- Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania – £3,049,939 – £14,653,459
Took £847k Friday 27.8% (77% drop); £1.37m Saturday 45% (55.5% drop); £832k Sunday 27.2% (59.6% drop)
Dropped 65.5% in the second weekend.
226th biggest second weekend between 12 Years a Slave and Men in Black 3 (close to Men In Black 2, The Mummy Returns, The Hunger Games and Hobbs & Shaw) and 436th biggest opening inflated between Night at the Museum 2 and Pokemon Detective Pikachu (close to Sleepy Hollow, The Little Mermaid, Edward Scissorhands and Indecent Proposal).
21st biggest MCU second weekend between Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World (close to Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange, Eternals and Captain America: Winter Soldier).
43rd biggest comic-book second weekend between X-Men 2 and Men in Black 3 (close to Men In Black, Iron Man 2, Justice League and Batman Forever) and 61st biggest comic-book inflated between Iron Man and Eternals (close to Batman Returns, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four).
Second weekends
2015’s Ant-Man dropped 37% £2,520,129 #2 from 569 screens and £9,619,553 59% of £16,309,117; Inside Out opened £7,376,513
2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp dropped 54% (39% without previews) £2,282,343 #4 from 613 screens and £10,493,740 60.4% of £17,353,560; was playing in a much-crowded marketplace with The Meg, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Incredibles 2 and Mission: Impossible Fallout.
Both Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp were #1 for only 1 week as Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 and Thor: The Dark World.
Took £529,810 more than Ant-Man’s second weekend and £767,596 more than Ant-Man and the Wasp, but Ant-Man 3 is a very different film than those as they were palette cleaners to the other MCU films being rich arrogant males who have a fetish for spandex. In the first two Ant-Man Scott Lang is doing it to try to have a relationship with his daughter making the films different similar to the 80s and 90s family action films like Inner Space and Honey I Shrunk the Kids, while Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is very much an MCU film and is tonally much darker with less humour. This is why had some of the worst reviews of a Disney MCU and why it will be much more front-loaded.
As it’s the first film from Phase 5 introducing Kang the Conqueror who will be the supervillain in Phase 5 leading into Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025, before Avengers: Secret Wars starts Phase 6 in 2026.
The footage was first screened at Comic-Con in July 2022, with further footage shown during D23 in September, the first teaser trailer was released in October and attached to Black Panther Wakanda Forever. The tone was darker than the previous two Ant-Man films which felt more like family adventure films made in the 80s and 90s.
The first two Ant-Man films were palette cleansers to the other MCU films as they included far more humour, fun and heart than the others. The ending of Ant-Man and the Wasp teased the change of the character as he became a key Avenger in future films.
The 30 MCUs have taken over £1bn at the UK BO since 2008 (£1.2bn inflated) but after steady growth solo films have plateaued since Captain America: Civil War in 2018, while Ant-Man films have been the lowest grossing of the MCU with 2015’s Ant-Man opening £4,011,345 taking £16,309,117 and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp opened £4,988,747 taking £17,599,289.
Last week Marvel delayed The Marvels from July 28th the week after Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer to November 10th opening between Dune: Part Two and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
- 2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – £1,763,083 – £20,493,900
Down 44.4% in the fourth weekend
Took £419k 15.6% drop (23.8%) Friday; £803k 44.6% drop (45.5%) Saturday: £541k 55.7% drop (30.7%) Sunday.
106th biggest 4th weekend between Captain Marvel and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (close to Despicable Me 2, Jurassic World Dominion, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sonic the Hedgehog 2) and 175th biggest inflated 4th weekend between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jumanji (close to Antz, Rain Man, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and The Lego Movie).
6th biggest Dreamworks Animation 4th weekend between Trolls (£1,820,578) and Shrek The Third (£1,620,059) and the 16th biggest Dreamworks Animation film between Shark Tale and Monsters vs. Aliens (£21,113,359).
