UK Box Office March 8th -10th 2024; Week 10

1. Dune Part 2 – £5,851,155 – £19,340,959

Down 37% in the second weekend

Took £1.58k 43.8% drop (£2.81m) Friday; £2.47k 29.6% drop (£3.51m) Saturday; £1.8m 30.78% (39.2% drop £2.96m)

62^nd biggest second weekend between Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. (close to Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Spider-Man 3 and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) and 130^th biggest inflated between The Mummy Returns and Bruce Almighty (close to Gravity, I am Legend, Avatar and Inception).

5^th biggest second weekend of the last 52 weeks between Wonka and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3; 6^th biggest opening week of the last 52 weeks (£13.49m) between Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

After Dune Part 2 opened with almost 100% more than Dune their weekday BO has been remarkably similar to Dune taking £1.02 Mon Vs £975k; Tues £1.05 Vs £1.02m; £1.06m Vs £1.03m Weds; £1.02m Vs £1.02m Thurs; These daily figures are similar to Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning. Would have expected weekday figures to be much higher than said as with films like Avatar 2 and Oppenheimer the lengthy running time means most will wait to see it at weekends, why kt held very strongly on Saturday.

Dune Part 2 had a bigger second weekend drop than Dune despite having no competition, Dune had five films taking more than Wicked Little Lies; No Time To Die #1 £3,514,308; Venom: Let There Be Carnage #3 £1,515,357; The Addams Family 2 #4 £1,465,351; The Boss Baby 2 #5 £1,339,100; Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone (20th Anniversary) #6 £965,008.

Dune Part 2 took 76.6% more than Dune’s second weekend, but surely with no competition, it should have taken far more £6m+ similar to 1917 (£6,190,049); Wonka (£6,362,786)

Second weekends

2021’s Dune dropped 44% (31% without previews) £3,312,159 #2 689 screens and £13,214,527 60.21% of £21,947,056; Dune took 3.73x opening if Dune part 2 did similar it will take £34m+

2010’s Inception dropped 29% £4,172,568 #2 456 screens and £14,204,521 40.61% of £34,976,999 (£46,851,543 inflated); took 5.92x opening

2013’s Gravity dropped 22% (14% without previews) £4,838,152 #1 571 screens and £14,711,488 45% of £32,756,514; 5.24x opening

2014’s Interstellar dropped 30% £3,777,804 #1 576 screens and £12,131,990 60.46% of £21,173,601; 3.73x opening

2015’s The Martian dropped 41% (21% without previews) £3,854,809 #1 582 screens and £13,211,096 56.03% of £23,589,854; 3.61x opening

2016’s Arrival dropped 49% (42% without previews) £1,496,205 #2 571 screens and £5,782,996 63.24%of £9,144,719; 3.13x opening

2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 49% (41% without previews) £3,098,872 #2 653 screens £12,184,828 64.74% of £18,918,361; 3.1x opening

2017’s Logan dropped 60% (45% without previews) £3,858,463 #2 602 screens and £16,855,344 71.25% of £23,655,614; 2.5x opening

2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 24% £8,222,657 #2 694 screens and £27,657,602 47.55% of £58.9m; took 5.37x opening

2007’s I Am Legend dropped 66% £3,740,369 #1 458 screens and £18,469,146 72.86% of £25,348,532 (£39,754,529 inflated); 2.3x opening

2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 51% (44% without previews) £4,219,120 (£7,139,360 inflated) #1 506 screens and £17,568,570 57.41% of £30,367,791 (£51,386,687 inflated); 3.43x opening

2009’s Avatar £3,828,123 #2 (£5,608,482 inflated) and £18,404,659 19.57% of £93,442,625 (£136,900,316 inflated); 14.1x opening

2017’s Dunkirk down 17% £8,235,532 #1 663 screens and £27,017,724 47.74% of £56,797,955; 5.65x opening

Similar to Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (£5,979,241); The Lego Movie (£5,978,904); Star Wars Attack of the Clones (£5,955,017); Jurassic World Dominion (£5,694,280); Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (£5,652,730); Fantastic Beasts 2 (£5,622,755); Spider-Man 3 (£5,596,612); Indiana Jones …The Crystal Skull (£5,532,530); The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (£5,525,476)

Sales for IMAX were strong again in its second weekend with BFI IMAX selling out all shows Fri-Sun would be interesting to see how much Dune Part 2 has taken in IMAX from 51 cinemas and how that compares with other similar films, likewise how much PLF and how much standard taken but these figures are rarely made public.

