Top 5 Breakdown
1. Deadpool – £2,974,481 – total £31,141,424
2D – £2,769,153 total £28,363,566 – IMAX £205,328 total £2,777,858
Holding top spot for a surprising third weekend dropping 47.6% as most would have expected after Sacha Baron Cohen’s previous films opening of around £5m would over taken top spot.
Down 47.6% in its third weekend which is better than both Avengers Age of Ultron 59.4% last year
and Avengers Assemble 49% in 2012 both have taken much more than Deadpool £40.3m and £40.2m but as both had 3D surcharges and were 12A Deadpool box office is much closer than it looks.
In comparison with last year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron which had a similar 52.2% drop second weekend took £8.6m with total of £32.3m compared with Avengers Assemble £29.85m but as a third of their box office came from 3D Deadpool is ahead of both £22.61 and £20.9m.
Has overtaken X-Men Days of Future Past to become 20th Century Fox’s biggest Marvel film in the UK. Holding similar to it in its third weekend which dropped 48% but took 41% less than Deadpool in its third weekend that faced tougher competition of 22 Jump Street opening with £4.8m and Maleficent second weekend of £2.6m.
It is currently the 7th biggest comic-book adaption in the UK but could overtake both Spider-Man 2’s £33.46m and Iron Man 3’s £37m by next weekend depending on how it holds this weekend. But as those films had lower certificates and were released in 3D Deadpool had really already out-grossed them both.
20th Century Fox announced they are delaying the release of Gambit to next year which wasn’t unexpected after production delays is currently undated for 2017. They also dated an Untitled Marvel film for January 12 2018 many are already speculating as Deadpool 2 would see it open against Bladerunner 2.
2. Grimsby – £1,920,592– NE
Over the last few weeks has received strong media coverage ahead of its premiere last Monday the after which getting mostly positive reviews. So most expected it would open similar to his previous films but instead as his lowest.
Took £441,124 from previews Wed/Thurs before taking a very average £1,479,468 for the weekend.
But opened with less than half Sacha Baron Cohen’s previous films 2012’s The Dictator opening with £4.97m (including two days of previews). 2009’s Bruno opened with £5m and 2006’s Borat opened with £6.2m while Ali G Indahouse opened with £3.23m in 2002.
Sacha Baron Cohen was no competition for comic-book hero’s this time as his last film The Dictator overthrew The Avengers after three weeks in top spot in 2012.
The Sony hacked emails charted much of the production process of Grimsby it was the funniest and most outrageous script executives had read all said it was a nailed on 18 certificate. But by cutting the film to a 15 did that harm its box office. In the editing process they also changed the key scene that originally was to feature The Queen replacing it with Donald Trump.
Sacha Baron Cohen is known for being outrageous and taking things to the extreme. (when he was on Jimmy Kimmel showing audience a scene he couldn’t broadcast on TV he said he was going for the most extremist he could go with censors which would be true if it was an 18). He did a similar thing during his interview on the Jonathan Ross his outlandish antics have become predictable with him also dressing up as Ali G at the Oscars to cash in the race card
With his previous films so many expected the 18 similar to Deadpool but whilst for Deadpool the 15 helped its audience the 15 probably alienated Sacha Baron Cohen fans as they were expecting much more. The film was probably hurt by Deadpool’s surprising box office appeal as the humour is similar but Deadpool is much more fun.
In 2009 Universal Pictures released Bruno first in an 18 and then cut version several weeks later which is probably what Sony should of down with Grimsby the problem they have no is that its disappointing UK opening will now hurt its US opening in two weeks’ time.
Borat held strongly in its second weekend in 2006 with £4.5m and £14.2m but his other films didn’t hold nearly as well;
The Dictator dropped a massive 78% in its second weekend £1.01m – £15.8m total
Bruno dropped 54% in its second weekend – £2.3m – £10.3m total
Ali G Indahouse 53% in its second weekend £1.5m – £6.4m
It’s likely Grimsby will have similar second weekend of over 60% including previews.
