UK/US Box Office February 1st- 3rd week 5

1. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – £5,323,448 –   NE  

Had the 223^rd biggest opening weekend in the UK between Fast Five and Zootropolis (close to The Croods, Madagascar, Trolls and Tangled) and the 321^st biggest inflation inflated opening between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Revenant (close to Frozen, Tarzan, Ice Age and Wreck-It Ralph)

29^th biggest Universal Pictures opening between Fast Five and The Grinch (close to Kung Fu Panda)

40^th biggest animated opening between Alvin And The Chipmunks II and Zootropolis (close to Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda 3 and Shrek) and 54^th biggest inflation inflated between Zootropolis and Ice Age (close to How to Train Your Dragon, Aladdin and Coco).

26^th biggest Fri-Sun animated opening and 13th biggest without previews (most animated films released over the 15+ years openings have been inflated with previews, but it is surprising both How To Train Your Dragon and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part don’t have previews unlike previous parts of the film series)

How to Train Your Dragon opened April 2010 with £4,846,532 (including £2,121,321 previews) taking £17,168,517

How to Train Your Dragon 2 opened July 2014 with £7,779,040 (including £4,860,929 previews)  taking £24,258,735

The first two films openings were boosted by previews, but the third film doesn’t have any previews. For about 20 years many family films openings have been artificially inflated with weekend previews the weekend before the film’s release but neither How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World this week and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part opening next week openings will be inflated with previews. Previous instalments of How To Train Your Dragon and The Lego Movie films openings have been inflated with previews both will open lower.

It is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Universal Pictures after they acquired the studio in 2016; 20th Century Fox released Dreamworks Animation films from 2013 to 2017; were previously released by Paramount Pictures between 2006 and 2012 and before released by Dreamworks from 1998 to 2005 (Antz the first released in October 1998)

20^th Century Fox released 10 Dreamworks Animation films between 2013 and 2017 (including How to Train Your Dragon 2) taking £182.01m.

Only three were sequels but four of Universal Pictures first five Dreamworks Animation films are sequels Trolls World Tour and The Croods 2 both released in 2020 and The Boss Baby 2 in 2021 with plans for a Shrek reboot soon after.

Opened in Australia and New Zealand to coincide with Australia’s summer holidays opening in the UK February 1st ahead of The Lego Movie Part 2: The Second Part for half-term on February 1st and the US February 22nd.

The two How to Train Your Dragon films have taken $1.12bn worldwide and $394.58m in the US; all three films have been released by different studios, first by Paramount Pictures in 2010 and the sequel in 2014 by 20th Century Fox.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the first family film opening ahead of half-term holidays in two weeks’ time normally the first film has the advantage and performs stronger so will be interesting to see how it holds against The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part this weekend. Both films have received positive reviews and are likely to perform strongly over the next few weeks.

2. Green Book –  £1,672,562  –   NE   

Includes £446,028 from previews Wednesday and Thursday (was #6 on Wednesday)

Had the 831^st biggest opening weekend between Final Destination 2 and Bride and Prejudice (close to Bridge of Spies, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Bride and Prejudice and Lincoln) and 1022^nd biggest inflation inflated opening between Taken and The Great Wall (close to The Grand Budapest Hotel, Walk the Line, Birdman and Crazy Rich Asians).

A strong opening for Peter Farrelly’s film received polarized critics reviews, audience reaction has been far more positive since it won the People’s Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival in September and was the Surprise Film at the London Film Festival in October.

Over recent weeks has generated strong media coverage after being nominated for four BAFTA awards including Best Film, Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen) and Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Original Screenplay (award ceremony on Sunday), and five Oscar nominations with the same nominations plus Best Film Editing.

Feels like a role reversal 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy and Green Books similarly has two strong lead performances (Driving Miss Daisy was nominated for 9 Oscars winning Best Film, Best Actress (Jessica Tandy), Best Makeup and Best Adapted Screenplay) has also been compared to The Upside (also has become a sleeper success in the US despite poor reviews)

Mahershala Ali seems to be everywhere in recent weeks vocally in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on TV in True Detective series 3 currently on Sky Atlantic and stars in Alita: Battle Angel opening on Wednesday.

Director Peter Farrelly is best known for directing gross-out comedies with his brother Bobby including Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, The Heartbreak Kid, Shallow Hal but as Paul Weitz (American Pie) has made the switch to more grown up films

3. Glass – £944,735  – £8,641,332

Down 51% in its third weekend

Dropping more than both Split and Unbreakable showing there was a lack of interest and the poor reviews didn’t help.

M Night Shyamalan third weekends

2004’s The Village took £691,776 down 56% and £8,681,063 taking £9,980,280 (£16,648,619 inflation inflated)

2017’s Split took £1,246,171 down 38% and £8,261,329 taking £11,018,069

2000’s Unbreakable took £1.38m down 37.6% and £10.2m taking £11.22m (inflation inflated £19.56m)

1999’s The Sixth Sense took n/a down  n/a (second weekend wide/third week on release) and n/a  taking £25,407,279 (£46,288,321 inflation inflated).

