1. 1917 –  £7,446,302    – NE

148^th biggest opening in the UK between Tomorrow Never Dies and Finding Nemo (close to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Les Miserables, It Chapter 2 and The Girl on the Train); 102^nd biggest Fri-Sun opening between Tomorrow Never Dies and Twilight Saga: Eclipse and 215^th biggest inflation inflated opening between Goldeneye and Notting Hill (close to Mary Poppins Returns, Minority Report, Jason Bourne and Inception).

eOne 5^th biggest opening in the UK between The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Girl on the Train and 4^th biggest Fri-Sun opening between The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Twilight Saga: Eclipse; 1917 is eOne’s biggest non-Twilight opening and their biggest since 2012.

If 1917 was to win Best Picture Oscar eOne would have won 5 of the last 10 Best Picture Oscars an incredible performance for an independent distributor, and over the last few years, they have had a strong start to the year acquiring many award contenders.  

Four of eOne’s 10 biggest openings are from their Amblin output deal showing how important their deal with the studio has been since Amblin Partners was created in 2015 with the backing of Participant Media, the Reliance Group and eOne. This deal came from the end of Dreamworks Pictures deal with Disney that was to end in 2016 but moved to Universal in 2015. It is not known how long the Amblin Partners deal is but has been very lucrative for eOne with The Girl on the Train, The BFG, The Post, Green Book and now 1917 all successful.

The Turning is the next Amblin Partners film and then sci-fi drama BIOS starring Tom Hanks set for release in October with The Trial of the Chicago 7 and West Side Story are all due to be released by Paramount Pictures and 20^th Century Fox worldwide.

The second weekend of January has been a popular release date for the Best Picture Oscar favourite as it’s the week BAFTA and Oscar nominations are announced and 1917 is this year’s must-see Oscar nominee that also has the Brit boost Slumdog Millionaire, The Kings Speech and Darkest Hour had, which saw them open strongly and have very long legs.

About 6 weeks ago Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was seen as the early Best Picture favourite but over the weeks since 1917 has replaced it after winning Best Picture Drama and Best Director Sam Mendes at the Golden Globes last week and receiving 9 BAFTA nominations and 10 Oscar nominations.

Opening with £7.44m 1917 will likely have the biggest opening in the UK for Best Picture winner since 2003’s Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and could become the biggest Best Picture winner since 2011’s The Kings Speech and eOne’s third film to take over £30m after Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and The BFG as 1917 will hold strongly this weekend even with the arrival Bad Boys For Life, Bombshell and Just Mercy

1917 opening was

+407.47% Slumdog Millionaire (£1,827,457); +211.36%; The Kings Speech (£3,523,102);  +578.23% Argo (£1,287,770); ; +296.51% 12 Years A Slave (£2,511,349); +488.39% Birdman (£1,524,667) +702.19% Spotlight (£1,060,435); +301.93% The Shape of Water (£2,466,217); +445.20% Green Book (£1,672,562)

Also opened 12.9%+ more than La La Land £6,596,256; 19.3%+ Gravity (£6,238,375); 25.9%+ Inception (£5,912,814);

Since 1917 had its Royal Film Performance on December 4th (the films world premiere) the film has received universal critical acclaim (92% Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz.

Away from James Bond Spectre and Skyfall, Sam Mendes directed 2009’s Revolutionary Road (opened £1,013,548 taking £2,751,902; 2006’s Jarhead (opened £1,927,987 taking £5,155,997; 2002’s Road to Perdition (opened £1,318,382 (£2,490,121 inflation inflated) taking £6,471,752 (£11,286,485 inflation inflated) and 20 years ago since Sam Mendes directed the Oscar-winning American Beauty opened £2,836,678 (£4,654,731 inflation inflated) taking £21,261,601 (£34,888,354 inflation inflated).

1998’s Saving Private Ryan opened £2,704,522 (£4,845,322 inflation inflated) taking £18,740,016 (£33,573,924 inflation inflated) ($481,840,909 worldwide)

1999’s The Thin Red Line opened £1,134,952 taking £3,983,932

2012’s War Horse opened £3,944,746 taking £18,574,862

2017’s Dunkirk opened £10,023,720 taking £56,585,035

Every year there is one must-see Oscar nominee and 1917 with BAFTA and Oscar nominations will likely be these years and will perform stronger in the UK due to the Brit boost

Over recent years many of these have been released over the first two weeks of January including Slumdog Millionaire (£1,827,457), The Kings Speech (£3,523,102), 12 Years A Slave (£2,511,349), Birdman (£1,524,667) and Darkest Hour (£4,058,356). As it gives them to distance from Christmas releases and is close to BAFTA and Oscar nominations being revealed.

