Top 5 Breakdown

1. Mary Poppins Returns – £4,444,023 –£34,295,862  

Down 40.28% in its third weekend; 116^th film in the UK to take over £30m; the 90^th biggest film to date in the UK between Fifty Shades of Grey and Up and the 110^th biggest inflation inflated film in the UK between Suicide Squad and It

Currently the 8^th biggest 2018 film after Avengers Infinity War, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Incredibles 2, Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Peter Rabbit, Jurassic World 2

Third weekends

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! dropped 42% taking £4,121,275 and £39,324,001 60.02% of £65.51m +

Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 20.7% taking £4,559,647 and £28,907,411 50.7% of £54 total (tbc)

Bridget Jones’s Baby dropped 26% taking £4,807,165 and £31,350,360 65.1% of £48.15m

While

The Greatest Showman dropped 11% taking £2,142,337 and £13,537,211 28.2% of £48m total

Mary Poppins Returns left empty handed at the Golden Globes on Sunday with A Star Is Born winning Best Song (Shallow) it received three BAFTA nominations today all small categories and after being an Oscar favourite is unlikely to be nominated in major categories unlike the original film.

A few weeks ago most people would of expected Mary Poppins Returns to receive many BAFTA nominations especially being British and receiving critical acclaim but instead only received three nominations all in small categories while Bohemian Rhapsody received 7 including Best British Film.

Ahead of release while Mary Poppins Returns felt like another Disney memberries film still thought while it might not be as successful as original in the US, UK audiences will fall for it as they did earlier in the year for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with it becoming one of the biggest films of the year but now it won’t take £25m in 2018.

Similar third weekends

Les Miserables dropped 9% in January 2013 with taking £4,016,611 and £24,618,896 60,3% of £40,818,299

The Jungle Book dropped 29% in April 2016 taking £5,758,824 and £30,201,705 65.3% of £46,235,032

Alice In Wonderland dropped 34% taking £4,847,129 and £30,493,427 71.6% of £42,588,048

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dropped 35% taking £2,886,352 (£4,589,974 inflation inflated) and £26,058,703 (£41,439,424) 69.8% of £37,296,621 (£60,735,686 inflation inflated)

The Greatest Showman soundtrack had its 25th non-consecutive week at #1 last weekend having been in the top 5 for the past year but Mary Poppins Returns soundtrack has yet to enter in the album chart despite rave reviews from critics about the songs.

In the US it entered last week at #56 in its fourth week of release, the lack of sales for the sequel to one of the most beloved film musicals over the last 50 years to me highlights the lack of interest in the film. While there is nothing terrible about Mary Poppins Returns there is nothing that memorable about it either, it is a memberberries movie as Star Wars: The Force Awakens was with A New Hope.

2. The Favourite – £3,973,975   – NE  

After taking £1,775,372 from 9 days of previews; opened in the West End on Boxing Day taking £336,655 and then across the UK from New Years Day  

Took more in previews than Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ previous biggest film 2015’s The Lobster, which took £1.52m.

Took £2.2m from its official Fri-Sun opening which was lower than other recent Best Actress Oscar winner, after Olivia Colman won Best Actress Drama at the Golden Globes on Sunday, she is now favourite to win the award at the BAFTAs and Oscars next month. 

Frances McDormand won last year for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri opened with £2,361,782 (£190,281 previews) taking £15,238,741

Emma Stone won in 2017 for La La Land opened with £6,596,256 (£943,672 previews) taking £29,816,588

Brie Larson won in 2016 for Room opened with £170,425

Julianne Moore won In 2015 Still Alice opened with £401,565

Cate Blanchett won in 2014 Blue Jasmine opened with £833,798

Had the 327^th biggest opening in the UK between Ant-Man and War Horse (close to Darkest Hour, The Impossible, A Star Is Born); 534^th without previews between One Direction: This Is Us and Moulin Rouge and 462^nd inflation inflated opening between The Theory of Everything (2015’s British Oscar must see) and Saw III (close to Cinderella, The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and American Hustle).

Was 20^th Century Fox’s 31^st biggest opening in the UK between Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and Mr and Mrs Smith (close to Gone Girl, Rocky Balboa and Life of Pi); 81^st biggest inflation inflated between The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and There’s Something About Mary and 87^th without previews between The Devil Wears Prada and Moulin Rouge (£27,102 more than last year’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, £267,614 less than The Shape of Water and £376,544 less than The Greatest Showman).

After 12 days on release The Favourite is 20^th Century Fox’s 176^th biggest film between Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Poltergeist (184^th inflation inflated between Poltergeist and The Internship) with BAFTA and Oscar success it could match the box office of Three Billboards their 60^th biggest film between Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and Rio 2

With The Favourite opening similar to last year’s British Oscar must see film Darkest Hour shows that the extended opening didn’t boost the films box office but as with most extended opening weekends shared its box office over 12 days rather than three.