2002’s Signs took £1,877,796 down 29% and £11,021,673 taking £16,084,656 (£28,082,535 inflation inflated)

2008’s The Happening took £246,591 down 70% and £3,895,001 taking £3,895,001 (£5,610,300 inflation inflated)

2013’s After Earth took £432,881 down 65% and £5,711,932 taking £6,137,273

2015’s The Visit took £310,988 down 36% and £2,568,239 taking £2,805,591

4. Escape Room – £820,218  – NE   

Included £151,000 from previews last Saturday night

Had a decent opening due to a lack of competition but will quickly drop out of the charts over the next two weeks

Similar films

2002’s My Little Eye opened with £893,633 (£1,560,212 inflation inflated) taking 2,682,735 (£4,683,843 inflation inflated)

2010’s Devil opened with £807,292 (£1,016,238 inflation inflated) taking £2,488,305 (£3,132,337 inflation inflated)

2010’s The Crazies opened with £1,194,207 (£1,503,296 inflation inflated) taking £3,255,301 (£4,097,849 inflation inflated)

2004’s Saw opened £1,239,813 taking £6,645,485

2005’s Saw II opened £2,189,212 taking £7,181,561

2006’s Saw III opened £2,522,521 taking £8,458,236

2007’s Saw IV opened £2,482,889 taking £6,195,963

2008’s Saw V opened £2,436,817 taking £6,123,282

2009’s Saw VI opened £1,736,287 taking £4,684,976

2010’s Saw 3D opened £3,600,083 taking £8,022,330

2017’s Jigsaw opened £1,851,249

2000’s Final Destination opened with £1,498,519 taking £10,218,118

2003’s Final Destination 2 opened with £1,675,057 taking £5,232,764

2006’s Final Destination 3 opened with £2,219,978 taking £8,870,775

5. Mary Queen of Scots – £782,198 – £ 6,623,402

Down 49% in its third weekend

Third week

2007’s Atonement took £1,162,880 down 16% (£1,724,747 inflation inflated) and £6,732,204 (£9,984,992 inflation inflated) total £11,967,043 (£17,749,139 inflation inflated)

Previous two parts of the Elizabeth Extended Universe

1998’s Elizabeth took £5.1m (£9.4m inflation inflated)

2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age took £455,011 down 52% (£674,858 inflation inflated) in its third weekend and £4,118,978 (£6,109,138 inflation inflated) taking £4.98m (£7.38m inflation inflated)

A few months ago Mary, Queen of Scots was seen as BAFTA bait as the previous two of its extended universe, 1998’s Elizabeth received seven Oscar nominations and 12 BAFTA nominations winning five and 2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age received two Oscar nominations and four BAFTA nominations.

Previous two parts of the Elizabeth Extended Universe 1998’s Elizabeth took £5.1m (£9.4m inflation inflated) and 2007’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age opened November 2007 took £4.98m; Other British historical films 2009’s The Young Victoria took £4,694,925; 2008’s The Duchess took £6,913,447; 2018’s Victoria & Abdul took £9.94m

Mary Queen of Scots only received three BAFTA nominations with Saoirse Ronan missing out and Margot Robbie getting Best Supporting actress this compares to The Favourite receiving 12 nominations this year and Elizabeth the first part of the Elizabeth Extended Universe receiving 12 and winning 5.

For a third week Mary Queen of Scots wasn’t shown in Vue Cinemas due to a similar dispute between Vue Cinemas and Universal as they had with Warner Bros in October which saw A Star Is Born not showing in 90 Vue Cinemas in its opening week Vue cinemas are screening How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World but it’s not having as many screenings as it is having in rival exhibitor chains due to the terms Universal Pictures requested.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £11,997,508 up 13.05 from last weekend £10,612,229          

The weekend admissions 1,661,705 Up 15.9% from last weekend 1,432,568 average ticket up from last year’s £7.49 the industry will claim average ticket price has dropped 3.2% to £7.25 in 2018

13 films opened at weekend taking (£8,858,255); How to Train Your Dragon 3 60.1% (£5,323,448); Green Book 18.8% (£1,672,562); Escape Room 9.2% (£820,218); remaining 10 films shared 11.7% (£xx): Top three took 66.2% (£7,940,745) of the top 10; How to Train Your Dragon 3 (£5,323,448) 44.3%; Green Book (£1,672,562) 13.9%; Glass (£944,735) 7.8%;  

The weekend was down 6.8% from 2018: (£12,874,783); Den of Thieves (£1,082,560); Phantom Thread (£727,104); Winchester (£373,550); Journey’s End (£123,961); Roman J. Israel, Esq. (£22,193); #1 The Greatest Showman (£2,201,523) 1st week (6th week of release)

Down 11.1% from 2017: (£13,491,421); Rings (£812,267); Resident Evil 6 (£463,691); Gold (£406,399); Loving (£236,147); Swan Lake – Bolshoi 2017 (£189,737); Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (£58,266);  #1 Sing (£3,800,408) 2^nd week (64% drop) 40% without previews

Up 5.8% from 2016: (£11,333,473); Dirty Grandpa (£2,047,207); Spotlight (£1,060,435); Capture the Flag (£774,885); Turandot – Met Opera 2016 (£375,950); Youth (£265,217); 13 Hours (£238,231); The 33 (£26,208); #1 The Revenant (£2,278,262) 3^rd week (down 41%)

Down 15.2% from 2015; (£14,145,093); Big Hero 6 (£4,293,286); Kingsman: The Secret Service (£4,241,292); Inherent Vice (£363,133); Les Contes D’Hoffmann Met Opera 2015 (£238,597); Trash (£79,178); Son of a Gun (£21,065); #1 Big Hero 6 £4,293,286 – 1^st week