307^th biggest between Solo: A Star Wars Story and Johnny English (close to War for the Planet of the Apes, Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049 and Saving Private Ryan) and 577^th biggest inflated between Atonement and Jerry Maguire (close to Deep Impact, Fantastic Four (2005), Waterworld and Mad Max: Fury Road).

51^st biggest Warner Bros between Black Adam and The Hangover Part III (close to Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Batman Forever, The Matrix Revolutions and Tenet) and 90^th inflated between Miss Congeniality and Tenet (close to Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Heat, Disclosure and Ready Player One).

• 2. Wicked Little Lies – £898,390 – £6,077,094

Down 23% in its third weekend

Took £216k Friday 34.55% drop (£330k) Friday; £330k 35.9% drop (£515k) Saturday; £352k 39.2% (7.65% drop £327k) Sunday.

696^th biggest third weekend between Bad Moms and My Best Friend’s Wedding (close to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Fun With Dick And Jane, Star Trek Beyond and Robocop (2014) and 1,022^nd. biggest inflated between The Magic Roundabout and Jungle Cruise (close to Dead Again, The Fisher King, The Wedding Date and Last Vegas).

Blueprint Pictures produced Wicked Little Lies and financed by Studiocanal (as The Mercy and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). Its curious Wicked Little Lies has taken similar to their last film The Banshees Of Inisherin over the last three weeks; opening £443 less; £97,431 less in its second and £77,933 less in its third weekend. In comparison, the total BO to date is currently £201,346 less (£6,077,094 Vs £6,278,440). They are two quite different films playing to two quite 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%).

As with many other films targetting grey pound audiences, it took as more Mon-Thurs £919,140 as Fri-Sun £898,390 as older audiences prefer going to the cinema during the week.

Some Grey Pound British third weekends include.

Third weekends

2022’s The Duke #5 dropped 26.6% taking £500,749 and £3,866,162 of £5,283,515

2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel #2 £1,787,352 down 24% 499 screens and £10,855,596 53.4% of £20,308,480.

2015’s The Lady in the Van #6 £950,961 down 41% 548 screens and £9,047,439 71.5% of £12,660,028.

2015’s The Second-Best Marigold Hotel #1 £1,409,311 down 29% 592 screens and £11,731,915 75.3% of £15,575,797.

2019’s The Good Liar #7 £263,002 down 57% and £3,223,157 83.4% of £3,844,314

2002’s Gosford Park dropped 18% £742,814 and £4,018,197 of £12,259,248; 14.64x opening; (£23,926,262 inflation inflated)

2013’s Philomena £1,006,356 £1,006,356 #3 29% drop and £7,298,426 of £10,470,225  

2018’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato dropped 63% £357,429 #4 and £4,294,094 of £5,937,280.

2022’s See How They Run dropped 51% £473,222 #4 and £3,696,152 of £4,858,629.

2022’s The Duke dropped 26% £500,749 #5 and £3,866,162 of £5,283,515

2023’s The Great Escaper dropped 39% £326,200 #8 and £3,092,833 of £5,318,899.

It plays to an older demographic who prefers going to the cinema during the week rather than the weekend. The problem with both is they won’t film audiences rush out to see over the weekend. Exhibitors always talk about the need for more films to be released but it is not more films they want but the right kind of films as they should be supporting films like Wicked Little Letters and give them a chance to find their audience as similar feel-good British films 20+ years ago would.

1,191^st biggest between Parenthood and Far From The Madding Crowd (close to The Lovely Bones, 12 Monkeys, Legally Blonde and The Invention of Lying) and 1,733^rd inflated biggest between Let’s Be Cops and Creed (close to Changeling, Hidden Figures, Plane’s Trains and Automobiles and The Witches (1990).

15^th biggest Studiocanal film between I Give It A Year and Fahrenheit 9/11 (close to Mirror Mirror, Unknown, King of Thieves and The Guernsey Literary and Potato); 2024 will be Studiocanal’s biggest year since 2017 taking £50m+.

