UK/US Box Office February 15th- 17th week 7

1. The Lego Movie: The Second Part –  £2,472,489 –   £7,410,895  

Down 38.4% in its second weekend (The Lego Movie in 2014 dropped 26% in its second weekend including previews but increased by 1% with previews but its second weekend was a week later with its Friday part of half-term holidays)

262^nd biggest second weekend between Sex and the City 2 and Mission Impossible: Fallout (close to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Big Hero 6, Ralph Breaks The Internet and Coco) and 388^th biggest inflation inflated between X-Men: Apocalypse and Mission Impossible: Fallout (close to Ant-Man, Zootropolis, Ralph Breaks The Internet and 22 Jump Street.

89^th biggest animated opening after 10 days on release (hard to make a direct comparison as unlike many other animated films didn’t have previews) and 103^rd biggest between Horton Hears a Who and Early Man.

Second weekends

2014’ s The Lego Movie £5,978,904 down 25.7% and £21,880,053 of £32,887,286

2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie £4,435,521 down 43.9% and £16,712,705 of £26,771,191

2017’s The LEGO Ninjago Movie £1,346,411 down 63% and £5,557,445 of £9,378,170

Hard to compare The Lego Movie: The Second Part box office with the other Lego Movie films as they all had previews inflating their totals while The Lego Movie second weekend was half-term week. It was the weekend before half-term for the sequel and also had tougher competition with How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opening the weekend before and instant Family weekend after.

With half-term starting on Monday and the weather cool and wet should see all the family films perform strongly across the week  

Many films recently are holding similar in their second weekends with The Lego Movie: The Second Part having a second weekend (close to How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Ralph Breaks The Internet, Aquaman, Glass, Bumblebee and The Grinch) as hasn’t been a breakout box office success since  Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Bohemian Rhapsody showing how flat the market has been since. This won’t change until Captain Marvel opens in three weeks’ time as this weekend the top 10 took almost a third of what the top ten took with Black Panther last year.

As with the US, the UK 2019 started very soft and this started with Mary Poppins Returns taking less than half many expected and not holding as well and of the top 15 in its ninth weekend. The soft start to 2019 probably affected the openings

February half-term family films

In 2018

Coco – opened 19th January total £18,013,336

Early Man opened 26th January total £11,205,643

In 2017

Sing opened 27th January total £28,840,000

The LEGO Batman Movie 10th February total £26,771,191

In 2016

Goosebumps opened 5th February total £8,575,763

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip  opened 12th February total £15,871,522

In 2015

Big Hero 6 opened 30th January total £20,123,298

Shaun The Sheep Movie opened 6th February total £13,675,389

In 2014

Mr. Peabody and Sherman opened 7th February total £13,552,917

The Lego Movie opened 14th February total £32,887,286

2. Instant Family £2,469,853 – NE

Includes £485,000 from Thursday; was #1 Thursday

Only £2,636 separated Instant Family with #1 The Lego Movie: The Second Part but had a day of previews.

Had 551^st biggest opening between Knowing and The Shape of Water and 748^th biggest inflation inflated opening between Open Season and The Shape of Water (close to Sherlock Gnomes, Groundhog Day, Grown Ups and Couples Retreat).

Was Paramount Pictures 49^th biggest opening between Tropic Thunder and Ghost in the Shell and 56^th biggest inflated opening between Sherlock Gnomes and The Devil Inside.

Critics surprised themselves by giving the film positive reviews despite the schmaltzy premise (received 83% Rotten Tomatoes score);

Instant Family opened with $14.5m in November in the US taking $67.3m with most films opening day and date was surprising Paramount Pictures held back Instant Family international release till 2019 but wanted to keep some distance between Bumblebee.