Up 32.2% from 2014: (£9,072,053); That Awkward Moment (£961,167); I, Frankenstein (£811,365); Lone Survivor (£751,564); Out of the Furnace (£191,011); #1 The Wolf of Wall Street (£2,385,585) 3^rd week (34% drop)

Up 10.7% from 2013: (£10,833,938); Flight (£1,401,214); Bullet To The Head (£429,317); Hyde Park On Hudson (£136,783); Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (£78,747); #1 Les Miserables (£2,785,143) 4^th week  (31% drop)

Up 39.3% from 2012 (£8,612,269); Chronicle (£2,193,072); Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (£1,200,587); Jack and Jill (£848,814); Man on a Ledge (£697,394); Carnage (£298,733); Young Adult (£137,736); Martha Marcy May Marlene (£110,156); #1 Chronicle (£2,193,072) 1^st week

Down 22.7% from 2011 (£15,525,216); Tangled (£5,106,612); The Mechanic (£921,554); Hereafter (£601,728); How do you Know (£374,933); Biutiful (£156,029); The Lover’s Guide 3D (£262); Barney’s Version (£109,266); #1 Tangled (£5,106,612) 1^st week

Up 3.05% from 2010: (£11,642,410); Edge Of Darkness (£1,172,927); Precious: A Novel By Sapphire (£260,921); The Princess And The Frog (£15,651); #1 Avatar (£4,865,081) 7^th week (6% drop)

Up 28.4% from 2009; (£9,343,240); Revolutionary Road (£1,013,548); Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist (£398,194); #1 Slumdog Millionaire (£2,359,854) 3^rd week (down 16%) (4^th week on release)

Up 24.3% from 2008; (£9,648,055); Cloverfield (£3,485,956); Over Her Dead Body (£995,690); Penelope (£769,840); Underdog (£330,914); Things We Lost in the Fire (£42,438)); #1 Cloverfield £3,485,956 1^st week

Up 57.7% from 2007:(£7,607,816); Dreamgirls (£1,329,817); Arthur and the Invisibles (£1,185,603); Notes on a Scandal (£1,141,364); #1 Dreamgirls (£1,329,817) 1^st week

Up 69.8% from 2006; (£7,062,485) Zathura (£1,317,391); Walk the Line (£1,111,142); Derailed (£693,669); #1 Zathura (£1,317,391) 1^st week

Up 4.2% from 2005 (£11,511,558); Ocean’s Twelve (£3,394,100); Racing Stripes (£1,145,965); #1 Meet the Fockers (£4,588,360) 2^nd week (42% drop)

Up 44.5% from 2004 (£8,304,070); Cold Creek Manor (£136,556); Sylvia (£123,981); The Emperor’s New Clothes (£5,656);  #1 Scary Movie 3 (£1,894,077) 2^nd week (46% drop)

Up 17.5% from 2003 (£10,207,853); Catch Me If You Can (£3,720,957); Banger Sisters (£201,731); #1  Catch Me If You Can (£3,720,957) 1^st week

Up 48.8% from 2002 (£8,058,230); Shallow Hal (£1,277,183); Gosford Park (£837,169); Training Day (£739,718); #1 Vanilla Sky (£1,743,556) 2^nd week (41% drop)

Next weekend in 2018: (£14,358,030); Fifty Shades Freed (£6,132,414); Tad The Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas (£302,312); The Mercy (£301,138); The 15:17 to Paris (£290,577); L’Elisir d’Amore Met Opera 2018 (£214,105); Status Update (£137,886); #1 Fifty Shades Freed £6,132,414 1^st week

Box Office News

January box office was 18% down from last year partly due to Christmas films not having the legs many expected and January releases not as strong as expected.

Box office experts were predicting Mary Poppins Returns would have similar long less as The Greatest Showman as they also believed Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again would do, but neither were ever going to hold like it as were both very different films.

Similarly, many expected Glass to hold stronger why no major releases opened last weekend so instead have a crowded couple of weeks ahead of half-term. But UK even with How to Train Your Dragon 3 and The LEGO Movie: The Second Part in February UK and US box office is unlikely to wake up from its slumber until Captain Marvel opens in five weeks’ time (advance bookings opened today)

Other box office news

• Mary Poppins Returns

Took £530,842 in its seventh weekend taking £42,941,029

54^th biggest film in the UK between Frozen and The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and 83^rd biggest inflation inflated between Finding Dory and Inception.

UK box office was down 18% in January this was party due to Mary Poppins Returns not holding anywhere nearly as strongly as many box office experts predicted.

The original Mary Poppins film is still the 29th biggest ever inflation inflated film in the UK it took £2.2m in 1955 which would be over £107m today so should have easily taken £80m+ especially as the sequel plays into the same nostalgia that Disney has been so successful with their other re-imaginations and with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

But while critics adored Mary Poppins Returns cinemagoers didn’t fall for it the same way.

Seventh weekends

Bohemian Rhapsody took £978,075 #5 taking £43,988,347 (81.4%) of its final box office of about £54m

The Greatest Showman took £1,925,895 #2 taking £26,106,298 (54.05%) of £48.3m total

• Bohemian Rhapsody = 20^th Century Fox

Took £279,896 down 31.1% in its 15^th weekend taking £52,461,374

Has become the 27^th biggest film in the UK between Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 58^th biggest inflation inflated between The Matrix Reloaded and Despicable Me 2.

