1. Joker  – £2,446,199 – £51,563,890

Dropped 29.4% in its fifth weekend it is the first film since Avatar to stay at #1 for 5 weeks

1998’s Titanic was the longest ever #1 with 13 consecutive weekends; 2000’s Toy Story 2 and Gladiator 7 weeks; 1999’s The World’s Not Enough and 2009’s Avatar 6 weeks and 1995’s Star Trek Generations, 1999’s A Bugs Life, 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone all 5 weeks.

Shows how front-loaded films have become over the last decade as all of the biggest films in the UK (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Skyfall, Spectre, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Lion King and Toy Story 3) stayed at #1 for a maximum of 4 weeks.

13^th biggest 5^th weekend in the UK (22^nd film to take over £2m over 5^th weekend) between The Lion King and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

5^th biggest comic-book movie after Avengers: Endgame (£88.69m); Avengers: Infinity War (£70.8m); The Dark Knight Rises (£56.23m) and Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (£51.87m).

35^th biggest film in the UK between Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and Quantum of Solace and 69^th biggest inflation inflated film between Black Panther and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the WereRabbit.

16^th biggest fourth weekend ever in the UK between Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Mamma Mia! after taking only 3.9% less than Avengers: Infinity War in its third weekend

9^th biggest Warner Bros film in the UK between The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince (Warner Bros 10^th film to take over £50m at the box office since 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and first film since 2017’s Dunkirk and Warner Bros second-biggest comic-book film in the UK after The Dark Knight Rises (£56,237,758).

4^th biggest film of 2019 after Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King and Toy Story 4 overtaking Captain Marvel, Aladdin and Spider-Man Far From Home.

14^th biggest film in the UK after 31 days on release (of the films above it had extended openings).

After 31 days on release, Joker has taken

3.6% more than 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises taking £49,776,391 88.5% of £56,237,758

18.5% more than 2008’s The Dark Knight taking £43,498,315 89.3% of £48,685,166

5.1% more than 2017’s Dunkirk taking £49,101,623 86.7% of £56,585,035

Why has Joker performed so well and much stronger in the UK than the US (using the 10% of US BO is equal to UK BO) October has been a very lucrative time in recent years to launch a grown-up drama including Gone Girl, The Martian and A Star Is Born as well as The Girl On The Train and Blade Runner 2049 (both performed much stronger in the UK than the US).

Maybe it’s because the audience is older in the UK and Joker became that must-see films that were more than just another comic-book film as Black Panther and attracted many who wouldn’t normally go to see a comic-book film. While Marvel has had much success with the MCU over the last decade Joker gave comic-book audiences something different as Christopher Nolan did 14 years ago with Batman Begins,  The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

What will now be very interesting is to see how next year’s films Bird of Prey and Wonder Woman: 1984 do against Marvel’s Black Widow and Externals, as after the disappointments of Batman Vs Superman and Suicide Squad, DC have come back with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Shazam and now Joker.

2. The Addams Family – £2,234,172  – £6,978,733

Up 5.5% in its second weekend; holding strongly due to Halloween weekend and some schools having half-term holidays.

332nd biggest second weekend in the UK between Catch Me If You Can and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (close to Hotel Transylvania 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Snow White and the Huntsman) and 460th biggest inflation inflated second weekend between Pitch Perfect 3 and Cars 2 (close to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, The Lion King 3D, Flubber and Epic).

61st biggest second weekend animation Hotel Transylvania 2 and Gnomeo and Juliet (close to Kung Fu Panda 2, Despicable Me, Over the Hedge and The Angry Birds Movie) and 78th biggest inflation inflated second weekend animation between Robots and Cars 2 (close to Hotel Transylvania 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Fantastic Mr Fox and Angry Birds) and 123rd biggest inflation inflated opening between Abominable and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (close to Moana, Smallfoot, Hotel Transylvania and Corpse Bride).

127th biggest animated film in the UK between Dr Seuss’ The Lorax and Rango (close to Coraline, Hotel Transylvania, Storks and ParaNorman) and 135th biggest inflation inflated animated film between ParaNorman and Ice Age: Collision Course.

As in the US, The Adams Family is holding very strongly despite crowded marketplace for children’s films; Shaun The Sheep Movie 2, Abominable and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which has seen Shaun The Sheep Movie 2 and Abominable underwhelm compared to the original film and previous Dreamworks Animation films. While The Addams Family holds similar to Hotel Transylvania, the question is if it’s just a Halloween boost play well over the weeks to come before the arrival of Frozen 2.

The Addams Family was previously made into a film in 1991 by Orion Pictures who went bankrupt and Paramount Pictures acquired US rights and Columbia Tristar international through an output deal with Orion Pictures; first film took £10.4m (£24.78m inflation inflated); the second Addams Family Values in 1993 took £6.5m (£14.61m inflation inflated)

Universal Pictures has had a strong 2019 with their 21 films taking over £142m with Last Christmas and Cats still to open could take upwards of £200m this year; this would be down from £232m from last year but against the might of Disney’s slate this year it’s positive, especially as it was from a mix of films and genres unlikely Disney. While of course Universal Pictures have the latest James Bond Never Time to Die likely to be the biggest film of the year taking upwards of £100m.

Up to end of October Disney have 36% share of the UK box office taking £350m+ (42% including 20th Century Fox) with Frozen likely to take £60m+ and Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker £90m+ will take £500m+ at the UK box office over 40% of 2019 box office; Universal Pictures are #2 with 14% taking £142m and Warner Bros #3 £130m; despite It Chapter 2 and Joker likely taking over £70m between them the rest of their slate underperformed; Sony Pictures #4 taking £80m and have Jumanji 2 still to come with Paramount Pictures #5.

3. Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil – £1,883,567 – £7,564,005

Dropped only 12.7% in its third weekend

Had the 7^th biggest Disney reimagination 3^rd weekend (after Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin and Dumbo) close to Cinderella (£1,785,864) and 19,9% more than Maleficent (£1,570,437); but 9^th biggest Disney reimagination after three weekends 14.7% less than Maleficent (£13,620,598).

