UK/US Box Office November 17th – 19th 2017 Week 47

Top 5 Breakdown

1. Justice League – £7,264,784 – NE

After Justice League opened in several countries on Wednesday was surprising didn’t open in the UK also but while most of the other films from rival studios open early Warner Bros rarely do so they will do for the upcoming The Disaster Artist but only Wonder Woman (only DC film to open on Thursday all others opened on Friday) and Kong: Skull Island have done so.

Highlighting this wile Justice League was the sixteenth biggest opening of 2017 removing previews it was only the eighth biggest opening of 2017 behind Beauty and the Beast, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Despicable Me 3, Dunkirk, It, Fast & Furious 8 and Paddington 2 showing how previews have artificially inflated films openings and how difficult it is to compare box office openings.

Justice League opened with 64.87% of Man of Steel (£11,198,786) 49.68% of Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (£14,621,007) (receiving 27% Rotten Tomatoes score compared with 40% for Justice League); 64.56% of Suicide Squad (£11,252,225) and 17% more than Wonder Woman (£6,179,616) despite receiving 92% Rotten Tomatoes score it failed to match the success it was in the US due to several non-film related issues.

While Justice League US opening was disappointing its the UK, opening was dreadful opening with less than half Avengers Assemble £15.78m, Avengers: Age of Ultron £17.99m and Captain America: Civil War £14.46m its opening was close to the last years equally poorly received X-Men: Apocalypse £7.33m which received 48% Rotten Tomatoes score, Vs 40% for Justice League.

While Justice League is far from a good film does it deserve the hatred surrounding it as why are critics more accepting of Marvel films as 17 films in the are still so generic in tone and content as Disney’s Star Wars films?

Is it critics still compare current DC with Richard Donner’s Superman, Tim Burton’s Batman and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight adaptations? Watching the original  Richard Donner directed Superman film recently on Sky Cinema along with Tim Burton’s Batman and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises the current comic-book films from both DC and Marvel can’t compare for their repeatability similar to comparing Disney Star Wars films with the original trilogy. 

While current DC films are far from great I will take DC over current Marvel now as after 17 Marvel films would have thought they would bring something new instead of the arrogant man finds redemption plot which is seen in almost all the Disney Marvel films.

Justice League had the 16^th biggest opening of the year opening behind The Lego Batman Film and The Boss Baby (both openings inflated with previews) but also behind Paddington 2, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Spider-Man Homecoming and Logan and of course behind Disney’s Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice dropped 68% in its second weekend and Justice League is expected to drop similar taking about £3m in its second weekend likely to drop down to third behind Daddy’s Home 2 and Paddington 2.

2. Paddington 2 – £6,612,699 – £16,893,580

Down 19.85% in its second weekend with box office limited to weekends Paddington 2 box office is concentrated on the weekend so was no surprise had one of the lowest wide-release second weekend drops of the year after Murder on the Orient Express, Going in Style, Lion, Dunkirk and The Death of Stalin; in Ireland Paddington 2 dropped only 2.5% in its second weekend from €650,948 to €634,344 holding #1 from Justice League.

After taking £10.28m in its opening week 80% taken from its opening weekend having the eighth biggest 7-day opening of the year not including previews. 

In November 2014 the first Paddington dropped drop 25.1% in its second weekend taking £3,837,885 and £10,332,911 Paddington 2 is continuing to take 63% in its second weekend.

Paddington 2 is already 22^nd biggest film of the year and if it continues at its current pace next weekend it will likely return to #1 taking £4.29m ahead of Daddy’s Home 2 seven day opening and Justice League’s second weekend likely to take less than £3m;

The Star and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure opening this weekend won’t have any effect on Paddington 2 so cold retain #1 this week and be #1 until Star Wars: The Last Jedi in four weeks’ time. Christmas animated family film is Ferdinand while based on a hugely successful children’s book it’s still going to find it hard against Paddington 2 even thigh by then it would have played over 6 weeks and probably be closing in on Despicable Me 3 box office £45m+

Highlighting how one film can make or break an independent distributor now Paddington 2 has taken in 10 days more than their other 42 film releases this year combined (£15m). In 2016 Studiocanal said they were going to make a third film after the strong performance of Paddington 2 they will surely be officially announcing Paddington 3 for November 2020 release very soon. 

In a strange twist of fate Warner Bros acquired from Weinstein Co US rights for Paddington 2 as 10 years ago David Heyman was developing the project at the studio. While Paddington’s popularity in the UK has always been huge it would have been a much harder sell to the US which is probably why Warner Bros put the project in turnaround.

