Top 5 Breakdown
- Fast & Furious 8 – £3,593,733 – £ 23,004,524
Dropping 74% in its second weekend has become the third biggest film of the franchise behind Fast & Furious 6 £24.3m which it should overtake this week.
Fast and Furious has become the sixth biggest film of 2017 will shortly overtake Logan £23.8m and will overtake both The Lego Batman Movie £27m and Sing £28.4m becoming Universal Pictures biggest film of the year until Despicable Me 3 which opens in June; will likely come short of overtaking La La Land £30.4m.
Fast & Furious 8 is total is 12% down from Fast & Furious 7 with two extra days playing time. After 10 days, Fast & Furious 7 had taken £26.25m dropping 57% Vs 74% taking £5.40m Vs £3.62m (33% less).
If Fast & Furious holds as it is currently doing it will likely take about £30m which would see the 8-film series take over £142m at the UK box office over the last 16 years with the last three films taking over £92m (65%) of the box office; the first three films failed to make much impact at the UK box office.
Fast & Furious 8 faces off against Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 this weekend which will see it drop upwards of 60%, two years ago Fast & Furious had no competition opening against it for the first three weeks Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, John Wick, The DUFF, A Little Chaos, Woman in Gold and Child 44 were not a threat.
While screenwriter Chris Morgan of the franchise has talked about ending the series soon doubtful Universal Pictures has similar plans they already have dated Fast and Furious 9 and 10 for April 2019 and 2021. Are also plans for a potential spin-off featuring Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson characters which were highlighted in the post-credit scene that was removed after Vin Diesel demanded its removal but it could appear on the DVD.
- The Boss Baby – £ 2,062,992 – £22,264,960
Down 43% in its third weekend; currently, 20th Century Fox’s fifth biggest Dreamworks Animation film but will shortly overtake Trolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Home. If The Boss Baby continues to hold well (with no children film competition for several weeks should do) will likely overtake The Croods to be their biggest Dreamworks Animation film in the UK.
It’s hard to compare the third-weekend box office directly with their other Dreamworks Animation films after three we as The Boss Baby opened the week Easter Holidays began while the films opened ahead of the holidays to avoid rival releases.
While The Boss Baby is currently £5m ahead of Trolls after three weeks and its weekend box office is 2% more they will probably get closer to each other over the next few weeks.
The nine Dreamworks Animation films have taken almost £168m with six original films two sequels and one spinoff while not in the same league as Pixar or Illumination Dreamworks Animation films have been steady performers over the years.
Captain Underpants is 20th Century Fox’s last Dreamworks Animation film opening July 28th 6 weeks after its US opening to avoid Despicable Me 3 and Cars 3 opening at the start of the summer holidays and a week before The Emoji Movie.
Blue Sky Studios will supply 20th Century Fox with one animation film a year one less than Dreamworks starting with Ferdinand in December and then Anubis in March 2018 and Pigeon Impossible in January 2019.
20th Century Fox had huge success with Ice Age and Rio films from Blue Sky Studios but of course will be much harder to compete against upcoming slates from Pixar, Illumination and Dreamworks Animation sequel heavy.
- Beauty and the Beast – £ 1,312,335 – £ 68,772,576
Down 49.9% in its sixth weekend has overtaken Mamma Mia! to become the eighth biggest film in the UK and the biggest musical. But Mamma Mia! opened 9 years ago with £6.59m 67% less than Beauty and the Beast took 10.4x opening compared to 3.75 while admissions are 13.19m Vs 9.04m as ticket prices are up almost 50% since and Mamma Mia! didn’t have the benefit of either IMAX or 3D.
Despite having an opening 50% bigger than last years The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast’s sixth-weekend box office was 8% less than The Jungle Book £1.33m Vs £1.44m.
Next live action Disney reimagination currently untitled opening August 3rd likely to be Dumbo or Aladdin followed by Mulan released 2nd November 2018 and announced today The Lion King released date of 19th July 2019 (also announcing release dates of several other films including Star Wars: Episode IX to May 24th, 2019 and Frozen 2 November 27th, 2019 along with several date change for untitled Disney live action, Marvel, Pixar and Disney animation film with releases to 2021.