Fourth weekends
2011’s Puss in Boots up 53% £1,366,975 #5 (Christmas holidays) from 509 screens taking £6,636,972 of £9,893,533; with competition from Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked #4 £1,451,331; Arthur Christmas #7 £302,006; Happy Feet 2 #9 £221,804.
2010’s Shrek Forever After dropped 70% £1,223,759 #4 from 530 screens and £26,878,721 of £31,106,087; dropped heavily due to Toy Story 3 opening £21,187,264
2007’s Shrek The Third dropped 42% £1,620,059 #3 from 491 screens and £33,661,676 of £38,079,462 (£60,927,139 inflated)
2004’s Shrek 2 dropped 40% £2,035,689 #2 from 494 screens and £39,406,160 of £48,104,138 (£86,566,021 inflated)
2001’s Shrek dropped 31.5% £1,915,345 #2 from 474 screens (£3,557,730 inflated) taking £17,399,522 of £29,004,582 (£56,607,976 inflated)
The four Shrek films were hugely popular in the UK taking over £150m+ (£250m+ inflated)
The 40+ Dreamwork Animation films have taken almost £700m since 1998 and £900m+ inflation inflated.
54th biggest animated film between Monsters vs. Aliens and A Christmas Carol (close to The Lion King (1994), Toy Story, Despicable Me and Kung Fu Panda) and 87th biggest inflated between Robots and Antz (close to The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Mulan and The Jungle Book (re-release)
266th biggest film between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (close to Scooby-Doo, Fantastic Beasts 3, Babe and The Flintstones) and 540th biggest inflated between The Bourne Supremacy and The Muppets (close to Sister Act, Parenthood, Antz and Beverly Hills Cop).
After last year only had couple of major animated films, this year has several targetting different demographics next up Super Mario Bros opening in a months’ time that will do vastly more than the 1993 live-action film, along with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Elemental, Strays, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Wish and Migration.
- 3. Cocaine Bear – £1,581,128 – NE
Took £565k (35.7%) Friday; £643k (40.7%) Saturday; £373k (23.6%) Sunday.
1,057th biggest opening Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Penguins of Madagascar (close to Hide and Seek, Trance, The Haunting and Indecent Proposal) and 1,652nd biggest inflated between Eat Pray Love and Hidden Figures (close to The Color of Money, Tombstone, A Life Less Ordinary and The Rising Sun).
Opened in 593 cinemas 170th widest opening between The Dark Knight Rises and Smallfoot; 524th 500+ cinema opening since 2002’s Monsters, Inc.
Elizabeth Banks previously directed 2019’s Charlie’s Angels (opened £547,246 taking £1.1m) and 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2 (opened £5m taking £17.4m).
Cocaine Bear was a palate cleanser film after the stodgy Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, it was a Ronseal film ‘does exactly what it says on the tin’ as with Snakes on a Plane, the film’s title told you what the film was, and the trailer made you want to see it. Films like Cocaine Bear were what cinema used to be films that you could enjoy without having to do homework before and after to fully understand the plot. This was similar to the first Ant-Man film, which made the film far more enjoyable and rewatchable.
2000’s Lake Placid opened £931,472 (£1,710,521 inflated) taking £3,203,300 (£5,882,424 inflated)
2016’s The Shallows opened £800,963 #8 from 379 screens taking £1,723,386
2010’s Piranha 3D opened £1,325,324 #4 from 354 screens taking £4,466,428
2006’s Snakes on a Plane £1,069,608 #1 from 354 screens (£1,963,694 inflated) taking £3,692,064 (£6,125,642 inflated)
2004’s Open Water £1,970,176 #1 opened from 378 screens taking £4,818,915
2002’s Eight Legged Freaks £1,031,494 #3 from 400 screens taking £3,305,089 (£6,450,512 inflated)
1999’s Deep Blue Sea £1,946,454 (£2,859,616 inflated) taking £7,943,717 (£15,245,899 inflated)
1998’s The Edge £319,110 #6 (£639,802 inflated) taking £687,500
1993’s Alive opened £443,875 (£1,117,293 inflated) taking £2,704,459 (£6,807,486 inflated)
1991’s Arachnophobia £838,792 #1 from 274 screens (£2,236,779 inflated) taking £5,515,513 (£14,708,035 inflated)
- 4. What’s Love Got to Do with It? – £1,082,163 – NE
Took £306k (28.3%) Friday; £440k (40.7%) Saturday; £336k (31%) Sunday.