Comparisons are to

Cheaper by the Dozen opened February 2004 with £1,817,148 (£2,922,006 inflation inflated) taking £6,907,690 (£11,523,073 inflation inflated)

Cheaper By The Dozen 2 opened December 2005 with £2,287,967 (£3,507,245 inflation inflated) taking £5,647,928 (£8,981,525 inflation inflated)

Yours, Mine and Ours opened March 2005 with £330,665 taking £1,057,835

Daddy Day Care opened in July 2003 with £796,259 taking £5,040,678

While previous Mark Wahlberg films directed by Sean Anders

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

3. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – £1,649,759 –   £11,498,639  

Down 40% in its third weekend

Impossible to compare its box office with How to Train Your Dragon 2 as it opened in Scotland two weeks ahead of the rest of the UK had extensive previews of £4,860,929 62.49% of its opening weekend. Took £990,959 in its third weekend but was also its fifth (including Scotland) and fourth (with previews) was also the second week of the summer holidays.

While How to Train Your Dragon took 43.7% (£2,121,3210 from previews) took £1,282,519 and £13,089,419 down 8% in its third weekend but was last week of Easter holidays and didn’t have any competition.

In February 2014 The Lego Movie took almost £8m Mon-Thurs of half-term How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and The Lego Movie: The Second Part will probably share that between them this year. Both should have single figure drops this weekend.

Often half-term children’s films play through to Easter but with Disney’s Dumbo re-imagination opening in 6 weeks’ time unlikely they will hold as long.  

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is likely to take closer to the first films total £17,168,517 rather than the sequels £24,258,735.

Dreamworks Animation next release is Abominable opening in October the same weekend as Angry Birds Movie 2. Its plot sounds similar to Smallfoot which opened the same weekend last October (£2,324,189 taking £10,932,839) and Missing Link opening in April (probably the reason why Focus Features aren’t releasing the Laika produced animated film); its first trailer will be released this week with the US release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

4. Alita: Battle Angel £1,417,674   –  £5,709,583

Down 55.6% in its second weekend (41.6% without previews);

Had the 544th biggest second weekend between Knocked Up and The Break-Up and 722^nd biggest inflation inflated between The Children of Men and Me Before You (close to Arrival, Pacific Rim, The Children of Men and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Currently 20^th Century Fox’s 150^th biggest film in the UK between Hidden Figures and Entrapment and 168^th biggest inflation inflated between This Means War and Fantastic Four (2015) (close to Predators, Star Wars: Phantom Menace 3D, Unstoppable and Predator.

Alita: Battle Angel will likely be 20^th Century Fox’s last major release as an independent studio before being absorbed within Disney their 189 biggest films over the last 20 years have taken over £2.7bn at the UK box office and over £3.5bn inflation inflated; while alt of the UK film industry moved out of Soho they have been based at 20^th Century Fox House since the company launched in 1936 for the last 83 years.

Ever since the first trailer was released in December 2017 industry seemed to be willing it to fail writing the film off as a $200m failure three weeks before opening. Similar things were written ahead of the release of James Cameron’s Titanic in 1998 after it was delayed from July to December and Avatar in 2009 and they both became the biggest films of their decades.

Maybe some of the hostility has to do with the technology used as there was similar ahead of the release of Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk in 2016 filmed in 120 HDR 3D 4K despite the film only being released in that format in a couple of cinemas worldwide. Ang Lee also shot his upcoming sci-fi film Gemini Man starring Will Smith in the same format opens in October will be interesting to see how industry and audience react and if it will get a wider release in the format.

Second weekends

2018’s Ready Player One £2,395,663 dropped 44% (41% without previews) and £11,483,687 taking £16,114,011

2001’s A.I. opened £1,556,911 down 32% (£2,715,193 inflation inflated) and £4,807,215  taking £8,027,562 (£14,523,295 inflation inflated)

2005’s I, Robot £2,467,971 down 47.9% (£3,968,541 inflation inflated) and £7,916,281 (£10,805,656 inflation inflated) taking £17,572,456 (£29,313,518 inflation inflated)

