- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – £4,056,097 – NE
Took £1.06m 26.13% Friday; £1.76m 43.39% Saturday: £1.236m 30.47% Sunday.
Had the biggest opening day for Ghostbusters film in the UK and the biggest Fri/Sat/Sun
387th biggest opening between Darkest Hour and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (close to Godzilla (1998), Shazam!, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Bad Boys for Life) and 581st biggest inflated between What Lies Beneath and The Fault in Our Stars (close to Mars Attacks, There’s Something About Mary, The Fugitive and Die Hard with a Vengeance).
19th biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between The Flash and The Meg 2: The Trench (close to John Wick: Chapter Four, The Litte Mermaid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dungeons & Dragons).
It opened in 687 cinemas (1,208 screens) the same as I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Ticket to Paradise (close to Bob Marley: One Love, Toy Story 4, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Where the Crawdads Sing and Doctor Strange 2); 196th 600+ screen opening since 2015’s Jurassic World.
2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife opened £4,314,263 (including £549,710 previews); Friday £897k; Saturday £1.62m; Sunday £1.18m; #1 658 screens taking £11,494,268.
2016’s Ghostbusters opened £4,388,944 #1 581 screens (2D took £3,080,599 70.3%; 3D £1,032,677 23.5%; IMAX/3D took £179,405 6.1%); had 4 days of previews taking £1,702,528 Mon-Thurs taking £10,554,557
1984’s Ghostbusters opened £1.25m (£5,469,613 inflated) taking £12.4m (£54,258,564 inflated)
1989’s Ghostbusters 2 opened £1,418,955 (£4,823,229 inflated) #1 279 screens taking £8,301,000 (£28,216,275 inflated)
It’s interesting that over the 40 years of Ghostbusters, they all had similar openings and BO including inflation. While the original Ghostbusters film opened in December 1984 the same weekend as Gremlins.
It was originally due to be released in November but was delayed to March after the SAG/WAG strike, delaying it to 2024 opening during the 40th anniversary of the original film. The first trailer was released in November.
While there has been much media coverage on promotions for the film it doesn’t seem to have the same media coverage as Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire opening next week has received.
The embargo ended on Wednesday and received the worst reviews of the film series 42% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife 64%; 2016’s Ghostbusters 74%; 1989’s Ghostbusters 2 at 55% and 1984’s Ghostbusters 95%.
With Kung Fu Panda 4 opening on Thursday and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire on Friday ahead of the lucrative two-week Easter holidays Frozen Empire will drop 40%+ down to third.
- 2. Dune Part 2 £2,626,763 – £30,717,100
Down 35.1% in the fourth weekend
Took £664k 29.35% (-36.7% £1.050m) Friday: £1.09m 48.19% (-34.73% £1.67m) Saturday; £508k 22.46% (-61.69% £1.326m) Sunday.
61st biggest fourth weekend between Dunkirk and POTC: Dead Man’s Chest (close to Casino Royale, Fantastic Beasts, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi) and 124th biggest inflated between Incredibles 2 and The Flintstones (close to Forrest Gump, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Sixth Sense).
Dune Part 2 took 124% more than Dune’s fourth weekend (£1,172,873 #3) but kept most IMAX/PLF while Dune had Eternals #1 (£2,918,586) and No Time To Die #2 (£1,567,870)
Like other lengthy films Dune Part 2 takes the bulk of its BO over the weekend with 42% of its weekend BO from Saturday.
