- Wicked Part 1 – £13,696,056 – NE
Took £3.84m (28.04%) Friday; £5.17m (37.75%) Saturday; £4.68m (34.21%) Sunday; Monday £1.59m; £1.58m Tues
Biggest Saturday of 2024 ahead of Deadpool Vs Wolverine £4.95m and Inside Out 2 £4.67m and biggest Saturday since Barbie £6.3m.
51st biggest opening between Iron Man 3 and The Simpsons (close to Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Fifty Shades of Grey and Casino Royale) and 98th inflated biggest opening between Joker and Transformers (close to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Alice In Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and High School Musical 3)
2nd biggest 2024 opening between Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 (close to Dune: Part 2, Gladiator 2 and Despicable Me 4); Universal Pictures biggest opening since No Time To Die.
Opened 51%+ Wonka; 38%+ Mamma Mia 2 and 65%+ Les Misérables
46th widest opening opened in 696 cinemas between The Fall Guy, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Dumbo and Don’t Worry Darling) and 2,250 screens having 13,246 shows.
It was Universal Pictures’ biggest opening day since 2021’s No Time To Die; 2nd biggest Friday in 2024 after Deadpool & Wolverine (£4.21m); IMAX’s biggest opening Friday for a PG film.
Universal’s 5th biggest opening Friday; 8th biggest November; 8th biggest opening Friday since 2020; Saturday was the highest BO of the year ahead of Inside Out 2 and 5th biggest Saturday since 2020; Universal’s 4th biggest opening Saturday; 3rd biggest November Saturday; 3rd biggest opening Saturday for any musical behind Beauty and the Beast and Frozen 2.
The film version of Wicked has been generating massive media coverage over the last month, early reactions said it was the best stage-to-screen adaption since Chicago with stunning performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
The top cinema was Odeon Luxe Leicester Square which had its highest opening Friday since Oppenheimer; it was also IMAX’s highest-grossing opening Friday for a PG and overtook Beauty and the Beast’s opening Friday.
The popularity of the stage show Wicked in the UK is similar to Mamma Mia! In April 2024, the stage musical became the 10th longest-running stage show in London’s West End, seen by over 12 million people, having over 6,500 shows and generating over £2m in ticket sales since its premiere in 2006.
Ahead of Friday’s opening Vue’s Tim Richards said there was a record-breaking pre-sale for Wicked and it was tracking in line with 2023’s Barbie and he said they sold over 250k tickets ahead of opening.
Wicked targets a different demographic than both of those films and will have long legs as other musicals have had in the UK. Wicked will have the biggest musical opening in the UK topping Mamma Mia 2 (£9,735,930); Bohemian Rhapsody (£9,530,463) Wonka (£8,904,750); High School Musical 3 (£8,409,375/£12,888,984); Les Miserables (£8,127,991/£9,920,381); La La Land (£6,596,256) and Mamma Mia! (£6,594,058/£10,106,662).
My comparisons were Frozen 2 (£15,088,012); Fantastic Beasts (£15,333,146); The Lion King (£16,671,764); Barbie (£18,509,236) and Beauty and the Beast (£19,700,000) given the huge popularity of the stage show in the UK and the huge popularity of musicals in the UK and should have exceedingly long legs playing into January.
The only complication is that despite it being 2hrs 40 mins it’s the first of two films, the second will be released next December and Universal hasn’t marketed the film as Part 1, unlike other two partner films like Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Deathly Hallows Part 1. The stage musical is 2hr 30 mins, but the film adaption will be twice as long over two films.
Cynthia Erivo starred in the 2013 revival of The Color Purple in London, which was moved to Broadway in 2015, starring alongside Jennifer Hudson. Ariana Grande has sold over 90 million albums worldwide and has a huge fanbase in the UK, selling over 31 million units, having 7 UK number 1s, and hosting the One Love Manchester Concert in June 2017 after the terrorist attack at her Manchester Arena concert.
Director Jon Chu posted on Twitter “Tell your movie theatre to turn it up to a 7…. I’ve gone to a couple of screenings, and they are more like a 6.4 :/ if you want it the way it was intended 7 is the way.” Dolby 7 is the level film should be played at, but most cinemas play films between 4.5 and 5.5.
While at AMC Theatres a short video before the film said “At AMC Theatres, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.” Sing-along screenings of Wicked will be playing in cinemas in December. So, this was a non-story to make AMC look like they listened to customers bring singalong screenings to cinemas in December. With Wicked playing on multiple screens in cinemas exhibitors could offer its customers distinct kinds of cinema experiences, like a singing screen, social media friendly, child-friendly, adults only etc…
The big issue many had with Wicked was the first hour and also how the film was lit.
Despite the huge popularity of films like Barbie and Wicked, there are still far fewer films with female leads, only 30 of 2023 biggest top 100 films had women or girls in lead or co-lead roles.
Universal Pictures has been developing a film adaption of the stage musical since 2012. Many directors were attached including Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy. In 2015 Universal Pictures announced Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) was directing the film with a December 20th, 2019, release date, but left in 2020 due to “scheduling conflicts”.
Cats was instead released on December 20th, 2019, while it underperformed Cats still opened £3,207,471 taking £11,987,192 as British audiences love their film musicals.