2010’s Tron Legacy £486,065 down 75.3% and £4,086,744 taking £10,069,754

2015’s Jupiter Ascending £827,604 down 38.6% and £2,821,198 taking £4,241,234

2017’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets £413,908 down 77.7% and £3,211,172

female action

2014’s Lucy £1,972,039 down 35.9% and £8,006,914 taking £14,129,734

2017’s Atomic Blonde £500,923 down 70.3% and £3,063,918 taking £3,063,918

2017’s Ghost in the Shell £725,720 down 68.4% and £4,161,002 taking £5,554,260

2018’s Tomb Raider £1,186,436 down 61.5% and £5,472,541 taking £7,739,354

James Cameron

2009’s Avatar £3,828,123 down 55% and £18,404,659 taking £94,025,474 (£129,457,868 inflation inflated)

2015’s Terminator Genisys £1,670,491 down 55.9% and £7,313,858 taking £10,868,627. James Cameron initially praised the film but wasn’t involved with the film but is producing the latest Terminator film set for November release currently titled Terminator: Dark Fate.

The last screenplay James Cameron didn’t direct was 1995’s Strange Days made as part of Lightstorm Entertainment $500m production deal with 20th Century Fox (US) and Universal Pictures (International) in 1992; an underrated millennium sci-fi action film.

5. Green Book –  £740,086 –   £5,134,760    

Down 29% in its third weekend; despite the marketplace filled with film for younger audiences ahead of half-term still manages to hold in the top 5 due to strong word of mouth. This is also due to the other family films failing to perform as expected.

26^th biggest eOne film in the UK between Now You See Me 2 and Need for Speed

Mahershala Ali is expected to follow-up his Bafta Best Supporting Actor award with an Oscar on Sunday which a should help Green Book continue to hold strongly in the charts despite the arrival of If Beale Street Could Talk a far superior film.

UK box office in detail

This weekend’s top 10 box office took £11,116,499 down 17.2% from last weekend £13,436,944

The weekend admissions 1,539,681 down 17.2% from last weekend 1,861,073 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

14 films opened at weekend taking (£4,640,012); Instant Family 53.2% (£2,469,853); The Kid Who Would Be King 14.3% (£666,749); Happy Death Day 2U 15.8% (£735,454); remaining 11 films shared 16.5% (£767,956): Top three took 59.3% (£6,592,101)) of the top 10; The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (£2,472,489) 37.5%; Instant Family (£2,469,853) 37.4%; How to Train Your Dragon 3 (£1,649,759) 25.1%;  

The weekend was down 61.8% from 2018: (£29,122,391); Black Panther (£17,700,000); The Shape of Water (£2,466,217); Father Figures (£250,465); Lady Bird (£184,254); #1 Black Panther (£17,700,000) 1st week

Down 38.4% from 2017: (£18,070,709); John Wick: Chapter Two (£2,232,055); The Great Wall (£1,646,516); Hidden Figures (£1,448,214); Moonlight (£621,836); Moulin Rouge! Secret Cinema (£376,900); The Founder (£231,716); #1 The LEGO Batman Movie (£4,435,521) 2^nd week

Down 55.6% from 2016: (£25,026,922); Deadpool (£13,729,803); Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (£4,296,291); Zoolander 2 (£2,089,678); Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (£357,444); A Bigger Splash (£347,704); Concussion (£111,993); The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (£13,729); Jem and the Holograms (£8,869); #1 Deadpool (£13,729,803) 1^st week

Down 49.5% from 2015; (£22,051,391); Fifty Shades of Grey (£13,550,290); Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots (£687,417); Iolanta / Duke Bluebeard’s Castle – Met Opera (£175,751); Love is Strange (£99,755); #1 Fifty Shades of Grey (£13,550,290) 1^st week

Down 36.9% from 2014: (£17,643,201): The Lego Movie (£8,051,140); The Monuments Men (£1,616,625); Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy (£966,920); Cuban Fury (£966,276); Endless Love (£744,867); Her (£449,307); The Book Thief (limited opening) (£16,795); #1 The Lego Movie (£8,051,140) 1^st week