Comparisons have of course been made with Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and reviews have also been similar calling it stunning but lacking in emotion, but while Dunkirk opened in a prime summer spot with Oscars an afterthought 1917 release was primed for Oscars, but unlike many of the other Oscar contenders over recent years didn’t do the Venice or Toronto Film Festival launch it was the more old fashioned pre- Christmas opening.

eOne has had a successful recent few years at the box office taking £109.9m at the box office and in 2016 with almost 50% from two films The BFG £30.64m and The Girl on the Train £23.65m. It was the second time eOne had taken over £100m at the box office the last independent distributor to do that was Entertainment Film Distributors in 2002 with £137m and 2003 with £115m thanks to Lord of the Rings films.

If 1917 takes upwards of £50m at the UK box office it will be responsible for more than half of their 2020 box office showing how one film can make or break and independent distributor as La La Land did for Lionsgate in 2017 and Paddington 2 in 2018.

2. Little Women –  £2,018,280    – £13,215,006

Down only 22.5% in its third weekend due to strong word of mouth and despite a crowded marketplace limited competition targeting female audience until Bombshell opens on Friday.

After opening in 582 screens 3 weeks ago Little Women expanded further this weekend now playing in 700 screens more than any other film in the top 10.

Little Women received 6 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh) and Best Adapted Screenplay but failed to receive Best Director nomination for Greta Gerwig as she also failed to receive for Lady Bird two years ago.

Greta Gerwig also failed to receive Best Director nomination last week after the film received 5 nominations including Best Actress Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress Florence Pugh, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Score.

Has been much debate that it’s a snub by the Academy but that’s the problem when you can have up to 10 Best Picture nominees but only have 6 Best Directors there will also be several films that don’t get nominated.

While Little Women is a lovely film its hard to see which of the five directors that were nominated Martin Scorsese (The Irishman); Todd Phillips (Joker); Sam Mendes (1917); Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) would replace with Greta Gerwig, many have said Todd Phillips, but Joker was very much a Todd Phillips film directing, producing and writing. While Little Women is much more about the cast and its writing than its directing.  

24th biggest Sony Pictures UK second weekend between Jumanji: The Next Level and Angels and Demons (close to Blade Runner 2049, Trainspotting 2, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Pursuit of Happyness) and 34th Sony Pictures UK second weekend inflation inflated between The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists and Terminator Salvation.

40th biggest Sony Pictures UK film between Jumanji (1996) and Baby Driver and 52^nd biggest inflation inflated biggest Sony Pictures UK film between Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Maid In Manhattan.

Little Women is likely to be one of those films that get nominated but doesn’t win as didn’t win any Golden Globes on Sunday, while Lady Bird received 5 Oscar nominations and 3 BAFTA nominations but won two Golden Globe Awards but no Oscars or BAFTAs. As the 1994 version was also nominated for 3 Oscars including Best Actress Winona Ryder but didn’t win any.

Third weekend

Took 50.8% more than 2019’s The Favourite £1,337,885 and 18.6% more after three weeks £11,137,384 65.6% of £16,965,411.

Took 37.1% more than 2005’s Pride and Prejudice £1,473,062 and 40.1% more after three weeks £9,433,853 64.8% of £14,562,448.

Took 112.5% more than 1996’s Sense And Sensibility £949,495 (£1,852,798 inflation inflated) and 23.8% more after three weeks £10,674,044 (£20,828,810 inflation inflated) 78.8% of £13,539,000 (£26,419,346).

Emma Watson is, of course, best known for starring in Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast away from those films had the biggest success with 2011’s My Week with Marilyn (opened £749,819 taking £2,828,862) and 2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (opened £600,771 taking £2.3m).

Lady Bird opened in February 2018 taking £1,233,508 from 190 screens #3 expanding into 397 screens in its second weekend but still dropped 25% and down to #5 taking £926,935 and £2,623,540 taking £5,079,887 staying in the top 10 for 4 weeks

Lady Bird’s release was the week after BAFTAs and week before Oscars and was the last Oscar nominee released so had far less competition than Little Women has. Sony Pictures had originally dated the film in January but brought it forward to Boxing Day opening days after the US.

The 1994 adaptation of Little Women was practically perfect with a cast including with the cast including Winona Ryder, Samantha Mathis, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon and Christian Bale to the stunning score by Thomas Newman.

Little Women opened in March 1995 one-week platform £37,326 and then #1 with £1.22m; taking £2.64m inflation inflated (has been 100%+ ticket inflation since 1995) taking £3.4m (£7.2m inflation inflated).