Overtaking 1997’s The Full Monty (£52,264,984) becoming 20^th Century Fox’s fourth biggest film in the UK after Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The Greatest Showman took £676,711 #7 down 17% in its 15^th weekend #6 behind Peter Rabbit, A Quiet Place, Ready Player One, Love Simon, Isle of Dogs and Black Panther taking £43,498,143 90.05%of £48.3m total; if Bohemian Rhapsody holds similarly could take £54m+ would be the 17^th biggest film in the UK.

Received five Oscar nominations including Best Film and Best Actor Rami Malek; also received seven BAFTA nominations including Best British Film and Best Actor. After receiving mixed reviews few would have expected Bohemian Rhapsody would have been nominated for Best Film a few months ago.

Also opened

• Can You Ever Forgive Me? – 20th Century Fox

Opened with £510,435 from 257 screens

As many award contenders Can You Ever Forgive Me? opened strongly on platform release when it opened I the US in October but expanded to quickly and never played beyond 555 screens.

Despite failing to find a wide audience Melissa McCarthy and Richard E Grant have been nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor with the Golden Globes, BAFTA and Oscars and is expected to win for BAFTA next week.

Received UK premiere at the London Film Festival in October and Richard E Grant over recent weeks been on the promotional tour.

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Glass – Universal Pictures

Down 49.4% in its third weekend with $9.53m and $88.66m

#1 for the third week having the lowest #1 since War Room in September 2015 ($9.48m)  and the worst Superbowl weekend since 2000 when Eye of the Beholder #1 ($5.95m)

Having similar third weekend drop as 2000’s Unbreakable (47.8%) holding better than The Village –56.5%; The Happening -62.7%; After Earth -62.2%; Lady in the Water -62.1%; The Last Airbender -53.4%; but less than The Visit -42.3%; Signs –34.3%; Split -43.8%; The Sixth Sense -7%;

M Night Shyamalan third weekends

2017’s Split took $14.42m down 43.8% taking $98.54m and $138.29m; $278.45m worldwide

2015’s The Visit took $6.67m down 42.3% taking $52.18m and $65.2m; $98.45m worldwide

2013’s After Earth took $4.05m down 62.2% taking $54.51m and $60.52m; $243.84m worldwide

2010’s The Last Airbender took $7.75m down 53.4% taking $115.13m and $131.77m; $319.71m worldwide

2008’s The Happening took $3.9m down 62.7% taking $59.12m and $64.5m; $163.4m worldwide

2006’s Lady in the Water took $2.71m down 62.1% taking $38.63m and $42.68m; $72.78m worldwide

2004’s The Village took $7.15m down 56.5% taking $99.86m and $114.19m; $256.69m worldwide

2002’s Signs took $19.36m down 34.3% taking $150.51m and $227.96m; $408,24m worldwide

2000’s Unbreakable took $7.53m down 47.8% taking $77.4m and $95.01m; $248.11m worldwide

1999’s The Sixth Sense took $23.95m down 7% taking $107.5m and $293.5m; $672.8m worldwide

Night Shyamalan films have taken $1.32bn in the US and $2.96bn worldwide

Internationally took $12.2m from 54 territories and $110.3m total and $199m worldwide;

Should take about $250m worldwide close to Unbreakable, The Village, After Earth and Split, having a budget of only $20m will be more profitable than many upcoming mega-movies. But being the sequel to Unbreakable and Split and with no competition should have performed much stronger but mixed reviews and lack of interest has seen it drop much heavier than many expected, why rival studios avoided opening against it. Glass should take about $105m+ which is close to Unbreakable (but opened 19 years ago)  but a third less than Split.

Top territories UK $8.9m; Russia $8.6m; Mexico $8.1m;  France $6.1m; and Germany $5.1m; Split’s top territories UK $11.3m; Russia $10.1m; Mexico $9.5m; France $7.6m.

• The Upside – STX International

Down 27.3% in its fourth weekend taking $8.67m and $75.41m  

Has become STX Entertainment’s second-biggest film ever in the US after Bad Moms $113.2m; should take about $100m+

Despite poor reviews and mixed word of mouth, The Upside has held strong over the last three weeks due to the star power of Kevin Hart and limited competition but internationally has failed to match the success as his other films.

Took $873k from 38 territories and $7.65m total

• Miss Bala – Sony Pictures

Opened with $6.86m; received poor reviews (30% Rotten Tomatoes score) but no CinemaScore rating; being the only major release opening Superbowl weekend was expected to open closer to $10m.

Based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name directed which received critical acclaim (89% Rotten Tomatoes) was Mexico’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards but didn’t get shortlisted.

• Aquaman – Warner Bros

Down 32.8% in its seventh weekend taking $4.88m and $323.62m; #62 biggest film in the US between Deadpool 2 and Shrek the Third.

Aquaman will overtake Suicide Squad within by  the weekend ($325.1m) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330.36m) over next weekend to become Warner Bros sixth biggest film in the US after The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and American Sniper.

Expected to end with about $335m to become Warner Bros sixth biggest film in the US;

7^th weekends;

Suicide Squad took $4.7m down 17.8% and $313.77m of $325.1m

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took $1.05m down 72.9% and $327.25m of $330.1m

Man of Steel took $749,233 down 58.8% and $286.8m of $291.04m

Wonder Woman took $6.8m down 30.7% and $380.6m of $412.56m  

Justice League took $1.19m up 11.9% and $225.54m of $229.02m

Aquaman is Warner Bros 9^th biggest film in the US between Suicide Squad and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Warner Bros now have five films that have taken over $1bn worldwide Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Aquaman and The Dark Knight.