Down 24% from 2013: (£14,627,728); A Good Day to Die Hard (£4,551,116); This is 40 (£1,229,352); Beautiful Creatures (£1,109,167); Sammy’s Great Escape (£519,049); Side by Side (£5,244); #1 A Good Day to Die Hard (£4,551,116) 1^st week

Down 18.3% from 2012 (£13,615,154): Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (£1,340,000); Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (£372,205); #1 The Woman in Black (£3,501,601) 2^nd week up 11%

Down 27.1% from 2011 (£15,233,283); Gnomeo and Juliet (£2,945,627); True Grit (£1,823,254); Yogi Bear (£1,820,405); Just Go With it (£1,628,265); Never Let Me Go (£625,496); #1 Gnomeo and Juliet (£2,945,627) 1^st week

Down 28.2% from 2010: (£15,488,281); Valentine’s Day (£3,732,393); The Wolfman (£2,367,849); Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (£1,502,663); My Name Is Khan (£936,454); A Single Man (£502,009); Pretty Woman: 20th Anniversary (£51,938); #1 Valentine’s Day (£3,732,393) 1^st week

Down 32.4% from 2009; (£16,464,180); Bolt (£5,457,438); Hotel for Dogs (£1,500,298); Friday the 13^th (£1,198,653); Notorious (£1,119,587); Pink Panther 2 (£821,726); Under the Sea 3D (£21,357); #1 Bolt (£5,457,438) 1^st week

Up 13.2% from 2008; (£9,817,133); Jumper (£3,068,803); The Bucket List (£602,248); All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (£103,084); #1 Jumper (£3,068,803) 1^st week

Down 14.9% from 2007:(£13,071,799); Hot Fuzz (£5,918,149); Because I Said So (£400,987); The Science of Sleep (£130,139); #1 Hot Fuzz (£5,918,149) 1^st week

Up 27.1% from 2006; (£8,740,291): Casanova (£550,775); Aeon Flux (£512,426); Good Night, and Good Luck (£405,200); #1 Chicken Little (£2,184,760) 2^nd week 31% drop (5% without previews)

Up11.3% from 2005 (£9,981,514); Shall We Dance? (£1,080,140); Are We There Yet? (£887,814); In Good Company (£594,316); #1 Meet the Fockers (£1,893,131) 4^th week (36% drop)

Up 19.2% from 2004 (£9,322,973); Cheaper by the Dozen (£1,817,148); The Haunted Mansion (£1,677,927); Looney Tunes: Back in Action (£926,447); Tooth (£209,049); It’s All About Love (£18,041); #1 Cheaper by the Dozen (£1,817,148) 1^st week

Up 5.8% from 2003 (£10,500,986); Daredevil (£1,953,136); Treasure Planet (£888,084); The Hours (£616,573); Undercover Brother (£235,527); #1  Two Weeks’ Notice (£2,189,331) 2^nd week 17% drop

Down 25.6% from 2002 (£14,947,751); Ocean’s Eleven (£5,095,062); Ali (platform) (£125,573); #1 Monsters, Inc. (£5,757,712) 2^nd week down 37% (11% drop)  

Next weekend in 2018: (£15,994,745); Lady Bird (expansion 190 screens) (£1,233,508); I, Tonya (£1,049,551); Finding Your Feet (£923,220); La Boheme – Met Opera 2018 (£309,799); Monster Hunt (£41,106); #1 Black Panther (£6,859,230) 2^nd week (61% drop)

Also opened

• Happy Death Day 2U – Universal Pictures

Opened with £735,454 (including £266,079 from previews)

Opened 26.3% less than 2017’s Happy Death Day (£996,410) taking £2.9m

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

Opened with £666,749 (including £39,733 from previews) from 494 screens

After receiving positive reviews and being Joe Cornish’s follow-up to 2011’s Attack the Block many expected The Kid Who Would Be King to open much stronger and close to Attack the Block.

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.

