of the top 10 after Return of the Jedi and Super Mario Bros
Opened like RRR £650,204 #2 from 160 screens 17% less than Ponniyin Selvan: I (October 2022) £745,386 #5 from 119 screens taking £1,115,483; it was the biggest opening for a Bollywood film in 2022 ahead of K.G.F: Chapter 2 (£612k); RRR (£650k); Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva £516k.
Pathaan had the biggest ever Bollywood opening in January £1,967,854 taking £3,347,070, other big openings include 2016’s Sultan opened £1,048,417 from 121 screens (£8,665 average) taking £1,505,128; 2010’s My Name Is Khan £936,454 #6 from 91 screens (£10,291 average) taking £2,316,393; 2013’s Chennai Express £935,671 #10 126 screens (£7,426 average) taking £1,624,693; 2013’s Dhoom 3 £ 884,567 #5 from 97 screens £9,120 average taking £1,976,454.
5. Dungeons And Dragons: Honour Among Thieves – £575,796 – £12,781,642
Down 25.1% in the fifth weekend
Took £103k Friday (17.9%) 19.2% drop; £235k Saturday (40.8%) 34.9% drop; £237.8k Sunday (41.3%) 8.4% drop.
6th biggest 2023 film between Creed 3 and Scream VI
Had a similar fifth weekend as The Mummy (1999), Angry Birds, Oz: The Great and Powerful and Speed and Inflation inflated close to The Little Mermaid (1990), Stuart Little 2, Van Helsing and Dirty Dancing.
Fantasy films have had mixed success at the box office including.
1996’s Dragonheart dropped 28.5% by £321,707 (£607,844 inflated) and £5,785,093 88% of £6,573,083 (£14,354,192 inflated); despite underwhelming in the US Dragonheart was hugely successful in the UK and had several straight to DVD sequels.
2010’s Clash of the Titans dropped 33% £659,005 #5 from 362 screens and £19,201,856 taking £20,111,003
1999’s The Mummy dropped 28% £604,097 (£1,103,446 inflated) and £13,251,294 75.9% of £17,439,339 (£33,470,275 inflated)
Other fantasy films lasting less than five weeks include the top 15.
2016’s Warcraft took £5,947,228; 2012’s Wrath of the Titans took £7,812,578; 2006’s Eragon took £5,154,073; 2002’s Reign of Fire took £3,216,609 (£6,277,826 inflated); 2007’s Beowulf took £7,043,429 (£11,269,486 inflated); 1991’s Highlander 2: The Quickening took £5,250,692 (£14,001,845 inflated); 1986’s Labyrinth £3,568,402 (£15,336,536 inflated); 1988’s Willow took £1,641,213 (£5,765,653 inflated); 1987’s Masters of the Universe took £2,198,857 (£8,263,611 inflated); 1986’s Highlander took £1,220,671 (£5,246,288 inflated)
515th biggest film between Ransom and The Impossible (close to Hook, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Jungle Cruise and Star Wars Return of the Jedi (1983) and 907th biggest inflated between Watchmen and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (close to Superman IV, Groundhog Day, National Treasure and Beetlejuice).
While Dungeons & Dragons performed well in the UK due to be heavily promoted by eOne will this be enough to justify another film as its budget was $150m and won’t likely take more than $200m?
Also Opened
Return of the Jedi – Disney
Opened £446,291 #7 from 40 screens with a screen average of £11,157.
Took £140k Friday; £152k Saturday; £154k Sunday.
Surprisingly Disney only booked it into 40 cinemas and also pulled it from those cinemas after only 5 days as had it opened in more cinemas it could have made the top three.
In July 2020 Disney was going to re-release The Empire Strikes Back in 4K in cinemas for its 40th anniversary, but after failing to get agreements with exhibitors re-released the 1997 2D version (opened with £33,343 #2 from 115 screens); it is 23 seconds shorter than the 1997 re-release as Disney likely removed the iconic Fox fanfare at the start.
Return of the Jedi was previously re-released in cinemas in April 1997 as part of the 20th anniversary of Star Wars Special Editions when Star Wars was released in cinemas in March, with Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi released over the following weeks.
