Top 5 Breakdown
- Christopher Robin – £1,173,235 – £10,613,641
Down 45.15% in its third weekend; 21st biggest film of 2018 (23rd including 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle an The Greatest Showman).
Has overtaken the totals of Disney’s re-imaginations Into the Woods (£9,644,236) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (£9,544,781) but will likely come short to Oz the Great and Powerful £14,987,064.
Christopher Robin is one of only five films that have been #1 for three weeks the others Black Panther, Peter Rabbit, Avengers: Infinity War and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Christopher Robin only holding #1 over the last two weeks as Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again dropped much more heavily than many were expecting; it held #1 with one of the lowest totals of the year.
Christopher Robin has performed stronger in the UK than the US as it was always likely to, which was why it was surprising Disney choose to open it in the UK two weeks after the US, but this was due to the delaying of Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Christopher Robin has taken about a third of Paddington box office but that is due to the approach filmmakers made the film as it wasn’t as children friendly as many might of expected given that it is based on a beloved children’s classic books.
Disney release three re-imaginations next year Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King (many believe will be on of the biggest films ever) and Mulan and Maleficent 2 in 2020 with many more in development including Cruella, The Jungle Book 2, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Pinocchio. But there is a limited to the re-imaginations they can make as to me these reimaginations can never match up to their original films.
Finding Neverland (also directed by Marc Forster) dropped 18% in its third weekend £470,589 in October 2004 taking £2,691,662 with total of £3,306,342 while similarly themed Saving Mr Banks dropped 35% in its third weekend in December2013 £359,134 and £2,802,991 taking £4,347,734; while its unofficial prequel Goodbye Christopher Robin dropped 48% in its third weekend £206,597 and £2,288,085 and £2,866,637 total.
- Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – £976,039 – £61,635,829
Down 42.63% in its seventh weekend; has held in second place over the last six weeks, but had it performed as strongly as many have said should have returned #1 over several of those weeks especially the last two weekends.
It’s the second biggest film of the year after Black Panther and the 16th biggest film in the UK between Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; inflation inflated the sequel is 49th between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again should overtake Jurassic World (£64,322,933) over the next few weeks to become Universal Pictures second biggest film in the UK
Will need strong box office from sing-along screenings for it to beat Mamma Mia’s 2008 box office (£69,166,087). After the sequel opened with a third more than the original and with ticket prices up over 60% since 2008 whatever most people believe it must be a little disappointing as Mamma Mia’s 2008 box office would be over £105m today.
After being one of a handful of films taken £3m+ in its fourth weekend (including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Skyfall, Avatar, Titanic, Spectre, Mamma Mia!, Black Panther) it hasn’t then had the legs many believed it would have dropped below £2m in its sixth weekend and likely below £1m in its seventh weekend. Mamma Mia took £1m+ for 10 weeks, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again took £1m+ for 6 weeks less than while The Greatest Showman took £1m+ for 12 weeks (in its seventh weekend took £1,925,895 and £26.1m only 55% of its final total of £47m).
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again took 37% less than Mamma Mia £1,548,894 and 49.3% less than The Greatest Showman showing that it doesn’t have the legs many expected it to have.
After seven weeks Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again has likely taken about 90% of its final box office which is similar to Star Wars: The Force Awakens 95.36%; Spectre 95.22%; Skyfall 91.19%; Black Panther 89.42%; Paddington 81.52%; Moulin Rouge 78.20%
But far from leggy films Billy Elliot 75.39%; Arthur Christmas 72.67%; Mamma Mia! 66.37%; Avatar 61.47%; Titanic 57.92%; The Greatest Showman 55.98%; Chicago 49.50% has a better hold than The Greatest Showman due to it having three weeks of platform release before going wide in its fourth weekend.
While comic-book movies Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War might be the biggest films of the year it is musicals that have had a much bigger impact over the past 12 months. For many years musicals were box office poison but then came Moulin Rouge in 2001 taking £17,934,410 and Chicago a year later taking £16,111,718 both were box office successes and received critical acclaim.