Fourth weekends
2021’s Dune dropped 24% £1,172,873 #3 651 screens and £18,942,227 86.3% of £21,947,056; Dune took 3.73x opening if Dune part 2 did similar it will take £34m+
2010’s Inception dropped 30% £2,259,595 #3 468 screens and £25,719,644 73.5% of £34,976,999 (£46,851,543 inflated); took 5.92x opening
2013’s Gravity dropped 27% £1,741,279 #2 479 screens and £22,522,241 68.7% of £32,756,514; 5.24x opening
2014’s Interstellar dropped 38% £1,157,875 #5 413 screens and £18,001,495 85% of £21,173,601; 3.73x opening
2015’s The Martian dropped 28% £1,732,329 #2 561 screens and £20,391,517 86.4% of £23,589,854; 3.61x opening
2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 61% £692,999 #5 421 screens £17,416,826 92.1% of £18,918,361; 3.1x opening
2017’s Logan dropped 56% £763,333 #5 428 screens and £21,911,729 92.6% of £23,655,614; 2.5x opening
2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 42% £3,167,967 #2 757 screens and £45,794,079 76.9% of £59,550,750; took 5.37x opening
2007’s I Am Legend dropped 47% £1,082,585 #4 464 screens and £23,779,153 93.8% of £25,348,532 (£39,754,529 inflated); 2.3x opening
2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 21% £1,753,266 #4 454 screens and £25,286,713 83.2% of £30,367,791 (£51,386,687 inflated); 3.43x opening
2009’s Avatar dropped 19% £4,770,980 #1 493 screens and £40,991,797 43.8% of £93,442,625 (£136,900,316 inflated); 14.1x opening
2017’s Dunkirk down 43% £2,634,839 #1 677 screens and £44,794,468 78.9% of £56,797,955; 5.65x opening
140th biggest between Notting Hill and The BFG (close to Slumdog Millionaire, Gladiator, War of the Worlds and The Da Vinci Code) and 302nd biggest inflated between Monsters vs. Aliens and Fast & Furious 6 (close to Never Say Never Again, I, Robot, The Living Daylights and Pulp Fiction).
30th biggest Warner Bros between iT and Man of Steel (close to The Lego Movie, Gravity, A Star Is Born and Elvis) and 51st inflated between The Hangover and Happy Feet (close to The Matrix, Troy, Lethal Weapon 3 and Batman and Robin).
Despite the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Dune Part 2 shares many IMAX/PLF screens and will likely see a 40%+ fourth-weekend drop, after having no competition for three weeks it has three major films opening over a week ahead of the Easter holidays with Kung Fu Panda 4 opening next Thursday and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire next Friday.
- 3. Immaculate £522,583 – NE
Included £31,099 from previews.
Took £151k 28.93% Friday: £198k 37.93% Saturday: £173k 33.14% Sunday.
2,209th biggest opening between Tango & Cash and Coming To America (close to Dead Again, Beetlejuice, Nightmare on Elm Steet 4 and From Dusk Till Dawn)
506th widest opening in 511 screens similar to Night at the Museum 3, The Fault in Our Stars, The Book Thief, Pixels, Up, Chicken Little and The Hunger Games; 591st 500+ screen opening since 2002’s LOTR: The Two Towers.
178th biggest horror opening between Nightmare on Elm Steet III and Halloween: Resurrection (close to The Queen of the Damned, Psycho (1999), Mimic and The Frighteners).
After Sydney Sweeny had enormous success with Anything But You in December it seemed like perfect timing for two more films to open soon afterwards but as with Madame Web last month Immaculate.
The problem was they were two quite different films that wouldn’t play against the same demographic. While Madame Web received poor reviews, Immaculate received positive reviews but had polarised reactions from audiences.
Immaculate opened similar to the two recent Blumhouse horrors Imaginary (£652,808) and Night Swim (£590,691) despite both receiving poor reviews but wasn’t helped with another horror Late Night with The Devil also opening the same weekend with £220,439 #7 and Imaginary #8 £155,382 in its third weekend.
The opening was 9.79% of the US; industry uses 10% as a guide but it’s barely 10% normally either between 7%-8% or 11%-12%; Dune Part 2 11.25%; while Night Swim 5% and Imaginary 6.6%.
It will be interesting to see how The First Omen opens in two weeks as it shares a similar plot while it will receive poorer reviews it will open with twice as many; 2006’s The Omen opened £2,096,002 347 screens taking £4,220,983. The Omen opened on 6 June 06 having 3 days of previews so was very front-loaded.
Other similar films include.