Star Wars Special Edition opened with £3,770,206 from 354 screens (£7,484,832 inflated) taking £16,343,172 (£32,445,413 inflated)
Empire Strikes Back Special Edition opened £2,023,379 from 354 screens (£3,949,010 inflated) taking £7,183,898 (£14,020,748 inflated)
Return of the Jedi Special Edition opened £1,695,114 from 353 screens (£3,308,338 inflated) taking £4,885,138 (£9,534,279 inflated)
When Disney announced its acquisition of Lucasfilm they planned yearly Star Wars films infinitely, but after polarized reactions to The Rise of Skywalker and The Last Jedi along with Solo they pulled many of the Star Wars films they had in development opting to make TV spin-offs instead, but while critics and audiences have enjoyed The Mandalorian other shows have had mixed reception as they all feel very similar, but that’s also been the case with MCU TV spinoffs.
Their re-releases put in perspective Avatar’s re-release in September 2022 ahead of the sequel opening with £1,218,693 #2 from 535 screens 25 years later with a large percentage of BO from IMAX/PLF screens.
Polite Society – Universal Pictures
Opened £220,278 #9 from 445 screens.
Includes £24,971 from previews
Took £47k Friday; £70k Saturday; £103k Sunday.
Interestingly Polite Society had its best day on Sunday showing that word of mouth was getting the audience to see it, the problem, of course, is that it will have its shows dramatically cut back in its second weekend and audiences will try to seek it out but will have random shows throughout the day.
Without previews, Polite Society would have opened #11 behind Big George Foreman
Polite Society has been compared to 2010’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World as it similarly mixes film genres (opened £1,604,545 #2 from 408 screens taking £5,081,181) also Everything Everywhere All At Once opened £681,351 #3 from 150 screens taking £6,046,769 as well as Rye Lane opened £258,997 #7 from 369 screens taking £1,085,843.
Big George Foreman – Sony Pictures
Opened £204,220 #11 from 457 screens.
Took £48k Friday; £75k Saturday; £81k Sunday.
The film was always going to struggle to find an audience in the UK as other faith-based films, while George Foreman is best known now for his grill rather than his boxing.
It’s surprising the film was even given a theatrical release and that it opened day and date in the US, but it probably had more to do with Sony’s lucrative Sky TV and Netflix deal to give these films a token cinema release.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £7,835,588 down 12.5% from last weekend’s £8,951,596; 1,018,932 admissions down 12.5% from 1,164,057.
814th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,100) between 30 July 2004 #1 King Arthur £1,908,084 (24.3% of top 10) and 18 July 2003 #1 The Hulk £3,529,440 (45.1% of top 10) and 1,013th biggest inflation inflated between 10 June 2016 #1 Me Before You £1,453,859 (20.2% of top 10) and 18 September 2009 #1 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs £1,583,544 (27.5% of top 10).
The top 3 took £4,911,906 62.7% of the top 10; Super Mario Bro 39.1% (£3,067,431); Evil Dead Rises 13.5% (£1,059,777); The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry 10% (£784,698)
417th highest percentage #1 between 09 June 2006 The Omen (39.16%) and 27 December 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (39.1%).
765th biggest admissions #1 (398,886) between 17 March 2006 The Pink Panther (399,298) and 10 February 2023 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (398,818).