The success of Little Women will help the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma opening in February, opening also 25 years after Gwyneth Paltrow’s Emma; Emma opened in September 1996 with £2,081,141 taking £4,305,395 (inflation inflated totals are doubled)

3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker –  £1,824,607   – £54,892,354

Down 58.5% in its fourth weekend

Showing how front-loaded Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been after having the 9th biggest opening weekend #1 in the UK then 11th biggest 2nd weekend; 31st biggest third weekend and 50^th fourth weekend between Arthur Christmas and Captain Marvel; while The Force Awakens had the biggest 4^th weekend and The Last Jedi 13^th (in 2017 was 10^th biggest)

Fourth weekends

2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi took £3,543,117 56% drop and £76,723,930 92.8% of £82,676,198

2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took £3,253,346 46% drop and £59,682,374 90.4% of £66,010,513

2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens took £6,001,948 42% drop and £108,430,730 88.1% of £123,002,074

2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story took £972,673 18% drop and £17,988,593 92.5% of £19,432,391

2005’s Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith took £1,598,734 52% drop and £35,417,944 93.4% of £39,188,065 (£62,484,579 2019)

2002’s Star Wars Ep II – Attack of the Clones took £2,058,716 16% drop and £31,877,916 85.6% of £37,235,880 (£65,184,489 2019)

1999’s Star Wars Ep I – Phantom Menace took £3,153,693 up 0.7% and £34,447,401 67.9% of £50,734,924 (£91,811,875 2019)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker took

-69.6% less than Star Wars: The Force Awakens; 45.5% less than Star Wars: The Last Jedi; 43.9% less than Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; -41.2% less than Star Wars: Phantom Menace; -11.4% Star Wars Attack of the Clones;

But 14.1% more than Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith;  87.6% more than Solo: A Star Wars Story

5th biggest film of 2019 between Joker and Frozen 2

30th biggest film in the UK between Bohemian Rhapsody and Fantastic Beasts (40th film to take over £50m since Titanic) and 64th biggest inflation inflated film between Bohemian Rhapsody and Despicable Me 2.

Disney’s 11^th biggest film in the UK between Incredibles 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: POTC: Dead Man’s Chest; became Disney’s 15th film taking over £50m since Toy Story 2 in 2000; Disney had 5 films taking £50m+ in 2019 (Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, The Rise of Skywalker and Frozen 2) will they have any in 2020 or will their next be Indiana Jones 5 in 2021?

If Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was to hold similar to Star Wars: The Last Jedi its opening was 34% of its total box office it will take about £60m would be over 50% less than Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The 5 Disney Star Wars films have taken over £330m at the UK box office and the 14 Star Wars films have taken over £500m at the UK box office since 1977 over £750m inflation inflated.

Depending on how Bombshell performs this weekend it could be The Rise of Skywalkers last weekend in the top 5 staying in the top 5 as long as The Last Jedi.

4. The Gentlemen – £1,719,736   – £5,967,374

Down 43.7% in its second weekend; holding strongly dropping only 23.7% in its second weekend without previews due to strong word of mouth as Guy Ritchie’s earlier films have done and also his underrated The Man From U.N.C.L.E (which also starred Hugh Grant).

464th second-biggest weekend in the UK between The Fifth Element and Creed 2 (close to Bumblebee, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Jack Reacher) and 500^th biggest second-weekend inflation inflated between Lost in Space and Slumdog Millionaire (close to Knives Out, The Last Samurai, Knight & Day and The Beach).

48^th biggest Entertainment Film Distributors film between Blade: Trinity and Stormbreaker (close to The Hateful Eight, Rush Hour, Hereditary and Scream 4) and 57^th biggest inflation inflated biggest Entertainment Film Distributors film.

Will shortly overtake last year’s Fisherman’s Friends which will be their biggest film at the UK box office since 2017’s Lion;

Entertainment Films used to be the leading independent distributor in the 90s and 00s (released The Lord of the Rings trilogy taking almost £200m). In the late 00s Warner Bros brought New Line in-house and at the same time UK distributors Momentum, Redbus and Optimum were acquired by major international companies eOne, Lionsgate and Studiocanal which gave them deeper pockets with the ability to acquire films for multiple territories.

Entertainment Films always acquired British films including The Inbetweeners Movie, St. Trinian’s, Run, Fat Boy, Run, Evita and Sex Lives of the Potato Men, so it was surprising they were never given a National Lottery franchise in late 90s instead they went to Pathe Productions, DNA Films and The Film Consortium which made 18 films over three years Those franchise were meant to build strong foundations to the UK film industry having three companies that would in time be self-funding, instead over 20 years later films are still funded per-project basis.