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil had the advantage of half-term holidays over two weeks and Halloween this weekend while Maleficent only had one half-term week when it opened in May 2014, whilst having limited competition for teenage girls until Last Christmas opens next weekend.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is Disney’s first current reimagination sequel previously making 102 Dalmatians in 2000 sequel to 1996’s 101 Dalmatians; Disney is currently in production with a second reimagination Cruella set for release in May 2021. After releasing for reimaginations this year have only Mulan dated for 2020 with Cruella the only one also currently dated for 2021.

The 13 Disney reimaginations have taken almost £400m in the UK and over £407m inflation inflated; the four Disney reimaginations released this year (Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) have taken over £150m at the UK box office.

The film was originally set for release in May 2020 but was brought forward 9 months in March 2019 with Artemis Fowl moving to its May 2020 slot;  

4. Doctor Sleep – £1,460,643  – NE

Took £300,000 from previews over Halloween

993^rd biggest opening weekend between The Three Musketeers and Vantage Point (close to Poltergeist, Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension 3D, Insidious Chapter 3 and Gothika) and 1,116^th biggest inflation inflated opening between Brokeback Mountain and Far From The Madding Crowd (close to Ouija, Evil Dead, Insidious Chapter 3 and Unfriended)

70^th biggest horror opening between Poltergeist and Insidious Chapter 3 (close to 28 Days Later 9opened the same weekend 17 years earlier), Jeepers Creepers, Evil Dead and Saw).

Opening 39 years after The Shining it was always hard to know if audiences would be attracted to the film, opening after It Chapter Two and with trailers with It and Joker and opening Halloween might have thought Doctor Sleep have attracted a wider audience. Over the last four weeks, Joker has squeezed the adult film marketplace seeing its competition Gemini Man, Terminator: Dark Fate and Doctor Sleep underwhelm.

While the original film is a classic horror directed by featuring Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance, but horror has changed a lot since as when the original The Exorcist was released in 1973 audiences were fainting in the cinema, but reaction was very different in 1998 when was re-released for its 25th anniversary.

Over the last decade Halloween has seen the release of several Paranormal Activity and Saw films while last year Halloween remake opened with £2,656,097 (opening 40 years after original, but the difference was there have been many sequels since).

Doctor Sleep is another long gap sequel that failed to find an audience, will next year’s long gap sequels from Bad Boys For Life, Top Gun: Maverick, Ghostbusters 3 and Coming To America 2 fare any better?

Could possibly again question why Warner Bros didn’t open Doctor Sleep day and date over Halloween weekend in the US especially as there wasn’t any major horror film opening this year, but everyone expected Terminator: Dark Fate to open much bigger than it did, and the horror would be targetting the same audience.

5. Terminator: Dark Fate – £1,182,540   – £5,383,108  

Dropped 57.8% in its second weekend

Had the 700th biggest second weekend 21 Jump Street and Rush Hour (close to District 9, Lethal Weapon 4, Hollow Man and Starship Troopers) and 867th biggest inflation inflated the second weekend between Fahrenheit 9/11 and Mama (close to The Island, Layer Cake, John Carter and The Expendables 2).

115th biggest 20th Century Fox second weekend between The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Red Sparrow (close to The X- Files, Ad Astra, Taken and 28 Days Later) and 148th biggest inflation inflated 20th Century Fox between Garfield and Stuck On You (close to Entrapment, Chronicle, Predator 2 and In Time).

159^th biggest 20th Century Fox film between Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and Daredevil (close to Fight Club, Fantastic Four (2015), Star Wars:  Phantom Menace 3D and Alien vs Predator) and 179^th biggest inflation inflated 20th Century Fox film between The Happening and Stuck On You

Previous Terminator 2^nd weekends (missing 2^nd weekend BO for Terminator and  T2: Judgment Day)

47.36%  less than 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (£2,246,627)

39.39% less than 2009’s Terminator Salvation (£1,951,047)

29.21% less than 2015’s Terminator: Genisys (£1,670,491)

After 11 days

Took 52.78% less than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (£11,399,962)

50.81% less than Terminator Salvation (£10,942,512)

26.40% less than Terminator: Genisys (£7,313,858)

Terminator: Dark Fate will likely take about £7m+; 8136.20% more than The Terminator but 61% less than T2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines; 49% less than Terminator Salvation and 34% less than Terminator: Genisys.

44^th biggest film of 2019 between The Angry Birds 2 and Gemini Man and 20^th Century Fox’s 4^th biggest film of the year after Alita: Battle Angel, Dark Phoenix and Ad Astra.

20^th Century Fox must have expected Terminator: Dark Fate to take more than double but it suffered as Gemini Man opening after Joker as few would have expected Joker to hold as strongly as it has done and in doing so has cannibalized other non-children’s films since.

Terminator: Dark Fate repeats what many sequels have done over recent years including Jurassic World, ignoring Jurassic Park 3), 2018’s Halloween, ignoring all the sequels since original film while  Indiana Jones 5 will probably ignore Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Maybe the problem for Terminator: Dark Fate is that this reboot came only 4 years after Terminator Genisys.

Reviews were positive for Terminator: Dark Fate and there was genuine excitement from fans that James Cameron was returning to the Terminator film series alongside Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The problem is that these fans are now in their 40s and 50s, but their children weren’t nearly as excited, and the film didn’t do what Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World did which played to parents who were children when the original films opened and their children.

The poor performance of Terminator: Dark Fate does question the decision by studios to bring back many 80s and 90s film series are long gaps including Bad Boys For Life and Top Gun: Maverick is the cinema audience has changed a lot since the original films were released. The problem filmmakers have is if as with Terminator: Dark Fate and Bladerunner 2049 the films are similar to T2: Judgment Day and Bladerunner they will bring out fans who loved them but then alienate younger audiences.

While Disney has gone the opposite route with Star Wars almost remaking the original trilogy with The Force Awakens, which was much more successful and younger audiences enjoy them much more than the older audiences who grew up with the original films.