2020’s Saint Maud opened £263,433 #2 334 screens taking £849,698; opened a few weeks before the second lockdown so impossible to make any direct comparisons.
2016’s The Witch opened £447,626 #7 179 screens taking £883,088
2011’s The Awakening opened £273,083 #11 139 screens taking £669,150
2023’s The Pope’s Exorcist opened £707,050 #5 433 screens taking £2,463,742
2018’s The Nun opened £4,098,198 #1 548 screens taking £11,302,155; impossible to make any comparison as it was a spinoff for The Conjuring.
Immaculate will drop 60% in the second weekend but as with Imaginary and Night Swim stay in the top 10 for a week longer.
- 4. Wicked Little Letters £373,505 – £8,160,804
Down 36.7% in the fifth weekend
£97k 26% (-43.93% £173k) Friday; £167k 44.77% (-28.94% £235k) Saturday: £109k 29.22% (-69% £181k) Sunday
637th biggest fifth weekend between Batman Returns and Charlotte’s Web (close to Closer, While You Were Sleeping, A Haunting In Venice and Maid In Manhattan) and 883rd biggest inflated between Little Man and A Haunting In Venice (close to Dead Again, Dangerous Minds, Falling Down and LA Story).
As with Dune Part 2 having a similar weekend BO since opening as Oppenheimer, Wicked Little Lies has had a similar weekend BO to The Banshees Of Inisherin (also made by Blueprint Pictures) over the last five weeks opened £443 less; £97,431 less in its second, £77,933 less in its third weekend then £28,983 more in its fourth and £50,020 more in its fifth weekend.
While the total to date is £54,278 less (£8,215,082 Vs £8,160,804). They are two different films playing to two different demographics. The Banshees Of Inisherin generated much more media coverage ahead of opening and received widespread critical acclaim (96% Rotten Tomatoes) while Wicked Little Lies (63%).
Some Grey Pound British fifth weekends include.
2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel #3 dropped 51% £747,122 and £15,674,349 of £20,308,480.
2015’s The Lady in the Van dropped 31% £321,592 #6 and £11,261,950 of £12,660,028.
2015’s The Second-Best Marigold Hotel dropped 35% £432,477 #6 and £14,477,633 of £15,575,797
2002’s Gosford Park up 2% £714,175 #6 and £6,735,730 of £12,259,248; 14.64x opening; (£23,926,262 inflation inflated)
874th biggest between Knocked Up and The Living Daylights (close to The Commitments, The Rock, Where The Crawdads Sing and Shirley Valentine) and 1,420th inflated biggest between Evan Almighty and Friends with Benefits (close to Death on the Nile, Sea of Love, Focus and The Prince of Tides).
10th biggest Studiocanal film between Non-Stop and RoboCop (close to Early Man, Rush, Unknown and I Give It A Year); 2024 will be Studiocanal’s biggest year since 2017 taking £50m+ with Back to Black opening in April and Paddington in Peru in November.
Down 35.5% in its eighth weekend
126th biggest eighth weekend between Wish and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (close to There’s Something About Mary, Mrs Doubtfire, Meet the Parents and The Little Mermaid (2023) and 244th biggest inflated between Shirley Valentine and The Little Mermaid (2023) (close to Back To The Future Part III, Licence to Kill, Twister and Enchanted)
32nd biggest animated eighth weekend between Wish and Shrek 2 (close to Monsters University, The Croods, Ice Age III and The Lion King (1994) and 50th biggest inflated between Wish and Rio 2 (close to Ice Age, Pocahontas, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Kung Fu Panda).
7th biggest Illumination 8th weekend (out of 14) between Sing 2 (£421,651) and Super Mario Bros (£292,155)
Illumination’s 14 animated films have taken over £441m in the UK since 2010 and over £483m inflated with Despicable Me 4 set for release in June.
The 11th biggest Illumination film after 8 weeks between Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets 2
64th biggest animated film between Kung Fu Panda and Hotel Transylvania 3 (close to Moana, Tangled, Hotel Transylvania 3 and How to Train Your Dragon 3) and 93rd biggest inflated between Cars 2 and Ralph Breaks The Internet (close to Hercules, Antz, Puss in Boots and Mulan).