They were followed soon after by Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Enchanted and Mamma Mia! and then more recently with Les Miserables, Into the Woods, La La Land and Beauty and the Beast. But all of those either were based on a popular IP or had critical acclaim The Greatest Showman opened with neither in December became the peoples champion taking over £47m at the UK box office over £30m this year.
A few months later Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again opened with huge media coverage and received critical acclaim, its followed in October by A Star is Born which received critical acclaim last week after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and seen as an early Oscar favourite and Mary Poppins Returns opens this Christmas 54 years after the first film opened. Universal Pictures announced last week they will release Cats next Christmas against Star Wars: Episode IX almost 30 years after they first announced plans for a film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
Mamma Mia! stayed in the top 3 for 11 weeks until the end of September until Taken, Righteous Kill and Death Race opened; taking over £1m at the box office for 10 weekends and staying in the top 5 for 13 weeks (#13 £479,057) and in the top 10 for 17 weeks (#17 £142,664); with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again likely to drop 40%+ in its eighth weekend taking £600k+ it will drop down the chart much faster over the coming weeks compared to Mamma Mia!
Many have described Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again as a success but 10 years ago, Mamma Mia! took $609.8m globally including $144.13m in the US and $94.35m in the UK; Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again has taken $367.1m globally including $118.1m in the US and $77.06m in the UK. It is not holding as strongly so might not take $400m globally which would be $35m less than The Greatest Showman so how can industry claimed to be the massive success as the budget is a third more and marketing costs but has taken a third less at the box office.
The film’s soundtrack returned to #1 last week replacing Ariana Grande, while The Greatest Showman soundtrack is #2 over 9 months after release. The soundtrack album to the film covers to classic ABBA songs which have sold millions in the past so it’s no surprise the soundtrack is selling strongly now but The Greatest Showman still selling strongly nine months later shows the difference between the two films.
As I have said many times before the critical reaction to the two films was very different, but audience reaction has also been different. While Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again might have taken a third more than The Greatest Showman has taken it has dropped off far quicker not having the legs of either Mamma Mia! or The Greatest Showman. The Greatest Showman was exactly what its title suggested as was Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again but with added Richard Curtis tear-jerking moment.
In comparison The Greatest Showman was in the top three for two weeks became #1 in its sixth weekend taking £2,201,523 up 8% and £23,226,869; in the top five for 12 weeks (#12 £753,420) and in top 10 for 17 weeks (#17 £300,947) only dropping out of the charts because of four new releases and the film released on DVD.
- BlacKKKlansman – £922,806 – £3,105,043
Down 25.23% in its second weekend due to adding 174 screens from 217 to 384.
BlacKkKlansman will shortly overtake the inflation inflated total of Spike Lee’s second biggest film in the UK 1993’s Malcolm X, it took £1.4m in 1993 now £3.39m as ticket inflation since has been about 150%.
Spike Lee’s biggest film in the UK was 2006’s Inside Man which took £8,106,743 but was a far more mainstream film with a strong ensemble cast including John David Washington.
Spike Lee’s most famous films Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Mo’ Better Blues and 25th Hour didn’t take more than £1m as his earlier films were seen by distributors as “black” films that didn’t travel outside of the US so were given more selective locational release rather than a wide national release as they have done over recent years.
Since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May BlacKKKlansman has received positive reviews seen as a major contender for award season and probably the film that will push Black Panther into the Popcorn Oscar Award.
- The Meg – £881,145 – £13,967,081
Down 41.36% in its fourth weekend; currently 17th biggest film of the year still have a chance to overtake Ready Player One to become Warner Bros #1 film of the year, that is until Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Part 2 opens.
Continues to hold similar to 1999’s inflation inflated Deep Blue Sea in the UK taking £1,011,355 and £13,268,517 (£541,017 in 1999 and £7,097,898) went on to take £8,087,585 would be £15,118,597 today.