Every year is a must-see Oscar award film opening early in January that starts its pre-release campaign premiering at either the Venice or Toronto Film Festival in August/September and then London Film Festival in October, The Favourite received its world premiere in August with critical acclaim and over the months since has generated strong buzz ahead of its UK release. In the US had a platform release starting strongly in four screens but as so many other Oscar contenders expanded much too quickly and lost some of its momentum.

After The Favourite won Golden Globe for Olivia Coleman on Sunday should be able to build on that again and then on to Oscar nominations in two weeks’ time, but as with Darkest Hour last year The Favourite will likely just win acting awards with Best Film and Director going to A Star is Born and Roma.

The Favourite was in development for 20 years but as with Three Billboards also produced by Film4 had Fox Searchlight not come in in May 2017 would the film be getting the same media coverage and award recognition.

So could ask a similar question that is being asked about Roma in the US why a UK distributor board didn’t The Favourite before Fox Searchlight> Is a similar question being asked about independent producers preferring to sell their films to streaming services as they know the film will be seen by a bigger audience rather than take the gamble with theatrical.

January/February is much lighter with Oscar contenders this year than last year BlackkKlansman, A Star Is Born, McQueen, You Were Never Really Here, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Wife,  Widows, First Man and Cold War have all been released and Roma on Netflix.

Remaining Oscar/BAFTA contenders Green Book, Stan & Ollie, Vice, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Beautiful Boy and Mary Queen of Scots aren’t likely to perform as strongly as last years Darkest Hour (£24.1m), The Shape of Water (£7.5m), Lady Bird (£5.3m), Phantom Thread £2.7m), The Post (£9.1m) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (£15.3m).

3. Aquaman – £1,855,420   –  £18,277,630      

Down only 24.12% in its fourth weekend; having the lowest fourth weekend drop of all DC Extended Universe film and Marvel Cinematic Universe and even Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. Does show Mary Poppins Returns should be holding much better in its third weekend than is.

Aquaman took similar fourth weekend box office of Wonder Woman £1,868,607 and £16,297,127 but less than 2008’s The Dark Knight took £2,302,866 and £40,153,039 of £48,879,577.

Has overtaken last years Justice League and should also overtaken Wonder Woman but will come short of matching the box office of Man of Steel, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad all received far inferior reviews and word of mouth

Aquaman has now become Warner Bros third biggest film of 2018 after A Star Is  Born and Fantastic Beasts 2.

The six DC Extended Universe films have now taken over £157m at the UK; previous five DC films that included Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy took £142m and the previous four Batman films took £56m; 15 DC films since Batman in 1989 have taken over £350m.

4. André Rieu’s 2019 New Year Concert In Sydney – £1,745,941 – NE   

Was #3 at the box office on Saturday and #2 on Sunday with no screenings on Friday from 570 screens

Had the biggest opening André Rieu’s Event Cinema concert; since 2014 his concerts have been growing in popularity and have become the biggest annual Event Cinema screening.

have become a regular occurrence in cinemas since 2014.

Andre Rieu’s 2014 Maastricht Concert £830,586.

Andre Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert (Concert) £1,107,000;

Andre Rieu’s 2016 Maastricht Concert £1,414,075;

Andre Rieu’s 2017 Maastricht Concert £1,439,604;

Andre Rieu 2018 Maastricht Concert  £1,486,528 

As show times are limited to one or two shows over the weekend and ticket prices are up to 100% more than regular prices it’s impossible to compare their openings with any other releases.

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5. Bumblebee – £1,736,877    – £9,118,933

Down 65.97% in its second weekend due to having six days of previews removing them its second weekend box office dropped only 31.7%.

Will shortly overtake the total box office for 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight but ill unlikely get close to any of the other Transformers films is very disappointing as it received far better reviews and stronger word of mouth than any of the other Transformer films.

Despite Bumblebee targetting a much younger audience than the previous Transformer films more The Iron Giant and Real Steal opening so close to both Aquaman and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was always likely to see all three films cannibalizing each other. While Bumblebee weekend previews over the opening weekend of Aquaman and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse probably did more damage than good.

Opening so close to Aquaman and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse the three films were always likely to cannibalize each other as they were all targetting similar audiences. Last year Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Pitch Perfect 3 and The Greatest Showman targeted a much wider demographic which saw all of them perform strongly.