Surprisingly Wicked didn’t become the widest opening in the UK but that’s due to Gladiator II and Paddington In Peru each playing in over 650 cinemas so there wasn’t the same capacity available as was for No Time To Time (773 cinemas). Many multiplexes were showing it on about 4 screens with Vue Cinemas including Manchester and Westfield playing on 8 screens every 30 mins from 8 am to 12 am.
- 2. Gladiator II – £4,736,971 – £18,468,010
Dropped 48.3% in its second weekend.
Took £1.26m 26.6% (-51.16% £2.58m) Friday; £1.95m 41.17% (-42.65% £3.4m) Saturday; £1.526m 32.22% (-46.92% £2.87m) Sunday; again, similar to Dune Part 2; £1.58k Fri; £2.47m Sat; £1.8m Sun; £599k Monday; £602k Tuesday
106th biggest second weekend between The Secret Life of Pets and WOG: The Curse of the WereRabbit (close to Gravity, Titanic, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Man of Steel) and 201st inflated between The Mummy and Mission: Impossible (close to Crocodile Dundee, Batman, Planet of the Apes and Batman and Robin)
6th biggest second weekend of 2024 between Despicable Me 4 and Beetlejuice 2 (close to Paddington In Peru, Dune: Part 2 and Despicable Me 4)
Second weekends
2000’s Gladiator dropped 2.7% in its second weekend £3,459,104/£6,486,837 and £9,433,058 30.18% of £31,257,293/£58,616,618 inflated; #1 for 7 weeks.
2024’s Dune Part 2 dropped 37% £5,851,155 and £19,340,959 49% of £39,466,555
2021’s Dune dropped 44% (31% without previews) £3,312,159 #2 689 screens and £13,214,527 60.21% of £21,947,056; Dune took 3.73x opening if Dune part 2 did similar it will take £34m+
2010’s Inception dropped 29% £4,172,568/£5,589,137 #2 456 screens and £14,204,521 40.61% of £34,976,999 (£46,851,543 inflated); took 5.92x opening
2013’s Gravity dropped 22% (14% without previews) £4,838,152/£5,905,065 #1 571 screens and £14,711,488 45% of £32,756,514; 5.24x opening
2014’s Interstellar dropped 30% £3,777,804/£4,063,306 #1 576 screens and £12,131,990 60.46% of £21,173,601; 3.73x opening
2015’s The Martian dropped 41% (21% without previews) £3,854,809 #1 582 screens and £13,211,096 56.03% of £23,589,854; 3.61x opening
2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 49% (41% without previews) £3,098,872/£3,297,465 #2 653 screens £12,184,828 64.74% of £18,918,361; 3.1x opening
2017’s Logan dropped 60% (45% without previews) £3,858,463 #2 602 screens and £16,855,344 71.25% of £23,655,614; 2.5x opening
2020’s 1917 dropped 17% £6,190,049 #1 714 screens and £18,439,267 41.96% of £43,942,488
2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 24% £8,222,657 #2 694 screens and £27,657,602 47.55% of £58.9m; took 5.37x opening
2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 51% (44% without previews) £4,219,120 (£7,139,360 inflated) #1 506 screens and £17,568,570 57.41% of £30,367,791 (£51,386,687 inflated); 3.43x opening
2009’s Avatar £3,828,123 #2 (£5,608,482 inflated) and £18,404,659 19.57% of £93,442,625 (£136,900,316 inflated); 14.1x opening
2017’s Dunkirk down 17% £8,235,532 #1 663 screens and £27,017,724 47.74% of £56,797,955; 5.65x opening
2022’s Top Gun: Maverick dropped 35% £10,325,500 #1 756 screens and £38,471,380 46.03% of £83,575,590; Top Gun: Maverick had its first two weekends to itself with no competition holding on to all IMAX/PLF and other premium screens for two weeks and was a 12A Vs Gladiator II 15.
Despite Gladiator II and Top Gun: Maverick is 12A there are many similarities between the two films, the long gap between them, featuring a family member and both plots of the original film and sequel being remarkably similar, but of course, hugely benefited with the return of Tom Cruise as Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe. There are rumours of a third Top Gun film but that would surely only work if Maverick died, he should have died in Top Gun: Maverick as Han Solo died in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
After the enormous success of the organic fan-generated Barbenheimer last year with fans opting to watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer, having Paddington in Peru, Gladiator II, Wicked and Moana 2 opening over four weeks the cinema industry tried to create Gladdington and Glicked but it’s unlikely either will work.
Gladiator II has been generating massive media coverage over the last month. The early media screening influencers raved about the film, calling it the best film ever made. Critics have said that while it looks incredible, Denzel Washington gives a Best Supporting Actor performance, but it has a similar plot to the original, and predictably, Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe.
Gladiator II is seen as a major award contender with many believing Ridley Scott could finally win Best Director Oscar after being nominated three times previously for Best Director, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. But only two sequels have won Best Picture and Director Oscars 1974’s The Godfather Part II and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
339th biggest between Angels and Demons and Billy Elliot (close to Blade Runner 2049, Saving Private Ryan, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Troy) and 618th biggest inflated between Captain Phillips and Kevin & Perry Go Large (close to Waterworld, Mad Max: Fury Road, Aliens and Good Morning Vietnam).