Last year 20th Century Fox had two strokes of dating genius bringing forward the release date of Deadpool 2 ahead of Solo: A Star Wars Story and bringing Bohemian Rhapsody forward two months before Mary Poppins Returns. Since then their dating has been off as has been their box office for the year but was expected given what is currently happening with the studio as it disappears within into Disney.

Incredibly 20th Century Fox will be fighting it out with eOne and Lionsgate to be the #6 biggest distributor of the year taking less than half of last year’s box office, only 5 years ago they were #1. 2019 was always going to be a tough year for them trying to build a slate of films for this year with the impending takeover by Disney, but also suffered with Alita: Battle Angel, Dark Phoenix and Ad Astra being delayed. Their remaining films of the year are Le Mans ’66 opening in two weeks’ time, Lucy In The Sky and animated film Spies in Disguise.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £12,078,831 down 14.8% from last weekend £14,176,038

The weekend admissions 1,584,108 down 16.1% from last weekend 1,887,622; my average ticket £7.51 up 5% from last year’s £7.22 and Applaudience estimate ticket price of £10.28

12 films opened at weekend taking (£2,306,374); Doctor Sleep 63.3% (£1,460,643); Sorry We Missed You 15.8% (£364,849); remaining 10 films shared 20.8% (£480,882);

Top three took 54.3% (£6,563,938) of the top 10; Joker 20.2% (£2,446,199); The Addams Family 18.5% (£2,234,172); Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil 15.6% (£1,883,567);   

Down 16.1% from 2018: (£14,405,189); The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (£1,733,235); Slaughterhouse Rulez (£397,792); Peterloo (£348,697); Juliet, Naked (£51,813); #1 Bohemian Rhapsody £5,750,267 2nd week 681 screens 40% drop (39.9% of top 10)

Down 16.4% from 2017: (£14,453,653); Murder on the Orient Express (£4,985,600); A Bad Moms Christmas (£1,781,738); The Killing of a Sacred Deer (£286,448); The Son of Bigfoot (£23,213); The Silence of the Lambs (Re: 2017) (£8,383); #1 Murder on the Orient Express £4,985,600 1^st week 618 screens 1^st week 611 screens (34.5% of the top 10)

Up 5.6% from 2016: (£11,430,004); The Accountant (£1,623,866); A Street Cat Named Bob (£985,557); Nocturnal Animals (£755,427); The Light Between Oceans (£733,421); #1 Doctor Strange £3,445,203 2^nd week 599 screens 63% drop (30.1% of the top 10)

Down 74.4% from 2015; (£47,258,977); SPECTRE (£41,299,090); Tannhauser – Met Opera 2015 (£162,876); #1 SPECTRE £41,299,090 1^st week 651 screens (87.4% of top 10)

Up 24.2% from 2014: (£9,722,282); Ouija (£1,373,907); Nightcrawler (£1,003,822); Mr. Turner (£904,947); Horns (£396,042); Carmen – Met Opera 2014 (£326,430); Aliens (Re: 2014) (£27,134); The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (£12,180); The Woman in Black (Re: 2014) (£4,743); #1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3^rd week 2^nd #1 over 3 weeks 514 screens 26% drop (14.7% of top 10)

Down 31.4% from 2013: (£17,605,847); Thor: The Dark World (£8,668,172); Philomena (£1,509,726); Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia (£102,955); Drinking Buddies (£18,379); #1 Thor: The Dark World £8,668,172 1^st week 510 screens (49.2% of top 10)

Down 47.4% from 2012 (£22,991,689); Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (£1,043,068); Fun Size (£410,028); Rust and Bone (£252,099); The Shining (Re: 2012) (£132,470); The Master (£65,701); For a Good Time, Call… (£43,882); #1 Skyfall £16,107,687 2^nd week 593 screens 20% drop (70.1% of top 10)

Down 23.2% from 2011 (£15,727,396); The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (£6,758,724); The Help (£896,597); The Ides Of March (£665,387); Anonymous (£183,194); Ghostbusters (Re: 2011) (£55,934); #1 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn £6,758,724 1^st week 512 screens (42.9% of top 10)

Down 6.4% from 2010: (£12,911,776); Saw 3D (£3,600,083); Burke and Hare (£942,894); The Kids Are All Right (£411,960); #1 Saw 3D £3,600,083 1^st week 382 screens (27.8% of top 10)

Down 8.7% from 2009; (£13,240,462); Michael Jackson’s This Is It (£4,877,255); 9 (£468,455); An Education (£399,122); Dead Man Running (£198,442); An American Werewolf in London (re) (£35,151); #1 Up Michael Jackson’s This Is It £4,877,255 1^st week 498 screens (36.8% of top 10)

Down 43.5% from 2008; (£21,398,860); Quantum of Solace (£15,384,217); Hunger (£136,413); Midnight Meat Train (£20,444); #1 Quantum of Solace £15,384,217 1^st week 540 screens (71.9% of top 10)

Up 49.3% from 2007: (£8,089,452); 30 Days of Night (£1,532,976); Elizabeth: The Golden Age (£1,348,440); Death at a Funeral (£357,212); The Lookout (£33,833); Brothers Solomon (£21,231); Man of the Year (£2,391); #1 Ratatouille £3,056,938 4^th week 498 screens 57% drop (19.2% of top 10)

Up 34.7% from 2006; (£8,965,508); Saw III (£2,522,521); Step Up (£1,212,725); A Good Year (£376,962); #1 Saw III £2,522,521 1^st week 373 screens (28.1% of top 10)

Down 8.1% from 2005 (£13,142,985); Saw II (£2,189,212); The Legend of Zorro (£1,899,689); #1 Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit £3,593,266 3^rd week 495 screens 23% drop (27.3% of top 10)

Up 59.9% from 2004 (£7,550,271); Finding Neverland (£776,124); Exorcist: The Beginning (577,128); House of the Dead (£107,045); Saved! (£80,772); #1 Shark Tale £2,435,188 3^rd week 503 screens 24% drop (32.2% of top 10)

Up 31.8% from 2003 (£9,161,054); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (£1,357,534); In America (£284,259); In the Cut (£279,068); Alien – Director’s Cut (£208,081); #1 Finding Nemo £3,393,575 5^rd week 4^rd #1 501 screens 13% drop (37.1% of top 10)