Much was made of the announcement during the budget UK-qualifying films budgeted up to £15m will receive tax relief of 40% with the introduction of the indie tax credit. The problem is aren’t the UK-based film companies of the 90s self-financing Palace closed, Rank and Polygram sold and closed, Redbus sold to Helkon/Lionsgate, Optimum sold to Studiocanal, Electric sold to Momentum/eOne/Lionsgate, Guild sold to Pathe and have stopped financing films.

The only British film company from the 90s still making British films is Entertainment Films highlighting the failure of the National Lottery Franchises of the mid-90s, which were meant to be four Film Consortium, Pathe, DNA and Entertainment Films but for some unknown reason, the UK Film Council rejected their bid. Had the Franchises been handled properly would have four self-sufficient UK studios with the infrastructure to produce slates of films without needing US funding to be made as having a production company partnered with distributor and exhibitor.

The question is what is an under £15m independent British Film as All of Us Strangers and Rye Lane both won BIFAs but wouldn’t have been made without funding from Searchlight owned by Disney, likewise, Blueprint Films Wicked Little Letters needed to be funded by Studiocanal (French), See-Saw Films One Life released in the UK by Warner Bros, Poor Things produced by Film Four needed Searchlight to finance.

So, the benefactors will be companies like Studiocanal (French) and US studios making their independent low budget ‘British’ films in the UK as Eady Levy did in the 1950s and 60s that will book out UK studio space. In the 50s US studios made British films in the UK to qualify for the Eady Levy booking out studio space as studios are doing now.

This indie tax credit receives huge media coverage but doesn’t deal with the issues as still needs companies to put up the rest of the budget, international presales will fiancé some of the budget depending on the film and casting, but producers will often generate higher sales once completed if the film is shown at film festival. Coda was pre-sold at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 to many indie global distributors and screened at the Sundance Film Festival where Apple acquired world rights for $25m and it went on to win Oscars.

Why should British taxpayers subsidise films financed by non-British companies as profits won’t remain in the UK? If the British film industry was really on par with Hollywood should be able to find British companies willing to invest £50m+ a year making British films as it did 30+ years ago?

A film like Wicked Little Lies would benefit from the indie tax credit made in the UK with a British cast and director but it was fully financed by Studiocanal a French company why should foreign companies receive tax breaks? Gladiator 2 was made in Malta due to receiving a 40% tax break does that make the film Maltese as films like The Marvels, Barbie and Wonka are seen to be British despite being made by US studios?

Studiocanal also will release two more very British films this year the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black and Paddington in Peru as Wicked Little Lies, these are films that if there was a British film industry should be financed by British film companies. Always go back to the failure of the film franchises of the ’90s, had they been handled properly there could have been up to four self-sufficient UK studios making and releasing British films.

It’s the 40th anniversary of Working Title Films in the early years as a British-owned production company made critically acclaimed films My Beautiful Laundrette, Wish You Were Here, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid and A World Apart for Palace but it wasn’t until Polygram brought Working Title in 1992 (owned by Philips) had big BO success. In 1998 Universal Pictures acquired Working Title as part of assets buying Polygram, Notting Hill was in post with Bridget Jones in development.

• 3. Marley: One Love – £830,382 – £15,169,496

Dropped 38.6% in the third weekend.

Took £201k 33.1% (42.74% drop £351k) Friday; £345k 41.57% (45.75% drop £636k) Saturday; £284k 34.22% (21.98% drop £364k) Sunday.

421st biggest third weekend between Turbo and Beauty and the Beast (1992) (close to Jurassic Park 3, Jumanji, Into the Woods and Oz: The Great And Powerful) and 702nd biggest inflated between Daddy Day Care and Paranorman (close to Parenthood, The Firm, Bird on a Wire and Pretty Woman).

16th biggest second weekend in the last 52 weeks between Migration and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and the 40th biggest second weekend since lockdown between Migration and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

Other recent music biopics’ fourth weekends include.

2023’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody dropped 30% £766,245 #4 and £9,600,212 of £11,383,690

2006’s Walk the Line dropped 22% £741,385 #6 and £6,235,636 of £9,737,493

2022’s Elvis dropped 24% £1,003,820 #3 and £16,156,229 of £27,492,430; had long legs stayed in the top 5 for 7 weeks and top 10 for 11 weeks.

2019’s Rocketman dropped 24% £1,633,127 #3 and £19,255,598 of £23,502,881: top 5 for 5 weeks and top 10 for 7 weeks

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 1% £2,103,605 #4 and £16,865,309 of £49,592,940.