9th biggest 2024 film between It Ends with Us and Bob Marley: One Love (close to Paddington In Peru, Kung Fu Panda 4, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire).
- 3. Paddington In Peru £4,218,383 – £24,504,286
Down 38.4% in its third weekend
Took £519k 12.3% (-47.36% £986k) Friday; £2.03m 48.13% (-35.56% £3.15m) Saturday; £1.669m 39.57% (-38.46% £2.71m) Sunday; £248k Monday; £274k Tuesday
55th biggest third weekend between The Kings Speech and Shrek Forever After (close to A Bug’s Life, Titanic, Minions and Mamma Mia 2) and the 105th biggest inflated third weekend between Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Seven (close to Crocodile Dundee, Mrs. Doubtfire, Ice Age III and Incredibles).
Paddington in Peru took 45% more than Paddington (£2,909,674) and 7.2% less than Paddington 2 (£4,545,218)
208th biggest between The Sixth Sense and Hancock (close to Dumbo, Ratatouille, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Wreck-It Ralph) and 422nd biggest inflated between Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Pride and Prejudice (close to Beauty and the Beast (1992), Trolls, Sliding Doors and Pocahontas).
The first two films were hugely popular in the UK, but they faced lesser competition over the weeks after opening so both had exceedingly long legs which saw them play through to January.
2014’s Paddington dropped 24% in the third weekend £2,909,674 #2 staying in top 5 for 8 weeks (£943,320) and top 10 for 12 weeks (£208,857) (mid-February) taking £38,027,750
2017’s Paddington 2 dropped 32% in the third weekend £4,545,218 #2; staying in the top 5 for 8 weeks (£1,884,062) and top 10 for 10 weeks (£401,521) in mid-January taking £42,661,628.
Gladiator II and Wicked were unlikely to affect Paddington In Peru this weekend was always the key weekend how it holds against Moana 2.
- 4. Red One £866,764 – £5,891,645
Dropped 39.4% in the third weekend.
Took £129k 14.9% (-50% £258k) Friday; £412k 47.58% (£677k -39.14%) Saturday; £325k 37.53% (£495k -34.34%) Sunday.
743rd biggest third weekend between Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween and Hairspray (close to Back to the Future Part II, Beowulf, Lightyear and Freaky Friday) and 1,077th inflated between Just Married and Bridge Of Spies (close to Birds Of Prey, Bullet Train, The Green Hornet and Die Hard).
The audience has spoken despite getting poor reviews cinemagoers still want to see Red One. With Gladiator II and Wicked would have expected Red One to drop much heavier by 50%+ for the last two weeks, but it’s targeting a younger audience to Gladiator II, Paddington In Peru and Wicked.
There have been other Christmas set action films including 2022’s Violent Night; 2000’s Reindeer Games; 1996’s The Long Kiss Goodnight; 1990’s Die Hard 2; 1998’s Enemy of the State; 2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; 2005’s The Ice Harvest; 1992’s Batman Returns; 1987’s Lethal Weapon; 1988’s Die Hard. Of course, the debate is a Christmas film set at Christmas, as Die Hard was released in July while Christmas features in all of Shane Black’s screenplays, but does that make them Christmas films?
Jake Kasdan previously directed Dwayne Johnson in two Jumanji films (taking $1.7bn worldwide) and also directed 2014’s Sex Tape, 2011’s Bad Teacher and 2007’s Walk Hard. He will also direct Jumanji 3 set for release on December 11th, 2026.
Third weekends
2011’s Bad Teacher dropped 51.7% £512,069/£673,464 and £5,659,577 74% of £7,679,122/£10,036,080
2014’s Sex Tape dropped 37.1% £423,484/£455,488 and £3,552,754 82.22% of £4,068,571/£4,795,102
2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle dropped 25% £3,895,450 #1 and £26,272,798 of £36,968,605/£39,090,968.
2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level up 24% £3,638,441 #2 and £21,290,012 of £36,079,399/£39,577,402; #1 Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker £9,311,240
1996’s Jingle All the Way took £4,065,966/£8,703,365
34th biggest 2024 film between Civil War and Argylle (close to Smile 2, Challengers, Heretic and Speak No Evil)
1,256th biggest between Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and Source Code (close to The Expendables 2, Wild Hogs, Beverly Hills Cop II and Dead Poets Society) and 1,826th biggest inflated between Ride Along 2 and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (close to Conspiracy theory, The Siege, The Game Plan and Real Steel)
- 5. Heretic £205,457 – £5,425,231
Dropped 59.3% in the third weekend.
Overtook Bryan Woods and Scott Beck’s last film 2023’s 65 £3,211,908; wrote the screenplay to 2018’s A Quiet Place dropped 46.2% in the third weekend £1,024,722 and £8,262,665 70.01% of £11,801,912
Similar films include.
2016’s The Witch took £883,088; 2019’s Midsommar took £2,125,299 and also the recently released Speak No Evil dropped 21.2% in the third weekend £641,119 and £3,995,263 71.47% of £5,590,237
While Hugh Grant has starred in some huge British films including Wonka, Paddington 2, Bridget Jones trilogy, Love Actually and Four Weddings and A Funeral has to go back to 1997’s Extreme Measures (taking £1,194,157/£2,323,765) for playing an unexpected role.