The six DC Extended Universe films have taken $1.91bn in the US and $4.87bn worldwide

Next for DC is Shazam! Opening in April and Joker in October with Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984 set for 2020 and last week Warner Bros dated The Batman (without Ben Affleck) for June 2021 and The Suicide Squad in August 2021.

Took $4.6m internationally from 77 territories $783.4m total and $1.1bn worldwide; #23 biggest film worldwide between  Skyfall and Transformers: Age of Extinction; top territories China: $291.7m; Korea: $39.1m; Brazil: $35.4m; Mexico: $30.4m; Australia: $28.8m; UK: $28.4m; France: $27.1m; Germany: $23.9m; Russia: $19.5m.

• The Kid Who Would be King – 20^th Century Fox

Dropped 40.8% in its second weekend $4.24m and $13.22m  

After a disappointing opening held stronger than might of expected but with The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opening this weekend won’t last long in the charts.

The $59m budget family adventure could lose up to $50m away from Bohemian Rhapsody box office and award success 20^th Century Fox last year of independence has been disappointing including The Hate U Give, Widows, Bad Times At The El Royale, The Predator, The Darkest Minds and Once Upon a Deadpool, many suffered from poor dating decision.

In comparison, 20^th Century Fox moving Deadpool 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody were strokes of geniuses that affected Solo: A Star Wars Story and Mary Poppins Returns both from their future owners.

Took $1.2m from 21 territories and $5m total (opening in the UK next in two weeks’ time had its UK premiere on Sunday, the second film to premiere at the refurbished Odeon Leicester Square) 

• Serenity – Aviron

Dropped 61.4% in its second weekend taking $1.7m and $7.53m;

Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey blamed Aviron Pictures for the poor opening of the film sating they didn’t spend enough money promoting the film. After receiving 23% Rotten Tomatoes score and a D+ CinemaScore the distributor could have spent far more to promote the film, but it wouldn’t have helped the film’s opening. As with Replicas that opened three weeks ago in the age of streaming films like Serenity and Replicas should never be given a theatrical release.

Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey originally agreed to a promotional campaign including appearances on late night chat shows but said Aviron failed to do what they planned, Matthew McConaughey wanted a slow rollout but after poor reviews that wouldn’t have been a good idea as there is no point

While audiences often reject critics for comic-book, action or family films they would be reading reviews to guide them towards adult dramas, even adult dramas that have received critical acclaim have found it tough to find an audience.

Serenity is being released on Sky Cinema with a limited theatrical release on March 1^st

• Mary Poppins Returns – Disney

Down 38.5% in its seventh weekend taking $2.03m and $168.31m

Mary Poppins Returns opened with 167% more than The Greatest Showman receiving critical acclaim (78% Rotten Tomatoes) compared to 56% for The Greatest Showman and was the key Christmas release against Aquaman and Bumblebee (The Greatest Showman was fourth against Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Pitch Perfect 3) and had the nostalgia factor that has served Disney so well in the past.

Box office experts expected Mary Poppins Returns to have similar legs as The Greatest Showman but was never going to play long as while critics might have loved it, many cinemagoers felt it was as fake as critics felt The Greatest Showman was a year ago.

Mary Poppins Returns is likely to come short of The Greatest Showman, it does have the upcoming Oscars which could see it hold a little better over the coming weeks, but Mary Poppins Returns shouldn’t of ever been compared box office to The Greatest Showman as is nostalgic factor, the hype, critical acclaim and award nominations should have taken more than double The Greatest Showman box office by now similar to other reimaginations 2010’s Alice in Wonderland $334.19m or 2016’s The Jungle Book $364m.

Mary Poppins Returns took 102% more than The Greatest Showman in week 2 but in week 7 has dropped down to 18.3%

The Greatest Showman took $7.69m in its seventh weekend down 19.4% (300.5% more) and $137.37m 72.5% of $174.34m

Took $4.3m from 35 territories ($2.5m opening in Japan) and $160.5m total and $328.7m globally; #401 biggest film between The Perfect Storm and Crocodile Dundee; top territories UK $54.6m; Italy $14.6m; Australia $13.3m; France $11.4m; Spain $10.5m, Germany $10.3m.

Mary Poppins Returns now take about $350m worldwide (unless it can take Bohemian Rhapsody box office in Japan and South Korea) about $50m less than Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ($394.7m) almost $100m less than The Greatest Showman and less than half of Bohemian Rhapsody.

• Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures

Down 25.6% in its 8^th weekend taking $4.54m and $175.42m

Has become Sony Animation’s highest-grossing movie in the US taking $175.3m ahead of Hotel Transylvania 2‘s $169.7m.

Took $1.6m from 60 territories and $175.3m total and $347.3m worldwide #370 between Rush Hour 2 and I, Robot.

Best Picture nominees

• Green Book – Universal Pictures

Down 20.8% in its twelfth weekend taking $4.34m (adding 218 screens) and $55.85m

Green Book continues to surprise with its hold similar to The Upside both connecting with audiences far more than critics despite both having non-film related issues that could have affected its box office.

With no clear award winners, Green Book has become the favourite for many who believe Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen could win Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor at the Oscars. Richard E Grant could possibly beat Mahershala Ali for Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Depending on Oscar success Green Book could take anywhere between $79m-$90m.