2018’s A Star Is Born dropped 25% £2,150,987 #2 and £19,238,711 of £30,309,667.

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 33% £3,021,648 #3 and £34,854,038 of £55,376,188.

Dating is a major reason why a film is a hit as seen with Top Gun Maverick but then the opposite happened with Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, One Love was originally due to be released on January 12, but Paramount pushed its release a month last September after dated Mean Girls in January.

The next musician biopic Back to Black about Amy Winehouse opens in April and then Micheal (Micheal Jackson) currently shooting and due for release in April 2025. Ridley Scott has signed up to direct a Bee Gees biopic after Paramount bosses were “blown away” by the footage they saw of Scott’s Gladiator 2, but as David Zaslav said The Flash was one of the greatest superhero movies he has ever seen. Tom Cruise also said it was “everything you want in a movie; you have to take these comments as premiere reactions with a pinch of salt.

491st biggest between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and True Lies (close to Flash Gordon, Yesterday, The Devil Wears Prada and Sense and Sensibility) and 836th biggest inflated between Look Who’s Talking Too and Saw III (close to A Beautiful Mind, LA Confidential, The Social Network and The Jewel on The Nile).

• 4. Migration £671,666- £18,369,549

Down 30.5% in the sixth weekend

Took £61k 9.09% (£70k 12.86% drop Friday; £303k 45.16% (42.4% drop £526k) Saturday; £307k 45.75% (15.89% drop £365k) Sunday.

170^th biggest sixth weekend between Goldeneye and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (close to St. Trinian’s, Cinderella, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG) and 347^th biggest inflated between Armageddon and Two Weeks’ Notice (close to Coming To America, Star Wars Special Edition, The Golden Child and Parenthood)

43^rd biggest animated sixth weekend between Home and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (close to The Secret Life of Pets, Puss in Boots, Despicable Me and The Lego Movie 2) and 73^rd biggest inflated between How to Train Your Dragon and Antz (close to Wall-e, Lilo & Stitch, The Boss Baby and Hotel Transylvania 2).

10th biggest Illumination sixth weekend (out of 14) between The Secret Life of Pets (£785,662) and Despicable Me (£868,635) close to Super Mario Bros and Sing.

Illumination’s 14 animated films have taken £440m in the UK since 2010 and over £482m inflated with Despicable Me 4 set for release in June.

The 11th biggest Illumination film after 6 weeks has overtaken The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (£18,010,746) and will shortly overtake Despicable Me (£19,066,830)

73^rd biggest animated film between Bolt and Tarzan (close to The Lego Movie: The Second Part, Coco, Ralph Breaks The Internet and How to Train Your Dragon) and 101^st biggest inflated between The Little Mermaid (1990) and Flushed Away (close to Mulan, Rio 2, Flushed Away and Jungle Book (1993 re-issue).

352^nd biggest between Bean and I, Robot (close to Stuart Little, Last Christmas, The Mummy (1999) and The Mask) and 638^th biggest inflated between The Village and Red Dragon (close to Good Morning Vietnam, Free Guy, Lost in Translation and Alvin and the Chipmunks).

• 5. Imaginary – £652,808      – NE

Took £216k 33.13% Friday; £284k 43.56% Saturday; £152k 23.31% Sunday.

It opened similarly to Blumhouse’s Night Swim for £590,691 in January.

Blumhouse Horrors have made £150m+ over the last 10 years as the biggest openers.

2023’s M3gan £2,356,356; 2019’s Glass £3,423,380; 2013’s Insidious 2 £2,877,742; 2019’s Us £2,766,839; 2018’s Halloween £2,656,097; 2017’s Split £2,548,516 and 2020’s The Invisible Man £2,163,797

M3gan took more on its opening day, £806k, on Friday, than Night Swim opened over its opening weekend, but like many Blumhouse Production films, Imaginary opened far less than in the US.

Blumhouse have two more films set for release this year both from Universal and both remakes, Speak No Evil and Wolf-Man and have three for release in 2025 including MEGAN 2.0 and The Black Phone 2.

UK box office in detail

The weekend’s top 10 box office took £9,441,790 down 30.6% from last weekend’s £13,609,322: 1,185,470 admissions down 31.1% from 1,718,349 admissions.