19th biggest 2024 film between Argylle and Speak No Evil (close to Civil War, Red One, Transformers One and Madame Web).
1,338th biggest between The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and Under Siege (close to Hereditary, Dawn of the Dead, Total Recall (2012) and Mean Girls (2004) and 1,907th biggest inflated between Red Heat and The Ghost (close to The Shawshank Redemption, My Stepmother is an Alien, V for Vendetta and Candyman (2021).
The end credits include a generative AI disclaimer “No generative AI was used in the making of this film.” Writer-director Scott Beck and Bryan Woods said in a Variety interview “AI is an amazing technology,” ..“Beautiful things will come of it, and its jaw-dropping. What is being created with generative AI and video … it’s amazing we could create that technology. Now let’s bury it underground with nuclear warheads, cause it might kill us all.”
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £24,448,831 up 24.2% from last weekend’s £19,676,839: 3,078,043 admissions up 25.4% from 2,454,153 admissions.
Biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks ahead of 26 July 2024 £24,448,831 #1 Deadpool and Wolverine £17,276,621 (71.35%) and 15 November 2024 £19,676,839 #1 Gladiator II £9,155,050 (46.53%)
5th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 210 weeks between 28 July 2023 £26,586,491 #1 Barbie £13,226,848 (49.75%) and 26 July 2024 £24,448,831 #1 Deadpool and Wolverine £17,276,621 (71.35%)
30th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,182) between 19 July 2019 £24,533,644 #1 The Lion King £16,671,764 (67.95%) and £24,448,831 #1 Deadpool and Wolverine £17,276,621 (71.35%) and 85th inflated between 06 May 2022 £23,689,265 #1 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness £19,765,718 (83.44%) and 03 April 2015 £22,075,680 #1 Fast & Furious 7 £12,765,033 (57.82%)
The top 3 took (£22,651,410) 92.6% of the top 10; Wicked Part 1 56.02% (£13,696,056); Gladiator II 19.38% (£4,736,971); Paddington In Peru 17.25% (£4,218,383).
104th biggest admissions #1 (1,729,300) between 06 July 2012 #1 The Amazing Spider-Man (1,741,283) and 27 May 2011 #1 The Hangover Part II (1,717,660)
203rd biggest percentage share #1 (56.02%) between 05 July 2002 #1 The Minority Report (56.09%) and 19 November 2004 #1 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (56.01%)
Up 97% from 2023; (£12,410,416); Napoleon (£5,235,706); Wish (£2,432,228); Cliff Richard: The Blue Sapphire Tour 2023 (£329,826); Love Actually (20th Anniversary) (£104,728); Santa Claus: The Movie (4K Restoration) (£20,514); #1 Napoleon £5,235,706 1st week 716 screens (42.19% of top 10).
Up 160.5% 2022 (£9,383,987); Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (£4,135,418); Strange World (£833,043); She Said (£444,806); Bones And All (£318,246); #1 Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical £4,135,418 1st week 684 screens (44.07% of top 10)
Up 183.6% 2021 (£8,620,083); House Of Gucci (£2,425,628); Encanto (£1,720,132); Anything Goes – The Musical (£371,880); A Boy Called Christmas (£120,770); #1 House of Gucci £2,425,628 1st week 683 screens (28.1% of top 10).
Up 134.064% 2020; COVID Second Lockdown England (£18,223); #1 The Secret Garden £5,147 (20.01% of top 10)
Up 11.6% 2019; (£21,913,354); Frozen 2 (£15,088,012); Blue Story (£1,324,510); 21 Bridges (£655,213); Akhnaten – Met Opera 2019 (£170,400); Harriet (£115,120); #1 Frozen 2 £15,088,012 1st week 671 screens (68.85% of top 10)
Up 60.4% 2018: (£15,238,186); Robin Hood (£1,330,387); Nativity Rocks! (£834,414); The Girl in the Spider’s Web (£557,403); Shoplifters (£117,555); Assassination Nation (£70,891); Nobody’s Fool (£70,703); #1 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald £5,622,755 2nd week 679 screens 54% drop (36.9% of top 10)
Up 42.8% 2017: (£17,120,343); Daddy’s Home 2 (£4,919,051); Frozen (£1,115,689); Battle of the Sexes (£552,521); Suburbicon (£231,412); The Star (£204,497); #1 Daddy’s Home 2 £4,919,051 1st week 505 screens (28.7% of the top 10)
Up 70.3% 2016: (£14,354,042); Allied (£1,331,919); Bad Santa 2 (£799,156); A United Kingdom (£618,652); Paterson (£169,911); Almost Christmas (£60,991); #1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them £8,892,489 2nd week 666 screens 42% drop (62% of the top 10)
Up 29.9% 2015; (£18,825,730); The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (£11,255,566); The Dressmaker (£235,968); The Perfect Guy (£102,924); Lulu – Met Opera 2015 (£92,708); True Romance (Re: 2015) (£19,066); #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 £11,255,566 1st week 576 screens (59.8% of top 10)
Up 24.3% 2014: (£19,671,148); THG: Mockingjay, Part 1 (12,654,109); #1 THG: Mockingjay, Part 1 £12,654,109 1st week (64.33% of top 10)