Green Book again highlights the importance of dating originally was set to open wide on November 21^st but then after receiving strong buzz from festival screenings in October Universal Pictures opened it on a platform a week earlier. In its second weekend added 1,000+ but didn’t expand much further for the following few weeks. Over Christmas period lost about half of its screens but then increased screens after Golden Globe nominations and wins adding 1,500 screens after Oscar nominations were announced.

After how careful Universal Pictures released Green Book was then surprising, they weren’t so slow with their higher profile award contender First Man opting to open it a week after A Star Is Born, but it is interesting that both films that were seen as award favourites for many months will likely be gazumped by Green Book

Green Book has taken $81.37m worldwide more than the global box office of Moonlight which took $27.85m in the US and $65.1m worldwide.

Took $11.9m from 37 Lionsgate/Amblin territories with $25.5m total

• The Favourite – Fox Searchlight

Took $1.55m down 38.7% in its eleventh weekend and $28.65m.

The Favourite as A Star Is Born was award favourite ever since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August but after Glenn Close surprise Golden Globe Best Actress win for The Wife last month Olivia Coleman could miss out on Best Actress Oscar.

Comparisons could be made with last years The Shape of Water, but its Oscar nomination bounce saw it enter the top 10 (holding in there for three weeks) but The Favourite has yet to enter the top 10 and is now unlikely unless it wins big at the Oscars.

Took $4.1m from 31 territories and $33m total

• Bohemian Rhapsody – 20^th Century Fox

Took $1.81m in its fourteenth weekend #13 down 25.6% taking $208.55m; #187 biggest film in the US between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and A Star is Born; 12^th biggest film of 2018 between Venom and A Star is Born; second biggest 20^th Century Fox film of 2018 and their 23^rd  biggest film ever between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

Weekend box office $7.1m from 39 territories $624.4m total (become 20th Century Fox’s fifth biggest film internationally after Avatar $2,035bn; Titanic $1,535bn; Ice Age: Continental Drift $722m; Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $692m) taking $832m total globally; #70 biggest film between Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2; has now become the 12^th biggest original film ever globally.

Bohemian Rhapsody is 20^th Century Fox’s 7^th biggest film ever globally after Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ice Age: Continental Drift and Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; biggest territories Japan $98m; South Korea $75.9m; UK $68m; Australia $35.9m; France $37.3m; Italy $31.6m; Germany $32m; Spain $29.4m.

• Vice – Annapurna

Took $1.13m down 38.7% and $44.05m total #17 in its sixth weekend

• A Star Is Born – Warner Bros

Took $892,343 and $207.8m in its eightieth week

A Star Is Born is expected to win Best Song for Shallow; the music video has been seen almost 240m times on YouTube since its release in September.

Taken $207.8m internationally and $415.8m worldwide #263 between The Mummy and   The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

UK Box Office Predictions

Over the last week The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part has received strong awareness receiving positive reviews (93% Rotten Tomatoes score compared with The Lego Movie 94%, The Lego Batman Movie 90% and The Lego Ninjago Movie 56%).

Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Tiffany Haddish were in the UK last week to promote the sequel doing all the regular interviews and were also at the South Bank at The Coffee Chain pop up Coffee Shop which was built using 48,627 Lego bricks taking 236 hours to build.

The first The Lego Movie in 2014 was a real surprise when it was first announced many asked how could you possibly make a film about little plastic bricks but then the first teaser trailer was released in June 2013. The first spinoff The Lego Batman Movie was equally as much fun and the best Batman movie since The Dark Knight Rises. The Lego Ninjago Movie opened a few months later received mixed reviews suffering from being the second Lego film within six months sharing many of the jokes.

The Lego Movie opened February 2014 with £8,051,140 (including £2,155,094 previews) Fri-Sun £5,896,046 taking £32,887,286

The Lego Batman Movie opened February 2017 with £7,906,468 (including £2,449,040 previews) Fri-Sun £5,457,428 taking £26,771,191

As with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World it didn’t have previews to inflate its opening so will open lower than The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie and also has to compete against How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World which has a strong word of mouth.

But as with the first two films the audience for The LEGO Movie: The Second Part plays to a much wider demographic than How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World so should be room for both ahead of half-term next weekend.

Normally distributors give at least a two-week gap between family films and also have weekend previews but The LEGO Movie: The Second Part opens the weekend after How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World with both not having previews so is likely to see some cannibalization between the two films as they build up to half-term holidays starting on February 18^th. (this week in Scotland)

February half-term family films

In 2018

Coco Opened 19^th January £5,209,214 (£2,315,450 previews) taking £18,013,336

Early Man opened 26^th January £2,020,653 taking £11,205,643

In 2017

Sing opened 27^th January £10,487,380 (£4,201,298 previews) taking £28,840,000

The LEGO Batman Movie 10^th February £7,906,468 (£2,449,040 previews) taking £26,771,191

In 2016

Goosebumps opened 5^th February £2,686,105 (£1,004,560 previews)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip  opened 12^th February £4,296,291 (£1,699,817 previews)

In 2015

Big Hero 6 opened 30^th January £4,293,286 (£479,652 previews) taking £20,123,298

Shaun The Sheep Movie opened 6^th February £2,095,061 taking £13,675,389

In 2014

Mr. Peabody and Sherman opened 7^th February £3,916,559 (£1,385,602 previews) taking £13,552,917

The Lego Movie opened 14^th February £8,051,140 (£2,155,094 previews) taking £32,887,286

Alita: Battle Angel also arrived last week on the back of massive media coverage with the world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square with director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron in attendance.