Hindsight is always great as Warner Bros had to make that decision to make or not make Paddington as so many other projects that start being developed at one studio and they are made in another. Are far too many films to list them all but one of the most famous was Home Alone developed by Warner Bros moving to 20^th Century Fox after the budget grew from $14m to $17m; Home Alone took $285.8 million in the US in 1990 and $476.7 million worldwide this doesn’t sound much today but must remember that Home Alone was released 27 years ago.

3. Murder on the Orient Express – £2,279,200 – £17,753,371

Down 47.92% in its third weekend despite mixed reviews Murder on the Orient Express is holding stronger than last years The Girl on the Train which took £1,996,858 in its third weekend and £17,732,005 while also close to the third weekend of 2014’s Gone Girl which took £2,361,051 in its third weekend and £14,153,879.

It took a strong £2.5m Mon- Thurs last week leading the chart every day apart from Thursday when NT Live’s Follies top the chart.

Murder on the Orient Express is currently the twentieth biggest film in the UK in 2017 and 20^th Century Fox’s fifth biggest film of the year. The performances of films like Murder on the Orient Express, Dunkirk, It, La La Land, Logan, Baby Driver, Lion, Split, and Get Out are the real successes of the year. While Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Beauty and the Beast might be the biggest two films of 2017 it’s these other films that bring people back again and again to the cinema many of whom don’t go as often in recent years as they have in the past, but this year has shown.

To quote Field of Dreams “If you built it they will come” as the mix of genres and films targeting old and young is what cinema has been lacking for so long. Hopefully, studios will see the success of these films and build on them and make more of the same, but the problem is the slates for 2018/19 are megamovie heavy and will be much harder for these kinds of films to break out.

After the success of Murder on the Orient Express (taking over $150m worldwide) 20^th Century Fox have announced plans for the sequel which as teased at the end of the film after Hercule Poirot is told he is needed in Egypt as there has been a murder. Kenneth Branagh is expected to return as Hercule Poirot and to direct Death on the Nile.

With Ben Affleck rumored to be replaced as Batman will 20th Century Fox also push forward the development of their adaption of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution?

4. Thor: Ragnarok – £1,166,031 – £28,210,484

Down 62.06% in its third weekend close to Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Doctor Strange despite the poor opening of Justice League.

Would have expected Thor: Ragnarok to benefit from Justice League poor opening but instead, its fourth-weekend box office was the eighth biggest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Disney might be celebrating Justice League disappointing opening despite Thor: Ragnarok very positive reviews (92% Rotten Tomatoes) it is as front-loaded as previous two Thor films.

Highlighting Thor: Ragnarok box office was far from impressive after opening that was 43% bigger than Thor: The Dark World and 127% bigger than Thor. Was close to Iron Man trilogy but they were the first films of the franchise and would have expected bigger growth between films especially as Thor: Ragnarok is a much more accessible comic-book movie and received very positive reviews.

Iron Man 3 took 75% more than Iron Man 2 and 114% more than Iron Man

Captain America: Civil War took 91% more than Captain America: Winter Soldier and 301% more than Captain America: The First Avenger

Thor: Ragnarok will take 55% more than Thor: The Dark World and 120% more than Thor

Thor: Ragnarok will of course shortly become the eighth film in 2017 to take over £30m and Disney’s third film with of course Star Wars: The Last Jedi opening in less than a month and will probably just squeeze past Spider-Man: Homecoming to become the second biggest comic-book movie of the year.

With Avengers: Infinity War released next year Disney will more than likely have the biggest comic-book film of 2018 but won’t have it all their way with Deadpool 2 also released but as that is sandwiched between Solo; A Star Wars Story and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will Deadpool 2 be as fresh second time. Remaining comic-book films Black Panther and Ant-Man and the Wasp for Disney/Marvel, Venom for Sony/Marvel and Aquaman for DC are much harder to predict while they are extensions to existing films series they are much more of a risk than the comic-book films released in 2017 but saying that many expected Justice League after Wonder Woman despite all the negativity surrounding it to open far stronger.

5. A Bad Moms Christmas – £761,829 – £5,804,544

Down 40.13% in its third weekend A Bad Moms Christmas is still holding close to last year’s Bad moms which took £5,738,313 after three weeks. Its third weekend was likely squeezed with previews to Daddy’s Home 2 on Saturday/Sunday before opening wide on Wednesday.