Up 24% 2013: (£19,719,142); The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (£12,189,733); Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (£1,798,629); The Family (£444,659); Andre Rieu: Home for Christmas (£290,173); Blue is the Warmest Colour (£142,077); Parkland (£114,321); #1 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire £12,189,733 1st week 554 screens (61.8% of top 10)
Up 64.4% 2012: (£14,870,977); Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (£1,614,675); Silver Linings Playbook (£1,260,979); Gambit (£689,042); End of Watch (£618,546); Lawrence of Arabia (re: 2012) (£18,431); #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 £5,344,508 2nd week 559 screens 66% drop (36% of top 10)
Up 131.8% 2011; (£10,545,613); My Week with Marilyn (£749,819); 50/50 (£410,251); Dream House (£304,239); Moneyball (£230,848); The Deep Blue Sea (£108,767); Take Shelter (£83,982); #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 £4,574,978 2nd week 546 screens 67% drop (43.4% of top 10)
Up 97.6% 2010: (£12,372,683); Unstoppable (£1,714,871); London Boulevard (£577,224); The American (£411,707); The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (£219,259); Machete (£90,423); #1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1 £8,344,776 2nd week 581 screens 54% drop (67.4% of top 10)
Up 20.2% 2009; (£20,336,403); The Twilight Saga: New Moon (£11,683,158); A Serious Man (£321,114); The Informant! (£179,612); Glorious 39 (£7,654); #1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon £11,683,158 1st week 497 screens (57.4% of top 10)
Up 229.6% 2008; (£7,416,989); Body of Lies (£991,979); My Best Friend’s Girl (£911,355); Quarantine (£387,994); Waltz with Bashir (£113,087); Choke (£59,330); #1 Quantum of Solace £2,884,789 4th week 527 screens 44% drop (38.9% of top 10)
Up 263.2% 2007: (£6,731,904); The Darjeeling Limited (£435,198); August Rush (£359,564); Shrooms (£313,758); Sleuth (£165,788); Rescue Dawn (£89,988); Blade Runner – Director’s Cut (£15,580); #1 American Gangster £1,817,691 2nd week 416 screens 29% drop (27% of top 10)
Up 98% 2006; (£12,348,508); Flushed Away (£3,106,874); Deck the Halls (£600,047); Stranger than Fiction (£368,627); Big Nothing (£83,829); London to Brighton (£29,153); #1 Casino Royale £5,307,969 2nd week 506 screens 38% drop (43% of top 10)
Up 62.8% 2005: (£15,013,252); Flight Plan (£1,694,350); Exorcism of Emily Rose (£1,346,732); Mrs. Henderson Presents (£752,394); The Transporter 2 (£414,400); #1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire £9,275,599 2nd week 536 screens (61.8% of top 10)
Up 58.7% 2004; (£15,406,511); The Incredibles (£9,753,035); The Forgotten (£653,945); Beyond the Sea (£179,558); Enduring Love (£165,338); I Love Huckabees (£155,592); #1 The Incredibles £9,753,035 1st week 494 screens (63.3% of top 10)
Up 142.6% 2003 (£10,075,451); Love Actually (£6,657,479); Master and Commander (limited) (£61,056); #1 Love Actually £6,657,479 1st week 477 screens (66.1% of top 10)
Up 34.2% from 2002: (£18,217,586); Die Another Day (£9,122,344); Anita & Me (£453,613); #1 Die Another Day £9,122,344 1st week 430 screens (50.1% of top 10)
Up 111.1% from 2001 (£11,583,257); Spy Game (£1,019,847); The Heist (£100,229); Baby Boy (£47,144); Me Without You (£45,532); #1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone £8,362,749 2nd week 507 screens 49% drop (72.2% of top 10).
2023 Next week: (£9,107,292); Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce (£1,082,080); Andre Rieu’s White Christmas (£1,001,095); Elf (20th Anniversary) (£345,365); Fallen Leaves (£107,815); Eileen (£98,449); Saving Private Ryan (25th Anniversary) (£19,832); #1 Napoleon £1,908,971 2nd week 64% drop 739 screens (20.96% of top 10).
US Box Office
- Wicked Part 1 – Universal Pictures
Opened $112.5m; received positive reviews (89% Rotten Tomatoes/98% Popcornmeter) and A CinemaScore; down from Friday’s estimate of $120m and Sunday’s $114m.
Opened in IMAX/PLF taking 32%; Presales were $30m.
Took $19.2m from Thursday’s previews (including $2.5m from fan previews on Monday and $5.7m from Wednesday’s previews) Barbie $22.3m; Beauty and the Beast $16.3m; Inside Out 2 $13m; Wonder Woman $11m; The Little Mermaid $10.3m; Frozen II $8.5m.
Over the last month, estimates have increased from $80m+ to $100m but going by how strong presales were and the awareness and buzz $120m+ was always more likely.
75% of the audience were women.
EntTelligence said 12m saw Wicked and Gladiator II taking 81% of the weekend’s admissions; Wicked had more matinees than Gladiator II 64% to 55% before 5 pm; the average price Wicked ($14.36) and Gladiator II ($14.32) with PLF screens, $18.33 Vs $17.72.