The film received mixed reviews with many saying it looks spectacular but with issues over the script but that is often the case with these kinds of films and scripts were clunky for Titanic and Avatar, but they still became the biggest movies ever globally.

Alita: Battle Angel was being written off over a year ago as like Titanic 20^th Century Fox delayed its release by first six months to December and then to February to avoid opening against Aquaman and Bumblebee.

Opening on Wednesday Alita: Battle Angel has a five-day opening weekend which could see it open  close to 2014’s Lucy opened £3,076,997 taking £14,129,734

Other female lead action films

2017’s Atomic Blonde opened £1,686,430 (£555,569 previews) taking £3,063,918

2017’s Ghost in the Shell opened £2,300,753 (£354,110 previews) taking £5,554,260

2018’s Tomb Raider opened £3,081,916 (£529,702 previews) taking £7,739,354

Also has similarities with

2010’s Tron Legacy opened £1,970,692 taking £10,069,754

2015’s Jupiter Ascending opened £1,349,938 taking £4,241,234

Opening in UK Next Week

• Instant Family – Paramount Pictures

Comedy-drama starring Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Gustavo Quiroz, Julianna Gamiz, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Tig Notaro, and Octavia Spencer and directed by Sean Anders.

Received positive reviews (82% Rotten Tomatoes score) opened in the US November 16, 2018 with $14.5m taking $67.3m and $89.12m worldwide to date.

Daddy’s Home opened December 2015 with £1,628,219 taking £16,742,333

Daddy’s Home 2 opened November 2017 with £4,919,051 taking £14,296,957

Cheaper by the Dozen opened February 2004 with £1,817,148 taking £6,907,690 (£11,523,073 inflation inflated)

Cheaper By The Dozen 2 opened December 2005 with £2,287,967 taking £5,647,928 (£8,981,525 inflation inflated)

• The Kid Who Would Be King – 20^th Century Fox

Fantasy starring Louis Ashbourne Serkis (son of Andy Serkis), Tom Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Patrick Stewart and written and directed by Joe Cornish; received positive reviews 81% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Since directing Attack the Block in 2011 Joe Cornish was connected to direct many films including Star Trek Beyond but instead The Kid Who Would be King is his follow-up film.

An article in 2012’s The Guardian that started with “Attack the Block director Joe Cornish is going to be a busy filmmaker in the next couple of years.” But since directing Attack the Block in 2011 Joe Cornish has been connected to direct many films including Star Trek Beyond but instead, The Kid Who Would be King is his follow-up film. Spent a long-time developing Ant-Man with Edgar Wright and was also attached to Rust, Snow Crash and Section 6.

Attack the Block opened in May 2011 with £1,133,859 #3 from 352 screens against third weekend of Thor #1 £1,360,418 and Fast & Furious 5 #2 with £1,155,540; despite critical acclaim dropped 69% in its second weekend with £355,232 and £1,925,419 total £2,466,020.

Recent film adoptions of British legends King Arthur and Robin Hood failed to find an audience as they were too busy trying to create a franchise. Mortal Engines was described as a Brexit movie many have described The Kid Who Would be King also is a story about our divided era ahead of Brexit.

Children’s adventure films have become a lost genre in recent years replaced by comic-book movies but in the 80s and 90s were very popular with films like The Goonies, Explorers, Stand By Me, The Monster Squad, The Princess Bride, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Spy Kids, Jumanji (£2,103,403) and Small Soldiers. Percy Jackson, Stardust (£2,245,143), Night at the Museum, Super 8 (£2,207,063) and Harry Potter, The Hunger Games films modern equivalents.

Opening in the US

• Alita: Battle Angel – 20^th Century Fox

Action film based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga Gunnm produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, and directed by Robert Rodriguez starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson.

Development was first revealed in 2000 when battleangelalita.com was registered by 20th Century Fox and the film was to be directed by James Cameron, but kept being delayed first for Aliens of the Deep and then Project 880 which became Avatar.

In April 2016 Robert Rodriguez signed to direct and 20th Century Fox had set July 20th, 2018 release date and filming started in October 2016. In February 2018 its release date was delayed to December 21st and then in September moved to February 2019 to coincide with the Chinese New Year.

The first trailer as released December 2017 receiving a mixed reaction, the second trailer was released in July 2018 and the third in November 2018 both having better reaction.

30 minutes of Alita: Battle Angel was screened in December and January the film was screened to press receiving a positive reaction with praise for the story, script, action, visual effects, and performances but the critical reaction has been much more mixed.