Second weekends

2007’s Transformers down 73.24% £2,333,219 of £22,863,864

2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen down 47.69% £4,368,024 of £26,539,878 of £19,074,771

2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon down 55.72% £4,750,519 of £27,862,654

2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction down 84.77% £1,790,491 of £19,074,771

2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight 65.44% £1,601,971 of £9,498,526

As Bumblebee Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Transformers: Age of Extinction both had extensive previews inflated their opening with £4,226,736 and £8,044,230

The six Transformers films have taken over £115m at the UK box office

Paramount Pictures have a far fewer properties than their rivals after the positive buzz surrounding Bumblebee was expected that it could revitalise the franchise after Transformers: The Last Knight took half of the previous film in 2017. Bumblebee has taken only $290.6m worldwide to date and will likely be the worst performing film of the six-film franchise.

It was then surprising to see Deadline reported on Tuesday the studio had cancelled plans for a Star Trek 4. The last Star Trek film 2016’s Star Trek Beyond took a third less worldwide than Star Trek (eight films have taken $1.7bn worldwide) and Star Trek Into Darkness and the fourth film has been in development since with Quentin Tarantino rumoured to possible direct.

Apart from Star Trek and Transformers franchise the only other one they have had strong success with over recent years is Mission Impossible, the six films have taken over $3.57bn worldwide with last year’s Mission: Impossible: Fallout the biggest to date taking $791m.

While Tom Cruise said that he wants to make Mission Impossible films forever he is 56 and will be close to 60 when he makes Mission Impossible 7 after he finishes Top Gun: Maverick how many more years can he keep making the films? Saying that Harrison Ford will start shooting next year Indiana Jones 5 and he will be almost 80 when it opens. July.2021.

Paramount have tried for many years to have sequels to their other biggest films from Beverly Hills Cop to World War Z, while they do have Terminator reboot in the US opening in November and A Quiet Place sequel in 2020 their slate is very light in brands unlike rivals.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £17,185,874 down 18.4% from last weekend £21,066,980        

The weekend admissions 2,129,425 down 22.4% from last weekend 2,746,673 average ticket up from last year’s £7.49 to £7.67 for 2018 despite this the industry will claim average ticket price has dropped 3.2% to £7.25.

13 films opened at weekend taking £6,082,404; The Favourite 65.3% (£3,973,975); André Rieu’s 2019 New Year Concert from Sydney 28.7% (£1,745,941; remaining 11 films shared 5.9% (£362,488): Top three took 59.7% (£10,273,418) of the top 10; Mary Poppins Returns 25.8% (£4,444,023); The Favourite (£3,973,975) 23.1%; Aquaman (£1,855,420) 10.7%

The weekend was down 14.1% from 2018: (£17,391,172); Molly’s Game (£2,283,420); All the Money in the World (£1,161,476); Hostiles (£380,718); Brad’s Status (£33,579); #1 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (£3,895,450) 1st week

Down 1.2% from 2017: (£17,194,216); Assassin’s Creed (£5,285,064); A Monster Calls (£1,920,744); Silence (£1,542,926); Nabucco – Met Opera 2017 (£335,390); #1 Assassin’s Creed (£5,285,064) 1^st week

Down 12.1% from 2016: (£19,553,004); Joy (£1,519,936); The Danish Girl (£1,376,191); Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (£224,022); Sleeping with Other People (£10,197); #1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story £5,959,299 (3^rd week)

Down 13.3% from 2015; (£19,828,105); The Theory of Everything (£3,749,293); The Woman In Black: Angel of Death (£2,431,823); Birdman (£1,524,667); #1 The Theory of Everything (£3,749,293) 1^st week

Down 7.1% from 2014: (£18,483,581); American Hustle – expansion (£3,467,644); Last Vegas (£1,811,695); Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (£1,584,354); Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (£1,472,500); #1 American Hustle (£3,467,644) 1^st week

Down 9.6% from 2013: (£19,026,396) The Impossible (£4,034,470); Quartet (£2,294,917); Playing for Keeps (£507,319); #1 The Impossible (£4,034,470) 1^st week

Up 44.5% from 2012 (£11,885,910); The Iron Lady (£2,151,368); Goon (£728,286); #1 The Iron Lady (£2,151,368) 1^st week

Up 27.9% from 2011 (£13,432,653); The King’s Speech (£3,523,102); 127 Hours (£2,168,570); The Next Three Days (£1,046,333); Season of the Witch (£559,769); It’s Kind of a Funny Story (£82,056); #1 The King’s Speech (£3,523,102) 1^st week

Up 11.6% from 2010: (£15,390,090); Did You Hear About The Morgan’s (£1,155,060); Post Grad (£12,486); #1 Avatar (£5,940,479) 3rd week

Up 44.7% from 2009; (£11,872,842); The Spirit (£1,351,370); The Reader (£671,064); Che: Part One (£429,836); Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 (£41,305); #1 Yes Man (£2,223,950) 2^nd week   

Up 34.5% from 2008; (£12,768,659); Lust, Caution (£240,665); #1 I Am Legend (£3,740,369) 2^nd week