There were the predictable headlines over the weekend “Musicals Aren’t Dead” but Wicked is a quite different musical to the recent film adaptions including The Colour Purple, Cats, West Side Story, In The Heights and Dear Evan Hanson (produced by Marc Platt also produced Wicked) as it was based on a current Broadway blockbuster. In 2020 Disney acquired Hamilton the stage show film for $75m planning to give it a wide theatrical release but its release was switched to Disney+ due to COVID.
The predictable response from NATO was “Once again, it’s clear that when healthy competition meets premium experiences, the marketplace thrives, and consumers win” … “This is a tremendous catalyst for a strong box office going into December and the new year.” But as with Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2, the massive fanbase of Wicked musical show it was always going to open $100m+, while Gladiator II was always going to target the male audience. The problem is as always industry goes completely over the top with its reactions.
Social media for Wicked 964.3m TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram; had 40.1m video views in the 24 hours after the Super Bowl; viral rate 14:1; Ariana Grande 466.7m; Jeff Goldblum 4.2m; Michelle Yeoh 3.1m; Erivo 1.9m 480.7m total fans across all five major social platforms.
Wicked and Gladiator II combined took $205m similar to 2019’s Frozen 2 BO took $204.9m; the highest pre-Thanksgiving weekend since 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire helped BO take $226.5m.
Wicked is a one-off due to the massive fanbase the musical is the second highest-grossing musical on Broadway after The Lion King took $1.25bn and $5bn worldwide, over 65 million have seen the stage show. Add in the massive global fanbase of Ariana Grande, and you’re talking Taylor Swift numbers.
As with Barbie, the industry underestimated its fanbase as it often does with female-targeted films. The question is when will this huge female audience return to cinemas in similar numbers and with the testosterone-heavy 2025 slate it won’t be until Wicked Part 2 next November.
Wicked has more in common with 2023’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour opening $93.22m taking $180.75m and $261.65m worldwide as it had a similar sized existing fanbase for the stage show and also the massive popularity of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have cameos in the film singing a new verse of One Short Day, composer Stephen Schwartz also cameos.
63rd biggest opening between Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (close to Alice in Wonderland, Minions, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and The Jungle Book).
And 3rd biggest 2024 opening after Deadpool & Wolverine $211.43m and Inside Out 2 $154.2m
According to a survey by Fandango, 64% of ticket buyers are interested in a Gladiator II and Wicked double bill. Both films are about 2 hours and 40 minutes long, meaning about 6 hours in the cinema. Both films have budgets of $150m and marketing costs of about $100m, it also had 400 brand partners.
Some cinemagoers were taking pictures while they were watching Wicked and then posting them on an Ariana Grande fan account, the response by many was to kick them out of the cinema. When a film plays in multiple screens it should allow screens to be tailored to different audiences. Several years ago there was talk of texting screens which was met by anger from cinephiles but if doing so will bring audiences who aren’t going to the cinema, then why not have a text-friendly screen, likewise children-friendly and over 18 screens (some cinemas do hold over 18 shows for under 18 films but they are late night.
It is impossible to compare Wicked with recent musicals like Wonka, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Mamma Mia! The Greatest Showman is also impossible to compare with other films based on Broadway musicals.
2014’s Into the Woods, which opened at $31 m and took $128m and $212.9m WW; 2
2012’s Les Miserables opened $27.28m taking $149.26m and $442.75m WW.
Comparison films include.
2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful opened $79.11m/$104.89m taking $234.91m/$311.48m and $493.31m/$654.1m WW
2017’s Beauty and the Beast opened $174.75m taking $504.01m and $1.263bn worldwide
2014’s Maleficent opened $69.43m/$91.61m taking $241.41m/$318.53m and $758.41m/$1bn
2023’s Barbie opened $162.02m taking $636.23m and $1.446bn worldwide
Jon Chu previously directed.
2018’s Crazy Rich Asians opened $26.51m taking $174.83m and $239.34m worldwide
2021’s In the Heights opened $11.5m taking $29.97m and $45.17m worldwide
Also directed 2016’s Now You See Me 2; 2015’s Jem and the Holograms; 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation; 2010’s Step Up 3D and 2008’s Step Up 2: The Streets
After finishing Wicked Part 2 will next direct Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Only five days after Wicked opened Moana 2 is expected to open with about $150m over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend which would surely mean Wicked would have to drop over 50% in its second weekend.
Year-to-date BO is still 10.5% less than 2023, and 26.6% less than 2019.
Took $50.2m from 61 territories and $164.2m worldwide; UK $17.6m; Australia $6.7m; S. Korea $4.7m; Mexico $4m; Brazil $1.8m; Philippines $1.7m; Spain $1.7m; Italy $1.5m; Indonesia $1.1m.
It’s the biggest worldwide opening for a musical ahead of 2012’s Les Miserables $103m; 6th biggest opening weekend of 2024; 5th biggest weekend for a musical ahead of 2023’s The Little Mermaid ($163.6m), and behind 2019’s The Lion King ($446m), 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($358m), Frozen 2 ($358m) and 2019’s Aladdin ($213m).
- Gladiator II – Paramount Pictures
Opened $55.03m; received positive reviews (72% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore (2000’s Gladiator (80% Rotten Tomatoes and A CinemaScore); was tracking to open with $65m.