1,493rd biggest opening between Den of Thieves and Born on the Fourth of July (close to Three Men And A Baby, Sleepless in Seattle, Casino and The Naked Gun) and 2,028th biggest inflated opening between The Death of Stalin and Blinded By The Light (close to Much Ado About Nothing, Hudson Hawk, Doc Hollywood and Almost Famous).
92nd biggest rom com opening between Sleepless in Seattle and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (close to One Fine Day, Groundhog Day, The Wedding Singer and Pretty Woman) and 134th biggest inflated between Amelie and Trainwreck (close to The Tall Guy, Jack and Sarah, Fever Pitch and Peter’s Friends).
It opened in 629 screens, having Studiocanal’s widest ever opening more than 2017’s Paddington 607 screens and 96th widest opening in the UK between In The Heights and Birds of Prey; 154th 600+ screen opening since 2015’s Jurassic World.
British rom com What’s Love Got to Do with It? It should have been the biggest new release as previous Working Title rom coms used to be, but this wasn’t in the same league after received mixed reviews at the Toronto Film Festival premiere last September. That said would have expected British reviews to be better, but they were the same.
Was originally due to open ahead of Valentine’s Day (end of January) as 2013 am I Give It A Year (opened £1,450,023 taking £6,195,388) but was likely delayed due to Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Titanic 25th Anniversary both targetting similar female audience.
Working Title make the film, Studiocanal UK has released several Working Title films including King of Thieves, The Program, Legend, Rush, I Give It A Year and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Radioactive was due to have a cinema release in March 2020 but was released instead on Amazon after cinemas closed due to COVID.
Bollywood meets British rom com immediately look to films like 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham opened £2,001,795 from 384 screens (£3,906,885 inflated) taking £10,914,247 (£21,301,236 inflated); 2004’s Bride and Prejudice £1,667,616 from 376 screens (£3,000,966 inflated) taking £4,993,561 (£8,986,185 inflated) and 1999’s East Is East £435,009 from 79 screens (£834,887 inflated) taking £10,373,945 24x opening (£19,910,089 inflated).
While Emma Thompson recently starred in 2019’s Last Christmas £2,654,354 taking £17,758,583 and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical recently opened with £4,135,418 taking £27,587,332 and the recent rom-com Ticket To Paradise opened £2,805,615 taking £9,486,303 and 2019’s Yesterday £2,212,380 taking £13,813,168.
Rom-coms used to be hugely popular in the 80s and 90s and British rom-coms especially so with many of them made by Working Title including 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral £1,419,835; 1999’s Notting Hill £4,323,678; 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary £5,720,292; 2002’s About A Boy £3,747,966; 2003’s Love Actually £6,657,479, but over the last decade have struggled to find similarly sized audiences while finding success on Netflix.
Shekhar Kapur previously directed 2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age (opened £1.3m taking £5.2m); 2003’s Four Feathers (opened £61,800) and 1998’s Elizabeth (£166,174 platform taking £5.5m);
- 5. Magic Mike’s Last Dance £470,020 – £4,904,652
Down 47.1% in the third weekend
Took £177k Friday 45.7% drop (37.7%); £194k Saturday 45.2% drop (41.3%); £99k Sunday 52.4% drop (21%)
Third weekends
2012’s Magic Mike dropped 39% £536,749 #5 from 472 screens and £6,697,323 taking £8,111,970.
2015’s Magic Mike XXL dropped 45% £524,161 #8 from 405 screens and £5,501,254 taking £6,697,739
1,381st biggest film between Memphis Belle and The Princess Diaries (close to City of Angels, A Simple Favour, The Man in the Iron Mask and The Usual Suspects) and 1,911th biggest inflated between The Northman and Sex Tape (close to Bedazzled, Zoolander 2, Nuts and Drop Dead Fred).