Down 14.8% from 2022 (£9,173,308); Downton Abbey: A New Era (£3,072,762); #1 Downton Abbey: A New Era £3,072,762 1st week 739 screens (33.5% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown
2020; Lockdown
Down 83.2% from 2019; (£46,742,473); Avengers: Endgame 92.8% (£43,400,000); Eighth Grade (£144,923); #1 Avengers: Endgame £43,400,000 1st week 679 screens (92.8% of top 10)
Up 76.8% from 2018: (£33,778,278); Avengers: Infinity War (£29,379,496); Cendrillon Met Opera 2018 (£212,367); Beast (£166,295); Bing at the Cinema (£65,535); #1 Avengers: Infinity War £29,379,496 1st week 650 screens (86.9% of top 10)
Down 58.3% from 2017: (£18,771,674); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (£13,092,657); The Promise (£178,388); Lady Macbeth (£174,989); Mad Max: Fury Road – Black & Chrome Edition (£39,399); Lowriders (£6,543); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £13,092,657 1st week 632 screens (69.7% of top 10)
Down 65.4% from 2016: (£22,632,665): Captain America: Civil War (£14,466,681); Demolition (£264,512); Son of Saul (£178,617); Elektra – Met Opera 2016 (£174,559); Ratchet and Clank (£147,848); #1 Captain America: Civil War £14,466,681 605 screens (63.9% of top 10)
Down 47.7% from 2015; (£14,986,028); Far from the Madding Crowd (£1,450,297); Unfriended (£1,346,952); Two by Two (£566,871); Monsters: Dark Continent (£34,820); #1 Avengers: The Age of Ultron £8,591,670 589 screens 2nd week 57.32% 53% drop
Down 25.3% from 2014: (£10,488,280); The Other Woman (£2,662,870); Transcendence (£1,181,347); Tracks (£111,337); #1 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 £9,011,114 2nd week 63% drop 546 screens (32.1% of top 10)
Down 55.1% from 2013: (£17,443,495); Iron Man 3 (£13,711,048); The Look of Love (£208,557); Bernie (£32,935); #1 Iron Man 3 £13,711,048 1st week 555 screens (78.6% of top 10)
Down 61.8% from 2012 (£20,513,565); Marvel Avengers Assemble (£15,778,074); Albert Nobbs (£106,552); Damsels in Distress (£44,765); African Cats (£41,392); #1 Marvel Avengers Assemble £15,778,074 1st week 521 screens (76.9% of top 10)
Down 36.2% from 2011; (£12,271,421); Thor (£5,449,300); Insidious (£1,441,292); Cedar Rapids (£146,062); #1 Thor £5,449,300 1st week 500 screens (44.4% of top 10)
Down 39% from 2010: (£12,841,846); Iron Man 2 (£7,664,732); The Last Song (£679,698); The Disappearance of Alice Creed (£142,324); Gentlemen Broncos (£1,125); #1 Iron Man 2 £7,664,732 1st week 521 screens (69.6% of top 10)
Down 39.3% from 2009; (£12,914,013); X-Men Origins: Wolverine (£6,658,979); The Hannah Montana Movie (£2,030,657); The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (£976,780); Is Anybody There? (£123,309); #1 X-Men Origins: Wolverine £6,658,979 1st week 488 screens (51.5% of top 10)
Down 20.4% from 2008; (£9,840,435); Forgetting Sarah Marshall (£5,465,103); Nim’s Island (£820,218); Made of Honour (£749,611); #1 Forgetting Sarah Marshall £5,465,103 1st week 393 screens (38.7% of top 10)
Up 80.9% from 2007: (£4,332,041); Next (£795,012); The Painted Veil (£261,130); This Is England (£207,676); Reno 911! Miami (£137,648); #1 Next £795,012) 1st week 357 screens (18.3% of top 10)
Up 51.9% from 2006; (£5,158,448); 16 Blocks (£778,839); Slither (£488,446); #1 Ice Age II £1,100,736 4th week 42% drop 485 screens (21.3% of top 10)
Up 5.2% from 2005 (£7,444,415); The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (3,298,262); XXX2: The Next Level (£920,506); #1 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy £3,298,262 1st week 465 screens (44.3% of top 10)
Up 35% from 2004 (£5,804,618); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (£1,045,501); Secret Window (£759,162); Our House (£146,061); #1 Kill Bill – Volume 2 £1,456,152 2nd week 47% drop 409 screens (25.1% of top 10)
Up 0.6% from 2003 (£7,886,578); Dreamcatcher (£729,525); Welcome to Collinwood (£688,465): The 25th Hour (£198,341); #1 Johnny English £2,279,100 3rd week 447 screens 10% drop (28.9% of top 10)
Down 10.4% from 2002 (£8,748,862); About A Boy (£3,747,966); Roadkill (£784,853); John Q (£306,517); #1 About A Boy £3,747,966 1st week 446 screens (42.8% of top 10)
Next week 2022 (£23,689,265); Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (£19,765,718); Turandot – Met Opera 2022 (£110,203); Cabaret (50th Anniversary) (£19,238); Thunderball (Re: 2022) (£7,907); #1 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness £19,765,718 1st week 684 screens (83.4% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Super Mario Bros – Universal Pictures
Dropped 32% in the fourth weekend taking $40.83m and $490.85m
5th biggest fourth weekend between Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens ($42.35m) and Black Panther ($40.81m); Incredibles 2 #17 $28.4m; The Lion King #26 $24.42m; Monsters, Inc. #28 $24.05m; Zootopia #29 $24.02m.