After losing New Line Cinema in 2010 and with competition from deep-pocketed independents eOne, Lionsgate and Studiocanal Entertainment Film Distributors lost their position as the biggest independent UK distributor. Having an output deal with Weinstein still gave them a supply of high profile releases including Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, The Hateful Eight and Lion to go with their other acquisitions. But having already lost STX after they set up UK operations and with Weinstein Co in freefall after the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal it leaves independent distributors around the globe in limbo over many of the films they were going to release.

Remove the £11.76m taken by Lion and £5.8m, £1m and £300k from A Bad Moms Christmas and The Bye Bye Man and The Space Between Us their other releases took very little at the box office. Highlighting again how tough the independent marketplace is in the UK as while Studiocanal are currently celebrating the success of Paddington 2 the rest of their releases underwhelmed at the box office while eOne have had a fraction of their success last year as again dependent on output deals from Amblin which brought them their two biggest successes last year The BFG and The Girl on the Train. eOne will, of course, start 2018 with Steven Spielberg’s The Post starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks the trailer was recently released and is starting to generate strong buzz.

Also released  

Ingrid Goes West – Universal Pictures – £65,750

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £18,740,071 up 0.7% from last weekend £18,601,350

The weekend admissions xx up xx% from last weekend 2,441,122 (average price £7.62 by UK Cinema Association/BFI for 2017).

Justice League took 38.76% of the top 10; 17 films opened at weekend taking £7,547,113; Justice League 96.2% (£7,264,784); remaining 16 films shared 3.74% (£282,329);

The weekend was down 13.41% from last year (£21,643,947): Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them £15,333,146, Andre Rieu: Christmas With Andre 2016 £1,180,208

Up 1.26% from 2015: (£18,505,292): The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 £11,255,566, The Dressmaker £235,968, The Perfect Guy £102,924

Next weekend in 2016: (£14,354,042) Allied £1,331,919, Bad Santa 2 £799,156, A United Kingdom £618,652, Almost Christmas £60,991

UK Box Office Top 10

 

US Box Office Top 10

 

US Box office

Warner Bros – Justice League – opened with $93.84m; receiving B+ CinemaScore and poor reviews opened much lower than tracking had predicted a month ago it was looking to open $110m and then was looking towards $130m but then on Friday $105m and that dropped over the weekend to mid $95m+. Normally Warner Bros underestimate but Sunday estimates had it at $96m.

Justice League as Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad had long drawn out production histories and after Batman Vs Superman disappointing critical and fan reaction saw Suicide Squad remade in the editing room was similar stories about Wonder Woman which turned out successfully. But Wonder Woman success made Warner Bros nervous over Justice League which saw Joss Whedon reshoot 15/20% of the film Zack Snyder shot to give the film a lighter tone. But the problems for Justice League probably started before filming started originally it was conceived as two films as Avengers: Infinity Wars while the original cut of Justice League was over 3 hours long.

Cutting an hour from a film whilst also incorporating the vision of another director’s reshoots made for a film that felt messy and with chunks missing which were evident by the missing footage from Comic-Con footage from 2016 and all the trailers since.

Many have demanded that Warner Bros release Zack Snyder’s Justice League edit which I’m sure would likely be as criticised as Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and the current version of Justice League. But the problem is when these films have $250m+ budgets there is much pressure from the studio to make the film they want the Disney way of doing things is to fire them and then start from again as they have done on many Pixar films and more recently Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story while also fired Colin Trevorrow and Josh Trank were fired from Star Wars films before they started shooting. While Warner Bros and other studios like Sony Pictures with The Dark Tower takeover the editing suite and try to edit the film as they want the film to be.

Is the real reason why Justice League disappointed not as much the film as many have written pages of commentary on more audiences throughout 2017 have sought out different unique films like Get Out, Split, Dunkirk, It, Murder on the Orient Express and this weekend Wonder and expansions for Lady Bird and Three Billboards. Has meant Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League were playing only to comic-book fans and that is why despite Justice League disappointing opening Thor: Ragnarok wasn’t able to benefit.

After receiving poor reviews and having a disappointing opening many expect Justice League to have a second-weekend drop close to Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice 69.1% or Suicide Squad 67.4% taking around $32m which could see it only manage to take a little over $200m.

Justice League took $185.5m international taking $281.5m globally; Justice League reportedly has a $300m budget and will need to take over $800m globally to make a profit but many are predicting it will lose up to $100m only a few weeks after Blade Runner 2049 is expected to lose a similar amount.