305th biggest between Black Adam and Seven (close to Batman Forever, Night at the Museum 2, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Maleficent) and 570th biggest inflated between X-Men: Apocalypse and East Is East (close to Dead Poets Society, Cocktail, Police Academy 3 and Jerry Maguire).
With Kung Fu Panda 4 opening this week time Migration will end taking about £21m which was what it was expected to take being the only family film opening for half-term and the first since Wonka. Over the last decade there used to be more than one family film opening ahead of half-term and they would take more than double between them, a decade ago The Lego Movie (£34,133,383), Mr Peabody and Sherman (£13,552,917) and Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy (£5,459,408).
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £8,835,336 up 29.7% from last weekend’s £6,812,873: 1,100,066 admissions up 27.9% from 860,211 admissions.
38th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 31 March 2023 #1 Dungeons and Dragons £3,544,354 (39.9%) and 23 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse £1,995,517 (24.33%)
95th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 175 weeks between 31 March 2023 #1 Dungeons and Dragons £3,544,354 (39.9%) and 05 August 2022 #1 Bullet Train £2,858,197 (32.7%)
747th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,147) between 14 April 2006 #1 Ice Age II £3,608,531 (40.76%) and 29 August 2008 #1 Stepbrothers £1,681,492 (19.04%) and 999th biggest inflated between 17 December 2010 #1 Tron Legacy £1,970,692 (29.86%) and 16 May 2008 #1 Iron Man £1,917,925 (33.32%)
The top 3 took (£7,195,838) 81.5% of the top 10; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 45.85% (£4,046,492); Dune Part 2 29.76% (£2,626,763); Immaculate 5.92% (£522,583).
322nd highest #1 percentage (45.91%) between 25 May 2018 #1 Solo: A Star Wars Story (45.95%) and 03 March 2023 #1 Creed III (45.86%)
648th biggest admissions #1 (512,133) between 09 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (512,982) and 12 December 2003 #1 Love Actually (512,096)
Down 6.5% from 2023; (£9,441,651); John Wick: Chapter 4 (£5,321,533); 80 For Brady (£158,937); Infinity Pool (£83,972); A Good Person (£71,007); #1 John Wick: Chapter 4 £5,321,533 1st week 651 screens (56.36%)
Up 105.1% from 2022 (£4,302,969); RRR (£650,204); Ambulance (£521,049); Don Carlos – Met Opera 2022 (£72,610); Umma (£35,692); #1 The Batman £1,664,503 4th weekend 50% drop 683 screens (38.7% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown 2
2020: Lockdown 1
Down 8.1% from 2019: (£9,597,710); Us 74.2% (£2,766,839); The White Crow (£326,997); Five Feet Apart (£253,341); The Great Escape with Dan Snow: A Gala Screening On The 75th Anniversary (£172,550); #1 Captain Marvel £3,378,583 3rd week 632 screens 49% drop (32.5% of top 10)
Down 23.8% from 2018; (£11,575,592); Pacific Rim: Uprising (£1,655,186); A Wrinkle In Time (£655,542); Unsane (£478,451); Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Secret Cinema 2018) (£349,492); Proud Mary (£26,291); #1 Peter Rabbit (£4,595,239) 2nd week 37% drop (39.7% of top 10)
Down 53% from 2017: (£18,777,727); Power Rangers (£1,574,624); Life (£743,281); The Lost City of Z (£270,139); CHiPs: Law and Disorder (£205,933); Idomeneo – Met Opera 2017 (£186,423); #1 Beauty and the Beast £12,334,338 2nd week 37% drop (65.7% of top 10)
Down 64.1% from 2016: (£24,577,822); Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (£14,621,007); Zootropolis (£5,306,726); My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (£983,534); Capture the Flag (£86,104); #1 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice £14,621,007 1st week (59.5% of top 10)
Down 25.2% from 2015; (£11,794,092); Home (£6,025,917); The Divergent Series: Insurgent, (£2,938,860); The Gunman (£405,934); Wild Card (£152,034); The Voices (£118,255); #1 Home £6,025,917 1st week (51.09%)
Up 44.7% from 2014: (£6,099,424); Starred Up (£495,181); A Long Way Down (£361,901); Labor Day (£278,726); About Last Night (£173,376); Yves Saint Laurent (£123,913); #1 The Grand Budapest Hotel £1,267,408 1st week 9 (2nd weekend) 3% drop.