Also released

• If Beale Street Could Talk – eOne

Took £368,796 and £818,825

Up 46.1% in its second weekend added 287 screens (52 screens last weekend) playing now in 339 screens

Barry Jenkins Moonlight opened February 2017 with £621,836 from 85 screens; expanded into 175 screens in its second weekend taking £392,906 and £1,259,529 and expanded into 343 screens in its third weekend #5 £731,380 and £2,487,119 went on to take £4.3m.

Moonlight was nominated for eight Oscars winning three including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali and Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Nominated for two BAFTAs and three Oscars has been overshadowed by Green Book at both BAFTAs and Oscars.

• Bohemian Rhapsody – 20^th Century Fox

Took £227,344 down 1% in its 17^th weekend taking £53,337,832

Has become the 26^th biggest film in the UK between Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 57^th biggest inflation inflated between The King’s Speech and The Matrix Reloaded.

Bohemian Rhapsody is 20^th Century Fox’s fourth biggest film in the UK after Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The Greatest Showman took £304,478 #7 down 51% in its 17^th weekend I 425 screens behind Rampage, Peter Rabbit, A Quiet Place, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Ready Player One and Truth or Dare taking £45.44m 94.1%of £48.3m total.

The film was available as a digital download from Saturday ahead of its DVD release in early March;

As with The Greatest Showman last year Bohemian Rhapsody has played in over 300 screens for its complete release and charted #12 this weekend. In comparison Mary Poppins Returns wasn’t in the top 15 in its 9^th week on release and many experts believed it would have longer legs than The Greatest Showman and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Queen are expected to open the Oscars ceremony on Sunday; while The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman will open the Brits on Wednesday, a year ag few would have expected either to happen, both soundtracks are still in the top five album charts.

After winning two BAFTA awards for Best Actor Rami Malek and Best Sound two weeks ago Rami Malek could win Best Actor Oscar this weekend.

Paramount Pictures released a promo video for their Elton John bio-pic Rocket Man ()opening May) feels like follow-up film to Bohemian Rhapsody directed by Deter Fletcher who completed Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired 

UK Box Office Top 10

US Box office

• Alita: Battle Angel – 20th Century Fox

Opened with $28.25m and $36.96m from 5 days; received average reviews (60% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore

The industry is far to quick to call out a film a hit or a flop ever since Alita: Battle Angel was delayed from December after being delayed from July many expected it to fail similar to 21 years ago when Titanic was also delayed from July to December but became the biggest film worldwide. In 2009 was reported 20^th Century Fox dated Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel to open five days after Avatar in case it flopped.

President’s Day weekend was the lowest weekend since 2001 when Red Dragon took $33.5m in its second weekend; 56% down from last year when Black Panther opened with $202m.

US BO for January 1^st to February 17^th is 20% down from last year due to Christmas holdover films not holding as strongly as expected and studios weary of opening anything against Glass as bring sequel to Unbreakable and Split expected it to open far stronger and holder better.

Box office is expected to improve this weekend with How to Train Your Dragon 3 opening in the US over a month after opening in Australia and Captain Marvel in two weeks’ time expected to open with $120m+. Neither will be enough to fill the Black Panther hole that won’t likely be filled until the summer. Jordan Peele’s Us opens on March 22 while likely do similar to last years A Quiet Place and  Disney’s first of three live-action re-imagination Dumbo opening March 29 opening with $40m+.

The line-up for the rest of the year is very strong so should get back on track with Avengers: Endgame but there are expectations that it won’t be as big as Infinity War.

The industry was also very quick to report last month The  Kid Who Would Be King would lose over $50m a few days after opening in the US, the film was poorly dated and marketed receiving positive reviews.

Similarly Warner Bros announced a November 2020 release date of Denis Villeneuve Dune ensemble cast remake of David Lynch 1984 sci-fi film based on 1965 Frank Herbert novel and many are already calling it out as a flop. After the original film flopped and despite widespread critical acclaim Blade Runner 2049 took only $259m worldwide with a $150m budget.