2nd biggest animated film between Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory; the 19th biggest film between Beauty and the Beast and Finding Dory; the 60th biggest inflated between Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Star Wars Ep. II: Attack of the Clones; 2nd biggest Universal Pictures film between Jurassic World and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Universal Pictures gave exhibitors two options when they booked Super Mario Bros either a flat fee of 63% rental for the entire run or 63% in the opening weekend and then a sliding scale dropping down to 35% after a few weeks. So, it’s in the exhibitors’ interest that the film has long legs as it used to be that films would play for months rather than weeks and the longer films ran the lower the rental fee studios received.
17 Illumination Entertainment films have taken $3.64bn in the US and $9.09bn worldwide.
Took $68.3m from 80 territories and $532.5m and $1.022bn worldwide; Mexico $73.2m; UK $56.4m; Germany $43.9m; France $40.8m; Australia $31.1m; Spain $22m; China $21m; Brazil $20.6m; Italy $19.6m.
Took $45.3m from IMAX worldwide third biggest IMAX film.
After 4 years NATO has finally updated the average price, up 15% post-COVID to $10.53 but as IMAX/PLF has fueled ‘growth’ need EntTelligence averages $15.76 and $17.80 from films like Avatar 2 (took 30%+ from premium).
18th biggest animated worldwide between Ice Age: Continental Drift and Inside Out; 77th biggest worldwide between Spider-Man: Homecoming and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; 12th biggest Universal Pictures film between The Secret Life of Pets and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Universal Pictures now have four of the 10 biggest studio films released since 2019 and five of them internationally.
- Evil Dead Rises – Warner Bros
Dropped 50% in the second weekend $12.13m taking $44.34m
953rd biggest second weekend between The Fighter ($12.13m) and Looper ($12.11m) (close to The Black Phone, Scream (2022), Chronicle and Constantine).
The fifth movie in the Evil Dead film series started in 1981 with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell. 2013’s Evil Dead dropped 63.2% in the second weekend taking $9.48m and $41.53m of $54.23m and $97.54m worldwide had a budget of $17m.
Took $14.2m (down 15.5%) from 61 territories and $42.1m and $86.5m worldwide; Mexico $4.3m; UK $4.1m; India $3.1m; Brazil $2.8m; France $2.7m; Spain $2.4m; Italy $2.3m; Australia $1.6m; Germany $1.5m.
- Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret – Lionsgate
Opened with $6.73m; received widespread critical acclaim (99% Rotten Tomatoes) and A CinemaScore
Took £600k from Thursday midnight.
It’s hard to make comparisons with 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing opening with $17.2m taking $90.2m as while it was also based on a best-selling novel it was targeting an older female audience.
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig who previously directed 2016’s Edge of Seventeen (opened $4.75m taking $14.43m) also received positive reviews (94% Rotten Tomatoes). Surprisingly 55% of Margaret ‘s audience was 45+, women 25+ 62%, and under 25 16%. As this was the problem with the film it attracted those who read the book when they were teenagers rather than current teenagers, as with films like Booksmart it’s a film that will find this audience on streaming but they won’t go to the cinema to see these films. Unlike their parent’s generation who grew up with John Hughes films while 20-somethings grew up on Judd Apatow films like Superbad and Emma Stone’s Easy A (opened $17.73m taking $58.4m).