Up 69.2% from 2002 (£7,135,820); 28 Days Later (£1,500,079); Mr Deeds (£879,441); Changing Lanes (£808,268); They (£225,867); #1 28 Days Later £1,500,079 1^st week 318 screens (21.1% of top 10)

Up 70.5% from 2001 (£7,083,187); The Others (£2,259,538); The Animal (£345,651); #1 The Others £2,259,538 1^st week 385 screens (31.9% of top 10);

Next weekend in 2018: (£16,637,613); The Grinch (£5,019,677); Widows (£2,409,112); Overlord (£677,844); They Shall Not Grow Old (With Recorded Q&A) (£271,302); #1 The Grinch £5,019,677 1^st week 559 screens (30.2% of top 10)

Other Box office News

Despite Joker taking almost £50m in October box office for the month was 3% down on last year which had Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born but also Venom, Johnny English 3, Smallfoot, Halloween, First Man and Goosebumps 2all taking over £7m.

This year only three films taking over £7m Joker. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Judy. October wasn’t helped that The Addams Family, Abominable and Shaun The Sheep Movie 2 cannibalized each other taking similar box office, normally one of the children’s films breakout from the rest. While with Joker holding so strongly squeezed the ox office of Terminator: Dark Fate, Gemini Man and Zombieland 2.

2019 still remains 3% down on last year despite having 4 films taking over £50m (Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4 and Joker).

The problem over recent years hasn’t been the performance of the biggest films it’s the films outside the top 15, squeezed over the last decade as cinemagoers have become much more selective with the films they pay to see and those they wait to see.

Cinemagoers might be willing to pay £15+ to see Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Joker, Captain Marvel, Aladdin and Spider-Man Far From Home. They aren’t so willing to pay the same amount to see Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Glass, Mary Queen of Scots, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, Dark Phoenix, Men in Black International, Ad Astra, Terminator: Dark Fate and Gemini Man in the same numbers they would have done a decade ago.

The problem exhibitors have with Disney, Universal and Warner Bros launching streaming services alongside Netflix, Amazon and Apple is filmmakers will opt to sell their film to streaming services as it gives their film a better chance to find a wide audience as with Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. A decade ago it would be sacrilege to think a Martin Scorsese film wouldn’t get a wide theatrical release but now giving a film like The Irishman a wide release is a massive gamble, one that studios won’t risk, as the film was originally developed at Paramount, but got cold feet in 2017.

Box office is still £31m down from last year but Frozen 2, Jumanji: The Next Level, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Cats is far stronger than last years Mary Poppins Returns, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2, The Grinch, Aquaman, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Bumblebee and Spider-Man: Into Spider-Verse, which will see 2019 end close to 2018 box office levels.

Not trying to be negative but with the slate of films including Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019 box office should have cantered past 2018 box office months ago In 1993 after the huge success of Jurassic Park experts were predicting admissions, box office would grow yearly and top 200m by 2000, while box office and admissions grew, they never grew that much and stopped growing in 2002 until last year, did think 2019 could have been that year at the start of the year.

While 2020 has many sequels its unlikely to be as strong as this year, but I’m sure many are looking towards 2021, while 2022 will be problematic with Qatar World Cup in Nov/Dec, while studios can push back June releases to July/august they can’t push back Nov/Dec films to January.

Also opened

• Sorry We Missed You – eOne

Opened with £364,849 from 178 screens

Slightly less than 2016’s I, Daniel Blake opened with £444,800 from 94 screens expanding into 211 screens in its second weekend up 7% taking £476,020 and £1,328,072 and then 273 screens in its third weekend taking £3,095,102.

 

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Terminator: Dark Fate – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $29m; received mixed reviews (67% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore

Took $2.4m from Thursday midnights similar to 2015’s Terminator Genisys ($2.3m) and 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($2.4m) but 40% less than 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ($4.03m) and 20% less than 2009’s Terminator Salvation ($3m).

Previews were similar to John Wick: Chapter Two ($2.2m, $30.4m opening), Pacific Rim Uprising ($2.35m, $28.1m opening), The Predator ($2.5m, $24.6m opening) and Zombieland: Double Tap ($2.85m, $26.8m opening).

Ahead of the release, many believed Terminator: Dark Fate could open up to $47m but after its very disappointing early international opening last weekend in 10 territories including the UK it was always likely to open the lower end of expectations, as often happens when films other than Marvel open international earlier.

Instead Terminator: Dark Fate opened 9% less than T2- Terminator 2: Judgement Day opening with $31.76m 28 years ago, since then industry average is up 120%+ but real prices up over 250%.

Terminator; Dark Fate had a budget of over $185m needed to take over $450m to break even which was always unlikely as none of the previous films has taken as much. Instead, it will take less than half between $180m-$200m worldwide and could lose over $100m. Paramount, Skydance and 20^th Century Fox put up 30% of the budget each and China’s Tencent 10%.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the second-high profile disappointment from Paramount and Skydance after Gemini Man starring Will Smith and directed by Ang Lee taking only $153m worldwide since opening last month.

Trailers gave been viewed over 36m times;

Tim Miller is credited as Terminator: Dark Fate director but James Cameron was pulling the strings in post-production said the rough cut “was pretty rough, it was pretty long.” Cameron transformed it in the editing room. James Cameron was similarly heavily involved in the script and editing of Alita: Battle Angel directed by Robert Rodriguez.

With many tentpoles the director is often the figurehead, with producers pulling the strings, last week it was announced Game of Thrones creators ended development of their new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm seems to be very hands-on with the creative process of the films with several directors being replaced on Disney’s Star Wars films. It is often the case with big tentpoles studios hire first-time directors which will make it easier for producers to influence.

Terminator: Dark Fate opened with $12.6m from 10 territories last week and was expected to open with about $85m internationally this weekend from 36 more territories and China over the weekend.