The Meg has overtaken Rampage and Ocean’s 8 to become Warner Bros second biggest film of the year behind Ready Player One. Warner Bros had a very disappointing first six months of the year with Tomb Raider and Rampage not doing anywhere nearly as well as expected.
- Searching – £765,050 – NE
Taking £99,000 from Thursday previews was the strongest performer of the new entries for the weekend modern day twist on the missing person film shot on the point of view that most of us have every day through our phones and computers so unusual to experience that on the cinema screen.
Over the years Hollywood has had many attempts to make tech thrillers but its hard to make them interesting as most of the time is spent staring at a computer screen.
Over the last 20 years have been many including Eagle Eye, The Net, Antitrust, Transcendence, Untraceable, Disclosure, Hackers, Blackhat, The Social Network, Enemy of the State, Sneakers and Die Hard 4.0.
Most recently Unfriended: Dark Web opened last month with £223,110 but the original film Unfriended opened May 2015 with £1.34m taking £3.5m and 2016’s Nerve opened with £803,457 taking £1,745,766.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £7,876,858 £xx down 38.4% from last weekend £12,788,350
The weekend admissions 1,000,871 down 38.4% from last weekend 1,624,949; 2018 average ticket up 3.87% from last year’s £7.49 to £7.87 for 2018 according to six-month box office results.
16 films opened at weekend taking £2,396,254; Searching 31.9% (£765,050); The Happytime Murders 28.9x% (£694,044); remaining 14 films shared 39.1% (£937,160): top 2 films took 27.2% of top 10; Christopher Robin took 14.8% and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took 12.4%
The weekend was up 27.1% from 2017 (£6,193,484): The Limehouse Golem £371,412; God’s Own Country £167,824; Patti Cake$ £121,446; Inhumans £80,176; Back to Burgundy £4,542;
Dow 28.4% from 2016: (£11,014,615): Sausage Party £2,690,156; Brotherhood £1,979,309; Cafe Society £494,457; Morgan £193,686; Equity £12,923
Down 8.2% from 2015; (£8,579,970); Straight Outta Compton £2,498,231; Hitman: Agent 47 £961,411; 45 Years £331,196; We Are Your Friends £260,715;
Down 12.4% from 2014: (£9,093,638); Let’s Be Cops £1,650,912; If I Stay £505,704; As Above, So Below £398,787; Million Dollar Arm £150,050; Obvious Child £42,022;
Down 20.22% from 2013: (£9,874,123); One Direction: This Is Us £3,471,872; Pain & Gain £1,016,136; The Way, Way Back £532,487; You’re Next £523,549; Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain £36,882
Down 27.1% from 2012 (£10,812,241); Total Recall £2,493,230; The Watch £2,235,933; The Possession £979,192; A Few Best Men £263,770;
Down 25.2% from 2011 (£10,537,155): Fright Night £680,543; Apollo 18 £490,746; Kill List £87,970; The Art of Getting By £75,634;
Up 8.9% from 2010: (£7,227,858): The Last Exorcism £1,104,856; Dinner for Schmucks £940,586; The Switch £666,018; Jonah Hex £36,456;
Down 14.1% from 2009 (£9,177,873); The Final Destination £3,633,395; Funny People £1,001,152; The Hurt Locker £308,887; Broken Embraces £296,048;
Down 10.8% from 2008 (£8,832,337); Step Brothers £1,681,492; The Strangers £1,250,624; Babylon A.D. £536,968; The Wackness £80,581;
Up 1.9% from 2007 (£7,728,093); 1408 £1,073,963; No Reservations £512,657; Death Sentence £260,733; Breach £156,140; Hallam Foe £132,972; Two Days in Paris £110,284
Up 25.4% from 2006; (£6,277,010); Little Man £1,090,761; The Wicker Man £736,316; The Sentinel £627,838; Crank £450,141; Adrift £337,718;
Up 35.2% from 2005 (£5,824,114); The 40-Year-Old Virgin £1,757,540; Red Eye £891,582; The Business £531,267; On a Clear Day £58,257;
Up 23.1% from 2004 (£6,394,789): The Terminal £1,451,168; Hellboy £1,058,375; Stage Beauty £128,035;
Up 3.9% from 2003 (£7,578,928); Jeepers Creepers 2 £1,069,346; Hollywood Homicide £352,445; Rugrats Go Wild £237,344; Intermission £146,220
Up 26.3% from 2002 (£6,235,380): Insomnia £1,159,754; The Sweetest Thing £592,722; Windtalkers £388,212;
n/a xx% from 2001 (£xx);
Average ticket prices are up almost 100% since 2001 from £4.14 to £7.97 but box office is only up 50% from 2011-2003 highlights the issues I have been saying for years the industry fails to deal with.