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 was expected to open with less than $25m in the US with $200m+ budget 20th Century Fox’s final film in its 83-year history was expected to be a major flop. While 20th Century Fox have had huge success with Oscar nominated Bohemian Rhapsody taking over $840m worldwide (7th biggest film worldwide) their only other major success last year was Deadpool 2 and The Greatest Showman from 2017.

20th Century Fox have 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 20th 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 20th 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 20th 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 film 1994’s True Lies directed by James Cameron and 1995’s Strange Days directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Some of 20th 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.

Took $56m from 86 territories (#1 in 41) 35% from 3D and 10% IMAX and $94.4m internationally $137.88m worldwide; top five territories South Korea $14.8m; UK $7.38m; Taiwan $6.8m; Russia $6.5m; France $5.9m.

• The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – Warner Bros

Dropped 38.4% in its second weekend taking $21.02m and $62.5m

Second weekends

2014’s The Lego Movie dropped 27.8% taking $49.84m and $130.14m of $257.76m; $469.2m worldwide

2017’s The Lego atman Movie dropped 38.4% taking $32.65m and $97.22m of $175.75m; $312m worldwide

2017’s The Lego Ninjago Movie dropped 43% taking $11.64m and $35.2m of $59.28m; $123.1m worldwide

Many have suggested The Lego Ninjago Movie hurt the Lego brand in 2017 with Warner Bros opening two Lego films within six months; The Lego Movie 2 should have been the third film with Lego Ninjago released afterwards as it did weaken the brand.

Took $12.1m from 69 territories and $34.7m total and $97.7m worldwide; top territories UK $9.6m; Russia $2.8m; Poland $2.3m; Germany $2.1m.

• Happy Death Day 2U – Universal Pictures

Opened with $9.52m and $13.23 from 5 days; received average reviews (66% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore

Opened 63% lower than the first film which was surprising as the first film was well received but maybe seeing a horror film isn’t what audiences want to see on Valentines Day.

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; majority of the films had low budgets so much more profitable than megamovies.

In 2014 Blumhouse Productions signed a 10 year first look production deal with Universal Pictures but were originally based at Paramount Pictures as Dreamwork 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 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 Lola 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 released on Netflix on earlier this month which has received excellent reviews.

Took $11.8m from 41 territories and $29.9m worldwide; Happy Death Day took $69.8m internationally in 2017.

• Isn’t It Romantic – Warner Bros

Opened with $14.31m and $20.55 from 5 days; received mixed reviews (68% Rotten Tomatoes) and B CinemaScore

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 releasing it on February 27^th; 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.

• What Men Want – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 41.4% in its second weekend taking $10.68m and $35.91m

2000s What Women Want dropped 52.7% in its second weekend taking $15.88m and $64.45m total $182.81m and $374.1m worldwide.

2018’s Night School dropped 54.1% taking $12.51m and $46.99m $77.33m total and $102.98m worldwide.

Took $2.2m from 6 territories and $2.5m total; What Men Want will have limited appeal internationally.

• Cold Pursuit – Lionsgate

Dropped 45.9% in its second weekend taking $5.96m and $21.08m  

Performing similar to Run All Night which took $26.46m but less than 2018’s The Commuter $38.3m; 2014’s Non-Stop $92.16m 2011’s Unknown $63.68m.

Showing that Liam Neeson’s comments at the junket several weeks ago had no affect on the films performance apart from generating much more media coverage for the film that it would have received. Some might of thought it might of hurt its box office but it didn’t affect The Upside box office which will shortly take $100m at the box office.

11  years ago Liam Neeson’s Taken took $145m two sequels followed Taken 2 opening in 2012 with taking $139.85m and Taken 3 opening in 2015 with $89.25m.

• Glass – Universal Pictures

Down 3.7% in its fifth weekend with $3.91m and $104.54m #648 biggest film in the US between The First Wives Club and Robin Hood

733^rd film to take over $100m at the US box office; the first film to take $100m at the US ox office was The Graduate in 1967 ($772.7m today)

From the 60s to the 90s a film taking $100m at the US box office was a sign of a film’s success but now it’s all relative to the film as for Glass sequel to Split and Unbreakable $100m was always expected after opening with $40m+ but for The Mule opening with $17.5m it’s a massive achievement.