It was originally due to open September 16th the weekend Don’t Worry Darling opened with $19.35m taking $45.3m, had it opened in September could have premiered at the Toronto Film Festival as Edge of Seventeen.
As with John Hughes films in the 80s Judy Blume’s novels wrote about how children felt growing up, long before the internet.
They were similar to John Hughes films and books that talked to children who were changing and they were relatable to them on the same level as going through the same things, which does make it feel less scary knowing that others feel as you do.
Other coming-of-age girls’ films include Lady Bird, Now and Then, My Girl, Thirteen, Little Women, Superbad, Juno, Sixteen Candles, Dirty Dancing, Mermaids, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Heathers, Booksmart, Eighth Grade, Mean Girls and Bend It Like Beckham, many of those also struggled to find a wide audience despite receiving positive reviews and strong word of mouth finding their audiences outside of cinemas.
Coming-of-age girl’s films are often very different to coming-of-age boys’ films focused on sex but John Hughes’s films would break that barrier telling it from both sides as Superbad also did.
But the question with films like these is whether they will find an audience, and will they be given time to find that audience even with positive reviews it’s going to be a word-of-mouth film that girls will talk about with friends as it’s not a film they will rush out to see. But the problem is like Booksmart in May 2019 opening the same weekend as Aladdin with $6.93m #6 to Aladdin’s $91.5m despite also receiving widespread critical acclaim taking $22.68m) it will be overshadowed by Disney’s coming-of-age reimagination of The Little Mermaid opening in a couple of weeks.
Surely exhibitors should be doing more to support these films, but the problem as ever is if they don’t find an immediate audience in their opening weekend, they will lose showtimes in their second weekend, as Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret will do with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 opening on Friday. The film has a 53-day theatrical window, but will it last that long in cinemas as exhibitors will surely cut back showtimes on Friday and then with Fast X and The Little Mermaid opening over the next few weeks unlikely to stay in cinemas till the end of the month.
Martin Scorsese said at CinemaCon last week “Getting younger people to enjoy the theatrical experience … on a screen that is bigger and more engaging than films they see home will make a difference.” While audiences will always come out to see films like Super Mario Bros and it taking $1bn worldwide was always expected the industry needs to get behind films like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret getting audiences to see a wider range of films in cinemas.
- Big George Foreman – Sony Pictures
Opened with $2.8m; received mixed reviews (44% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore
While the industry celebrated the predictable success of Super Mario Bros this weekend but highlighted again the struggle of original films in cinemas, AMC might say they are happy to book Netflix and Apple films, but they surely must be the right kind of films on their terms.
In the UK and the US Polite Society (opened $817,740 from 927 screens (91% Rotten Tomatoes) and George Foreman was both disappointed and Sisu was also disappointed in the US (opened with $3.33m despite receiving positive reviews (93% Rotten Tomatoes) along with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
While George Foreman was always going to struggle to find an audience in the UK it should have found a much bigger audience in the US. While reviews were mixed the combination of faith and sports biopic should have found an audience as both genres of films normally perform well, George Foreman was produced by Affirm Films, highest-grossing films are Heaven is for Real, Miracles from Heaven, and War Room has taken over $520m worldwide (mostly in the US) and the studio has taken over $2bn over the last 14 years.
As these films had low budgets and low marketing costs, they were very profitable for Sony, something George Foreman won’t be with a budget of $32m. The writing was on the wall for the film over 6 months ago, first with the studio struggling with a title having gone through many different variations and moving its release date several times from a prime September slot to March and the end of April.
While audiences are predictably coming out to see Super Mario Bros and they will come out in similar numbers to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 this weekend the industry needs to find a way to get audiences to see other films too.
- Return of the Jedi (re-release) – Disney
Opened with $5.1m (from 475 screens) and $314.3m
Playing in US cinemas for only a week
Empire Strikes Back was re-released in July 2020 and opened with $611,000 from 611 screens (weeks after cinemas reopened after COVID) taking $2.48m.