With the arrival of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, this weekend Beauty and the Beast will likely drop a similar 50% this weekend which will see it taking £650,000 17% less than The Jungle Book.
Over the next couple of weeks Beauty and the Beast should overtake Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 but probably Toy Story’s £74m will be little too much for it.
Toy Story 3 took £1.49m in its sixth weekend taking £67.59m while Beauty and the Beast is 1.8% ahead of its unlikely to be next weekend dropping heavily than Toy Story 3 which took £934,423 and £69.87m. While their box office might be close admissions show the real story with current admissions 12.44m Vs 9.04m due to ticket prices up almost 30% in the last seven years.
- Their Finest – £ 850,328 – NE
After receiving positive reviews and strong marketing campaign the first of the two films about Dunkirk opening this year had a decent opening but not as big as should have expected given that the other new releases failed to find audiences.
Their Finest should perform well during the week and over the next couple of weeks once word of mouth builds as older audiences prefer to go to the cinema during the week.
Lone Scherfig previous films took
An Education opened 30th October 2009 -£283,080 taking £1.36m
One Day opened 24th August 2011 -£2.20m taking £7.94m
The Riot Club opened 19th September 2014 £496,647 taking £1.55m
- Smurfs: The Lost Village – £ 327,576 – £ 4,531,108
Dropping only 25% in its fourth weekend up three places due to due to The Handmaiden and Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience heavier falls.
Smurfs: The Lost Village will take about 35% of The Smurfs box office which took £16.64m in 2011 and 50% of the Smurfs 2 which took £11.47m in 2013. Both films benefited from opening a couple of weeks after the start of the summer holidays after the big guns had opened.
Holding previews of Smurfs: The Lost Village the second weekend of Beauty and the Beast was always going to be a bad idea taking only £467,000 allowed the negative word of mouth to build before its official opening.
Smurfs: The Lost Village was a reboot of the franchise but after taking half of The Smurfs 2 took its unlikely the film series will continue anytime soon. Globally has taken $133m while The Smurfs 2 took 347m in 2013 and The Smurfs took $563m in 2011.
As with Power Rangers opening so soon after Logan and Kong: Skull Island opening Smurfs: The Lost Village so soon after The Boss Baby was a strange decision. After the success, Sony Pictures had last May with The Angry Birds Movie it would have also been a date to release Smurfs: The Lost Village with only Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul as competition.
Also, released
While Their Finest had a decent debut the other new releases predictably had underwhelming openings Katherine Heigl’s Unforgettable opened in seventh receiving mixed reviews this throwback 90s erotic thrillers was never expecting to generate much interest. Unforgettable was compared with many of the 90s thrillers as well as the more recent films like Obsessed June 2009 opened with £127,686 and The Boy Next Door February 2015 opening with £406,171.
The Belko Experiment – £129,942 from 132 screens
While The Belko Experiment had a great trailer received poor reviews and was seen as rip off to the Japanese cult classic Battle Royale.
The Zookeepers Wife – £101,407 from 218 screens
While The Zookeepers Wife received mixed reviews was surprisingly brought forward two weeks to open against Their Finest with both films targeting a similar audience.
Rules Don’t Apply – £47,130 from 244 screens
Despite Warren Beatty traveling to the UK to promote the film and of course all the media coverage generated after this year’s Oscars ceremony and receiving positive reviews but as with the US, the film failed to find an audience.
It’s sad that so many acting giants seem to end their careers on a low as Rules Don’t Apply was Warren Beatty’s first acting role for 16 years will we ever see him onscreen again.
Warren Beatty is the only person to have been twice nominated for acting in, directing, writing, and producing the same film 1978’s Heaven Can Wait and 1981’s Reds and should be known for this but since then he has been more famous for his flops next month will be the 30th anniversary of Ishtar which lost $40m taking $14.3m at the US box office was and still is one of the biggest flops in Hollywood history. The losses and negative publicity generated is believed to be one of the reasons Coca-Cola sold Columbia Pictures to Sony two years later.