Second weekends Guy Richie films

1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels increased by 22% taking £1,147,448 and £2,941,664 of £11.8m

2000’s Snatch took £1,764,268 and £6,623,578 of £12.4m

(Inflation inflated box office for both would be more than double)

2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. dropped 28% taking £1,042,827 and £3,545,230 of £6,455,363

5. Jumanji: The Next Level – £1,691,901  – £30,988,078

Dropped 44.8% in its fifth weekend

Took 8.1% less 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in its fifth weekend down 25% (£1,840,248) and 4.6% less (£32,478,009) Jumanji: The Next Level had the advantage of Friday being the last day of school holidays while Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle fifth weekend as mi-January.

10th biggest film of 2019 between Spider-Man Far From Home and Downtown Abbey and Sony Pictures 2nd biggest film of the year after Spider-Man Far From Home.

118th biggest film in the UK between Shrek Forever After and Thor: Ragnarok and 125^th biggest inflation inflated between Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man Homecoming

126^th film since 1993 to take £30m+ at the UK box office and Sony Pictures 11^th biggest film in the UK between Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man Homecoming

The original film opened in February 1996 with £2.1m taking £13.41m; 2002 film Zathura as also marketed as spiritual sequel to Jumanji with the tagline “A new adventure from the world of Jumanji” the film received positive reviews from critics but flopped at the box office opened in February 2006 with £1.31m taking £4.11m.

If Jumanji: The Next Level holds similar to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle it will take about £34m could see a boost at half-term in a months’ time.

Sony Pictures first of two long gap sequels opens this weekend Bad Boys For Life with Ghostbusters: Afterlife opening in July and also have Peter Rabbit 2 for Easter and Venom spinoff Morbius, but have a James Bond hole on their slate with the first Bond film since 2002’s Die Another Day not to be released by the studio.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £17,942,442 down 16.9% from last weekend £21,600,665

The weekend admissions 2,389,140 down 12.5% from last weekend 2,732,623

14 films opened at weekend taking (£8,197,717); 1917 90.8% (£7,446,302); remaining xx films shared 9.1% (£751,415);

Top three took 62.9% (£11,289,189) of the top 10; 1917 41.5% (£7,446,302); Little Women 11.2% (£2,018,280); Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 10.1% (£1,824,607);  

Up 35.8% from 2019; (£13,204,230); Stan and Ollie (£2,578,838); Colette (£788,432); The Upside (£681,422); Adriana Lecouvreur Met Opera 2019 (£184,460); The Front Runner (£87,699); #1 Stan and Ollie £2,578,838 1st week 654 screens (19.5% of top 10)

Up 6.4% from 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 605 screens (24.1% of the top 10)

Up 27.7% from 2017: (£14,046,174); La La Land (£6,596,256); Manchester by the Sea (£729,478); Live by Night (£698,218); The Bye Bye Man (£535,492); Underworld: Blood Wars (£349,301); Sherlock: The Final Problem (£322,253); #1 La La Land £6,596,256 1^st week 606 screens (47% of top 10)

Up 18.4% from 2016: (£15,145,367); The Hateful Eight (£2,778,633); A War (£17,356); #1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens £6,001,948 4^th week 634 screens 42% drop (39.6% of top 10)

Down 0.4% from 2015; (£18,016,196); Taken 3 (£6,714,530); Into the Woods (£2,476,409); Foxcatcher (£877,408); #1 Taken 3 £6,714,530 1^st week 483 screens (37.2% of top 10)

Up 38.7% from 2014: (£12,936,654); 12 Years a Slave (£2,511,349); The Railway Man (£1,230,483); Delivery Man (£1,102,433); #1 12 Years a Slave £2,511,349 1^st week 207 screens (19.4% of top 10)

Down 10.2% from 2013 (£19,963,299); Les Miserables (£8,127,991); Gangster Squad (£2,090,614); Texas Chainsaw 3D (£1,247,735); #1 Les Miserables £8,127,991 1^st week 589 screens (40.7% of top 10)

Up 42.6% from 2012 (£12,582,954); War Horse (£3,944,746); The Darkest Hour (£740,773); Shame (£535,288); Margin Call (£131,982); #1 War Horse £3,944,746 1^st week 491 screens (31.3% of top 10)

Up 33.5% 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 395 screens (26.2% of top 10)

Up 44.1% from 2010: (£12,452,981); Daybreakers (£1,344,588); It’s Complicated (£1,098,659); The Road (£627,147); Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (£173,831); #1 Avatar £4,770,980 4^th week 493 screens 20% drop (38.3% of top 10)

Up 51.2% from 2009; (£11,864,462); Role Models (£2,330,145); Slumdog Millionaire (£1,827,457); Bride Wars (£1,717,894); Defiance (£1,198,425); Sex Drive (£506,573); #1 Role Models £2,330,145 1^st week £2,223,950 353 screens (19.6% of top 10)