The first film was financed by Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum with Warner Bros acquiring US rights and Lionsgate UK, but the sequels were made by Warner Bros and released globally by the studio.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £8,869,711 down 40.2% from last weekend’s £14,821,149; admissions down 40.2% from 1,927,328.
704th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,091) between 18 January 2002 #1 LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings £3,276,912 (36.9% of top 10) and 12 June 2009 #1 The Hangover £3,193,806 (36% of top 10) and 961st biggest inflation inflated between 09 June 2006 #1 The Omen £2,096,002 (39.2% of top 10) and 14 January 2022 #1 Spider-Man No Way Home £3,215,166 (38.1% of top 10).
The top 3 took £6,394,150 72.1% the top 10; Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania 34.4% (£3,049,939); Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 19.9% (£1,763,083); Cocaine Bear 17.8% (£1,581,128);
34.4% of the top 10 523rd highest percentage #1 between 11 February 2022 Uncharted (34.4%) and 22 February 2002 Monsters, Inc. (34.4%).
764th biggest admissions #1 (396,611) between 30 January 2009 Slumdog Millionaire (396,614) and 13 January 2006 Jarhead (395,891).
Down 12% from 2022 (£10,074,422); The Duke (£992,659); Cyrano (£398,650); The Godfather: 50th Anniversary (£267,096); Studio 666 (£135,385); #1 Uncharted £3,084,102 3rd week 631 screens 18% drop (30.6% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown
Down 36.1% from 2020 (£13,862,134); The Call Of The Wild (£1,465,400); Like A Boss (£520,059); Brahms: The Boy II (£506,773); Greed (£369,028); Swan Lake – Bolshoi Ballet 2020 (£194,536); #1 Sonic The Hedgehog £4,171,244 2nd week 634 screens 12% drop (30.1% of top 10)
Down 4.6% from 2019; (£9,295,306); Cold Pursuit (£631,467); On the Basis of Sex (£458,914); Capernaum (£140,770); #1 The LEGO Movie 2 £2,410,824 3rd week 661 screens 2% drop (25.9% of top 10)
Down 44.5% from 2018: (£15,994,745); Lady Bird (expansion) (£1,233,508); I, Tonya (£1,049,551); Finding Your Feet (£923,220); La Boheme – Met Opera 2018 (£309,799); #1 Black Panther £6,859,230 2nd week 599 screens 61% drop (42.9% of top 10)
Down 22% from 2017: (£11,360,198); Patriots Day (£843,380); A Cure for Wellness (£409,540); Rusalka – Met Opera 2017 (£215,774); Within (£8,364); #1 The LEGO Batman Movie £2,893,337 3rd week 610 screens 35% drop (25.4% of top 10)
Down 6.1% from 2016; (£9,440,280); Grimsby (£1,928,789); The Forest (£448,258); Secret In Their Eyes (£117,094); #1 Deadpool £2,987,877 3rd week 568 screens 48% drop (31.6% of top 10)
Down 38.8% from 2015 (£14,483,939); The Wedding Ringer (£990,445); Project Almanac (£868,030); Blackhat (£147,199); The Duke Of Burgundy (£43,155); Cake (£114,316); #1 Fifty Shades of Grey £4,597,092 2nd week 596 screens 66% drop (31.7% of top 10)
Down 35.9% from 2014: (£13,831,826); A New York Winter’s Tale (£257,634); Peter Grimes – English National Opera 2014 (£145,097); Nymphomaniac Part 1 (£143,282); Stalingrad (£33,289); The Godfather: Part 2 (Re: 2014) (£9,583); #1 The Lego Movie £5,978,904 2nd week 552 screens 26% drop (43.2% of top 10)