32^nd biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 18 August 2023 #1 Barbie £2,697,820 (27.79%) and 24 March 2023 #1 John Wick: Chapter 4 £5,321,533 (56.36%)

77^th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 173 weeks between 14 October 2022 #1 Lyle, Lyle Crocodile £2,783,562 (29.43%) and 24 March 2023 #1 John Wick: Chapter 4 £5,321,533 (56.36%)

671^st biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,145) between 14 October 2022 #1 Lyle, Lyle Crocodile £2,783,562 (29.43%) and 24 March 2023 #1 John Wick: Chapter 4 £5,321,533 (56.36%) and 954^th biggest inflated between 25 March 2011 #1 Limitless £2,087,363 (29.06%) and 24 March 2023 #1 John Wick: Chapter 4 £5,321,533 (56.36%)

The top 3 took (£7,579,927) 80.3% of the top 10; Dune Part 2 61.97% (£5,851,155); Wicked Little Letters 9.52% (£898,390); Bob Marley: One Love 8.79% (£830,382).

122^nd highest #1 percentage (61.97%) between 18 December 2009 Avatar (62.2%) and 25 November 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (61.95%)

428^th biggest admissions #1 (738,782) between 13 May 2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (739,968) and 04 July 2003 Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (737,180)

Down 9.4% from 2023; (£10,426,415); Scream VI (£3,043,922); 65 (£1,270,409); Champions (£376,816); Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (£10,115); #1 Scream VI £3,043,922 1st week 627 screen (29.2% of top 10)

Down 19.5% from 2022 (£11,727,453); BTS Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing (£899,127); Red Rocket (£74,709); Mario Puzo’s the Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (Re: 2022) (£22,184); #1 The Batman £7,406,390 2nd week 715 screens 45% drop (63.1% of top 10)

2021; Lockdown 2

Up 87.1% 2020 (£5,045,549); The Hunt (£542,475); Bloodshot (£444,917); Misbehaviour (£347,643); My Spy (£345,575); #1 Onward £1,272,748 2nd week 636 screens 63% drop (25.2% of top 10)

Down 45.2% from 2019: (£17,220,357); Captain Marvel (£12,750,000); The Sleeping Beauty – Bolshoi Ballet 2019 (£176,849); Everybody Knows (£118,080); Miss Bala (£18,832); #1 Captain Marvel £12,750,000 1st week 655 screens (74.1% of top 10)

Down 1.8% from 2018; (£9,614,433); You Were Never Really Here (£288,344); Gringo (£215,029); Walk Like a Panther (£91,333); Wonder Wheel (£42,976); #1 Black Panther £2,931,682 4th week 585screens 22% drop (30.5% of top 10)

Down 31.5% from 2017: (£13,776,935); Kong: Skull Island (£6,230,997); La Traviata – Met Opera 2017 (Opera) (£323,284); Elle (£253,619); The Love Witch (£14,244); #1 Kong: Skull Island £6,230,997 1st week 567 screens (45.2% of top 10)

Down 21.4% from 2016: (£12,014,397); Kung Fu Panda 3 (£4,771,131); The Divergent Series: Allegiant (£1,838,019); The Witch (£447,626); Anomalisa (£223,387); The Ones Below (£6,971); #1 Kung Fu Panda 3 £4,771,131 1st week 583 screens (39.7% of top 10)

Up 14.3% from 2015; (£8,258,448); Chappie (£1,015,058); Still Alice (£401,565); Unfinished Business (£394,177); It Follows (£229,927); Romeo & Juliet – Bolshoi 2013 (£189,674); Kill the Messenger (£57,666); #1 The Second-Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (£1,957,256); 2nd week down 48% (23.7% of top 10)

Down 8.2% from 2014: (£10,284,056); 300: Rise of an Empire (£2,761,612); The Grand Budapest Hotel (£1,532,239); Escape from Planet Earth (£395,392); #1 300: Rise of an Empire (£2,761,612) 1st week (26.85% of top 10)

Up 11.9% from 2013: (£8,440,254); Oz: The Great and Powerful (£3,712,948); Side Effects (£904,746); Parker (£568,777); Guilt Trip (£432,068); Robot & Frank (£106,346); Broken (£68,423); Fire with Fire (£19,201); The Princess Bride (Re) (£11,273); #1 Oz: The Great and Powerful £3,712,948 1st week 530 screens (44% of top 10)