Up 86.5% from 2008; (£9,618,777); Charlie Wilson’s War (£1,332,932); Dan in Real Life (£603,860); Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (£118,510); The Lady Vanishes (re) (£3,791); #1 I Am Legend £2,051,372 3^rd week 465 screens 45% drop (21.3% of top 10)

Up 72.1% from 2007: (£10,426,402); The Pursuit of Happyness (£2,527,181); Smokin’ Aces (£1,023,862); The Last King of Scotland (£861,991); #1 The Pursuit of Happyness £2,527,181 1^st week 402 screens (24.2% of top 10)

Up 74.8% from 2006; (£10,263,408); Jarhead (£1,927,987); Memoirs of a Geisha (£1,147,056); Breakfast on Pluto (£199,154); Cry Wolf (£196,093);  #1 Jarhead £1,927,987 1^st week 390 screens (18.7% of top 10)

Up 100.8% from 2005 (£8,933,539); White Noise (£1,787,478); The Aviator (expansion) (£1,314,946); Alexander (£1,200,083); Vera Drake (£266,010); #1 White Noise £1,787,478 1^st week 314 screens (201% of top 10)

Up 56.3% from 2004 (£11,474,178); The Last Samurai (£2,723,081); Lost in Translation (£797,071); #1 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King £3,713,999 4^th week #1 502 screens 43% drop (32.3% of top 10)

Up 70.8% from 2003 (£10,505,144); Gangs of New York (£2,622,748); The Tuxedo (£1,080,504); The Good Girl (£114,235); City By The Sea (£77,936); #1 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers 4^th week #1 £3,728,876 513 screens 35% drop (35.5% of top 10)

Up 100.2% from 2002 (£8,962,263); Rat Race (£1,004,783); Domestic Disturbance (£402,837); Rock Star (£294,973); Soul Survivors (£200,178); Last Orders (£100,560); #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring £4,371,354 4^th week #1 482 screens 27% drop (48.7% of top 10)

Next weekend in 2019: (£13,317,271); Glass (£3,423,380); Mary, Queen of Scots (£2,082,160); Beautiful Boy (£361,382); La Bayadere – Bolshoi Ballet 2019 (£136,621t); Hey Duggee at the Cinema (£67,672); #1 Glass £3,423,380 1^st weeks 559 screens (25.7% of top 10)

Also Opened

• Uncut Gems – Netflix

Opened in 53 cinemas in the UK but box office wasn’t reported as Netflix don’t report the box office of their films, the film received critical acclaim (91% Rotten Tomatoes) but failed to receive any Oscar nominations, many expected Adam Sandler might receive A Best Actor nomination.

While box office might not have been reported it performed strongly in the cinemas it played in.

The fact Uncut Gems didn’t get any Oscar nominations wasn’t a snub against Netflix as A24 gave the film a full theatrical release in the US while Netflix leads the way receiving 24 Oscar nominations more than all other studios and even more if combined Disney with 20^th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight.

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• 1917 – Universal Pictures

Up 5,890.02% in its third weekend taking $37.02m and $39.9m; received critical acclaim (90% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore

Had the second-biggest January opening ahead of Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down ($28.6m) but just slightly behind Lone Survivor ($37.8m).

Won two Golden Globes on Sunday Best Picture Drama and Best Director as it positions itself as the major award contender this year overshadowing many other films including The Irishman that were early favourites. Received 9 BAFTA nominations last week and 10 Oscar nominations.

Away from James Bond Spectre and Skyfall, Sam Mendes also directed 2009’s Away We Go took $9,430,988), 2008’s Revolutionary Road (took $22,877,808),  2002’s Jarhead (opened with $27,726,210 taking $62,647,540), 2002’s Road to Perdition (opened with $22,079,481 taking $104,054,514) and its 20 years ago since Sam Mendes directed the Oscar-winning American Beauty (opened $9,505,313 wide taking $130,058,047).

1998’s Saving Private Ryan opened with $30,576,104 taking $216,118,802 and $481,840,909 worldwide

1998’s The Thin Red Line opened on platform 5 screens taking $282,534/$9,765,762 wide taking $36,257,435 and $98,126,565 worldwide

2011’s War Horse opened with $7,515,402 taking $79,883,359 and $177,584,879 worldwide

2017’s Dunkirk opened with $50,513,488 taking $188,045,546 and $525,245,546 worldwide

Opened with $19.9m from 6 territories internationally (almost 50% $9.9m from the UK) taking  $60.4m total worldwide; expands across Europe this week boosted by its Oscar nominations and now seen as the favourite to win Best Picture over Netflix’s The Irishman which was previously.  