1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day took 60.5% of its worldwide box office ($520.88m) internationally ($315m)

2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines took 65% of its worldwide box office ($433.37m) internationally ($283m)

2009’s Terminator Salvation took 66% of its worldwide box office ($371.35m) internationally ($246.03m)

2015’s Terminator Genisys took 80% of its worldwide box office ($440.6m) internationally ($350.84m)

2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines took 65% of its worldwide box office ($433.37m) internationally ($283m)

Took $72.9m from 48 territories and $101.9m total and $123.6m worldwide; China (Tencent handling) $28m; Korea $9.8m; UK $6.9m; France $5.8m; Russia $4.2m; Indonesia $3.4m; Germany $3.2m; Mexico $2.6m; Australia $2.3m; Thailand $2.2m; Malaysia $2.1m

46^th biggest 2019 international film between Escape Room and Rocketman’ 990^th biggest film internationally between Patriot Games and Darkest Hour; 1,331^st biggest film worldwide between Magic Mike XXL and Walking with Dinosaurs; 48^th biggest film worldwide between Ad Astra and The Upside; 156^th biggest Paramount Pictures worldwide between Staying Alive and Hotel for Dogs.

• Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil – Disney

Took $13.09m in its third weekend down 32.4% and $85.24m

2014’s Maleficent dropped similar 46.1% in its third weekend but took 34% less ($12.17m Vs $18.5m) taking $163.02m (67.5% of $241.4m) 48.2% more than Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil.

2014’s Maleficent took $12.9m in its fourth weekend and $185.87m 77% of $241.4m if Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil holds similar will take about $110m.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is holding similar to Dumbo which took $9.4m in its third weekend and $90.16m of $114.76m 

Had the 9^th biggest Disney reimagination third weekend and the 11^th biggest after 3 weeks

150^th biggest Disney film in the US between Brother Bear and Cinderella; 26th biggest 2019 film between Alita: Battle Angel and The Addams Family

894^th biggest film Stripes and Rocky 2 and 1,611th inflation inflated between Ferdinand and Silverado.

Disney’s 15 reimaginations have taken $3.47bn in the US and $9.4bn worldwide this year Dumbo took $353.3m; Aladdin $1.05bn and The Lion King $1.65bn worldwide:

Took $40.5m from 56 territories and $298.9m total and $383.2m worldwide; China $46.9m; Russia $28.2m; Mexico $19.2m; France $15.3m; UK $14.9m; Brazil $14m; Italy $12.3m; Spain $10.2m; Korea $9.9m; Indonesia $9.6m; Japan $9.4m; Germany $8.7m; Philippines $8.1m.

71^st biggest Disney film worldwide between Solo: A Star Wars Story and Cars 3; 317^th biggest film worldwide between Independence Day: Resurgence and Cars 3 and 234^th biggest film internationally between Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Golden Compass and 11^th biggest film of 2019 between Alita: Battle Angel and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

• Joker – Warner Bros

Dropped 29.9% in its fifth weekend taking $13.5m and $299.18m;

Joker trailers have been viewed over 140m times on YouTube

86th biggest film in the US between The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Twilight Saga: New Moon and 214^th biggest inflation inflated between The Amazing Spider-Man and Men in Black 2; 13th biggest Warner Bros film in the US between Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.

Warner Bros biggest film of 2019 overtaking It Chapter Two ($209.6m);

Joker opened only weeks after

Toby Emmerich talked about the concerns the studio had ahead of the release of Joker after Universal Pictures cancelled the release of The Hunt as the studio was worried that it could create violence in the cinemas.

“There were a lot of misunderstandings around the history of the tragic shooting in Aurora, [Colorado, in 2012,] which happened at a Batman film. And we were certainly supersensitive to it [and the tragedy for the victims and their loved ones]. But that film and that shooting had no connection in any way to the Joker character. So we had to judge our film on its own merits. A lot of the social media comments around the film were by people who hadn’t seen the film and didn’t know what it was. We looked at the film really closely and did feel that it was a great film. That it was a piece of art. And we didn’t think it would inspire violence. We took it to Venice, where it won the Golden Lion. And we felt comfortable releasing the film.

Took $37m from 79 territories and $634.4m internationally and $934m worldwide; 7^th biggest film worldwide in 2019 between Aladdin and Hobbs & Shaw.

58^th biggest film worldwide between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire;  13^th biggest comic-book film worldwide between The Dark Knight and Spider-Man 3.

12th biggest Warner Bros film worldwide between Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; 10^th biggest Warner Bros film internationally between The Dark Knight Rises and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and 53^rd biggest international film between The Dark Knight Rises and Incredibles 2.

5^th biggest DC film worldwide after Aquaman, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight and Batman v Superman

7th biggest worldwide of 2019 between Aladdin and Hobbs & Shaw

UK: $64.1m; Mexico: $41.7m; Japan: $37.5m; Korea: $37.3m; France: $35.7m; Brazil: $33.3m; Germany: $32.9m; Italy: $30.2m; Russia: $28.9m; Spain: $27.3m; Australia: $23.9m; Indonesia: $13.5m

• Harriet – Focus Features

Opened with $11.67m; received positive reviews (75% Rotten Tomatoes) and A+ CinemaScore

Harriet opened stronger than expected

• Zombieland: Double Tap – Sony Pictures

Dropped 37.2% in its third weekend taking $7.42m and $59.38m

After opening similar to  2009’s Zombieland ($24.73m) Zombieland: Double Tap is holding similar to Zombieland that took $7.61m in its third weekend and $60.64m going on to take $75.59m.

Surely Sony Picture expected Zombieland: Double Tap to take more than the original film opening 10 years later, as will they be expecting Bad Boys For Life to open bigger than 2003’s Bad Boys 2 $46.52m taking $148.6m in the US and $273.33m worldwide and Ghostbusters 2020 to open bigger than inflation inflated openings of 1984’s Ghostbusters $13.57m ($40m+ today) taking $242.58m in the US ($668m today) and $295.74m worldwide ($827m today)

The trailer was viewed 15.5m times on YouTube

Took $9m from 40 territories $16.6m internationally and $63.6m worldwide.