Down 13.7% from 2013 (£10,277,378); Mama (£1,512,297); Cloud Atlas (£544,725); Song for Marion (£456,714); Hardy Bucks: The Movie (£152,775); To the Wonder (£96,645); #1 Wreck-It Ralph 3rd week (2-weeks #1 split by one) £3,420,196 540 screens (33.3% of top 10)
Down 17.4% from 2012 (£10,741,377); The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (£2,222,051); Safe House (£2,142,872); One for the Money (£316,762); Black Gold (£11,004); #1 The Woman in Black £2,432,580 3rd week 451 screens 31% up (22.6% of top 10)
Down 35.8% from 2011 (£13,823,666); I am Number Four (£1,628,523); No Strings Attached (£978,974); West is West (£758,226); Drive Angry (£651,344); The Rite (£626,159); Animal Kingdom (£155,081); #1 Gnomeo and Juliet £2,502,806 3rd week 1st #1 487 screens 13% up (18.1% of top 10)
Down 4.5% from 2010: (£9,286,544); The Crazies (£1,194,207); Leap Year (£728,251); From Paris with Love (£678,950); Extraordinary Measures (£131,759); Everybody’s Fine (£68,948); Capitalism: A Love Story (£29,595); #1 Avatar £2,260,319 11th week (10 weeks #1 with week gap) 398 screens (24.4% of top 10)
Down 9.2% from 2009; (£9,768,713); The Unborn (£1,300,543); The International (£760,382O; New in Town (£438,979); Franklyn (£52,567); #1 Slumdog Millionaire £1,676,508 8 weeks split over several weeks 449 screens up 7% (17.2% of top 10)
Up 5.4% from 2008; (£8,417,049); Be Kind Rewind (£1,388,146); Rambo (£1,247,195); #1 Jumper £1,513,088 2nd week 421 screens 51% drop (18% of top 10)
Down 5.8% from 2007: (£9,415,236); The Number 23 (£1,206,087); The Good Shepherd (£629,863); School for Scoundrels (£340,984); #1 Hot Fuzz £3,297,539 2nd week 432 screens 44% drop (35.1% of top 10)
Up 19.2% from 2006; (£7,442,296); Date Movie (£1,288,089); Lucky Number Slevin (£1,074,550); Capote (£236,444); The Fog (£210,525); #1 Date Movie £1,288,089 1st week 354 screens (17.3% of top 10)
Up 28.4% from 2005 (£6,908,179); Hide and Seek (1,594,508); Coach Carter (£469,062); The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (expansion) (£455,722); Hotel Rwanda (£81,476); #1 Hide and Seek £1,594,508 1st week 345 screens (23.1% of top 10)
Up 10% from 2004 (£8,063,782); Sex Lives of the Potato Men (£353,726); #1 The Haunted Mansion £1,564,558 2nd week 1st #1 364 screens 7% drop (19.4% of top 10)
Down 9.5% from 2003 (£9,802,035); The Ring (£2,200,084); The One and Only (£61,413); #1 The Ring £2,200,084 1st week 396 screens (22.4% of top 10)
Down 28.1% from 2002 (£12,321,631); Ali (expansion) (£1,315,506); Don’t Say A Word (£597,896); Charlotte Gray (£450,229); A Beautiful Mind (limited) (£186,862); #1 Monsters, Inc. £4,234,293 3rd week 498 screens 26% drop (34.3% of top 10)
Next weekend 2022 (£17,731,345); The Batman (£13,531,854); The Godfather: Part II (Re: 2022) (£45,151); #1 The Batman £13,531,854 1st week 706 screens (76.3% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania – Disney
Dropped 69.9% taking $31.96m and $167.07m.
184th biggest second weekend between Ted and National Treasure (close to X-Men: The Last Stand, The Lego Batman Movie, Hancock and Venom: Let There Be Carnage).
25th biggest MCU second weekend between Shang-Chi ($34.7m) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($29.1m) close to Thor: The Dark World, Thor, Black Widow and Captain America: The First Avenger).
Had the biggest 2nd-weekend drop of all 31 MCU films (69.9%) this was higher than Black Widow (67.8%).