In 2018 were 34 films taking over $100m and 13 over $200m but 20 years earlier were only 18 and only 2 films taking over $200m and then in 1988 only 6 films taking over $100m (5 original films).

M Night Shyamalan films have taken $1.33bn in the US and $2.99bn worldwide

Internationally took $3.6m from 44 territories and $130.3m total and $235.6m worldwide #621 biggest film between Spy and American Pie.

Top territories UK $12.6m; Russia $10.5m; Mexico $10.5m; France $8.9m; Germany $8.0m; Australia $6.8m; Split’s top territories UK $11.3m; Russia $10.1m; Mexico $9.5m; France $7.6m.

• Aquaman – Warner Bros

Down 42.1% in its ninth weekend (dropping 936 screens) taking $1.85m and $331.31m; #57 biggest film in the US between Guardians of the Galaxy and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Aquaman has overtaken Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330.36m) 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.

9^th weekends;

Suicide Squad took $1.91m down 38.3% and $320.85m of $325.1m

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took $310k down 40.3% and $328.72m of $330.1m

Man of Steel took $750k up 60.8% and $288.68m of $291.04m

Wonder Woman took $3.34m down 27.5% and $395.24m of $412.56m 

Justice League took $255k down 54.2% and $227.46m of $229.02m

The six DC Extended Universe films have taken $1.91bn in the US and $4.9bn worldwide

Took $3.4m internationally from 69 territories $800.7m total and $1.132bn worldwide; #20 biggest film worldwide between Captain America: Civil War and Transformers: Dark of the Moon; top territories China: $291.8m; South Korea: $39.1m; Brazil: $35.8m; Mexico: $30.4m; Australia: $29.2m; UK: $28.6m; France: $27.5m; Germany: $24.5m; Russia: $19.6m

• Mary Poppins Returns – Disney

Down 48.6% in its ninth weekend taking $427,000 (dropped 497 screens) and $170.45m; #285 biggest film between Chicago and The Help

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 will now come short of The Greatest Showman, but shouldn’t have 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 9 has dropped down to 10.3%

The Greatest Showman took $5.03m in its ninth weekend (1098% more) down 21.9% and $154.41m 88.5% of $174.34m

Took $2.3m from 20 territories and $171.1m total and $341.6m globally; #378 biggest film between Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and The Flintstones (The Greatest Showman #249 $435m; La La Land #241 $446.1m; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again #296 $394.7m; Mamma Mia! #144 $609.9m); top territories UK $55.4m; Italy $14.7m; Australia $13.8m; France $11.4m; Spain $10.8m; Germany $10.3m  

Mary Poppins Returns now take $345m worldwide $50m less than almost $100m less than The Greatest Showman and less than half of Bohemian Rhapsody which must have been close to its global total box office expected.

• Green Book – Universal Pictures

Down 17.2% in its fourteenth weekend taking $2.85m (dropping 531 screens) and $65.85m

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

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 $9m from 59 Lionsgate/Amblin territories with $60.6m total (top territories France $7.0m; UK $6.8m; Italy $5.7m; Australia $5.4m; Russia $5.2m) $127.1m worldwide;

• Bohemian Rhapsody – 20^th Century Fox

Took $960k in its sixteenth weekend #15 down 26.3% taking $211.9m; #179 biggest film in the US between Austin Powers in Goldmember and 300;

12^th biggest film of 2018 between Venom and A Star is Born; second biggest 20^th Century Fox film of 2018 (over the next few weeks could overtake Venom, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Mission Impossible: Fallout) and 20^th Century Fox’s 21^st biggest film ever between X2 and The Empire Strikes Back.