Opened in PLF and selected IMAX screens taking 32% of BO.
14% men under 25; 46% men 25+; 33% women 25+.
Took $21.4m worldwide from IMAX; US $9.4m and $12m international.
Took $6.5m from Thursday’s previews; Dune: Part Two $12m; Oppenheimer $10.5m; Logan $9.5m; Dunkirk $5.5m; Blade Runner 2049 $4m.
250th biggest opening between The Flash and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (close to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, No Time to Die, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies).
Had a budget of about $310m and $100m+ marketing.
2000’s Gladiator opened $34.81m/$69.63m taking $187.7m/$375.41m and $465.51m/$931,03m WW
Similar films include.
2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny opened $60.38m taking $174.48m and $383.96m WW
2022’s Top Gun: Maverick opened $126.7m taking $718.73m and $1.495bn worldwide
2024’s Dune: Part Two opened $82.5m taking $282.14m and $714.44m worldwide
2023’s Oppenheimer opened $82.45m taking $329.86m and $975.59m WW
2017’s Dunkirk opened $50.51m/$60.7m taking $189.74m/$228.1m and $526.04m/$632.19m WW
2004’s Troy opened $46.86m/$81.35m taking $133.37m/$231.53m and $497.4m/$863.45m WW
2015’s The Martian opened $54.3m taking $228.43m and $630.62m worldwide
2001’s Hannibal opened $58m/$110.47m taking $165.1m/$314.43m and $351.69m/$669.83m WW
2007’s American Gangster opened $43.56m/$68.26m taking $130.16m/$203.94m and $269.75m/$422.66m WW
2012’s Prometheus opened $51.05m/$69.13m taking $126.47m/$171.28m and $403.35m/$546.25m WW
Ridley Scott’s 29 films have taken almost $1.8bn in the US and $4.75bn worldwide.
Social media 336.8m; Pedro Pascal 8.5m; Paul Mescal 1m
Took $50.5m and $165.5m from 63 territories and $221m worldwide; UK $11.4m; France $10.3m; Spain $5.6m; Australia $4.9m; Mexico $4.7m; Germany $4.3m; Italy $3.8m; Korea $3.2m; Brazil $3m; took $7m from 453 IMAX cinemas.
- Red One – MGM/Amazon Studios
Dropped 59% in the second weekend $13.21m and $52.84m
876th biggest second weekend between The Wolf of Wall Street and Basic Instinct (close to This Is the End, A Time to Kill, George of the Jungle and The Italian Job)
As with Joker: Folie à Deux much of the negativity towards Red One was due to its $250m budget but there are often double standards with budgets Gladiator II had a reported budget of $310m almost double its original budget and had 40% tax breaks from Malta but far less has been talked about its budget. As with Gladiator II, some of Red One’s increased budget was due to the SAG strike delaying its release a year as it was originally due to be released in December 2023.
Jake Kasdan previously directed Dwayne Johnson in two Jumanji films (which took $1.7bn worldwide) and also directed 2014’s Sex Tape, 2011’s Bad Teacher, and 2007’s Walk Hard. He will also direct Jumanji 3, set for release on December 11th, 2026.
2011’s Bad Teacher dropped 54.1% $14.5m #3 and $59.95m of $100.29m and $216.19m worldwide
2014’s Sex Tape dropped 58.6% $6.05m #6 and $26.95m of $38.54m and $126.06m worldwide
2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle up 38.4% $50.05m #2 and $169m of $404.54m and $962.54m WW
2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level dropped 55.3% $26.5m #2 and $102.31m of $320.31m and $801.69m worldwide
Took $8.7m from 75 territories $64.2m total and $117.1m worldwide; UK $7.5m; Mexico $6.2m; Germany $4.4m; Australia $3.3m; Spain $3.2m.
- Venom: The Last Dance – Sony Pictures
Dropped 47% in the fifth weekend $3.87m #5 and $133.7m.
902nd biggest fifth weekend between The Last Boy Scout and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (close to Black Widow, The Goonies, Back to the Future Part III and Inglourious Basterds)
515th biggest between The Rock and Grown Ups 2; 1,215th biggest inflated between The Equalizer and The Crow; 14th biggest 2024 between A Quiet Place: Day One and Wicked; 74th biggest comic book between Superman and The Wolverine; 58th biggest Sony Pictures between Anger Management and Grown Ups 2.
Fifth weekends
2018’s Venom dropped 26.1% $7.87m #6 and $198.69m of $213.51m and $856.08m worldwide
2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage dropped 38.2% $5.75m #5 and $190.44m of $213.55m and $506.81m worldwide.
Next from Sony/Marvel is Kraven the Hunter set for release in December.
Took $7.8m from 66 territories $322.6m total and $456.42m worldwide.
296th biggest worldwide between The Last Samurai and San Andreas; 10th biggest 2024 between Kung Fu Panda 4 and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; 54th biggest comic book between X-Men: The Last Stand and Thor; 30th biggest Sony Pictures between Hotel Transylvania 2 and Men in Black 2.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Musicals normally hold very strongly in the UK as did 2019’s Frozen 2 another comparison title that dropped 42% in its second weekend £8,711,498 #1 674 screens and £27,349,269 51% of £53,549,035 but as with Frozen most of the other musicals didn’t face immediate competition opening a week after.