Up 56.1% from 2007:(£11,003,216); Miss Potter (£1,400,943); Apocalypto (£1,360,110); Employee of the Month (£1,075,883); White Noise: The Light (£698,461); #1 Night at the Museum (£2,958,093) 2^nd week

Up 58.1% from 2006; (£10,866,142); Just Friends (£1,750,481); Brokeback Mountain (£987,261); Match Point (£751,992); Running Scared (£275,498); #1 King Kong (£2,160,421) 4^th week

Up 92.3% from 2005 (£8,933,539); White Noise (£1,787,478); The Aviator – expansion (£1,314,946); Alexander (£1,200,083); Vera Drake; #1 White Noise (£1,787,478) 1^st week (£266,010);

Up 25.4% from 2004 (£13,698,709); Stuck On You (£1,114,837); American Splendor (£135,568); Lord of the Rings: Return of the King £6,496,723 (3rd week)

Up 45.9% from 2003 (£11,773,904); Star Trek X: Nemesis (£1,957,845); City Of God (£307,177); Spider (£63,949); #1 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (£5,774,170) 3^rd week

up 53.3% from 2002 (£11,208,567); Behind Enemy Lines (£903,589); The Last Castle (£161,862); Mulholland Drive (£134,798); Monsoon Wedding (£130,466); #1 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (£5,967,910) (3^rd week)

Next weekend in 2018: (£16,859,941); Darkest Hour (£4,058,356); Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (£2,361,782); Insidious: The Last Key (£1,840,992); Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars (£183,051); #1 Darkest Hour (£4,058,356) 1^st week

Also released

• Welcome to Marwen – Universal Pictures

Opened with £242,156 from 328 screens including £97,198 from previews Tues-Thurs

After flopping in the US opening just before Christmas was always likely to do the same in the UK and as with Mortal Engines opening Tuesday the film was DOA by its official opening day.

Opened much lower than recent Robert Zemeckis films directed 2016’s Allied opened with £1,331,919 taking £4,171,764; 2015’s The Walk opened with £795,115 taking £1,253,929; 2013’s Flight opened with £1,401,214 taking £4,690,651

• Life Itself – Sky Cinema

Took £54,131 from 35 screens including £37,476 previews

The fifth film Sky Cinema have release same day as premiering on Sky Cinema after Monsters Family, The Hurricane Heist, Anon and Final Score, but as those other films major exhibiters have refused to screen the films in cinemas.

All of the films Sky Cinema have so far acquired to have theatrical release were lucky to have much success at the box office, but they do heavily promote the films on their channels and across other TV channels.

If Sky are serious with their cinema/theatrical premieres they need to acquire higher profile releases as the current films are straight to DV films that wouldn’t probably have a theatrical release.

Other Box Office News

Bohemian Rhapsody was up 10% in its 11^th weekend taking £725,271 and £48,404,430 overtaking last years The Greatest Showman to become 20^th Century Fox’s fifth biggest film in the UK

Has become the 37^th biggest film in the UK between Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire and Avengers Age of Ultron and the 77^th inflation inflated between The Greatest Showman and Up.

The Greatest Showman took £1,567,366 up 26% in its 11^th weekend #2 behind Black Panther taking £37.33m 77.3% of £48.3m total

On Sunday won Best Film Drama and Best Actor Rami Malek at the Golden Globes and today was nominated for 7 BAFTAs including Best British Film and Best Actor despite receiving snobbish reviews.

With sing-along screenings in cinemas from Friday Bohemian Rhapsody will become the 34^th film to take over £50m at the UK box office shortly and should overtake The Full Monty.

A year ago most people would have predicted Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mary Poppins Returns would take over £100m between them but few would have possibly thought the same would happen with Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman.

A year ago was at 20^th Century Fox London offices for an interview and they had just seen the Live Aid scenes and knew they had a major hit on their hands

Last week was announced Bohemian Rhapsody DVD release would be February in the US and March in the UK but as The Greatest Showman last year Bohemian Rhapsody will likely be still on wide release in cinemas. Unlikely Mary Poppins Returns will still be playing wide in cinemas in March despite many “box office” experts expecting it to have long legs in cinemas as they also did with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

2018 UK Box Office

UK box office for 2018 is £1.277bn 0.01% down from 2017 despite seven films taking £40m+ at the box office in 2018 Avengers Infinity War, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Incredibles 2, Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Peter Rabbit and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; top 10 films took 37.2%; top 20 took 54.2%; top 50 77.1% and top 100 88.5% of the years box office leaving £148m shared with over 700 other films, Event Cinema screenings and Secret Cinema.

The day before Mary Poppins Returns industry announced UK admissions would be the highest since 1970 with 176m as admissions up to the end of November were 161m and the last 5 years admissions had topped 15m. Instead with box office of £109.75m admissions are the lowest since 2011 an it will depend on what the industry claims is the average ticket price if admissions were claims average dropped by 3% to £7.25.