Sacha Baron Cohen like his former The 11 O’clock co-star Ricky Gervais used to be very funny but as with Ricky Gervais is repeating his characters within his new comedies there is nothing new to see with Sacha as he keeps trying to out-gross his previous films rather than out-laugh them. Will be interesting to see if Ricky Gervais brings anything new to his eagerly awaited The Office spinoff Life on the Road or will it be another Dad’s Army?
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip – £1,218,725 – total £14,663,253
With half term holidays ended was always expected Alvin would suffer the biggest drop in the top 10 and it did with 65.6%.
But comparing to previous films the fourth film is still performing strongly against previous films
Alvin and the Chipmunks – week 3 – £1.098m – £6.1m
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel – week 3 – £1,220,271 – £15.1m
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – week 3 – £1,451,331 – £9.2m
With studio stablemate Kung Fu Panda 3 previewing this weekend before opening the following weekend The Road Chip won’t likely match the box office of The Squeakquel.
4. How to Be Single – £952,290 – £3,664,937
Dropping 49.1% in its second weekend would normally seem bad but as it held better than most other films in the top ten its holding well. Many would have expected the other Rebel Wilson film to of hurt its box office but instead stood its ground against it.
But not holding as well as Liz Tuccillo’s previous novel adaption He’s Just Not That into You dropped only 7% in its second weekend with £1,784,619 and £4,876,626 total. But had a far stronger ensemble cast.
The film surprisingly topped Way to Blue’s Buzz chart last week ahead of Grimsby reporting more than 4,300 comments across social media and blogs but as always just because you talk about films on social media doesn’t mean you will pay to see them.
5. Goosebumps £498,148 – total £8,151,311
2D took £488,076 – total £7,134,144 – 3D took £10,072 – total £1,01,167
With half term now over with Goosebumps now limited to weekend matiness it dropped an 61.9% I it’s fourth weekend. With Kung Fu Panda 3 previewing this weekend before opening next will now quickly drop down the chart taking much less than most would of expected.
Was a moderate success in the US and has taken $155m worldwide seen as the beginning of a new franchise with sequel in development before the first film was released and with Sony Pictures in desperate need for franchises is likely we will still see a sequel soon especially as it has sold well on DVD over the last couple of weeks in the US.
Complete UK Box office top 10 – February 26th – 28th 2016
Also opened
Secret in their Eyes – Universal Pictures – £116,023 from 111 screens
Other box office news:
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £9,392,604 down 10.3% from last weekend £10,481,241 and down 23.2% from same weekend last year. (£12,232,232) when The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel £3,733,969, Focus £1,905,729, The Boy Next Door £406,171 and It Follows £366,382 opened.
This weekend last year Chappie £996,518, Still Alice £401,396 and Unfinished Business £391,844 opened.
US Box Office
1. 20th Century Fox – Deadpool down 44.2% – $31.5m total $285.6m.
2. Lionsgate – Gods of Egypt – opens with $14m; received B+ CinemaScore.
The films director Alex Proyas went on a similar rant on Facebook Kevin Smith did in 2010 with film critics calling them “We have a pack of diseased vultures pecking at the bones of a dying carcass,” Proyas went on to write. “Trying to peck to the rhythm of the consensus. I applaud any film-goer who values their own opinion enough to not base it on what the pack-mentality says is good or bad.”
3. 20th Century Fox – Kung Fu Panda 3 down 28.1%- $9m $128.4m total.
4. Sony Pictures – Risen down 40.7% – $7m – total $22.7m.
5. 20th Century Fox – Eddie The Eagle – opens with $6.3m; received A CinemaScore.
After receiving “surprise” screening at Sundance Film Festival has received rave reviews the opening was then disappointing but its a film that audiences will need to discover with strong word of mouth it used to be films would get that chance but rarely do anymore.
6. Open Road – Triple 9 – opens with $6.1m; received C+ CinemaScore.
7. Warner Bros – How to Be Single – down $5.1m – $39.6m total.
8. A24 – The Witch down 43.1% – $5m – $16.6m total.
9. Focus – Race – down 41.9% – $4.2m – $13.2m total.
10. 20th Century Fox – The Revenant – down 1.7% – $3.8m – $170.5m total.