Wonka last year dropped 20.6% £6,362,786 (£1.31m Friday; £2.69m Saturday; £2.36m Sunday) and £18,487,627 29.22% of £63,277,138
2022’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical dropped 39% £2,531,782 (£1.62m Fri-Sat and £911k Sunday) and £7,848,147 28% of £28,040,411
2018’s Mary Poppins Returns dropped 9% £7,441,687 #1 from 740 screens and £23,243,909 52.2% of £44,541,719.
In 2016 Moana opened a week after the US as it would have instead faced the second weekend of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them but with Mufasa: The Lion King opening in three weeks couldn’t delay Moana 2 to distance it from Wicked; in 2017 Disney delayed to January to avoid Coco opening three weeks after Paddington 2. In the US Moana 2 is tracking crazy numbers between $150m-$200m for the Thanksgiving long weekend, but with Wicked and Paddington In Peru and not being holidays in the UK, will open much lower.
2016’s Moana opened £2,214,898 #2 556 screens; Moana was never #1 due to Fantastic Beasts #1 for 4 weeks and then Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1 for 3 weeks but held strongly down 14% in second weekend £1,911,784 #2; 26% in third weekend £1,424,527. Dropped 22% fourth weekend £1,105,469 #3; up 45% in fifth weekend (Christmas) £1,620,268 #5; dropped 28% in sixth weekend £1,179,760 #6; dropped 11% in seventh weekend £1,050,979 #3; playing strongly to February taking £20,041,031.
The last two Disney animated sequels 2018’s Ralph Breaks The Internet opened £4,032,775 taking £17,299,915 and 2019’s Frozen 2 opened £15,088,012 taking £53,549,035.
I would expect Moana 2 to open between 2016’s Zootropolis £5,306,726 and 2015’s Inside Out £7,376,513.
Moana 2 has received a mixed review. Some love it, giving it four and five stars, while others say it’s inferior to the original and feels like it has been joined together as it was previously planned as a TV series on Disney+. The original film was a steady performer but found a wider audience on home entertainment and Disney+.
The 34 Disney animated films have taken £462m and £725m inflated since 1989’s Oliver & Company.
After Gladiator 2’s first two weeks were similar to Dune Part 2 it will have a heavier drop in its third weekend (Dune Part 2 dropped 31% £4,046,492 (£1.05m Fri; £1.67m Sat; £1.33m Sun) and £26,207,623 66.40% of £39,466,555.
Gladiator 2 will drop 40%-45% in its third weekend taking £2m-£2.6m similar to Indiana Jones …The Crystal Skull, Star Wars Attack of the Clones, The Martian and Gravity.
Having held strongly over the last two weeks Paddington In Peru will drop 40%-50% in its third weekend taking £2.1m-£2.6m.
2014’s Paddington dropped 13.6% £2,513,675 #2 and £18,120,879 47.93% of £38,027,750; in top 10 for 12 weeks (£208,857) (mid-February)
2017’s Paddington 2 dropped 36.5% £2,883,617 #1 and £26,903,226 63.09% of £42,642,938, staying in the top 5 for 8 weeks (£1,884,062) and top 10 for 10 weeks (£401,521) mid-January taking £42,661,628.
Opening in three weeks
- Mufasa: The Lion King – Disney
Musical adventure prequel and sequel to 2019’s The Lion King photo-realistic animation reimagination of the 1994 animated film. Featuring voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, and Blue Ivy Carter, directed by Barry Jenkins with music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Development of the prequel was announced in September 2020 after the tremendous success of the 2019 film, the title was revealed in September 2022 at 2022’s D23 Expo.
At CinemaCon in April Disney screened footage, director Barry Jenkins said to the audience “You are wondering… what is the director of ‘Moonlight’ doing talking to me about an eight-quadrant tentpole legacy IP massive film?” …. “And I gotta say, the thought was very strange to me at first, as well. But oh my god. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, and I’m so glad I made this picture.”
The first teaser trailer was released in April receiving mixed reactions calling it “unnecessary” and a “soulless prequel to a soulless remake” Barry Jenkins responded by saying “There is nothing soulless about The Lion King … For decades children have sat in theatres all over the world experiencing collective grief for the first time, engaging Shakespeare for the first time, across aisles in myriad languages. A most potent vessel for communal empathy.” The trailer was released in August and a final trailer in November.
2019’s The Lion King opened £16,671,765/£18,403,595 #1 713 screens taking £75,938,299/£83,826,626; 2nd biggest film of 2019 behind Avengers: Endgame £88,688,477
1994’s The Lion King opened £2,461,009/£6,035,151 taking £22,525,524/£55,239,516; 2nd biggest film of 1994 behind Four Weddings and a Funeral £26,851,834/£65,848,959
Disney expects Mufasa: The Lion King to take about £50m buzz at the moment is extremely low but Disney are surely waiting for the November releases to open before they start spreading out the pixie dust that will make the audience realise Mufasa: The Lion King is a must-see film. Does also depends on how films like Paddington In Peru, Wicked and Moana 2 hold while December 20th is the start of the lucrative Christmas school holidays.