While have been some cinemas reducing prices including Vue but most of them are near nearer multiplexes while because Vue Darlington is £5.74 but go Odeon Darlington us now one of the cheapest in the UK 33.75 but go a few miles to Middleborough and prices are more than double.

The average ticket price has been reduced due to Meerkat Movie 2for1 and subscription cinema but the real price paid for most is still going upwards, while the industry might claim prices are dropping majority of regular cinemagoers are still paying closer to £10 and in London and the South East close to double.

UK Box Office Top 10

 

US Box office

• Aquaman – Warner Bros

Down 40.5% in its third weekend taking $31.1m and $260.022m

Aquaman has taken Justice League (took $229m) and 24% ahead of the  Doctor Strange $152.9m (took $232.6m) and 7% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy $176.5m (took $333.1m).Will be 8% less than 10-day total of Wonder Woman $206.3m (took $412.5m)

Aquaman had the second biggest second weekend of DC Extended Universe film after 2017’s Wonder Woman $58.52m but opened with 35% more so were expected to have bigger second weekends, Aquaman held much stronger as the Christmas weekend is the most lucrative of the year. Most films see an increase even Robin Hood increased its box office in it sixth weekend by 26%.

After a slight second weekend drop in its second weekend if Aquaman drops under 30% as Wonder Woman then could be on its way to match Man of Steel box office as there are no major releases for two weeks until Glass opens.

Deadline reported Aquaman is playing as strong to women than men pushing the hunk factor of Jason Moma and female leads Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard while received much media coverage with the news Julie Andrews has a cameo, rather the expected cameo in Mary Poppins Returns.

Aquaman performance has helped Warner Bros become the second biggest studio in 2018 taking $1.77bn after Disney taking $3bn but Warner Bros had a much more mixed slate of films and genres from A Star Is Born, Crazy Rich Asians to The Meg while Disney was property heavy; Warner Bros also took $5.3bn worldwide again impressive for the slate of films released

Took $56.2m internationally from 79 territories $681m total and $942.9m worldwide; #46 biggest film worldwide between The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Finding Nemot.

Aquaman has overtaken the global box office of Justice League ($657.9m); Man of Steel ($668m);  Suicide Squad ($746.9m); Wonder Woman ($821.8m) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873.6m) to be the biggest DC Extended Universe film and the biggest Warner Bros DC film since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.

Aquaman will be the ninth comic-book to take over $1bn globally; six Marvel (Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel’s The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, Iron Man 3, Captain America: Civil War) and three DC (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Aquaman).

The six DC Extended Universe films have taken $1.84bn in the US and $4.71bn worldwide

Top 5 international territories China ($282.8m; 6th highest grossing import of all time and the biggest Warner Bros film); Korea’s $24.8m, Brazil’s $23.7m, Mexico’s $22.4m and the UK’s $18.2m.

• Escape Room – Sony Pictures

Opened with $17.3m; received 52% Rotten Tomatoes score and B CinemaScore

This PG-13 horror opened similar to last years Breaking In opening in May 2018 with $17.6 million taking $46.5m.; with a budget of only $9m it should be profitable for Sony. 

• Mary Poppins Returns – Disney

Down 44.1% in its third weekend taking $15.86m and $138.81m

Box office experts predicted Mary Poppins Returns would have similar legs to The Greatest Showman. Mary Poppins Returns might have taken 14.5% more in its third weekend and its total 80% more, its third weekend drop was four times having a similar drop to Into the Woods and Les Misérables.

This can be seen by the fact in its second weekend Mary Poppins returns had taken 102% more than The Greatest Showman but that dropped down to 80% in its third weekend despite there not being any competition for Mary Poppins Returns opening this weekend, if it was to have the legs experts say it has it should of maintained that difference, but over the weeks to come this will drop.  

Mary Poppins returns was always more likely to hold similar to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as it was similarly a sequel US audiences had little interest in, the problem is Disney sold it as a property rather than a film which was always likely to disappoint as it wasn’t every going to live up to expectations.

After Mary Poppins Returns opened lower than expected many are saying it will have similar long legs as The Greatest Showman last year but while they might be both musicals, they are very different films. Mary Poppins Returns developed to be the “movie we need now” but The Greatest Showman became that film originally.

Mary Poppins Returns has much more in common with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took $9.1m down 40.4% and $91.24m taking $120.63m and $393.78m worldwide compared to Mamma Mia taking $144.16m in the US and $465.7m 10 years ago while The Greatest Showman took $174.34m and $434.99m worldwide.

Took $23m from 47 territories and $119.2m total (almost 40% from the UK) and $257.9m globally; #551 biggest film between The Full Monty and Annabelle; dropped 43% in Europe this weekend; top territories UK $43.7m; Italy $14m; France $9.5m; Germany $8.3m; Spain $7.7m.