Both films were re-released in 1997 as part of the Star Wars 20th-anniversary re-release
A New Hope (Special Edition) opened $35.9m taking $138.25m
The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition) opened $21.97m taking $67.59m
Return of the Jedi (Special Edition) opened $16.29m taking $45.47m
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 24% in the fifth weekend $4.17m and $88.23m.
776th biggest 5th weekend between Down and Out in Beverly Hills and RV (close to Enchanted, Dolphin Tale, DC League of Super-Pets and Game Night).
916th biggest film between Waterworld and Starsky & Hutch; 1,634th biggest inflated between Parental Guidance and Cinderella Man; 7th biggest 2023 film between M3gan and Cocaine Bear; the 76th biggest fantasy film between Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Peter Pan (1953); 123rd biggest Paramount Pictures film between Failure to Launch and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear.
Fifth weekends
2006’s Eragon dropped 56.9% taking $2.07m and $70.24m of $75.03m and $250.42m WW
1996’s Dragonheart dropped 37.1% taking $1.84m and $43.97m of $51.36m and $115.26m WW
2010’s Clash of the Titans dropped 34.4% taking $5.85m and $153.91m of $163.21m and $493.21m WW
2012’s Wrath of the Titans dropped 49.5% taking $1.98m and $80.52m out of 483.67m and $301.97m WW
2007’s Beowulf dropped 69.6% taking $1.38m and $79.25m of $82.28m and $196.39m WW
1999’s The Mummy dropped 25.4% taking $7.41m and $127.52m of $155.38m and $415.93m WW
Took $7.1m from 61 territories and $105.97m and $194.2m worldwide.
979th biggest worldwide between Jaws 2 and The Divergent Series: Allegiant; 7th biggest 2023 worldwide between Creed III and Scream VI; 90th biggest fantasy between Beowulf and Paranormal Activity; 98th biggest Paramount Pictures worldwide between Beowulf and Paranormal Activity.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 opened on Wednesday with a five-day opening over Coronation Weekend, the Coronation is unlikely to have any impact on the latest MCU film (unlike Eurovision next weekend) while the weekend is expected to be a washout with rain expected between Friday and Bank Holiday Monday.
Guardians Vol 3 had its European Gala on April 22nd immediate social media reaction was predictably very positive and the review embargo ended on April 28th after the US premiere, again reviews were as expected. That said they weren’t all positive, as The Telegraph again gave it a 2-star review as they have with recent MCU films, but reviews have no impact on MCU films as they are fan led.
2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 opened £6,363,110 (including £1,372,109 previews) taking £28,326,152
2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 opened £13,092,657 (no previews) taking £40,839,462
The 31 MCU films have made £1.04bn since 2008 and £1.2bn inflation inflated.
It was 4 years ago last weekend when Avengers Endgame opened with a massive £43.4m taking £88.69m but except 2012’s Spider-Man: No Way Home a unique one-off phenomenon opening with £31,899,232 (including £12,388,380 previews) taking £96,364,565, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse was boosted by Spider-Man opening £19,765,718 (including £4.5m previews) taking £41,878,091, the MCUs that followed Thor: Love and Thunder (opened £12,283,719), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (opened £12,363,870) both taking similar £34.5m and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (opened £8,834,435) were by the numbers of performers. How solo MCU films have performed since Captain America: Civil War in 2016 opening £14,466,681 and taking £36,771,782 (£41,208,876 inflated). While it’s also impossible to compare many of these film openings as Civil War had a 3-day opening while Guardians 3 has 5 days
While surely expect 7 years on and 19 films later these films should be taking much more, especially as about 40% of their BO is coming from IMAX/PLF, as if they are taking similar BO, it means fewer are going to see them.
After the disappointing Phase 4, Phase 5 started also disappointingly with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania having the worst MCU opening since Eternals and despite opening with £8,834,435 more than double Ant-Man and almost double Ant-Man and the Wasp failed to take £20m+ at the UK BO. This was followed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever taking a third less than the first film. So, there are big questions if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 can match the success of the last film.