Up 10.3% from 2012 (£8,558,124); John Carter (£1,960,414); The Raven (£299,254); Bel Ami (£296,341); Cleanskin (£27,405); #1 John Carter £1,960,414 1st week 456 screens (22.9% of top 10)

Up 10.5% from 2011 (£8,539,922); Battle: Los Angeles (£1,792,913); Hall Pass (£900,936); Fair Game (£304,297); The Resident (£139,088); The Company Men (£36,785); #1 Battle: Los Angeles £1,792,913 1st week 420 screens (21% of top 10)

Down 33.3% from 2010: (£14,154,973); Shutter Island (£2,250,178); Green Zone (£2,087,368); Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (£442,753); The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (£378,434); #1 Alice in Wonderland £7,343,506 2nd week 533 screens (51.9% of top 10)

Down 4.2% from 2009; (£9,854,831); Marley & Me (£4,414,169); Bronson (£258,360); The Burning Plain (£4,038); #1 Marley & Me £4,414,169 £4,414,169 1st week 467 screens (44.8% of top 10)

Up 44.1% from 2008; (£6,550,070); Vantage Point (£1,454,636); The Other Boleyn Girl (£954,994); The Game Plan (£767,143); In Bruges (£343,760); Diary of the Dead (£201,571); #1 Vantage Point £1,454,636 1st week 350 screens (22.2% of top 10)

Up 34.3% from 2007: (£7,028,900); Norbit (£1,962,913); Becoming Jane (£649,323); Outlaw (£582,434); #1 Norbit (£1,962,913) 1st week (27.93% of top 10)

Up 63.9% from 2006; (£5,762,109); The Hills Have Eyes (£1,126,575); The Proposition (£205,594); Two for the Money (£165,003); #1 The Hills Have Eyes £1,126,575 1st week 331 screens (19.5% of top 10)

Up 38.1% from 2005 (£6,835,834); Hitch (expansion) (£4,230,857); Hostage (£807,171); The Chorus (£132,636); #1 Hitch £4,230,857 2nd week 1st #1 7,894% increase 448 screens (61.9% of top 10)

Up 70.2% from 2004 (£5,547,158); Mona Lisa Smile (£1,190,923); Honey (£1,064,398); Starsky & Hutch (limited) (£412,326); The Passion of the Christ (limited) (£229,426); #1 Mona Lisa Smile £1,190,923 1st week 414 screens (21.5% of top 10)

Up 22.2% from 2003 (£7,726,649); Maid In Manhattan (£2,424,584); Far from Heaven (£452,369); #1 Maid In Manhattan £2,424,584 1st week 422 screens (31.4% of top 10)

Down 4.1% from 2002 (£9,851,530); A Beautiful Mind (expansion) (£1,226,446); The Mothman Prophecies (£762,516); The Shipping News (limited) (£96,694); #1 Ocean’s Eleven £2,623,689 2-week #1 split 3rd week 437 screens 27% drop (26.6% of top 10)

2023 Next week: (£6,823,697): Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (£825,529); The Nan Movie (£565,340); The Phantom of the Open (£456,829); X (£227,502); #1 The Batman £3,351,288 3^rd week dropped 54% 703 screens (49.11% of top 10)

US Box Office

• Kung Fu Panda 4 – Universal Pictures

Opened $57.98m #1; received positive reviews (69% Rotten Tomatoes) and A- CinemaScore.

214^th biggest opening between Hannibal and Mission: Impossible II (close to Cars, Monsters vs. Aliens, Moana and Despicable Me).

Took $3.8m from Thursday midnights close to Despicable Me 3 $4.1m; Toy Story 3 $4m; Inside Out $3.7m; Wonka $3.5m; Cars 3 $2.8m

Ahead of opening Kung Fu Panda 4 was tracked to open between $45m-$50m but those estimates rose over Friday and Saturday.

Took 6% from PLF and 17% from 3D, a much lower percentage from 3D than for the earlier films when 3D was in its prime.

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? 

2008’s Kung Fu Panda opened $60.23m taking $215.77m and $632.08m worldwide

2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2 opened $47.65m taking $165.24m and $665.69m worldwide

2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 opened $41.28m and $143.52m and $521.17m worldwide

48 Dreamworks Animation films have taken $6.2bn from the US and $16.66bn 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.

Opened with $22.2m from 41 territories and $80.5m total; Spain $3m; Malaysia $2.4m; Indonesia $2.1m; Vietnam $1.9m; Poland $1.6m; Argentina $1.2m; Denmark $1.2m; Chile $1.1m.