Despite Live By Night, Geostorm, King Arthur and Blade Runner 2049 Warner Bros is still #1 studio in the US thanks to the massive success of Wonder Woman and It along with the strong performances of Dunkirk and Annabelle; Creation.

Last month George Clooney directed Suburbicon starring Matt Damon got caught up in the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations which overshadowed the films publicity tour. As Ben Affleck also had a long history making films at Miramax for Harvey Weinstein the Justice League press tour saw many questions asked at Ben Affleck about what he knew about the allegations so did his close connection to Harvey Weinstein influence the film as it likely did with Suburbicon and Matt Damon?

After the disappointing opening for Justice League much has been written asking if this the end of the DC Extended Universe this might of been the case had Wonder Woman not been a critical and box office success but as it was Aquaman and Wonder Woman 2 set for release December 2018 and November 2019 will be a chance to lighten the tone of the films as Patty Jenkins did so well with Wonder Woman. After Ben Affleck was replaced as director for The Batman were rumours then he would be replaced as Batman after Justice League opening those rumours are back that he might be replaced as Batman. Matt Reeves The Batman is expected to be released in 2019 and will be central to DC rebooting of the franchise. 

Lionsgate – Wonder – opened $27.54m and received A+ CinemaScore after received positive reviews 84% Rotten Tomatoes being described by many as the film we need now; going into the weekend it was hard to predict how audiences would respond to the film as was being tracked anywhere between $9- $25m.

After its Friday opening, it was looking to open close to 2009’s The Blind Side which opened with $34.11m 8 years ago going to take $255.95m and winning Sandra Bullock a Bes Actress Oscar.

Wonder was Julia Roberts biggest opening since 2010’s ensemble comedy Valentine’s Day $56.26m (Ocean’s Twelve opened with $39.15m in 2004 and Ocean’s Eleven in 2001 with $38.1m but had small roles in both) so was her biggest leading role since 2001’s America’s Sweethearts $30.18m; while starring in many big films in the 90s many had small opening but held strongly Pretty Woman opened in 1990 with $11.28m and took $178.4m.

Wonder was also Owen Wilson’s biggest live-action opening since 2010’s Little Fockers $38.83m (he had a supporting role) have to go back to 2008’s Marley and Me $36.35m to be his last biggest leading role.

Wonder is likely to expand this weekend and hold strongly over the Thanksgiving holidays. 

Disney – Thor: Ragnarok – dropped 62% in its third weekend taking $21.66m and $247.26m total; 

Much has been written about Justice League disappointing opening but Thor: Ragnarok should have then been able to hold far stronger against Justice League instead it had the worst third-weekend box office of all Marvel Cinematic Universe films. This must show that despite the rave reviews Thor: Ragnarok it is still only playing to mostly comic-book fans and those are the few that went to see Justice League but while Thor: Ragnarok expanded its audience in its opening weekend three weeks in it is now playing to comic-book fans.

Thor: Ragnarok took $24.1m internationally over the weekend with a total of $490.7m and global box office of $738.1m and will shortly overtaking the global box office of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy $773.2m to become the seventh biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe globally.  

Paramount Pictures – Daddy’s Home 2 dropped 50.1% in its second weekend taking $14.35m and $50.21m;

Hard to compare its second-weekend box office with Daddy’s Home as it took $29.2m taking $93.88m but this was during the lucrative Christmas holidays. Many were surprised Paramount didn’t delay Daddy’s Home 2 to open Thanksgiving weekend especially after several films were moved away from Thanksgiving. 

Daddy’s Home 2 will likely take half of the box office of the first film which took $150.35m two years ago and its now almost certainly Paramount Pictures have their worst ever year at the US box office in their 105-year history; 10 years ago, Paramount Pictures were #1 studio and over the next five years; this year their 11 releases have currently taken $461m and need to take $628.3m ($167m more) for Paramount not to have their lowest box office ever.

Paramount have eight films currently dated for 2018 including Cloverfield 3, Annihilation, Action Point, Sherlock Gnomes, A Quiet Place, Overlord, Bumblebee and Mission: Impossible 6. (the five Mission Impossible films have taken $934.8m at the US box office over their 21-year history and Mission: Impossible 6 will be Paramount’s biggest film of the year close to Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation three years ago.

The problem for Mission: Impossible 6 is it opens in the middle of several action films with Skyscraper and Alita: Battle Angel opening in the weeks before and the Predator and The Equalizer 2 opening the week after.