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• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Disney

Dropped 55.6% in its fourth weekend taking $15.3m and $478.4m

Showing how far The Rise Of Skywalker has fallen in its 4th weekend is similar 2005’s Revenge of the Sith and only 8% more than 2002’s Attack of the Clones and 41% less than 1999’s The Phantom Menace despite 60%+ ticket inflation since and opening 55% and 40% more. Over the years since films are opening bigger but they are also dropping much bigger faster.

Disney had an amazing 2019 but surely much bigger if Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4, The Lion King and The Rise of Skywalker lived up their hype, but all took less than many analysts predicted had they done so 2019 would have been the record-breaking year expected?

Surely The Rise Of Skywalker taking only just over $1bn will be seen as a similarly disappointing $1bn+ BO as Transformers: Age of Extinction as it’s just stumbling past $1bn after 4 weeks rather than cantering past as most box office analysts predicted a month ago?

Showing how fast The Rise of Skywalker has dropped in its fourth weekend Aquaman took $17.35m 12.5% more in its fourth weekend last year

2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens dropped 53.1% taking $42.35m and $812.73m 86.7% of $936.66m; $2.068bn WW

2016 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story dropped 55.5% taking $22.06m and $477.36m 89.7% of $532.17m; $1.056bn WW

2017 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi dropped 54.8% taking $23.72m and $572.69m 92.3% of $620.18m; $1.332bn WW

2005 – Star Wars: Episode: Revenge of the Sith dropped 40.8% taking $14.85m and $332.1m 87.3% of $380.27m; $849.99m WW

2002 – Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones dropped 33.3% taking $14.01m and $255.1m 84.4% of $302.19m; $640.91m WW

1999 – Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace dropped 22.1% taking $25.64m and $296.96m 68.8% of $431.08m; $924.3m WW

Fourth weekend

Took 64.1% less than Star Wars: The Force Awakens; 31.1% less than Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 36% less than Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Ove its last three weeks, The Rise of Skywalker has dropped over 50% over each weekend despite no direct competition opening against it and will likely see an even bigger decline this weekend with Bad Boys For Life as it loses its IMAX screens after Disney block-booked IMAX screens for 4 weeks.

Ahead of its release, most people would have expected The Rise of Skywalker to challenge Avengers: Endgame as the biggest film of 2019 and even after opening many still believed it could take over $600m, but now it’s likely to take about $530m (similar to Rogue One) taking over 90% of its total box office after 4 weeks.

It always amazes me that Disney is the one studio holding back other studios from trying to shorten the current theatrical window from 16 weeks as, despite their films opening bigger, they also drop bigger and still take 90% of their box office within for weeks on release.

16^th biggest film in the US between Finding Dory and Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace

98^th biggest film inflation inflated between MASH and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

12^th biggest Disney film in the US between Finding Dory and Frozen 2

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will shortly become Disney’s 7^th 2019 film to take over $1bn worldwide, all 7 were expected to take over $1bn worldwide as previous instalment/versions took similarly.

The question is how many $1bn+ films will Disney get this year as Pixar has yet to have an original film take $900m+ worldwide 2015’s Inside Out with $857.6m is their current biggest, so unlikely either Soul or Outward will take $1bn+.

Took $24.2m internationally from 55 territories and $511.4m total internationally and $989.4m worldwide; UK $71.4m; Germany $61.3m; Japan $54.3m; France $48m; Australia $29.9m; Spain $20.4m; China $20m; Mexico $15.9m; Italy $14.6m; Brazil $12.7m; Russia $11.6m; Sweden $10.8m

At the same point after four weeks

The Last Jedi took $673.4m internationally and $1.264bn worldwide 94.9% of $1,332bn worldwide box office if The Rise of Skywalker holds similarly will take $1.050bn 80% of The Last Jedi and 50% of The Force Awakens. Ahead of the release, many expected the final part of the saga would have far stronger legs taking close to the global box office of The Force Awakens.

46^th biggest film worldwide between The Dark Knight and The Lion King (1994) and 23^rd biggest Disney film worldwide between Alice in Wonderland and The Lion King (1994)

• Little Women – Sony Pictures

Down 42.7% in its third weekend taking $7.8m and $74.18m

Hard to compare with 1994’s Little Women opening #2 with $2.41m (behind Streetfighter opening with $6.85m) taking $46.13m ($105m inflation inflated)

1,088^th biggest film in the US between Alien: Covenant and Jack and Jill and 1,854^th biggest inflation inflated film between Set It Off and Annabelle Comes Home and 136^th biggest Sony Pictures film between The Prince of Tides and Jack and Jill

Lady Bird opened on limited release in 2017 taking five weeks to expand in over 1,000 screens while performing strongly on platform didn’t do as well on a wide release as despite critical acclaim audience reaction was much more mixed.