All of the biggest second weekend drops for MCU have come from the most recent films from Phase 4 including Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange 2, Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Eternals, Shang-Chi held stronger down 54% but had a lower starting point.
2015’s Ant-Man dropped 56.5% taking $24.9m and $106.21m of $180.2m and $519.31m worldwide.
2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp dropped 61.6% taking $29.09m and $133.08m of $216.64m and $622.67m worldwide.
The industry got caught up in its hype last weekend calling out Ant-Man 3 as a hit as it opened with far more than the first two films, but they were very different films. Ant-Man was a family film disguised as an MCU and Ant-Man 2 was a wannabe MCU, while Ant-Man 3 was 100% MCU performed just like the majority of Phase 4, as except for Shang-Chi all of Phase 4 had the biggest 2nd-weekend drops of the MCU.
The problem is the industry is quick to herald a film success after opening weekend but with MCU the fanbase will always come out so a $100m+ opening is always expected these films are all hype and no sustenance so don’t play to a wider audience or have the repeat viewings from the fans. This isn’t a new thing for MCU as it can be traced back to solo films since Civil War MCU film’s audience isn’t growing. Of course, you will say look at the massive success of No Way Home, but it was an Avengers Lite/Greatest Hits of Spider-Man.
The popularity of the MCU dramatically increased after the release of Avengers in 2012 which was the reason for the big increase from Captain America: The First Avenger to Captain America: Winter Soldier. It also included some of the Avengers characters expanding the storyline as most Marvel films have done since. But that could have been due to Captain America: Civil War.
2015’s Ant-Man had much more humour and was family-based as Scott Lang is doing it for his daughter rather than being rich and arrogant and doing it for their egos as most of the other Avengers. This made the film feel much more like a Disney family film Honey I Shrunk the Kids rather than a Marvel film the film was sold as a Marvel film with the generic trailers, but the Japanese trailer highlighted the family aspect.
Marvel has always taken the easy option launching films first based on characters the mainstream has heard of then sequels waiting till it was primed to accept someone who wasn’t a rich, arrogant, white male who had a fetish for spandex, why it took 10 years for Black Panther. As originally Black Panther was due to be among the first 10 films made by Marvel alongside Iron Man and Captain America.
MCU is similar to Disney’s approach to Star Wars, in 2015 they announced plans to release a Star Wars film every year infinitely. Initially, fan reaction was very positive, especially after the release of The Force Awakens and Rogue One but after the release of The Last Jedi it didn’t feel that exciting anymore to have a yearly Star Wars film, especially when to understand it you would have to do your homework.
The Force Awakens (as original Ant-Man) was a palette cleanser to Star Wars it allowed new fans to join existing fans as it was accessible for all but the sequels as with MCU films in Phase 4 you need to do your homework now 30 films and 27 TV shows to fully understand the films.
This was why a film like Cocaine Bear opened bigger than expected as it was a palette cleanser and the perfect film to open after Ant-Man 3 as it was a Ronseal film doing exactly what it said on the tin. Before we get the ninth Rocky, sixth Scream and twelfth DC film opening over the next three weeks.
Took $46.4m (57% drop) from 52 territories $196.3m total and $363.6m worldwide; China $31.5m; UK $17.8m; Mexico $13.1m; Korea $10.8m; France $9.5m.
Took $32.5m globally from IMAX 28%
- Cocaine Bear – Universal Pictures
Opened $23.09m; received positive reviews (71% Rotten Tomatoes); B- CinemaScore.
853rd biggest opening between Eat Pray Love and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (close to Pineapple Express, Jackass Forever, Jackass: The Movie and Smile).
Cocaine Bear targeted the same TickTok audience as Smile and M3gan, the trailer was released at the end of November and was screened with Violent Night and M3gan.
Took $2m from Thursday midnights; Violent Night took $1.1m; Smile $2m Candyman $1.9m.
Was expected to open between $15m-$17m with some expecting it to open with up to $20m.