20th Century Fox – Murder on the Orient Express dropped 51.9% in its second weekend taking $13.8m and $51.73m; -ted and bigger than last years The Girl on the Train and Arrival opening with $24.5m and $24m.

Internationally has taken $45.7m and $57.2m total taking $19m from China.

STX – A Bad Moms Christmas – drops 31.6% in its second weekend taking $11.46m and $39.82m;

Surprisingly holding well against the bad dads close to original film which took $14m in its second weekend taking $50.85m

On limited release

Focus Features – Lady Bird – added 201 screens up 109.7% taking $2.51m from 238 screens total $ 4.68m climbing up to places to #8; still has 100% Rotten Tomatoes score; goes wide this weekend.

Fox Searchlight – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri added 53 screens up 242.1% taking $1.11m from 53 screens taking $1.54m; after having its world premiere at Venice International Film Festival and screening at Toronto International Film Festival has received 95% Rotten Tomatoes score; expands into 12 screens this weekend and then into 425 screens over Thanksgiving.

Sony Pictures – Roman J. Israel, Esq. had a disappointing platform opening taking only $61,999 from four screens; after receiving 55% Rotten Tomatoes score its expansion this weekend is unlikely to do much better; last year Denzel Washington’s Fences opened with $129,462 from 4 screens.

A24 – The Florida Project – took $299,566 down 39.6% losing 12 screens taking $4.3m; despite 95% Rotten Tomatoes score after seven weeks on release The Florida Project is losing its momentum being replaced by Lady Bird and Three Billboards.

Opened November 24^th

Opening UK

• Daddy’s Home 2 – Paramount Pictures

Comedy film starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, John Cena, John Lithgow and Mel Gibson and directed by Sean Anders. After the first film was a success Paramount soon announced Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg would return. 

In January 2017 was announced Mel Gibson would join the cast received much disgust from many that Hollywood has seemingly welcomed back the convicted wife beater, racist, and anti-Semite after Hacksaw Ridge received several Oscar nominations this year.

After the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal, this shows that Hollywood never changes while there were similar shock and disgust after the many shocking sexual assaults by actresses by Weinstein. The more shocking element was many in Hollywood knew of this for decades and kept it quiet because it was Harvey the fact that they are seemingly welcoming back Mel Gibson in a family comedy shows nothing ever changes.

Most shockingly about Daddy’s Home 2 was Mel Gibson came to the UK with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg to promote the film and Paramount Pictures thought it was a good idea for Mel Gibson to do interviews and talk about the Harvey Weinstein scandal saying it was a ‘precursor to change’. 10 years ago, after Mel Gibson was arrested and charged with driving under the influence giving an anti-Semitic rant to the arresting police officer. After this happen most in Hollywood thought he would never be allowed back in Hollywood but first Academy welcomed him back with Oscar nominations and then Hollywood welcomed in in a family comedy and there are rumors that he will return in Lethal Weapon 5.

While the stories about Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey are horrific have to remember these are allegations while Mel Gibson was still allowed to be an Academy member despite doing and saying what he did showing how hypocritical Hollywood, American Academy, and BAFTA. American Academy in 2003 give Roman Polanski a standing ovation after winning Best Director but he isn’t there to collect as he would have been arrested as he was convicted of rape 30 years earlier. 

The first film was a surprise hit in 2015 opening with £1,628,219 taking £16,742,333; was surprising Paramount decided to open Daddy’s Home 2 s close to A Bad Moms Christmas rather than open it Christmas after the original film performed so strongly over the lucrative Christmas holidays.

• Battle of the Sexes – 20^th Century Fox

Biographical drama starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell and Sarah Silverman and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Simon Beaufoy; had the world premiere at Telluride Film Festival receiving positive reviews from critics praised the performances of Stone and Carell. Last month received its UK premiere at the London Film Festival.

Battle of the Sexes was one of many films targeting older audiences and seen as a potential Oscar contender earlier this year. After opening strongly on platform release in September suffered opening against Victoria and Abdul seeing both films cannibalize each other; Battle of the Sexes took only $12.49m and Victoria and Abdul $21.21m

20^th Century Fox held a wide talker screening program to build awareness and buzz for the film while Everyman Cinemas rebranded themselves as Everywoman holding paid preview screenings on November 9^th. Talker screening programs can be a good way to build awareness for a film, but the problem sometimes is while the film gets strong buzz audiences still don’t go and see it. Lionsgate UK held a very extensive program of preview screenings of Wonder on Monday 13^th November World Kindness Day will see next week if they were beneficial.