• The Addams Family – United Artists

Dropped 30.9% in its fourth weekend taking $8.29m and $85.09m

Trailers have been viewed over 24m times on YouTube

The Addams Family was previously made as a live-action film in 1991  taking $113.5m and $191.5m worldwide. The sequel Addams Family Values released two years later wasn’t nearly as successful taking $48.9m.

Took $19.3m from 32 territories and $35.8m total and $129.3m worldwide

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• Motherless Brooklyn – Warner Bros

Opened with $3.5m; received mixed reviews (64% Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailers were viewed over 7m titles

Edward Norton previously directed 2000’s Keeping the Faith opened with $8.07m taking $37m.

After the poor performance of The Goldfinch in September, Warner Bros are opening Motherless Brooklyn in only 1,200 screens about a third of the screens a film of its size would normally open, this is probably also due to the film receiving mixed reviews since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.

The problem for Edward Norton is Motherless Brooklyn is yet another original film that has failed to find  an audience, with Warner, Universal, Disney and Paramount launching streaming services it’s likely that films like Motherless Brooklyn, The Kitchen and The Goldfinch will bypass theatrical in the future and go straight to studios streaming services as it’s not worth the risk to the studio to release these films, unless exhibitors change.

Edward Norton recently challenged Steven Spielberg’s comments that Netflix was killing cinema but instead the issue is with exhibitors “A lot of filmmakers and cinematographers that I know that have really started to look into this say that more than 60% US cinemas are running their projector at almost half the luminosity that they’re required by contract to run it at,”… “They are delivering crappy sound and a dim picture, and no one is calling them on it.” “If cinemas were delivering what they’re supposed to be delivering, people would be going, ‘Wow, this is amazing, I do not get this at home’…Well, I want people to literally walk into their cinema and find the manager and say, ‘If this looks dark, you’re giving me my money back. Because I’m paying, I’m paying a premium, for a premium experience.’”

Edward Norton said he personally saw this when he test screened Motherless Brooklyn in a cinema screening Captain Marvel, “14 is the quality control spec the Marvel film should be running at, but the cinema was running the movie at a 6.2 spec.” … “That means it was literally running at less than half the light that was supposed to be on there,”… “You want to train people. Like, go get your money back. If the movie looks dark — it was going, get your money back! I think we should rally around that. I really do.”

Edward Norton also said, “If I disagreed with anybody, with great respect, it was Steven Spielberg,”…  “Netflix invested more in ‘Roma’ theatrically than any boutique label at any studio would have by a factor of five. They put a Spanish-language black-and-white film all over the world in cinemas. Hundreds of cinemas, not just a few; as many as Sony Pictures Classics would have done. They put more money behind it, in a theatrical context, than anybody would have. You can’t tell me there’s a whole lot of people making black-and-white Spanish-language films and putting that investment behind them.”… There’s a lot going on because of Netflix, and what it was the vanguard of, that represents an unprecedented period of ripe opportunity for many more types of stories and voices to be heard, and told, and celebrated. It’s incredible, what’s going on.”

• Jojo Rabbit – Fox Searchlight

Expanded into 256 screens adding 201 screens in its third weekend up 123.4% taking $2.33m and $4.21m

Jojo Rabbit is holding similar to 2014’s Birdman after three strong weekends the question is how wide will JoJo Rabbit’s expansion be in its fourth weekend, will it expand beyond 500 screens. The problem with so many films is they perform strongly on a platform but then the film expands too quickly, most famously 25 years ago with Shawshank Redemption, which started strongly o platform but then expanded wide against Pulp Fiction.

If it expands into 600+ screens it will enter into the top 10 but as what happened with many of these platform releases will likely only stay in the top 10 for a week.

Since then Fox Searchlight has won Best Picture Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, and The Shape of Water and won 15 other Oscars and The Full Monty, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Black Swan, 127 Hours, The Tree of Life, The Descendants, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Brooklyn, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Favourite have also been nominated for Best Picture.

Over the last 25 years, Fox Searchlight has released 186 films taking $2.66bn in the US.

Jojo Rabbit had a similar platform as previous Fox Searchlight award winners

3rd-weekend expansions

2018’s The Favourite added 57 screens to 91 taking $1,503,634 and $3,542,280  

1,646,592 expanded into 441 screens in the fourth weekend; took 11 weeks to expand into its widest 1,554 screens going on to take $34,366,783 and played in cinemas for over 16 weeks.

2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri added 561 screens to 614 taking $4,403,003 and $7,614,532 expanded into 1,430 screens in the fourth weekend; took 5 weeks to expand into widest 1,620 screens going on to take $54,513,740 and played in cinemas for over 20 weeks.

2017’s The Shape of Water added 117 screens to 158 taking $1,710,811 and $3,593,375 expanded into 726 screens in the fourth weekend; taking 10 weeks to expand into widest 2,341 screens going on to take $63,859,435 and played in cinemas for over 18 weeks.

2015’s Brooklyn added 88 screens to 111 taking $1,160,517 and $2,169,742 expanded into 845 screens in the fourth weekend; taking 6 weeks to expand into 947 screens going on to take $38,322,743 and played in cinemas for over 20 weeks.

2014’s Birdman added 181 screens to 231 taking $2,390,377 and $4,884,635 expanded into 460 screens in the fourth weekend; taking 8 weeks to expand into 738 screens (expanded into 1,213 screens after Oscar win) going on to take $42,340,598 and played in cinemas for over 20 weeks.

2013’s 12 Years A Slave added 287 screens to 410 taking $4,792,214 and $8,952,538 expanded into 1,144 screens in the fourth weekend; taking 6 weeks to expand into widest 1,474 screens going on to take $56,671,993 and played in cinemas for over 25 weeks.

While Disney has had huge success at the box office over recent years after buying Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm they are the one studio that has yet to win a Best Picture Oscar, they went close this year with Black Panther nominated for Best Picture; The English Patient in 1996 and Chicago in2002 were the last times Disney were connected to a Best Picture winner while they owned  Miramax.

Fox Searchlight has had much more successful Oscar winners that also started on a platform, but they had a much wider target demographic before opening (Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, Black Swan, The Descendants, Sideways and The Full Monty) JoJo Rabbit s not yet that must-see Oscar contender receiving a polarised critical reaction.