1999’s Lake Placid opened $10.97m taking $31.77m and $56.87m WW
2016’s The Shallows opened $16.8m taking $55.12m and $119.1m WW
2006’s Snakes on a Plane opened $13.85m taking $34.02m and $62.02m WW
2004’s Open Water opened $11.8m taking $30.61m and $54.68m WW
2002’s Eight Legged Freaks opened $6.48m taking $17.32m and $45.86m WW
1999’s Deep Blue Sea opened $19.1m taking $73.64m and $164.64m WW
1997’s Anaconda opened $16.62m taking $65.88m and $136.8m WW
1993’s Alive opened $8.62m taking $36.73m
1990’s Arachnophobia opened $8.04m taking $53.2m
Opened with $5.3m from 50 territories.
- Avatar: The Way of Water – Disney
Down 26% in its 11th weekend, taking $4.86m and $655.54m.
31st biggest 11th weekend between Ghost ($5.1m) and Pretty Woman ($4.75m)
The 9th biggest film between Titanic and Jurassic World; the 22nd biggest inflated between The Dark Knight and Grease; the 3rd biggest sci-fi between Avatar and Jurassic World.
In 2010 Avatar dropped 15.9% in the 11th weekend $13.65m #4 and $706.56m of $749.76m; #1 Shutter Island $22.6m; #2 Cop Out $18.21m; #3 The Crazies $16.06m.
Took $9.4m (20% drop) from 52 territories $1.61bn total and $2.267bn worldwide; China $244.6m; France $150.3m; Germany $141m; Korea $107.7m; UK $92.3m.
3rd biggest worldwide between Avengers: Endgame and Titanic; 2nd biggest sci-fi worldwide between Avatar and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Universal Pictures
Down 23% in the 10th weekend $4.12m and $173.43m
The 61st biggest 10th weekend between The Blind Side and Top Gun (close to The Lion King, Jurassic Park, Sister Act and Monsters, Inc).
63rd biggest animated film between The Boss Baby and Tarzan; 303rd biggest film between Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and F9; 644th biggest inflated between American Gangster and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; 37th biggest Universal Pictures film between Apollo 13 and F9.
2011’s Puss In Boots took $149.26m and $554.98m worldwide. The five Shrek extended universe films took $1.5bn in the US and $3.65bn worldwide and the 41 Dreamworks Animation films have taken $6.03bn in the US and $16.24bn worldwide since 1998’s Antz.
2001’s Shrek took $268.16m and $488.35m WW
2004’s Shrek 2 took $441.22m and $928.76m WW
2007’s Shrek the Third took $322.71m and $813.36m WW
2010’s Shrek Forever After took $238.73m and $752.6m WW
Took $7.4m (30% drop) from 80 territories and $270.67m total and $444.1m worldwide; Mexico $24.8m; UK $20.7m; France $20.1m; Germany $16.1m; Brazil $14.8m; Australia $14m.
65th biggest animated worldwide between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Beauty and the Beast (1991); 283rd biggest worldwide between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and The Bourne Ultimatum; 31st biggest Universal Pictures between The Secret Life of Pets 2 and The Bourne Ultimatum.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Creed III will do what the previous two films couldn’t do open #1 due to both opening in a much more crowded marketplace (Creed opened #3 behind The Revenant #1 £5,235,851 and the 5th weekend of Star Wars: The Force Awakens £3,137,258 and Creed II opened #2 behind Fantastic Beasts 2).
Creed III received positive reviews (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) Variety said it “was a sports film that’s closer to ‘Cape Fear’ than ‘Rocky”; 1992’s Cape Fear was a huge success in the UK opening #1 £1,664,733 (after platform opening) from 275 screens (£4,190,356 inflated) taking £10,396,215 (£26,168,666 inflated).