But despite starring in one of the biggest flops in history Warren Beatty starred and directed 1990’s Dick Tracy while not a flop the $47m budget film took $103m in the US. It still the USused then Disney chief Jeffrey Katzenberg much concern about the rising budgets and issues facing the industry he wrote his famous memo a year later; the memo was the inspiration to Cameron Crowe for 1996’s Jerry Maguire.
Other box office news
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £9,427,820 down 59.6% from last weekend £23,324,163;
Weekend admissions down 60.1% from last week 3,147,660;
23 films were released over the weekend sharing £1,982,195; Their Finest took 43%, Eugene Onegin – Met Opera and Unforgettable both shared 14% of the weekend box office those three shared almost 70% leaving the remaining 20 films sharing remaining 30% £586,659.
The weekend was down 24.8% from last year (£12,544,021): Bastille Day £761,361, Friends Request £624,209, Shakespeare Live! £248,693, Miles Ahead £165,313, and Jane Got A Gun £31,448 opened.
Down 56.9% from 2015: (£21,883,832): Avengers: Age of Ultron – £17,996,523 opened.
Next weekend in 2016 (£22,632,665): Captain America: Civil War £14,466,681, Demolition £ £264,512, Rachet and Clark £ £147,848 and Son of Saul £157,070 opened.
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box Office Top 10
US Box office
The Fate of the Furious dropped 61% in its second weekend taking $38.6m and $163.4m total having a similar drop to Furious 7 (59.5%). Box office total is 35% down from Furious 7 if The Fate of the Furious holds similarly will take $229.45m.
Despite The Fate of the Furious performing much lower in the US and UK than Furious 7 thanks to China where it has already taken over $300m, it has taken $908.4m globally ($744.8m internationally) will cross $1 billion later this week. But China box office is even more front-loaded than the US with The Fate of the Furious dropping 75% on it second Friday.
The Boss Baby down 20.4% in its third weekend taking $12.7m and total of $136.99m; The Boss Baby is holding close to last year’s Trolls after 4 weeks had taken $135.7m and will likely end with similar $156m;
The Boss Baby is currently 20th Century Fox’s #13 biggest animated film and is the #72 biggest animated film in the US and has overtaken The Peanuts Movie, Rio 2 and Chicken Little and will shortly overtake Dinosaur, A Christmas Carol, Pocahontas, Kung Fu Panda 3 and Rio
Beauty and the Beast drop 27.2% in its sixth weekend taking $9.9m and $471.09m total; has become the 10th biggest film in the US pushing Star Wars out of the top 10 biggest films in the US for the first time in its 40-year lifetime. Will shortly overtake Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
After six weeks on release, The Jungle Book had taken $327.4m 90% of its final box office of $364m taking 8.7% more in its sixth weekend $10.94m Vs $9.9m. If Beauty and the Beast hold close to The Jungle Book it will add about $50m to its box office which will see it have a final box office of about $525m which will see it end just behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story $532m total.
With the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December Disney will have at least six of the top 10 biggest films in the US by the end of the year all of them sequels. Showing how unique the performance of Avatar in 2009 and Titanic in 1997 two original films that became the biggest films of their year’s something that is unlikely to ever happen again. By the end of the year, seven of the top 10 films would have been released in the last 5 years showing how ticket prices have had so much effect on BO.
Beauty and the Beast has now taken $1.1m billion #17 worldwide has overtaken Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Toy Story 3 and The Dark Knight Rises and will shortly overtake Transformers: Age of Extinction, Skyfall, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Captain America: Civil War, Minions and Iron Man 3 to move into the top 10 biggest films globally.
Disney will have five of the top 10 with all apart from Avatar and Titanic released in the last seven years. Despite overtaking Avatar to become the biggest film in the US Star Wars: The Force Awakens only managed to be the third biggest film globally will Star Wars: The Last Jedi or the recently announced Avatar sequels set for release between 2020 and 2025 do any better?