• Bumblebee – Paramount Pictures

Down 36.8% in its third weekend taking $13.2m and $97.55m

After having the lowest opening for Transformers film held far stronger in its second weekend booted by the lucrative Christmas holidays.

Bumblebee was originally dated for June 8^th, 2018 but was moved to December when it was revealed James Cameron Untitled wasn’t going to be Avatar 2, instead Alita: Battle Angel.

The seven Transformers films have taken $1.55bn In the US and $4.67bn worldwide.

Took $82.7m from 65 territories including $59.4m from China  and $192m and $289.1m; #478 Pacific Rim Uprising and Shakespeare in Love; top international territories apart from China are UK $11.6m; Korea $11.2m; Mexico $10m; France $7.6m;  Germany $6.7m.

• Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures

Down 30.8% in its fourth weekend taking $13.12m and $133.97m  

Big Hero 6 dropped 6.9% in its fourth weekend taking $18.81m and $167.21m of $222.52m and $435.2m internationally and $657.81m worldwide.

Took $11.7m from 61 territories and $141.5m total ($49.5m from China) and $275.4m worldwide #506 biggest between Scooby-Doo and Lincoln.

Take Chinese box office away it’s not holding as strongly internationally, and this must be because opened so closely to Aquaman and Bumblebee which was always expected. Many expected Aquaman to be much more front-loaded which would have allowed Spider-Verse and Bumblebee to play longer but Aquaman is holding surprisingly stronger despite audience reaction being mixed.

• Holmes and Watson – Sony Pictures

Dropped 55.4% in its second weekend with $3.3m and $28.31m  

The fact Holmes and Watson has already taken more than $10m more than last year’s Christmas turkey Father Figures shows how strong the Christmas holiday period is and that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Aquaman and Bumblebee would of each surely done much more had they not opened so close to each other.

Took $1.7m from 14 territories and $7.1m total

• Second Act – STX Entertainment

Down 35.4% in its third weekend taking $4.75m and $32.79m

Has been compared to Working Girl which opened 30 years ago taking $5.01m in its third weekend and $23.48m and $63.77m and $102.95m worldwide.

Took $1.4m from 43 territories and $9.9m total

• Ralph Breaks the Internet – Disney

Down 30.5% in its seventh weekend taking $4.67m and $187.15m

Wreck-It Ralph November 2012 took $3.21m in its seventh weekend and $168.72m of $189.42m and $471.22m worldwide.

Took $25m from 32 territories and $217.6m and $404.8m worldwide; #276 biggest film worldwide between X2: X-Men United and Prometheus; Wreck-It Ralph #219 biggest worldwide between San Andreas and Jaws.

• If Beale Street Could Talk – Annapurna Pictures

Up 140.6% in its fourth weekend taking $1.16m adding 270 screens and $4.5m  

Holding slightly less than Barry Jenkin’s previous film 2016’s Moonlight expand into 474 screens in its third weekend taking $1.48m and $4.68m went on to take $27,854,932 winning Best Picture at Oscars in 2017.

Received critical acclaim ever since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September receiving 94% Rotten Tomatoes score

• Green Book – Universal Pictures

Dropped 4.6% in its eighth weekend taking $1.8m and $25.23m

Won three Golden Globe Awards on Sunday Best Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay and Best Actor Viggo Mortensen. 

Also recieve four BAFTA nominations; award recognition has suprised many as critical reaction to the film was polarized 

• The Favourite – Fox Searchlight

Down 39 screens in its seventh weekend down 21.6% taking $1.9m and $19.29m.

Olivia Coleman won Best Actress Golden Globe on Sunday and is favourite now to win the same award for BAFTAs and Oscars.

 This time last year the major award contenders took:

Darkest Hour took $6.05m and $28.06m in its 7th weekend from 943 screens

The Shape of Water took $3.13m and $21.69m in its 6th weekend from 756 screens

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri took $705,188 and $25.39m in its 9th weekend from 266 screens

I, Tonya took $2.44m and $5.14m in its 5h weekend from 49 screens

Lady Bird took $1.57m and $34.12m in its 10th weekend from 492 screens

Took $6.1m from 5 territories ($5m from the UK) and $7.5m total

• Mary Queen of Scots – Focus Features

Added 211 screens in its fifth weekend but still dropped by 20.6% taking $2.14m and $13.42m total

Expanded ahead of the Golden Globes after being nominated for five but failed to win any; surprising Focus Features choose to open Mary Queen of Scots so close to The Favourite which has generated much more award buzz opening so close is only likely to cause confusion.

Mary Queen of Scots could be seen as the third part of the Elizabeth Extended Universe both previous instalments didn’t perform that strongly in the US and without award success its unlikely Mary Queen of Scots will expand further.