2014’s Lucy opened $43.89m taking 5126.66m and $463.36m worldwide

2017’s Atomic Blonde opened $18.28m and $51.68m and $100.1m worldwide

2017’s Ghost in the Shell opened $18.67m taking $40.56m and $169.8m

2018’s Tomb Raider opened $23.6m taking $58.25m and $274.65m

But while it’s a female action film it’s also much more

2018’s Ready Player One opened $41.64m taking $137.69m and $582.89m worldwide

2001’s A.I. opened $29,35m taking $78.61m and $235.92m worldwide

2005’s I, Robot opened $52.17m taking $144.8m and $347.23m

2010’s Tron Legacy opened $44.02m taking $172.06m and $400.06m worldwide

2015’s Jupiter Ascending opened $18.37m taking $47.38m and $183.98m worldwide

2009’s Avatar opened $77.02m taking $760.5m and $2.78bn worldwide

Robert Rodriguez last directed 2014’s Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opened with $6.31m and $14.75m

His biggest openings

2003’s Spy Kids 3D: Game Over opened $33.41m taking $111.76m and $197m worldwide

2005’s Sin City opened $29.12m taking $74.1m and $158m worldwide

2001’s Spy Kids opened $26.54m taking $112.71m and $148m worldwide

Alita: Battle Angel is expected to open with less than $25m in the US with $200m+ budget 20^th Century Fox’s final film in its 84-year history is expected to be a major flop. While 20^th Century Fox has had huge success with Oscar-nominated Bohemian Rhapsody taking over $830m worldwide (7^th biggest film worldwide) their only other major success last year was Deadpool 2 and The Greatest Showman from 2017.

20^th Century Fox has regularly allowed talent to make riskier talent driven projects sometimes they have been hugely successful including Avatar, Titanic, Deadpool, X-Men, Logan and The Revenant but many more times they have failed to match expectations both critically and at the box office.

After James Cameron’s films have taken over $5.5bn worldwide at 20^th Century Fox and gave them Alien and Avatar franchises were happy to sign off on $200m+ Alita: Battle Angel as he had also promised them four Avatar sequels over the following decade (Avatar took $760.5m in the US and $2.77bn world in 2009 and is still the biggest film globally despite many predicting Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Infinity War would overtake it).

But 20^th Century Fox had their fingers burnt 30 years ago by James Cameron with The Abyss being his follow-up to Aliens, the $70m budget (originally $41m) underwater adventure took $54m  in the US and $90m worldwide. James Cameron set up Lightstorm Entertainment in 1990 and directed Terminator 2: Judgment Day taking $206m in the US and $521m worldwide.

James Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment signed a $500m production deal with 20^th Century Fox (US) and Universal Pictures (International) in 1992 to make 12 films over the following 5 years with a commitment to direct several films. Lightstorm Entertainment only made two films 1994’s True Lies directed by James Cameron and 1995’s Strange Days directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Some of 20^th Century Fox’s biggest failures have come from loyalty to talent who have made many films for them in the past and then the studio let them make their vanity project or used as a way to get them to sign up for a future project in the future.

Including Barry Levinson’s 1992 Toys starring Robin Williams; Mark Rydell’s 1991 For the Boys starring Bette Milder; David Seltzer’s 1992 Shinning Through starring Michael Douglas; Warren Beatty’s 2016 Rules Don’t Apply also starring Warren Beatty; Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 Australia starring Nicole Kidman;  James Cameron’s 1989 The Abyss;  2000’s Titan AE directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman

• Happy Death Day 2U – Universal Pictures

Teen horror sequel to 2017’s Happy Death Day from Blumhouse Productions starring Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Suraj Sharma, and Ruby Modine and directed by Christopher Landon.

The original film was announced in 2007 with Megan Fox attached titled Half to Death but the studio wasn’t interested a few years later the script was set to Blumhouse Productions and was greenlit by Universal Pictures

Happy Death Day opened October 2017 with $26.03m taking $55.68m and $125.47m worldwide with a budget of only $4.8m; since its theatrical release, the film has become a bigger hit on home entertainment.

Over the last decade, Blumhouse Productions films have taken $2.09bn in the US and $3.92bn worldwide; the majority of the films had low budgets so much more profitable than mega-movies.

In 2014 Blumhouse Productions signed a 10-year first-look production deal with Universal Pictures but were originally based at Paramount Pictures as Dreamworks  Pictures and Marvel but due to poor management left to go to rivals.

Blumhouse Productions also produced Jordan Peele’s follow-up to Get Out Us released next month and The Hunt in September and have two untitled films set for October and December.

In the first film Carter tells Tree at the end of the film her experience living the same day again and again was similar to Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray, but she said y she hadn’t heard of either, it was one of several films that repeated the same day over and over again.

Others film and TV series include 1998’s Run Loa Run, 2004’s 50 First Dates, 2011’s Source Code, 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow, 20017’s Before I Fall and TV series Russian Doll was released on Netflix on Friday which has received excellent reviews, the eight-part comedy is best to be watched without reading anything about it binged as a 4 hour film, the first 20 minutes are a bit slow.

It’s strange that films that repeat the same events are more enjoyable watching the second and more times than the first time.

• Isn’t It Romantic – Warner Bros

Fantasy comedy starring Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine, and Priyanka Chopra and directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson.

Rebel Wilson is best known for starring in the Pitch Perfect trilogy but also starred in rom-com How to Be Single opened in February 2016 with $17.87m taking $46.84m in the US and $112.34m worldwide.

Netflix acquired international rights; Netflix also acquired international rights to Son of Shaft which will be released in June in the US and three weeks later on Netflix internationally.

• Fighting with My Family – MGM

Biographical sports comedy-drama based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family starring Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Dwayne Johnson and Vince Vaughn written and directed by Stephen Merchant and produced by Dwayne Johnson.

In February was announced Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Merchant had teamed with WWE Studios and Film4 to produce a film based on the life of Saraya “Paige” Bevis.

MGM acquired rights in February 2017 for $17.5m; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019 receiving positive reviews