DisneyNature Born in China Sunday estimates came in at $5.1m seeing it chart fourth but actuals saw it in sixth taking $4.79m only $5,000 ahead of Unforgettable; Born in China did open in almost 900 screens less than Unforgettable but while Warner Bros actuals for Unforgettable were very similar did Disney purposely overestimated Born in China opening as they also overestimated Beauty and the Beast weekend box office by $300,000; received A- CinemaScore.
Warner Bros Unforgettable was anything but opening with only $4.78m; Did Warner Bros think the current nostalgia to 90s movies would mean audiences would be interested in the erotic thriller again after recent thrillers When the Bough Breaks opened with $14.2m and The Boy Next Door $14.9m? Unforgettable received C- CinemaScore while dropping heavily this weekend.
While the 90s had many erotic thrillers most of them underwhelmed at the box office and most were far from erotic and more laughable as 1994’s Color of Night. Katherine Heigl has been box office poison in recent years and despite starring in hit TV series Rosewell and Grey’s Anatomy has also become similar for TV with her latest TV series Doubt pulled by CBS after only two shows earlier this year.
Open Road’s The Promise opened with only $4.09m; the $90m budget film ahead of its release received over 120,000 scores with almost 62,000 due to a group of internet trolls on a Turkish message board believing the film insults Turkishness. The film is expected to be one of the biggest flops of the year. After receiving mixed reviews, it surprisingly received A- CinemaScore.
A24’s Free Fire followed up it’s disappointing opening in the UK despite positive reviews opening with $ 994,431.
Bleecker Street’s The Lost City of Z expanded into 610 screens up 1849% $ 2,121,540 and $2,270,953 total.
Fox Searchlight’s Gifted added 840 screens up 45.6% taking $4.5m and $10,77m.
On limited release
Neon’s Colossal added 126 screens up 28,7% taking $579,388 and $1,35m total;
STX’s Their Finest added 124 screens up 60% taking $533,013 and $1,11m total.
Opened April 28th
Opening UK
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 – Disney
Sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Starring ensemble cast Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell written and directed by James Gunn (has signed up to write and direct the third instalment likely released in May 2020).
The test screenings in January reportedly received 100% in their test scores but normally test screenings have a random mix of people marvel test screenings are friends and family. But as early reactions to press screenings was also very positive with the same tweet heralding it as the best Marvel film ever but they are written within moments of seeing the film which never tells the real story seen by reviews which say the film is fun but tries too hard to repeat what made the original so much fun.
Received its world premiere in Tokyo April 10th US premiere April 19th and UK premiere April 24th in London.
The first teaser released in December 2016 became Marvel’s biggest ever teaser and second most-watched the trailer after Captain America: Civil War 94 million views; 81 million views in its first 24 hours online. It was overtaken by Thor: Ragnarok first teaser released earlier this month (was compared to Guardians of the Galaxy) receiving 136 million views in only 24 hours. Beauty and the Beast trailer was Disney’s previous 24-hour record-holder with 127.6 million views while Star Wars: The Force Awakens viewed 112 million times.
According to its director Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 has five post-credits scenes (four mid-credit scenes and one post-credits with two of them setting up plots for future movies); ever since the first Marvel film 2008’s Iron Man they have had post-credit scenes to tease the next chapter. In Iron Man was Samuel L Jackson inviting Tony Stark to the Avengers Initiative.
During the press tour, Chris Pratt talked about being objectified as he has previously said during the press tours for other films including Passengers and Jurassic World. Saying “I would say that objectification is good for me because when I turned my body into an object that people liked, I got paid a lot of money,” “My kids can go to college because I’m an object.”
But it’s different kind of experience for men than women as seen last week with Blake Lively being asked by a reporter on the red carpet At the Variety Power of Women luncheon in New York ‘What’s your power outfit?’ She replied, “Come on, you want to talk about an outfit here, today?” “No way. Come on. Come on, we’re about building women up. Come on, outfits? Would you ask a man that?” “But you wouldn’t ask a man what his power outfit is, I’m sorry. Like see, this is the moment that we become more aware and that we change.”
Chris Pratt might make a joke of it but the way actors are objectified is far different that the way women are treated.