2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age took $16.38m and $74.23m worldwide

1998’s Elisabeth took $30.1m and $82.15 worldwide

Mary Queen of Scots received 60% Rotten Tomatoes score Vs 94% The Favourite.

• Vice – Annapurna Pictures

Down 26.2% in its second weekend with $5.73m and $29.72m; 

Despite polarized critical reaction Christian Bale won Best Actor Comedy for Vice generating much media coverage after he thanked Satan for giving him inspiration for playing the role of Dick Cheney. He also received a lot of social media coverage as he seemed to remember he was British which surprised many.

Three years ago The Big Short had two weeks of platform release before opening wide taking $9.06m in its fourth weekend and $42.72m of $70.25m.

• Destroyer – Annapurna Pictures

Up 77.6% in its second weekend (added 4 screens) taking $98,295 and $248,081

After its soft opening held strongly in its second weekend due to positive word of mouth, will be a hard sell despite Nicole Kidman’s performance in a crowded marketplace.

• On the Basis of Sex- Focus Features

Up 134.5% in its second weekend (adding 79 screens)  taking $1.6m and $3.7m  

Follows on from the strong performance of Ruth Bader Ginsburg RBG opened on limited release with $578,470 taking $13.01m

• Stan & Ollie – Sony Classics

Up 11.8% I its second weekend (adding 3 screens) $87,356 and   $234,342

The Artist opened in November 2011 with $204,878 from 4 screens taking $44,671,682

It was a very slow platform release by the Weinstein Company (repeated successfully several years later with Lion) taking 11 weeks to expand to 1,000 screens building on momentum from Golden Globe awards, BAFTA awards and Oscars.

Chaplin opened December 1992 with $84,669 from 5 screens taking $9,493,259 

Took the opposite approach opened on platform on Christmas Day and the expanded to over 1,000 screens two weeks later failing to find a wide audience crashing out shortly after despite Oscar nominations.

• Bohemian Rhapsody – 20^th Century Fox

Took $2.36m in its 10^th week up 0.7% taking $193.64m; 13^th biggest film of 2018 between  A Star is Born and A Quiet Place; second biggest 20^th Century Fox film of 2018 and their 25^th biggest film ever between Ice Age: The Meltdown and The Croods

Weekend box office $16.9m from 43 territories $550m total and $743.6m total globally; #100 biggest film between Deadpool 2 and The Matrix Reloaded.

One of the biggest surprises for Bohemian Rhapsody has been its performance in Asia taking Japan took $75m; Korea $74m both overtaking the $62.9m taken in the UK up 21% in its 12^th weekend and now their fifth biggest film in the UK after Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I Phantom Menace and The Full Monty and has just overtaken The Greatest Showman.

Will shortly overtake Star Wars: Episode I Phantom Menace $552m to become 20^th Century Fox’s fifth biggest film internationally after Avatar $2,035bn; Titanic $1,535bn;  Ice Age: Continental Drift $722m; Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $692m.

• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – Universal Pictures

Starting its global launch seven weeks before its US opening taking $5.3m from Australia 68%+ Madagascar 3; +83% How To Train Your Dragon 2; 141%+ How To Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda 3.

Universal; Pictures opened the final How to Train Your Dragon and their first Dreamworks Animation film they have released early to coincide with Australia’s summer holidays as Disney delayed the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet to last weekend in Australia; early reviews have been positive with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

The three How to Train Your Dragon films have taken $1.12bn worldwide and $394.58m in the US; all three films have been released by different studios, the first by Paramount Pictures in 2010 and the sequel in 2014 by 20^th Century Fox.

UK Box Office Predictions

Mary Poppins Returns will hold #1 for the fourth weekend dropping 40%+ taking £2.6m-2.8m+ again showing it doesn’t have the legs many experts believed it would be and instead holding closer to Les Miserables than The Greatest Showman or Bohemian Rhapsody.

As other Oscar must see films The Favourite will drop about 20% (50% including previews) taking £1.7m-2.1m

Stan and Ollie received positive reviews since closing the London Film Festival in October is likely to open similar to 2013’s Philomena opened with £1,509,726 taking £10,470,225.

Reviews have called it a small sweet film which feels better suited to the smaller screen now was a; Stan and Ollie was to be the first film to screen at the refurbished Odeon Leicester Square but its preview was cancelled due to late finishing of work, instead it opens there on Friday.

Bohemian Rhapsody will likely get the third increase in three weeks having singalong screenings this weekend closing in on £50m at the box office. The films profile boosted further after winning Best Film at the Golden Globes and receiving 7 BAFTA nominations on Monday the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace played a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Collette and The Upside are unlikely to find an audience, the later likely to open similar to the French original film Intouchables was released September 2011 opening with £109,328.

Opening in UK Next Week

• Glass – Disney

Sequel to M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000’s Unbreakable and 2016’s Split ending the Eastrail 177 Trilogy. Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson and Adam David Thompson.