It will of course open with £12.5m+ in the UK (and $150m+ in the US) and £15m+ over 6 days and there will be articles asking what crisis that the performance of the last films was just a blip, but the question for MCU is more about how it will hold as fans will always rush out to see the latest MCU over opening weekend and how will Eurovision affect its BO in its second weekend/
After being #1 for the last 4 weeks Super Mario Bros will drop about 50% in the fifth weekend, taking £1.3m-£1.6m as it tops £50m at the UK BO.
All other films will likely see big drops as normally happens when a MCU film opens on over 3,000 screens. Predictably last week’s new releases (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Polite Society and Big George Foreman) all lose the bulk of their showtimes.
Opening in two weeks
- The Little Mermaid – Disney
Musical fantasy live-action reimagination of the 1989 Disney animation film (based on an 1837 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen) starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy and directed by Rob Marshall. Alan Menken composed the score, and Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote new songs.
It’s Disney’s 20th reimagination of their classic animations, the first was 1996’s 101 Dalmatians, apart from Mulan, Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio had theatrical releases. These reimaginations are almost shot-by-shot remakes of their classic animation films.
Feel the casting of Halle Bailey was cynically forced diversity by Disney as it would make the film seem to be different from the original animated film even though it’s likely to be an almost scene-by-scene photo-realistic remake. As Marvel waited 10 years to launch Black Panther Disney waited almost as long to do similar to The Little Mermaid until they felt audiences would be more accepting, but diversity should be organic as in a film like Rye Lane which played like a Hugh Grant rom-com and you didn’t notice it, whereas with The Little Mermaid much has been made about it.
For decades Disney would re-release their classic animation films to new generations, and they were always successful in cinemas and in the 80s and 90s, their theatrical re-release would be followed by its home video release. In the 90s and 00s, Disney made direct-to-video sequels to their classic animation films. As these films feature photo-realistic animation they aren’t live-action films but just animated films with more advanced technology.
2D animation is often a far more emotional experience than watching the original; The Lion King, like the scene where Mufasa dies, or when The Iron Giant sacrifices himself to protect everyone on Earth as Superman would do. While it makes these animated films very rewatchable, have seen these animated films countless times reimaginations aren’t rewatchable, but they have done their job as hype brings in the audience and they take a predictable £40m+ in the UK and $1bn worldwide before the pixie dust fades away.
The trailer released in March was one of the most watched of the Disney reimaginations with over 108 million views in the first 24 hours, the most viewed since 2019’s The Lion King. The Lion King ‘s trailer received 130 million and Aladdin 106.5 million times. It’s no surprise that these films get the views they get as the original animated films have been beloved by audiences for more than 25 years and they were huge successes when they were originally released. As with Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Marvel, it’s far easier for Disney to remake a classic than try to create a new classic which they have struggled to create over the last 20 years.
The Little Mermaid was first released in cinemas in October 1990 almost a year after its US opening in November 1989; was the 9th biggest film of 1990 between Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Parenthood taking (15.46x opening) £6,266,749 (£21,731,902 inflated) after opening with £405,473 from 258 screens (£1,406,104 inflated) had 29th biggest opening of 1990 between Internal Affairs and Family Business (biggest 1990 openings were Ghost £1,504,893; Back To The Future Part III £1,361,879; Gremlins 2: The New Batch £1,358,347; Total Recall £1,211,167; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids £1,196,710.
It was re-released in 1998 opening with £234,783 (£470,731 inflated) taking £1,768,481 (£3,545,739 inflated).
- About My Father – Lionsgate
Comedy starring Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro. Leslie Bibb, Anders Holm, David Rasche, and Kim Cattrall and directed by Laura Terruso.
Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro previously starred together in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
- Hypnotic – Warner Bros
Sci-Fi action thriller starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley, and William Fichtner and directed by Robert Rodriguez.
- The Machine – Sony Pictures (Wednesday)
Action comedy inspired by the 2016 stand-up routine by Bert Kreischer starring Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill, Jess Gabor, Jimmy Tatro, Stephanie Kurtzuba and Mercedes De La Cruz and directed by Peter Atencio.
Legendary Entertainment acquired rights to Bert Kreischer after becoming a viral success online.