Down 20.6% from 2013: (£11,114,309); The Croods (£5,372,290); Jack the Giant Slayer (£1,591,736); Identity Thief (£1,313,162); Stolen (£202,373); Compliance (£72,417); #1 The Croods £5,372,290 1st week.
Down 3.5% from 2012 (£9,142,345); The Hunger Games (£4,900,177); Act of Valour (£262,935); The Kid with a Bike (£66,822); Wild Bill (£60,430); #1 The Hunger Games £4,900,177 1st week (54.6%)
Up 22.9% from 2011 (£7,183,735); Limitless (£2,087,363); A Turtle’s Tale (£1,122,067); The Eagle (£1,038,954); Faster (£157,169); Country Strong (£22,001); #1 Limitless £2,087,363 1st week (29.1% of top 10)
Down 14.1% from 2010: (£10,270,286); Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang (£2,586,760); The Blind Side (£1,313,317); #1 Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang £2,586,760 1st week (25.2% of top 10)
Up 23.5% from 2009; (£7,146,864); Paul Blart: Mall Cop (£1,289,513); Duplicity (£796,244); Lesbian Vampire Killers (£648,634); The Age of Stupid (£101,752); Flash of Genius (£15,626); #1 Marley & Me £2,166,270 2nd week 51% drop (30.31%)
Down 29.5% from 2008; (£12,516,106); Horton Hears a Who (£2,947,089); The Spiderwick Chronicles (£2,555,791); Step Up 2 (£2,358,003); Meet the Spartans (£1,140,100); The Orphanage (£329,009); Love in the Time of Cholera (£91,784); Lars and the Real Girl (£78,707)); #1 Horton Hears a Who £2,947,089 1st week (23.55%)
Down 1.5% from 2007: (£8,956,317); 300 (£4,746,071); TMNT (£948,791); Amazing Grace (£431,967); I Want Candy (£349,301); #1 300 £4,746,071 1st week (53% of top 10)
Up 35.1% from 2006; (£6,536,128): Inside Man (£1,806,854); Hostel (£1,215,987); The Ringer (£560,520); Transamerica (£137,932); The Boys from County Clare (£36,708); #1 Inside Man £1,806,854 1st week (27.6% of top 10)
Up 17.8% from 2005 (£7,489,470); Miss Congeniality 2 (£1,302,070); Valiant (£1,096,329); Melinda and Melinda (£129,257); Maria Full of Grace (£84,335); Mickybo and Me (£47,918); #1 Hitch £1,660,358 2nd week over 4 weeks (22.2% of top 10)
Up 9.4% from 2004 ((£8,067,662); The Passion of the Christ (expansion) 3rd week (£2,019,935); Dawn of the Dead (£1,944,745); Agent Cody Banks 2 (£246,755); Under the Tuscan Sun (£203,634); The Station Agent (£97,044); The Honeymooners (£8,229); Fear X (£7,902); #1 The Passion of the Christ £2,019,935 3rd week up 573% (25.1% of top 10)
Up 105.2% from 2003 (£4,300,084); Just Married (£973,469); National Security (£426,698); Evelyn (£344,270); #1 Just Married £973,469 1st week (22.64%)
Down 13.1% from 2002 (£10,151,091); Ali G Indahouse (£3,231,673); Ice Age (£3,029,738); Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (£541,453); Return to Neverland (£266,149); #1 Ali G Indahouse £3,231,673 1st week (31.84%)
2023 Next week: (£8,882,883); Dungeons and Dragons (£3,544,354); Mummies (£648,460); The Big Lebowski (25th Anniversary) (£31,818); #1 Dungeons and Dragons £3,544,354 1st week 680 screens (39.9% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Sony Pictures
Opened $45m; received poor reviews (43% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore.