As always, the best form of marketing is the trailer being shown before Murder on the Orient Express most of the audience would of remember the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris previous films Little Miss Sunshine opened September 2006 with £391,415 taking £2,777,576; Ruby Sparks opened October 2012 with £299,382 taking £630,088.

• Suburbicon – eOne

Crime comedy starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac directed by George Clooney and written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen; premiered at Venice Film Festival and screened at the Toronto Film Festival receiving mixed reviews only 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes and unlikely to generate much interest at the box office despite the talent on and off screen.

During its US publicity tour for Suburbicon Matt Damon said Ben Affleck told him Harvey Weinstein tried to get Gwyneth Paltrow give him a massage in 1995. But must question the timing of his comment which just happens to be the week his new film opens as a few weeks ago it was reported that Matt Damon tried to “kill” a story about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior when it was investigated by a reporter in 2004. He went on to say “Everybody knew,” like, yeah, I knew he was an a**hole. I mean, he was proud of that. You know what I mean? That’s how he carried himself.’ ‘I knew he was a womanizer. You know, I wouldn’t want to be married to the guy but I’m not – it’s not my business really.’

Suburbicon is George Clooney’s sixth film he has directed while they have been well received critically only 2014’s The Monuments Men was a success at the box office opening £1,612,336 taking £6,042,739.

His previous directed films 2011’s The Ides of March opening with £665,387 in October 2011 taking £2,777,102; 2008’s Leatherheads £474,780 taking £933,067; 2005’s Good Night, and Good Luck £405,200 taking £2,088,488; 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind £356,623 taking £1,038,201

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen’s most recently wrote and directed 2016’s Hail, Caesar with 2015’s their last screenplay written for Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.

Suburbicon had a very disappointing opening in the US last month opening with $2,840,246 dropping 58.3% in its second weekend and 94.1% in its third weekend.

• The Star – Sony Pictures

Animated Christian comedy featuring the voices of Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey directed by Timothy Reckart.

Faith-based films fail to find audiences in the UK and an animated version is unlikely to do much better.  

• Olaf’s Frozen Adventure/Frozen – Disney

The second Frozen short is attached to Coco released this weekend in the US but after Disney delayed its UK release until January are screening the short film on 25th & 26th November with Frozen.

2013’s Frozen is one of Disney’s most beloved recent animated film especially for girls of a certain age who have seen the film countless times. The last Frozen short Frozen Fever was attached to 2015’s Cinderella. While Anna and Elsa will be back in Frozen 2 in cinemas in November 2019.

Opening in the US

• Coco – Disney

Animated musical fantasy adventure featuring voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Alanna Ubach, Jaime Camil, Sofía Espinosa, Selene Luna, Edward James Olmos and directed by Lee Unkrich; premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico.

Short film Olaf’s Frozen Adventure will be screened with Coco the second short animated film spinoff to 2013’s Frozen; Frozen 2 will be released in November 2019.

Opened in Mexico on October 27th the weekend before Day of the Dead becoming the highest grossing film in Mexico.

The first teaser trailer was released in March with Beauty and the Beast which drew comparisons to the 2014 animated film The Book of Life.

Coco has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and is tracking to open with $40m and taking upwards of $60m over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend which would be last year’s Moana opening of $82m went on to take $248.75m; Frozen had the biggest ever Thanksgiving five-day opening $93.6m.

• Darkest Hour – Focus

Drama starring Gary Oldman, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and Ronald Pickup and directed by Joe Wright; had the world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and at Toronto International Film Festival; has an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score.

• Call Me by Your Name – Sony Classics

Drama starring Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, and Victoire Du Bois and directed by Luca Guadagnino based on the novel of the same name by André Aciman; was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics before Sundance Film Festival receiving received universal acclaim.

Armie Hammer as many people like myself doesn’t understand the double standards in Hollywood why the Birth of a Nation director Nate Parker’s career was destroyed when an accusation from his past came to light last year which he was acquitted for while Casey Affleck still managed to win Best Actor for Manchester by the Sea despite sexual-harassment allegations.

Similar to Mel Gibson being welcoming back to the Oscars early this year for Hacksaw Ridge and starring in family comedy Daddy’s Home 2 and Roman Polanski was given a standing ovation at the 2003 Oscars despite both being convicted of wife beating and rape.