After Unbreakable opened Shyamalan had plans for a sequel for many years but Touchstone Pictures rejected the idea after it took $250m world less than half The Sixth Sense took the year earlier ($673m). Shyamalan used a character he had written for Unbreakable in Split

Unbreakable opened December 2000 with £2,004,890 taking £11,222,712 (inflation inflated £19,563,228)

The Sixth Sense opened November 1999 with £4,792,296 (£8,730,858 inflation inflated) taking £25,407,279 (£46,288,321 inflation inflated)

Shyamalan secured the rights to use Willis’s Unbreakable character from Disney and if a sequel was to be made, they would share right to the film with Universal Pictures taking US and Disney international.

• Beautiful Boy – Studiocanal

Biographical drama starring Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Amy Ryan and directed by Felix Van Groeningen based on the memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff.

Had world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September received positive reviews praising performances of Carell and Chalamet opened in October in the US as with many award contenders performed well on limited release but failed to find a wide audience after expanding far too quickly in crowded marketplace.

Received its UK premiere at the London Film Festival in October

Beautiful Boy was originally  developed by Paramount Pictures in 2008 with Plan B Productions; in 2011 Cameron Crowe attached to direct after Aloha but then Paramount dropped out. Felix Van Groeningen was attached to direct in 2015 and Steve Carell was attached, and filming began in March 2017 with Amazon Studios acquired rights.

• Mary Queen of Scots – Universal Pictures

Drama starring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, David Tennant, Jack Lowden, Martin Compston, Joe Alwyn, Brendan Coyle and Guy Pearce and directed by Josie Rourke and based on John Guy’s biography My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots.

The film has been criticised for its historically inaccuracies in Mary Queen of Scots as it showed Mary meeting her cousin Elizabeth, who eventually signed the Scots queen’s death warrant, but this meeting never happened. They never met and were rivals from the start, with Mary seeing Elizabeth as her inferior. Last year Working Title were also criticised for historically inaccuracies in Darkest Hour but despite those inaccuracies still was nominated for Oscars and BAFTAs.

It could be the third part of the Elizabeth Extended Universe from and prequel to 1998’s Elizabeth opened on platform with £166,174 taking £5.1m (£9.4m inflation inflated) and 2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age opened November 2007 with £1.34m taking £4.98m

Had its world premiere at AFI Fest In Los Angeles in November and UK premiere in London 10^th December, as with Les Miserables in 2012 and Darkest Hour in 2017 Universal Pictures opted to  hold the UK premiere over a month before the opening (with Christmas in the middle and award ceremonies is probably due to talent availability).

Other British historical films include 2009’s The Young Victoria opened with £847,740 taking £4,694,925; The Duchess in 2008 opened with £1,402,200 taking £6,913,447; Victoria & Abdul last year opened with £1.84m taking £9.94m

Saoirse Ronan starred in the critically acclaimed Lady Bird and On Chesil Beach last year and will next star in Little Women remake. Margot Robbie stared in last year’s I, Tonya and voiced Flopsy in Peter Rabbit, this year stars also in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and voices Haley Quinn in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part before starring as her again in Birds of Prey next year.

Mary Queen of Scots opened in the US on limited release in December with $194,777 from four screens and has been slowly expanding over the last month and has taken $13.48m after 5 weeks; Elizabeth: The Golden Age took $16.83m and Elizabeth took $30.1m.

Mary Queen of Scots only received three BAFTA nominations with Saoirse Ronan missing out and Margot Robbie getting Best Supporting actress this compares to The Favourite receiving 12 nominations this year and Elizabeth the first part of the Elizabeth Extended Universe receiving 12 and winning 5.

Opening in the US

• Glass – Universal Pictures

In December early tracking was predicting an opening between $70m-$75m over Martin Luther King weekend would be the second biggest opening over the holiday weekend after Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper opening with $107m in 2015 and above 2014’s Ride Along opening with $48m.

2000’s Unbreakable opened with $30.33m taking $95.01m and 2017’s Split opened with $40.01m taking $138.29m

If Glass was to open with $70m+ will be M. Night Shyamalan biggest opening in the US is currently 2002’s Signs $60.11m taking $227.96m and 2004’s The Village with $50.74m taking $114.19m; but of course ticket inflation since Signs was released is over 60% so inflation inflated opening would be closer to $100m and total of $370m.

2018 is the 20^th anniversary of M. Night Shyamalan biggest film to date The Sixth Sense opened with $26.68m in August 1999 taking $293.5m and $672.8m worldwide would be $1.3bn inflation inflated

Its only when you compare inflation inflated totals that a $70m= opening isn’t nearly as impressive as it sounds as it highlights how films openings have changed to become much more front-loaded in only a short time.