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.

• Dune Part 2 -Warner Bros

Dropped 44% $46.21m #2 and $157.24m

82^nd biggest opening between Finding Nemo and Minions: The Rise of Gru (close to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Oppenheimer ($46.7m), Gravity ($43.2m) and Inception ($42.7m)

After opening only $50k more than Oppenheimer it’s again a coincidence Dune Part 2 second weekend was remarkably similar.

383^rd biggest between X-Men and Scary Movie; 929^th biggest inflated between Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Jackass 3D; 64^th biggest sci-fi between Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and San Andreas; 63^rd biggest Warner Bros between Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and San Andreas.

2021’s Dune dropped 62.4% $15.41m and $69.28m of $108.89m and $433.79m worldwide

2010’s Inception dropped 32% $42.75m and $142.88m of $292.58m and $839.03m worldwide

2023’s Oppenheimer dropped 43.4% $46.7m and $174.56m of $329.01m and $957.59m worldwide

2013’s Gravity dropped 22.6% $43.18m and $122.32m of $274.09m and $773.03m worldwide

2014’s Interstellar dropped 40.4% $28.3m and $96.92m of $188.02m and $731.07m worldwide

2015’s The Martian dropped 31.9% $37m and $108.71m of $228.43m and $630.62m worldwide

2016’s Arrival dropped 49.6% $12.13m and $43.7m of $100.54m and $203.38m worldwide

2017’s Blade Runner 2049 dropped 52.7% $15.49m and $60.97m of $92.07m and $267.68m worldwide

2017’s Logan dropped 56.9% $38.11m and $152.91m of $226.27m and $619.02m worldwide

2009’s Avatar dropped 1.8% $75.61m and $212.71m of $749.76m and $2.743bn worldwide

Visual cinematic films including Oppenheimer, Interstellar, Gravity, Prometheus and Inception are comparable titles, while Tenet Dune Part 2 will have all IMAX/PLF/Dolby screens which Oppenheimer never had as Barbie had some PLF screens.

Took $81m from 71 territories $210.5m total and $369.54m worldwide; UK $24.8m; China – $20m; France $19.4m; Germany $18.2m; Australia $11.6m; S. Korea $10.9m; Spain $7.4m; Italy $7.3m; Mexico $7.2m; Poland $5.6m; Holland $5m.

Has taken $36.7m from IMAX in the US and $29.2m internationally with an additional $6.5m from China from 1,600 IMAX cinemas.

50% of Dune’s global box office came from IMAX, PLF, 4DX and Dolby Cinema taking $29.1m globally from IMAX; Impossible to compare international BO with the first film as it had a staggered opening in 24 territories taking $36.8m and $3.6m from 142 IMAX cinemas 10% of the total weekend opening.

399^th biggest worldwide between Mad Max: Fury Road and Raiders of the Lost Ark; 83^rd biggest sci-fi between Mad Max: Fury Road and Edge of Tomorrow; 74^th biggest Warner Bros between Mad Max: Fury Road and Edge of Tomorrow.

• Bob Marley: One Love – Paramount Pictures

Dropped 45% in the fourth weekend $4.08m #5 and $89.34m.

926^th biggest between The Emperor’s New Groove and Father of the Bride; 1,860^th biggest inflated between The Bounty Hunter and Honeymoon in Vegas; 29^th biggest based on real live events between The Fighter and Green Book; 126^th biggest Paramount Pictures between Terminator: Genisys and Failure to Launch.

Biopics third weekends

2015’s Straight Outta Compton dropped 34.1% $8.64m and $147.58m of $161.19m and $201.63m worldwide

2005’s Walk the Line dropped 39.8% $5.73m and $76.99m of $119.51m and $186.79m worldwide

2022’s Elvis dropped 28.4% $8m and $106.6m of $151.04m and $288.67m worldwide

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 12.7% $14m and $152.15m of $216.66m and $910.8m worldwide

2019’s Rocketman dropped 40.5% $5.6m and $77.28m of $96.36m and $195.32m worldwide

2004’s Ray dropped 45.7% $4.56m and $59.19m of $75.3m and $123.97m worldwide

2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 9.5% $12.46m and $95.22m of $174.34m and $434.9m worldwide

Took $4.9m from 52 territories $72.5m total and $160.54m worldwide.