Next weekend in 2017: (£13,995,695): It £10,002,443; Wind River £437,899; Poster Boys £24,964;
Also opened
- The Happytime Murders – STX Entertainment
Opens with £694,044 including £351,396 from Mon-Thurs previews (taking only £341,604 Fri-Sun); why do distributors keep opting for 7-day openings for films as it doesn’t work and with a film like The Happytime Murders does more harm than good, as it killed the film off before its official Fri-Sun opening.
Recent Monday openings include Warcraft: The Beginning, Baywatch, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Assassin’s Creed and The Huntsman: Winter’s War all took 60%+ of their opening weekend Mon-Thurs and then suffered huge second-weekend drops. All of those films also had another thing in common they were poorly received critically and by audiences.
This month marks the first anniversary since STX international launched their first film in the UK Wind Dancer opening with £0.43m taking £1.2m and most of the films they have released since performed similarly. I Feel Pretty has been their biggest film taking £5.4m and Den of Thieves their second taking £2.8m the rest underwhelmed.
For a couple of years, STX had an output deal with Entertainment Films who released their biggest films Bad Moms and its sequel A Bad Mums Christmas taking almost £20m more than the eight films STX released in the UK this past year which took £14.54m. The UK market is very competitive as have the major studios along with the major independents which leaves little room for anyone else which has seen so many casualties over the last few decades.
Of course, what didn’t help STX International UK launch was they made a big announcement at Cannes in 2016 acquiring international rights to Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman but then Paramount Pictures sold global rights to the film to Netflix last year. That would have given the upstart UK distributor that one big film which would have given them the foundations to build on as other independent distributors have done in the past, instead it left a massive hole on their launch slate.
The problem for STX only having UK distribution is they can’t compete with eOne, Lionsgate and Studiocanal UK with the films they acquire as they can buy multi territory rights so are forced to acquire smaller films that are unlikely to find wide audiences in the UK.
Independent distributors need to quickly find an identity Lionsgate formerly Redbus Film Distributors did that in 2002 releasing Bend it Like Beckham have since released many British films, eOne a few years after launching acquired Twilight franchise which put them on the map as the biggest independent distributor in the UK overtaking Entertainment Films who were #1 5 years earlier after releasing The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
STX acquired UK rights for Wind River, Home Again and Breathe and this year American Animals opening this week due to David Kosse connection to the film as he was at Film Four when it was in development, they should be acquiring more films for the UK. At CineEurope David Kosse said the company’s brand of “highly-commercial, star-driven films” will “take the studio model apart and rebuild it”.
With the exception of I Feel Pretty none of STX opening slate was likely to attract a wide audience despite their third release Breathe opening the London Film Festival highlighting the fact that the festival doesn’t get the media coverage as other film festival or is as important as it believes it is anymore (similar to the Cannes Film Festival).
Most of the films that have their UK premieres at London received their world premiere at Venice or Toronto six weeks earlier with the London Film Festival now feeling like an unnecessary expense to distributors who bring over talent to Venice, then Toronto and then back to London but don’t get the media coverage they receive at the Venice or Toronto.
- Yardie – Studiocanal UK
Opened with £438,088 (including £73,667 previews) from 225 screens
With inflation opened similar to 2001’s Gangster No.1 £133,092 taking £354,513, Sexy Beast opened with £96,162 on limited release and £283,312 wide taking £582,156.