• Parasite – Neon

Expanded into 463 screens in its fourth weekend up 39% taking $2.53m and $7.44m

Has overtaken Bong Joon Ho’s 2013’s Snowpiercer ($4.56m) to become the directors biggest film in the US; his last film Okja was released by Netflix.

Parasite has taken over $109m worldwide with over 90% internationally 67% from South Korea

Parasite has already expanded wider than Snowpiercer expanding into 356 screens in its third weekend but lost many of those screens within weeks despite critical acclaim (95% Rotten Tomatoes).

Harvey Weinstein wanted to cut Snowpiercer. The director refused to delay its release and probably was one of the reasons why he chooses to release Okja through Netflix, as the dim generated huge media coverage after premiering at Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and two years later Parasite did the same winning Palme d’Or.

At the Cannes Film Festival Curzon acquired UK rights to the film giving it a full theatrical release in February, rather than their limited cinema/VoD release they do with many of their films and Netflix titles.

• The Lighthouse – A24

Expanded into 798 screens adding 392 screens in its third weekend but still dropped 34.7% taking $1.97m and $6.95m total

The Lighthouse is a very different film to Robert Eggers last film 2016’s The Witch that opened wide in 2,000 screens taking $25.13m.

Received critical acclaim (92% Rotten Tomatoes) since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival

• The Irishman – Netflix

Opened on limited release ahead of its streaming release at the end of the month

Indiewire reported that there were many sell-out screenings over its opening weekend, but Netflix hasn’t reported box office figures.

Major exhibitors refused to book The Irishman as Netflix wouldn’t keep the film to the 90-day theatrical widow, but as seen with so many original films like Motherless Brooklyn this weekend it will be playout of cinemas within a month but still, be won’t be allowed to be released on VoD for another two months. 

 UK Box Office Predictions

A decade ago Roland Emmerich action movie was a major cinematic event (1996’s Independence Day, 1998’s Godzilla, 2000’s The Patriot, 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow, 2009’s 2012) but over recent years (2013’s White House Down and 2016’s Independence Day: Resurgence), they have underwhelmed. Midway is a slightly different epic almost a sequel to 2001’s Pearl Harbour (opened £3,075,147 taking £12,733,469).

Midway is more likely to perform similar to 2017’s Hacksaw Rudge (opened £1,490,158 taking £4,945,211) which could see Joker stay #1 for 1 sixth weekend which would repeat Avatar’s 6-week #1 run.

Targetting older audiences is hustler drama The Good Liar likely to open similar to 2003’s Matchstick Men (opened £564,481 taking £1,163,698) and 2003’s Confidence (opened £325,685 taking £829,671).

The Aeronauts has a 7-day opening after opening in IMAX cinemas on Monday sharing the IMAX cinemas with Terminator: Dark Fate and Joker. The Aeronauts probably opened on Monday to get the IMAX screens as by Friday it leaves almost all of the IMAX screens.

Netflix release Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman on limited release as with previous releases unlikely they will report box office, but the limited theatrical release will give cinema fans a chance to experience the film on the big screen before it’s released Later this month on Netflix.

Martin Scorsese followed up his comments about Marvel movies being the equivalent to the offerings of a theme park rather than cinema saying “Many franchise films are made by people of considerable talent and artistry. You can see it on the screen. The fact that the films themselves don’t interest me is a matter of personal taste and temperament. I know that if I were younger if I’d come of age at a later time, I might have been excited by these pictures and maybe even wanted to make one myself. But I grew up when I did and I developed a sense of movies — of what they were and what they could be — that was as far from the Marvel universe as we on Earth are from Alpha Centauri,”

“That’s the nature of modern film franchises: market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, reverted and remodified until they’re ready for consumption,”….“Another way of putting it would be that they are everything that the films of Paul Thomas Anderson or Claire Denis or Spike Lee or Ari Aster or Kathryn Bigelow or Wes Anderson are not.”

“If people are given only one kind of thing and endlessly sold only one kind of thing, of course, they’re going to want more of that one kind of thing.” This has been my point and also is the reason why Disney is so successful with what they do, but it has made a trip to the cinema feel like Groundhog Day while streaming services have the original content. Maybe it’s an age thing as 20 years ago I would get caught up in the hype but over the years since realised that these films never live up to their hype.

Opening in the UK Next Week

• Last Christmas – Universal Pictures

Romantic comedy starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh and directed by Paul Feig. The film features music from George Michael including some previously unreleased tracks.

When the first trailer was released in August comparisons were made with Love Actually which also starred Emma Thompson who also co-wrote Last Christmas screenplay.

Many believe the twist in the film is that Henry Golding’s character is an angel

2003’s Love Actually opened £6,657,479 (£10,825,901 inflation inflated) taking £36,026,147 (£58,583,059 inflation inflated)

2006’s The Holiday opened £2,826,520 taking £12,097,597

2008’s Four Christmases opened £2,275,585 taking £10,222,998

2001’s Serendipity opened £635,042 (£1,107,489 inflation inflated) taking £1,986,773 (£3,464,855 inflation inflated)

2000’s The Family Man opened £521,322 (£909,165 inflation inflated) taking £3,201,076 (£5,582,553 inflation inflated)

The rom-com genre has underperformed over the last decade with audiences going to Netflix for their rom-com fix so will cinemagoers come back to see Last Christmas.

1989 is the 30th anniversary of the classic rom-com When Harry Met Sally and the 25th anniversary of Miracle on 34th Street remake.

• Le Mans ’66 – 20^th Century Fox

Biographical drama starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, while Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, and Ray McKinnon and directed by James Mangold.

Its James Mangold’s first film since 2017’s Logan and 5^th film he has directed for 20^th Century Fox (Walk the Line, Knight and Day, The Wolverine and Logan) and Matt Damon’s 9^th (1996’s Courage Under Fire was one of his first major roles) and is his first major role since Downsizing, Suburbicon and The Great Wall all in 2017 all underwhelming at the box office).