Ghostbusters Afterlife (66% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore; 2016’s Ghostbusters B+ and Ghostbusters 2 A-)
Took $4.7m from Thursday midnights compared to Ghostbuster: Afterlife $4.5m and 2016’s Ghostbusters $3.5m
338th biggest opening between Horton Hears a Who! And The Hangover (close to Ghostbusters (2016) #326, Mad Max: Fury Road, Uncharted and Ghostbusters: Afterlife #352).
36% came from PLF formats with $1.8m IMAX; Dune Part 2 still had the majority of IMAX screens.
EntTelligence said Frozen Empire had 3.3m admissions with 42% of the weekend’s BO with Dune Part 2 17% and Kung Fu Panda 4 15%; 54% of Frozen Empire ticket buyers were before 5 pm; 56% under 35.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was expected to open between $43m-$45m
2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife $44m 33% from IMAX/PLF screens including $3.7m from 403 IMAX) taking $129.36m and $204.33m worldwide b
2016’s Ghostbusters $46m, taking $128.35m and $229.14m worldwide.
1989’s Ghostbusters 2 opened $29.47m ($77.78m) taking $112.49m ($297m inflated) and $215.39m worldwide
1984’s Ghostbusters opened $13.57m ($42.55m) taking $243.57m ($763.35m inflated) and $296.57m worldwide; was #1 for 7 consecutive weeks and returned #1 for another 7 weeks over the following 5 months.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a budget of $75m less than half of the budget of 2016’s Ghostbusters; in August 2016 Sony Pictures said they expected to lose $70m on Ghostbusters as the break-even point was $300m.
It’s a strange coincidence all previous Ghostbusters films have taken similar BO in the US.
Opened $16.4m from 25 territories from 7,500 screens; UK $5.3m; Mexico $2.7m; Australia $2m; Germany $1.7m; Spain $1.3m.
2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife opened $16m from 31 territories; UK $5.8m; Mexico $2.4m; Italy $1.4m; IMAX opened with $4.7m worldwide. It had a staggered international opening and was a more crowded opening 3 weeks after Eternals and 5 weeks after Dune.
2016’s Ghostbusters opened with $19.1m from 3,900 screens including $1m from 105 IMAX screens; UK $6.1m from 900 screens; Australia $3.7m; Brazil $2.2m.
- Kung Fu Panda 4 – Universal Pictures
Dropped 45% in the third weekend $16.5m #3 and $132.93m
264th biggest third weekend between Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Shazam! (close to Madagascar, A Bug’s Life, Sonic the Hedgehog and Ralph Breaks the Internet).
93rd biggest animated film between Chicken Little and Rio 2; 508th biggest between Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Bringing Down the House; 1,181st inflated between Bridget Jones’s Diary and Life; 2nd biggest 2024 between Dune: Part Two and Bob Marley: One Love; 72nd biggest Universal Pictures between Ride Along and Hulk.
Since acquiring Dreamworks Animation success has come from existing properties with original films underperforming their next two The Wild Robot and Dog Man are more important titles.
The Wild Robot trailer looks gorgeous similar to The Iron Giant and Wall-E while Dog Man is the spinoff to the underrated Captain Underpants that took less than half of Cars 3 (opened with $53.7m similar to King Fu Panda 4). The question is will audiences come out to see The Wild Robot as they did for Wall-E but didn’t for The Iron Giant?
Third weekends
2008’s Kung Fu Panda dropped 34.7% $21.93m and $155.83m of $215.77m and $632.08m worldwide
2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2 dropped 30.7% $16.54m and $126.81m of $165.24m and $665.69m worldwide
2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 dropped 7% $19.75m and $94.01m of $143.52m and $521.17m worldwide
48 Dreamworks Animation films have taken $6.3bn from the US and $16.83bn worldwide.
Upcoming Dreamworks Animation films The Wild Robot opens in September and Dog Man in January with two untitled films also set for release in 2025.