Took $8.1m from 11 territories and $33.2m and $107m worldwide; UK $17.2m; Australia $6m; France $2.6m; Spain $3.9m.

1,512nd biggest film worldwide between The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and 202^nd biggest Sony Pictures film worldwide between Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Made of Honor.

• Jumanji: The Next Level – Sony Pictures

Down 46.6% in its fifth weekend taking $14m and $257.13m

Jumanji: The Next Level took 28.1% less than Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in its fifth weekend down 28.1% $19.5m Vs $14m and total after 5 weeks is 18.7% less $257.13m Vs $316.34m; if Jumanji: The Next Level continues to hold as it is currently will take about $300m, will surely be enough for Sony Pictures to shortly announce a third Jumanji film for release in 2022 with the next Star Wars film?

2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle dropped 17.2% in its sixth weekend taking $16.14m and $337.8m 83.5% of $404.51m and $962.07m worldwide

Dwayne Johnson’s 43 films have taken $4.9bn in the US and $7.87nn internationally and over $12.09bn worldwide.

122^nd biggest film in the US between Star Trek and I am Legend; 312^th biggest inflation inflated film between Total Recall and Ghostbusters II and 9^th biggest Sony Pictures film between The Amazing Spider-Man and Men in Black

Took $22.6m from 65 territories and $414m total and $671m worldwide; China $41.2m; UK $40.7m; Australia $25.4m; France $23.7m; Germany $21.8m; Russia $20.1m; Mexico $19m; Indonesia $15.2m; Malaysia $12.9m; Spain $12.8m;  

130^th biggest film worldwide between The Sixth Sense and Man of Steel and 14^th biggest Sony Pictures film worldwide between The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Men in Black 3.

• Like A Boss – Paramount Pictures

Opened with $10.01m; received poor reviews (22% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore

originally called Limited Partners and set for release in June 2019, for a film to be delayed to January feels like the studio has little faith in the film dumping it out in early January.

Since Tiffany Haddish’s breakthrough role in 2017 starring in Girls Trip with the exception of Night School all of her films have failed to be as successful including vocally in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Kitchen.

• Underwater – 20th Century Fox

Opened with $7.01m; received mixed reviews (53% Rotten Tomatoes) and C CinemaScore

Did anyone expect Underwater not flop to its a film made 20+ years late that had little marketing being dumped out the over the dumping weekend of the year while studios still think Kristen Stewart can open films but has never been able to do so people didn’t see Twilight because of her?

2017’s 47 Meters Down opened with $11.2m taking $44.3m and $62.18m worldwide

Opened with $7.1m from 22 territories; Indonesia $1.5m; France $1m; Mexico $0.9m; Malaysia $0.4m; Vietnam $0.4m; Hong Kong $0.4m; expands across Asia and Europe over the next few weeks.

• Just Mercy – Warner Bros

Up 12,578% in its third weekend taking $9.71m and $10.14m; received positive reviews (82% Rotten Tomatoes) and A+ CinemaScore

Every year there are many deserving films that fail to receive award nominations they deserve to receive, and Just Mercy is one of these forgotten films that would have benefited far more than man files that were nominated to get the film seen by a wider audience.

While the film received positive review and strong buzz since premiering at the Toronto Film Festival it was overshadowed by many other films. Oscar nominations would have helped Just Mercy find an audience internationally which will be a hard sell in the crowded market without nominations.

UK Box Office Predictions

After 1917 opened strongly last weekend with £7,446,302 the film will hold strongly after receiving strong word of mouth and receiving 10 Oscar nominations which will see it hold strongly in its second weekend.

Bombshell received three Oscar nominations including Best Actress (Charlize Theron) and Best Supporting Actress (Margot Robbie) and similar BAFTA nominations last week. Despite receiving critical acclaim and trailers played with Little Women the film will be a hard sell internationally especially after a fictional version The Morning Show is currently available to watch on Apple TV.

Bad Boys For Life opens 25 years after the first film and 17 years after the sequel, the cinema audience has changed a lot over those years so will be interesting to see if younger audiences are interested in action comedies which were hugely popular in the 90s and was Will Smith. While Will Smith might have starred in Disney’s Aladdin reimagination his last action film Gemini Man failed to find a wide audience not helped to open the week after Joker.

Gemini Man opened with £1,718,511 taking £4,464,908, it suffered being a 90s action film opening 20 years late as Bad Boys For Life also feels.

1995’s Bad Boys opened with £2,434,072 (£5,050,000 inflation inflated) taking £8,408,498 (£13,673,278 inflation inflated)

2003’s Bad Boys 2 opened with £3,175,258 (£5,163,370 inflation inflated) taking £8,141,704 (£7,932,942 inflation inflated).