Had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and was also screened at the Toronto and London Film Festivals receiving positive reviews from critics (89% Rotten Tomatoes) praising performances and racing sequences.

The film was retitled as Le Mans ’66 in the UK and several other territories which has caused will cause confusion and the title makes it sound like a car racing film, but it is much more than that. While films often change their titles in non-English territories it is unusual for a major release in English speaking countries, especially one that is opening day and date with the US.

The radio adverts voiceover “the unbelievable true story between Ford vs Ferrari”, if you’re going to include the original title in the voiceover why change its title?

The film was originally developed with Brad Pitt in the lead in 2009 and Michael Mann directing and in 2013 Tom Cruise joined the cast (previously starring together in Interview With a Vampire and he also starred in racing drama Days of Thunder), but they both moved onto other projects in 2013, James Mangold was signed in early 2018.

The film was originally due for release in June but was moved back to November as it was seen as a potential award contender and 20^th Century Fox wanted to launch it at autumn film festivals.

Comparisons include 2013’s Rush opened with £2,099,308 taking £9,793,677

2010 documentary Senna and probably the most famous are the Oscar-winning 1966’s Grand Prix and 1972 Oscar-winning documentary Weekend of a Champion.

20^th Century Fox has had a very disappointing 2019 with their 12 releases taking only £43m to date; last year they had huge success with Deadpool 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody.

2019 was always going to be a difficult year as it must have been hard putting a slate together with the impending acquisition overhanging everything they did last year. While Disney wasn’t allowed to have any direct dealings with the studio whilst its acquisition was going through, must have been some off the record discussions that resulted into changes at the studio. As the acquisition moved forward into this year, the failure of many their slate of films

as it started with being acquired by Disney who immediately shutdown many film projects the studio had been developing for years.

Whilst the studio had to deal with several films that were delayed for different reasons, Alita: Battle Angel, Dark Phoenix and Ad Astra, while Fox delayed the release of Titanic 22 years ago from July to December, few films over the years since have been successful after being delayed.

• Marriage Story – Netflix

Comedy-drama starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever and written and directed by Noah Baumbach; had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival receiving critical acclaim (98% Rotten Tomatoes).

It is Noah Baumbach’s second film for Netflix after 2017’s The Meyerowitz Stories

It also screened at Toronto and London Film Festivals as with The Irishman will have a limited theatrical release before streaming on Netflix in December as major exhibitors rejected Netflix demands of a shortened theatrical window.

Had Marriage Story been acquired by an art-house studio would have had a limited theatrical release as his other theatrical releases have done. For studios to make it worth the gamble of theatrical exhibitors need to loosen the theatrical window demands for films like these or studios won’t give them a theatrical risk.

A three-week theatrical window is a long enough window nowadays for almost all films as most will take over 80% of their box office within a month, even the biggest films from Disney.

If exhibitors refuse the request of Netflix to give these films a short theatrical release the long-term loser will be audiences getting far less choice. Over the next few years as the steaming war gets more intense more of these kinds of films will move to stream especially after films like The Kitchen and The Goldfinch failed badly at the box office.

2010’s Greenberg platform release played at its widest in 186 screens taking $4.23m

2013’s Frances Ha platform release played at its widest in 233 screens taking $4.06m

2015’s Mistress America platform release played at its widest 412 screens taking $2.5m

• The Report – Curzon

Docudrama starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Ted Levine, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, Maura Tierney and Jon Hamm and written and directed by Scott Z. Burns; 

Received its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival were Amazon Studios acquired the film and screened at several film festival this autumn before having a limited theatrical release before being available to stream in two weeks’ time.

As with Marriage Story, The Report received critical acclaim (85% Rotten Tomatoes) but also has a limited theatrical audience, why streaming/theatrical is a far better release as it gives people the opportunity to see it in cinemas or stream it.

Opening in the US Next Week

• Ford v Ferrari – 20^th Century Fox

Since receiving its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival August Ford v Ferrari has generated strong buzz and positive reviews and seen as a major award contender alongside Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit.

As with the studio’s success with Murder on the Orient Express and Bohemian Rhapsody, Ford v Ferrari could be similar counterprogramming against blockbusters opening ahead of Thanksgiving. Trailer reaction has been positive.

With Terminator: Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels underwhelming there is room in the marketplace for Ford v Ferrari expected to opened with up to $30m opening ahead of James Mangold’s Oscar-winning 2005’s Walk The Line (opened with $22.43m taking $129.51m and $187.7m worldwide); his biggest openers 2017’s Logan ($88.41m taking $226.27m and $615.46m worldwide) and 2013’s The Wolverine (opened with $53.11m taking $32.55m and $416.45m).

• Charlie’s Angels – Sony Pictures

Action comedy starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks, Djimon Hounsou, Patrick Stewart and Sam Claflin and directed by Elizabeth Banks.

It was originally intended to be a reboot but recently it was announced that it would be a continuation of the two films (2000’s Charlie’s Angels and 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu), but with a new cast

The first trailer was released in June and the second in October both were poorly received, and expectations were very low for the film expected to open between $12m-$16m,

Surprisingly for a tentpole film and one that is likely to receive poor reviews opens in the UK two weeks after its US release, opening a week earlier in Thailand, which is likely to see pirates online ahead of its US opening.

2000’s Charlie’s Angels opened with $40.12m taking $125.4m and $264.1m worldwide

2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle opened $27.63m taking $100.83m and $259.17m worldwide

• The Good Liar – Warner Bros

Thriller starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren and directed Bill Condon based on the novel by Nicholas Searle.

The book was compared to The Talented Mr Ripley, the film opened in 2000 with $12.73m taking $81.29m and $128.69m worldwide

Other comparisons include 1991’s The Grifters (took $13.44m); 2003’s Matchstick Men (opened $4.1m taking $36.9m and $65.56 worldwide) and 2003’s Confidence (opened $1.48m taking $12.25m and $23.01m worldwide)

Have been other more high-profile hustler films recently including 2002’s Catch Me If You Can, 2013’s American Hustle and 2013’s Now You See Me.