Took $55.3m from 69 territories and $134.9m total and $267.4m worldwide; China $25.7m; Mexico $22.8m; Germany $6.9m; Spain $6.2m; Italy $4.4m; Vietnam $4.1m; Poland $4m.
Has staggered opening over the next few weeks ahead of Easter making it impossible to compare internationally with other animated films, which said Universal has staggered the openings of several animated films over recent years.
114th biggest animated film worldwide between Bambi (1942) and Cinderella (1950); 635th biggest between We’re the Millers and xXx; 84th biggest Universal Pictures between American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk.
- Dune Part 2 -Warner Bros
Dropped 38% in its fourth weekend $17.6m #2 and $233.36m.
25% from IMAX ($58.3m) 8th highest ever.
83rd biggest fourth weekend between Inside Out and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (close to Joker #65 $19.24m; Oppenheimer #73 $18.81m; Inception #75 $18.5m; Interstellar #109 $15.74m; The Martian #110 $15.73m; I Am Legend #111 $15.71m)
Dune Part 2 for a fourth weekend is coincidentally similar to Oppenheimer’s weekend BO.
167th biggest between Cast Away and Doctor Strange; 497th biggest inflated between True Grit and Con Air; 35th biggest sci-fi between War of the Worlds and The Lost World: Jurassic Park; 35th biggest Warner Bros between Fantastic Beasts and The Exorcist.
Fourth weekends
2021’s Dune dropped 28.8% $5.54m and $93.16m of $108.89m and $433.79m worldwide
2010’s Inception dropped 35.7% $27.48m and $193.31m of $292.58m and $839.03m worldwide
2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 35.4% $18.81m and $264.28m of $329.01m and $957.59m worldwide
2013’s Gravity dropped 32.9% $20.13m and $199.64m of $274.09m and $773.03m worldwide
2014’s Interstellar up 2.6% $15.74m and $147.03m of $188.02m and $731.07m worldwide
2015’s The Martian dropped 26.1% $15.73m and $166.18m of $228.43m and $630.62m worldwide
2016’s Arrival dropped 36.6% $7.26m and $73.04m of $100.54m and $203.38m worldwide
2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 44% $4.11m and $81.53m of $92.07m and $267.68m worldwide
2017’s Logan dropped 42% $10.33m and $201.64m of $226.27m and $619.02m worldwide
2009’s Avatar dropped 26.6% $50.3m and $430.84m of $749.76m and $2.743bn worldwide
Visual cinematic films including Oppenheimer, Interstellar, Gravity, Prometheus and Inception are comparable titles. At the same time, as Tenet, Dune Part 2 will have all IMAX/PLF/Dolby screens which Oppenheimer never had as Barbie had some PLF screens.
Took $30.78m from 73 territories $341m total and $574.4m worldwide; China $43.9m; UK $38.8m; France $31.8m; Germany $29.3m; Australia $17.9m; Korea $15.5m; Spain $11.4m; Mexico $10.3m; Italy $9.9m; Poland $9m; Holland $8.3m; Brazil $6.5m
Has taken $58.3m from IMAX in the US and $50.7m internationally with an additional $15m from China from 1,600 IMAX cinemas.
195th biggest worldwide between Ready Player One and The Croods; 43rd biggest sci-fi between Ready Player One and Kong: Skull Island; 33rd biggest Warner Bros between Ready Player One and Kong: Skull Island.
- Immaculate – Neon
Opened $5.33m #4; received positive reviews (73% Rotten Tomatoes) and C CinemaScore
Coincidentally shares a similar plot to The First Omen opening in two weeks, but audience reaction has been far more polarised than critics.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Opening Thursday boosted by the Easter holidays starting the same day Kung Fu Panda 4 should open similar to previous instalments.