Opening was a long way from Studiocanal’s Legend opened in 2015 with £5,189,074 taking £18,202,111; release next week King of Thieves about the 2015 Hatton Garden Heist telling the story as the robbers were a loveable British rogues Buster meets Going in Style.
- Cold War – Curzon
Opened with £228,780 (including £48,684 from previews) from 61 screens
- Upgrade – Universal Pictures
Opened with £58,006 from 141 screens
- Action Point – Paramount Pictures
Opened with £33,993 from 115 screens
As with Upgrade, Action Point was given a token theatrical release likely to qualify for the lucrative Sky TV deal as with 20+ years ago when home entertainment companies would put stickers on rental video boxes “had a nationwide cinema release” despite playing in about 5 cinemas distributors will still buy screens and release these films for a week for their Sky deal.
The crazy thing is these films still have often stick to the rigid three-month theatrical window despite being played out within a week having a handful of shows in those 100+ screens over the weekend.
This makes even less sense when Cold War also opened over the weekend in cinemas and on-demand, but Curzon can do it as they have their own cinemas.
Other News
July had the lowest admissions since 2014; July admissions were 15.61 million down 12.3% from 2017 (17.80 million) but were better than July 2014 which took 13.28 million
This is after admissions were up 21% in May and 8.6% in June with admissions for the year down 0.9% from last year 101.08 million Vs 102.0 million.
The World Cup and weather have been excused for the drop-in admissions with Saturday, July 7 when England played their quarterfinals match had the lowest grossing Saturday at the UK box office since December 2010 taking £2.06m.
July Top 5
- Incredibles £35.4m
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again £31.3m
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout £9.25m
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom £6.85m
- The First Purge £5.2m
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was fourth biggest in July due to the lack of films opening during the World Cup period compared to four years ago when The Fault In Our Stars and Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie opened during the World Cup and Paramount extended the opening of Transformers: Age Of Extinction with six days of previews
For the complete summer period
2018 – £391.4m which was 5.21% up from 2017’s £372m but most of this was ticket inflation of 3.87%
The last three summers
2016 – £382.4m
2015- £379.2m
2014 – £310.6m
UK Box Office Top 10
US Box office
- Crazy Rich Asians – Warner
Down only 10.9% in its third weekend taking $22.1m and $110.82m;
Comparisons have been made with the box office performance of 2011’s The Help which also opened with $26m; dropped 23% in its second weekend taking $20.1m and 27.4% $14.53m taking $96.83m in its third weekend went on to take $169m.
Highlighting the poor performance of rom-coms over the last decade Crazy Rich Asians is the biggest studio rom-com in the last nine years since Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds’ The Proposal took in 2009 (was also Disney’s last biggest original film).
it is the 21st biggest rom-com in the US but the majority of them were released in the 80s and 90s when they were hugely popular with 1990’s Pretty Woman still the fourth biggest rom-com in the US 28 years after opening.
Has become Warner Bros third biggest film of the year and will likely overtake both Ready Player One and Ocean’s Eight over the next two weeks. While many will say summer belongs to Disney with Avengers: Infinity War and Incredibles 2 but both were sure things while Ocean’s Eight, The Meg and Crazy Rich Asians were anything but.
Before the release of Ocean’s Eight in June Warner Bros was having a poor year but after three $100m earners and with The Nun, A Star is Born and Fantastic Beasts Where to Find Them Part 2 they should be #2 studio. Disney’s success came from comic-book movies, sequels and Star Wars with A Wrinkle in Time their only original film Warner Bros came from a mix of genres.
Internationally took $10.4m from 24 territories with total of $19.9m; took $5.4m opening in Australia at the weekend and opens in the UK September 14th.
- The Meg – Warner Bros
Drops 177% in its fourth weekend taking $10.54m and $120.56m total.