2018’s Creed II opened £2,991,509 #2 527 screens taking £5,684,690
2016’s Creed opened £2,221,758 #3 482 screens taking £9,672,937
2007’s Rocky Balboa opened £3,639,339 taking £8,503,135
1986’s Rocky IV opened £1,780,894 #1 (£7,950,068 inflated) 231 screens taking £4,030,109 (£17,990,763 inflated)
In 1986 had the biggest ever UK opening at the time Sylvester Stallone films had the biggest openings in the UK.
1991’s Rocky V opened £1,252,100 (£3,338,933 inflated) 289 screens t aking £3,482,057 (£9,285,485 inflated)
This weekend will likely be the start of 6 weeks of films being #1 for 1 week with Scream VI, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, John Wick: Chapter 4, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves and Super Mario Bros opening over the next month.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania will drop 50%+ in its third weekend taking £1.4m-£1.6m with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish holding well in the fourth weekend, after dropping 44% last weekend it will drop 25%-30% taking £1.1m-£1.4m being the only family film on release until Super Mario Bros opens in a month.
Cocaine Bear and What’s Love Got To Do with It? Will drop 40%-50%
Opening in two weeks
- Shazam! Fury Of The Gods – Warner Bros
12th instalment of the DC Extended Universe and the sequel to 2019’s Shazam! starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren and directed by David F. Sandberg.
As often with comic-book sequels its development started soon after the release of Shazam! in April 2019, the title and the cast were confirmed in August 2020 and filming started in May 2021. It was originally set for release in April 2022, then delayed to November 4th, 2022, December 16th (due to opening against Avatar: The Way of Water) so moved to March 17th pushing back the release date of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to December.
In January 2023 DC Studios James Gunn announced upcoming DC Universe films saying Shazam! will continue in the new slate of films.
Shazam! opened in April 2019 with £4,067,068 from 599 screens taking £13,151,121.
Early tracking has it opening with $35m-$40m in the US much lower than the first film, it used to be films would open with more than tracking but now even with MCU films they open very similar to early tracking.
- Pearl – Universal Pictures
Horror prequel to 2022’s X starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, and Emma Jenkins-Purro and directed by Ti West.
It had a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and was released in the US in September by A24 taking $9m and receiving positive reviews (91% Rotten Tomatoes). A sequel to X titled MaXXXine, is currently in development.
2022’s X was released by Entertainment Films opening the same weekend as the US taking £227,502 #12 from 480 screens taking £485,800, so why did it take Universal Pictures 6 months to release the film in the UK especially as the film had a very limited audience.
The long gaps between US and UK were the norm in the 80s and 90s (with films like 1987’s Good Morning Vietnam opening 9 months after the US release in September 1988 opening with £767,851 (£2,697,494 inflated) from 213 screens taking £5,049,480 (£17,739,043 inflated). Over the last 20 years the majority of films open day and date in the US. Award contenders are the only films that still regularly get delayed from Oct/Nov to Jan/Feb.
Warner opened the first John Wick film over 6 months after its US release in the UK opening April 2015, the week after Fast & Furious 7 taking £539,602 #7 from 390 screens taking £1,439,149, but then sequel 2017’s John Wick: Chapter Two opened £2,232,055 #3 from 435 screens taking £5,766,633 and 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opened £3,562,524 #1 from 542 screens taking £10,203,138; John Wick: Chapter 4 opens March 24th.
- Allelujah – Warner Bros/Pathe
A drama based on Alan Bennett’s play starring Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley, Derek Jacobi, and Judi Dench and directed by Richard Eyre.
It had a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and received positive reviews.
Richard Eyre previously directed films including 2001’s Iris (opened £378,749 #6 from 84 screens taking £3,647,197) 2004’s Stage Beauty (opened £128,035 #11 from 177 screens taking £470,208) 2006’s Notes on a Scandal (opened £1,141,364 #4 from 300 screens taking £5,665,431) and 2017’s The Children Act (opened £517,378 #11 from 148 screens taking £2,875,350).
- Rye Lane – Disney/Searchlight
British romantic comedy starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah and directed by Raine Allen-Miller. Premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews.
Has a UK cinema release but will be released elsewhere on Disney+ in March.