Weekend box office $4.3m from 49 territories $642.1m 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 $854.3m total globally; #67 biggest film between Venom and Thor: Ragnarok;

10^th biggest original film ever globally (20^th Century Fox 3 (Avatar, Titanic, Bohemian Rhapsody); Disney 5 (Frozen, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Inside Out)  Universal 2 (Jurassic Park, The Secret Life of Pets) Warner Bros 1 (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

Bohemian Rhapsody is 20^th Century Fox’s 6^th biggest film ever globally (overtaking Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith $844.9m) after Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Ice Age: Continental Drift; biggest territories Japan $104.25m; South Korea $75.9m; UK $69.1m; Australia $38.1m; France $37.3m; Italy $32.6m; Germany $33.5m; Spain $30.37m; Holland $22.6m;

• Fighting with My Family – MGM

Opened with $135,930 from 4 screens

 

UK Box Office Predictions

With no major releases the animated films will top the chart The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, How to Train Your Dragon 3 both likely to have small drops due to half-term week. Instant Family will drop slightly more due to having previews but all three are likely to take similar box office.

Alita: Battle Angel  should have a decent hold in fourth and despite a disappointing opening word of mouth should help The Kid Who Would Be King hold strongly

New releases Cold Pursuit and On the Basis of Sex aren’t likely to generate much interest, as with the US Cold Pursuit will unlikely be affected with Liam Neeson’s junket comments and On the Basis of Sex will have limited interest.

February will end as the year began in a slump from last year and won’t improve until Captain Marvel opens in two weeks’ time, many expect Captain Marvel to kick-stat 2019 box office.  Butte next two weeks will probably be one of the lowest of the year.

Opening in UK Next Week

• The Aftermath – 20^th Century Fox

Drama starring Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgård, Jason Clarke, and Alexander Scheer and  directed by James Kent (Testament Of Youth) produced by Ridley Scott based on the novel  by Rhidian Brook.

Fox Searchlight acquired the film in August 2016; had its world premiere yesterday (February 18^th) at Picturehouse Central with the cast and director in attendance.

The Aftermath could be 20th Century Fox’s final film they released before being acquired by Disney which is expected to happen in the next few months, their next release apart from several Indian films are Tolkien, Breakthrough and Ad Astra.

It will take several months or for 20th Century Fox to be incorporated within Disney and is unknown if  they will keep 20th Century Fox as a distributor or become a production label within the studio as Touchstone Pictures was for many years.

• Serenity – Sky Cinema

Thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Strong written and directed by Steven Knight.

Received negative reviews (23% Rotten Tomatoes) opened in January in the US with $4.41m and taken $8.48m to date and $1.7m internationally.

Serenity had Anne Hathaway worst ever wide opening (previous worst 2011’s One Day $5.08m taking $13.84m and Matthew McConaughey worst opening since 2017’s Gold $3.57m taking $7.22m.

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 just throwing money at a film that was unlikely to find an audience.

It will be released in limited cinemas as it is also shown on Sky Cinema; it is the sixth film Sky Cinema have released since last March all have been little more than straight to DVD films.

• What They Had – Universal Pictures

Drama starring Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, Blythe Danner, Taissa Farmiga, and Josh Lucas and directed by Elizabeth Chomko; had world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last year receiving positive reviews (88% Rotten Tomatoes)

opened in the US on limited release in October in four screens expanding to only 53 screens taking only $260,136 and will have a similarly limited release in the UK.

Opening in the US

• Greta – Focus Features

Thriller starring Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, and Stephen Rea and directed by Neil Jordan. (was previously titled The Widow)

Had its world premiere at the Toronto  Film Festival in September receiving positive reviews 70% Rotten Tomatoes); Focus Features acquired US rights in September, Universal Pictures previously acquired UK rights. 

Greta is Neil Jordan’s first film since 2012’s Byzantium; its 33 years after he directed Mona Lisa and 25 years since Interview with the Vampire his films since haven’t been as successful either critically or at the box office. 

• Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral – Lionsgate

Comedy written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry;  it is the eleventh and final instalment of the Madea film series.

Last Tyler Perry’s Acrimony opened in March 2018 with $17.17m taking $43.54m