2008’s Kung Fu Panda opened £6,069,679 (including £1,689,313 previews) £9,244,588 inflated taking £19,634,723 (£29,905,193 inflated)
2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2 opened £6,188,897 (including £3,120,000 previews) £8,088,459 inflated taking £16,199,968 (£21,172,235 inflated)
2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 opened £4,771,131 (including £1,589,446 previews) £5,099,508 inflated taking £13,993,060 (£14,956,145 inflated)
In 2010 Jeffrey Katzenberg said that there were plans for six films in the series. In August 2022 Dreamworks Animation confirmed Kung Fu Panda 4 was in production with details released at CinemaCon 2023. The trailer was released in December and viewed over 142m times in the first 24 hours, more than The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Sing 2 and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
The 38 Dreamworks Animation films have taken over £710m and almost £1bn inflated.
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire should open similarly to the last two MonsterVerse 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters opened £3,507,717 #2 taking £6,901,606 and 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong opened £3,507,717 (including £1,200,503 previews) taking £6,779,991.
Rather than the first two 2014’s Godzilla opened £6,385,483 (including £1,185,844 previews) £7,525,748 inflated taking £17,074,621 (£20,123,660 inflated) and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island opened £6,230,997 (including £615,360 previews) taking £15,616,015.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will drop about 45% in its second weekend taking £2.2m-£2.5m having a similar second-weekend drop as Ghostbusters: Afterlife #2 without previews (£2.1m). it also had two wide new releases opening in its second weekend House of Gucci #1 (£2,425,628) and Encanto #3 (£1,720,132).
Dune Part 2 sharing IMAX screens with Godzilla X Kong will likely drop about 45% taking £1.3m-£1.5m in its fifth weekend.
With Immaculate likely to drop 60% could see Mothers’ Instinct starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway opening on Wednesday and squeezing into the top 5 as all other releases will be fighting over scraps as it plays to older audiences and was trailered before Wicked Little Letters.
Mary Poppins is also re-released in cinemas for its 60th anniversary, the BBFC recently reclassified a PG certificate having had a U certificate previously since it was originally released in 1964.
Opening in two weeks
- Abigail – Universal Pictures
Monster horror starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, and Giancarlo Esposito and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Reimagination of the 1936 Universal Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter, has its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on April 7, 2024.
After Universal’s first attempt Dracula Untold was disappointed they launched Dark Universe with The Mummy but after that also disappointed Universal had a third attempt with The Invisible Man which was a hit but then the follow-up Renfield flopped. This year Universal have two films, Abigail and Wolf Man.
It’s the latest modern-day reimagination of the Universal Monsters film series after
2014’s Dracula Untold opened £1,713,283 #2 449 screens taking £4,454,648
2017’s The Mummy opened £3,343,650 #2 574 screens taking £8,746,986
2020’s The Invisible Man opened £2,163,798 #1 580 screens taking £6,841,147
2023’s Renfield opened £680,661 #5 603 screens taking £1,629,813
- Speed (30th Anniversary) – Park Circus
Action thriller starring Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, and Jeff Daniels and directed by Jan de Bont.
It was originally at Paramount Pictures with John McTiernan attached to direct, but he decided not to make it due to its similarities to Die Hard, but suggested Jan de Bont who had been his director of photography for Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October.
Paramount dropped the film and the film moved to 20th Century Fox. A week before it was due to start filming Jan de Bont brought in Joss Whedon to rewrite the script. Stephen Baldwin was the first choice to play Jack, but he felt it was too similar to John McClane’s character and Keanu Reeves was chosen after the director had seen Point Break. Halle Berry declined to play the character Annie (admitted she regretted the decision a few years later) instead Sandra Bullock was cast after she had strong chemistry with Keanu.
The film received positive reviews (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) opening in the US in June and in September in the UK.
It was the first film I screened on my own as a projectionist in June 1994 a couple of weeks ahead of the US release, I screened a dupe of a print in their Executive Theatre for their then MD Peter Dignan.
Opened with £2,310,237 (£5,665,412 inflated) taking £10,752,912 (£26,369,449 inflated)
cigarette burns and missed changeovers 