Disney has overshadowed the summer with their comic-book movies reimaginations and sequels as they have done for the past several years since they moved into the properties business, but this summer really belongs to Warner Bros. after starting this year with a few big budget disappointments they have shown with Game Night, Ocean’s Eight, Crazy Rich Asians and The Meg audiences want different films.
In its fourth weekend, Deep Blue Sea took $3.98m and $63.84m of $73.64m total; The Meg inflation inflated weekend box office and total are very similar.
Took $17.7m internationally from 66 territories (including $150.9m in China) total $342.3m and globally $462.8m #219 biggest film globally between Star Trek Into Darkness and The Matrix.
- Mission: Impossible: Fallout – Paramount Pictures
Down 13% in its sixth weekend taking $7.03m and $204.38m; #23 biggest Paramount Pictures film in the US and will shortly overtake Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol to become the biggest Mission Impossible film in the US.
Becoming Paramount Pictures first film to take over $200m at the US box office since Transformers: Age of Extinction in 2004.
The 6 Mission Impossible films have taken $1.12bn in the US and almost $3.31bn worldwide; Mission Impossible and Tom Cruise are Paramount Pictures MVP having lost Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dreamworks Animation and Indiana Jones franchises to rival studios (17 of their biggest 50 films in the US are from those IP’s).
Over the last 18 months, Paramount Pictures have been putting together their strongest slate in 2019 since 2011 central to it was Top Gun: Maverick opening 33 years after the original. But last week Paramount Pictures announced were delaying Top Gun: Maverick to 2020 will also likely see them delay the release of Mission Impossible 7 to 2022.
Tom Cruise 39 films have taken almost $4bn at the US box office since making his acting debut in 1981’s Endless Love and $9.98bn worldwide;
Took $89.1m from 65 territories (including $77.3m from China) $442.7m total and $649m worldwide (opening in China August 31st) #123 biggest worldwide between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Thor: The Dark World; has overtaken global box office for Mission Impossible $457.7m, Mission Impossible 3 $398m and Mission: Impossible II $546m and will overtake the global totals for both Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation $582.7m and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol $694.7m by next weekend.
- BlacKkKlansman – Focus
Down 18.1hh % in its fourth weekend taking $4.17m and $38.36m;
Has become Spike Lee’s third biggest film in the US after 2006’s Inside Man ($88.51m) and 1992’s Malcolm X ($48.16m).
Took $4.8m from 18 territories and $17.5m total
- Operation Finale – MGM
Opens with $6.01m; received 65% Rotten Tomatoes score and A- CinemaScore
- Searching – Sony Pictures
Up 1366.17% in its second week expanding from 8 screens into 1,207 screens taking $6.07m and $7.1m total; will expand again this weekend
Took $5.8m from 7 territories and $6.5m total
UK Box Office Predictions
For the last three weeks Christopher Robin and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again were the top two biggest films in the UK but the fifth instalment in The Conjuring series The Nun will split them up this weekend with The Nun #1 opening with £2m+ over its four-day opening similar to previous spinoff Annabelle. This will be a long way from last year’s opening of It opening with It £10.01m taking £32.34m.
Only a few weeks ago there were weeks when almost the top ten films took £1m+ each but next weekend will only be one The Nun and could be one of the lowest weekends of the year.
Autumn 2018 doesn’t have the strength of films 2017 had with It £32.34m, Victoria and Abdul £9.94m, Kingsman: The Golden Circle £24.88, Blade Runner 2049 £19.04m, Thor: Ragnarok £30.93m and Murder on the Orient Express £24.18m.
Crazy Rich Asians has been huge in the US but unlikely to be as big in the UK; a lot will depend on the success of A Star Is Born, Johnny English 3, First Man and Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them Part 2, Wreck-It-Ralph 2 and Mary Poppins Returns if 2018 can continue holding as strongly as the first half of the year. But will likely be Christmas where it will suffer while there might be seven big films opening over Christmas they are unlikely to get close to the box office of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Greatest Showman and Pitch Perfect 3 which took almost £200m combined.