The fourteen Marvel Cinematic Universe films have taken £349m at the UK box office over the last 9 years; upcoming films include Thor: Ragnarok in October, Black Panther February 2018, Avengers: Infinity War April 2018, Ant-Man and the Wasp July 2018, Captain Marvel March 2019, Avengers 4 April 2019 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 in 2020 will likely take more than £300m.
Recently all studios except for Disney were considering early VOD but even Disney films including most Marvel take 90% of their box office within the first four weeks.
Up to 2014, Marvel had made films based their best-known comic-book characters Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America while Guardians of the Galaxy was one of Marvel’s lesser-known comics was an unknown. But the film was a huge hit with comic-book fans and cross-over to mainstream audiences as the previous films hugely helped by Chris Pratt. Ant-Man and Doctor Strange followed but weren’t so successful.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy opened at the start of the summer holidays in 2014 opened with £6.35m which was close to Captain America: Winter Soldier opening a few months early but a long way from Iron Man 3 released a year before. But word of mouth was far better than other Marvel films and thanks also to the holidays held far stronger than any other Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 will benefit from May Day Bank Holiday but with no other holidays until the end of the month won’t hold nearly as strong. Also, has a regular three-day opening weekend.
Being a straight comic-book sequel to first Guardians of the Galaxy film unlike Captain America: Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War as Thor: The Dark World and having a three-day opening weekend Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is likely to have an opening between Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3 £8.65m – £11.45m.
Next up for Marvel is Thor: Ragnarok opening in October the first trailer has a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe to it.
- Lowriders – Universal Pictures
Drama starring Demián Bichir, Gabriel Chavarria, Theo Rossi, Melissa Benoist, Tony Revolori and Eva Longoria and directed by Ricardo de Montreuil. The film premiered last June at the Los Angeles Film Festival receiving mixed reviews and unlikely to find an audience in the UK opening two weeks ahead of its US release.
Lowriders is the third film made by Blumhouse Productions after Split and Get Out their fourth film Sleight opens in the US this weekend.
- The Promise – eOne
Historical drama starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale and directed by Terry George; premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival receiving poor reviews.
On IMDB the film has received over 120,000 ratings with almost 62,000 giving the lowest score but none have probably seen the film. Due to a group of internet trolls on a Turkish message board believing the film insults Turkishness which made the film be one of the lowest rated films on the website.
After flopping in the US last weekend will do similar in the UK this weekend.
Opening in the US
After the five wide releases, last weekend underwhelmed it will be repeated this weekend with the three wide releases likely to unlikely light up the box office this weekend. The Circle has the best chance more because marketplace cannibalizing with six films last weekend taking $4m.
- The Circle – STX Entertainment
Thriller starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly and Bill Paxton (his final film before his death in February 2017) and directed by James Ponsoldt; had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26
It’s John Boyega first film since Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Emma Watson’s since Beauty and the Beast and STX would be hoping they will spark audiences interest in The Circle along with the star power of Tom Hanks;
The Circle is Tom Hanks film based on a book by Dave Eggers previously starred in 2016’s A Hologram for a King and it is his fifth film; previously writing the screenplays for 2009’s Away We Go, Where the Wild Things Are and Promised Land both in 2012.
New song by Sigur Ros Jonsi called Simple Gifts features in the film.
During a panel debate with the cast, Tom Hanks roasted Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey comparing the character he plays in the film to Jack Dorsey.
Next Tom Hanks will star in his fifth film for director Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal and Bridge of Spies in The Post aka The Pentagon Papers will star opposite Meryl Streep. The film is seen as a favorite for Oscars given its subject matter and cast.
It’s 24 years ago since Tom Hanks did the double winning Best Actor two years in a row he has given many great performances since including Bridge of Spies and Sully. Similarly its 19 years ago since Steven Spielberg won Best director for Saving Private Ryan. But while the film is seen now as a potential Oscar candidate will it still be in January.
- Sleight – BH Tilt
Drama starring Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Dulé Hill, Storm Reid, Sasheer Zamata and Michael Villar and directed by J.D. Dillard.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 receiving positive reviews and acquired by BH Tilt.