But probably has more in comparison to

2014’s Ride Along opened with £1,420,992 taking £3,945,786

2016’s Ride Along 2 opened with £2,141,341 taking £5,512,631

Lionsgate will be hoping the strong performances of Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie (both received Oscar nominations for their performances in Bombshell will bring out the female audience.

The film opened similar to Vice in the US; opened last January with £1,327,464 taking £3,223,856

Some have made comparisons with women in the workplace/feminist films including

1995 – Disclosure opened £3.12m taking £6.9m

1992 – Fried Green Tomatoes opened £528,000 taking £1.19m

1989 – Working Girl opened £1.24m taking £3.29m

1988 – Broadcast News opened £673,313 taking £1.5m

2001 – Erin Brockovich opened £1,609,930 taking £10,237,045

2019- Hustlers opened £1,353,324 taking £7,253,642

Bombshell also has similarities to the excellent fictional Apple TV drama The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. While Nicole Kidman recently starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in the second series of Big Little Lies.

The other new releases Just Mercy and A Hidden Life will find it hard to find an audience after not receiving any Oscar nominations.

Terrence Mallick’s recent films have performed very poorly at the box office and A Hidden Life is likely to do similarly as badly.

2017’s Song to Song opened with £11,397 from 6 screens

2016’s Knight of Cups opened with £10,323 from 11 screens

2013’s To the Wonder opened with £96,645 from 40 screens

Opening in the UK Next Week

• The Personal History Of David Copperfield – Lionsgate

Comedy-drama starring Dev Patel, Peter Capaldi, Morfydd Clark, Daisy May Cooper, Rosalind Eleazar, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Paul Whitehouse and written and directed by Armando Iannucci.

Had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and UK premiere opening the London Film Festival in October receiving positive reviews (96% Rotten Tomatoes).

The film qualified for this year’s BAFTA awards but failed to receive any nominations despite receiving 11 British Independent Film Awards and winning four awards. The film was acquired by Fox Searchlight for the US in August set for release in May.

Opening the film in January Lionsgate must have been hoping to receive BAFTA nominations but as the film hadn’t opened in the US it was completely off the radar.

Armando Iannucci’s first film since 2017’s The Death of Stalin opened with £995,458 taking £5,013,045;  It also had a strange release after receiving positive reviews at Toronto Film Festival premiere opened in 138 screens over a busy weekend in October in fifth, the film expanded further over the following weeks.

He previously directed 2009’s In The Loop which opened with £468,954 from 104 screens taking £2,123,530.

Since starring in 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire opened with £1,827,457 taking £31,664,346

Dev Patel is best known for starring in

2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opened with £2,222,051 taking £20,308,480

2017’s Lion opened with £1,265,282 taking £11,742,907

• The Turning – eOne

Supernatural horror starring Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, and Joely Richardson and directed by Floria Sigismondi; modern adaptation of the 1898 ghost story The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

 

• The Grudge – Sony Pictures

Supernatural horror reboot of the 2004 American remake of the Japanese horror film Ju-On: The Grudge and the fourth instalment of The Grudge film series starring Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye and Jacki Weaver and directed by Nicolas Pesce.

2004’s The Grudge opened with £2,261,710 taking £7,743,528 and $187.28m worldwide

2006’s The Grudge 2 opened with £773,422 taking £1,712,225 and $70.71m worldwide

After receiving poor reviews and flopping in the US earlier this month it will do similar when it opens in the UK, always amazes me when so many films open day and date that distributors don’t open films that are likely to receive poor reviews as the gap between US and UK means they will always be DOA.

Opening in the US Next Week

• The Gentlemen – STX

Crime comedy starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant and written and directed by Guy Ritchie.

The Gentlemen takes Guy Ritchie back to his British gangster routes of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.

It was announced at Cannes 2018 as Toff Guys where Miramax acquired world rights and Entertainment Film Distributors earlier this year acquired UK rights with STX acquiring the US.

Received positive reviews (72% Rotten Tomatoes)  

1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels opened on limited release $143,321 taking $3.75m despite only playing in 161 screens when it expanded.

2000’s Snatch opened wide with $8m taking $30.1m

2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. opened with $13.42m taking $45.44m and $107.04m worldwide.

While The Gentlemen has performed well in the UK it will find it much harder to find an audience in the US especially opening the week after Bad Boys For Life.

Expected to open with low teens

• The Turning – Universal Pictures

After Black Christmas and The Grudge underwhelmed at the box office, it’s been several months since a successful horror opened but The Turning is unlikely to be that film likely to open low teens and be in and out of the top 10 within a week.