Opening in the UK
- The Nun – Warner Bros
Supernatural horror starring Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet directed by Corin Hardy; the spin-off of 2016’s The Conjuring 2 and the fifth instalment in The Conjuring series; Warner Bros announced plans for The Conjuring spinoff in June 2016 after the release of The Conjuring 2 and have an untitled sixth film dated for next July.
The Conjuring opened August 2013 with £2,156,124 taking £9.5m
Annabelle opened October 2014 with £1,939,963 taking £7.4m
The Conjuring 2 opened June 2016 with £4,637,862 including £1,855,835 from previews Mon-Thurs taking £10,896,992
Annabelle: Creation opened August 2017 with £1,960,203 taking £8.28m
Last year Warner Bros released It opening with It £10.01m taking £32.34m
Recent horrors Insidious Chapter 4 opened with January 2018 £1.84m; The First Purge July 2018 £1.77m; The Nun should open with similar box office over its four-day opening weekend.
Last month YouTube removed the films trailer start as it was too scary and violated its policies which generated strong media coverage which is probably the reason why Warner Bros did it.
- American Animals – STX Entertainment
Crime drama starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Udo Kier, and Ann Dowd and written and directed by Bart Layton; based on the true story of a library heist that happened at Transylvania University in 2004; premiered Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews 86% Rotten Tomatoes score.
STX Entertainment picked up UK rights in January 2018; American Animals was developed and co-financed by Film4 when David Kosse was then head of Film4 before becoming head of STX International.
American Animals received UK premiere last week at Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House
- Puzzle – Sony Pictures
Drama starring Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Bubba Weiler, Austin Abrams, Liv Hewson and directed by Marc Turtletaub based on the 2010 Argentine film; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where Sony Pictures Classics then acquired the worldwide rights to the film; receiving positive reviews 82% Rotten Tomatoes score
- Final Score – Sky Cinema
Action film starring Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson and Pierce Brosnan and directed by Scott Mann; has been described as Die Hard in a football stadium.
The film will be released in cinemas day and date with its premiere on Sky Cinemas, major exhibitors have refused to screen films that are shown on PVoD as cinema so will have a limited release in independent cinemas. UK exhibitors need to realise while Sky TV had 15 million subscribers are many more than don’t have Sky and they are cutting off their nose to spite their face when they don’t show these films in their cinemas.
Dave Bautista recently came over to the UK to promote the film, but it was overshadowed with his recent comments over the sacking of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 after tweets he wrote almost 10 years ago came to light.
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post – Vertigo Films
Drama starring Chloë Grace Moretz, John Gallagher, Jr., Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Marin Ireland, Owen Campbell, Kerry Butler, Quinn Shephard, Emily Skeggs, Melanie Ehrlich, and Jennifer Ehle and directed by Desiree Akhavan based on 2012 novel by Emily M. Danforth; had premiere at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews 83% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Vertigo Films acquired UK rights in March; opened on limited release in the US early August and slowly expanding its release taking $617,160 from 85 screens.
Opening in the US
- The Nun – Warner Bros
The four Conjuring films have taken $426.2m to date in the US and $1.2bn worldwide
All four films have had strong openings
The Conjuring opened July 2013 $41,85m taking $137.4m
Annabelle opened October 2014 $37.13m taking $84.27m
The Conjuring 2 opened June 2016 $40.4m taking $102.47m
Annabelle: Creation opened August 2017 $35m taking $102.9m
The Nun is expected to open similar to Annabelle: Creation; this will be a lot less than It opened the same weekend last year with $123.4m taking $327.48; (a sequel is released in a years’ time)
- Peppermint – STX Entertainment
Action thriller starring Jennifer Garner, John Gallagher Jr., John Ortiz, Method Man and directed by Pierre Morel; expected to open with $8-10m.
STX films have released several female-led films in recent years including Bad Moms franchise, Molly’s Game, I Feel Pretty, Adrift, The Happytime Murders and Second Act.