1,185^th biggest worldwide between Flight and Legends of the Fall; 6^th biggest worldwide between Dune: Part Two and The Beekeeper; 49^th biggest based on real events between Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa and Cool Runnings; 136^th biggest Paramount Pictures between Flight and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

• Imaginary – Lionsgate

Opened $9.91m #3; received poor reviews (31% Rotten Tomatoes) and C+ CinemaScore.

Took $725k from Thursday midnights; Night Swim took $1.45m from Thursday midnights.

Opened similar to Blumhouse’s Night Swim $11.79m taking $32.45m and $52.96m worldwide.

With Dune 2 having IMAX screens and Kung Fu Panda 4 having PLF it didn’t benefit from those screens as Night Swim which took a third of BO from PLF.

Blumhouse Productions films have taken $3.15bn in the US and $6bn worldwide; upcoming Blumhouse Production films Speak No Evil in August Wolf Man in October and then M3GAN 2.0 and The Black Phone 2 in 2025.

UK Box Office Top 10

UK Box Office Preview

Dune Part 2 will hold #1 for a third weekend having a similar 35-40% drop taking £3.2m-£3.8m

Harry Potter Deathly Hallow Part 1 (£3,739,781); Jurassic Park (£3,360,646); Life of Pi (£3,353,579): Independence Day (£3,340,577); Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (£3,313,328); Inception (£3,229,651). Taking about £27m after 17 days similar to Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1, Jurassic World Dominion, Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Fantastic Beasts 2.

With Ghostbusters Frozen Empire, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opening at the end of the month Dune Part 2 will take about £40m which was expected to take similar to other grown-up sci-fi films like Inception, Gravity and The Martian.

Despite opening poorly in the US last month Drive Away Dolls could open #2 as Coen Brothers films often perform well in the UK, while its Coen and Wife film still has quirky elements. The trailers make it look like a Lesbian Thelma & Louise; it has a tight 84-minute running time.

1991’s Thelma & Louise opened £374,093 from 193 screens (£977,827 inflated) taking £3,161,118 (£8,262,724 inflated)

1996’s Fargo opened £141,165 59 screens (£302,169 inflated) taking £1,522,639 (£3,259,271 inflated)

1998’s The Big Lebowski opened £126,360 64 screens (£248,330 inflated) taking £1,541,122 (£3,028,706 inflated)

With Wicked Little Lies dropping 25%+ (£620k-£660k) Drive Away Dolls could open slightly ahead.

While Imaginary will drop around 60% similar to Night Swim taking £200k and dropping to the bottom of the top 10.

Park Circus re-releases Fight Club for its 25th Anniversary; 1999’s Fight Club opened £1,177,219 from 322 screens (£2,214,626 inflated) taking £5,018,967 (£9,441,857 inflated).

Over a quiet weekend, Oppenheimer has returned to cinemas after its Oscar wins last weekend which could see it return into the top 10 in its 35^th week of release; last week took £14,951 getting close to £58.9m.

Opening in two weeks  

• Monkey Man – Universal Pictures

Action thriller starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma and Ashwini Kalseka and directed by Dev Patel.

Had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, receiving a standing ovation and positive reviews (88% Rotten Tomatoes) being described as a mashup of revenge action films.

It was Dev Patel’s first film since 2021 The Green Knight opened £166,118 #8 taking £393,993. Likely to open similarly to the first John Wick film opened in April 2015 with £539,602 #6 and £1,439,149.

In 2021 It was acquired by Netflix for $30m, but after Jordon Peele saw it and felt deserved a theatrical release acquired it via Monkeypaw Productions via his distribution deal with Universal Pictures. It has been described as John Wick in Mumbai, while Dev Patel said it was inspired by The Raid and Blue Lee films; it was filmed in 2021.

• The First Omen – Disney

Supernatural horror prequel to 1976’s The Omen starring Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy and directed by Arkasha Stevenson.

It’s the first Omen film since 2006’s The Omen opened £2,096,002 (including £1,157,846 previews) £3,408,693 inflated taking £4,220,983 (£6,864,514 inflated); it was very front-loaded with previews taking 55.24% of opening and £938,156 Fri-Sun.

20^th Century Studios has recently made horror movies; 2022’s Barbarian opened £380,812 #8 taking £1,082,037 and 2023’s The Boogeyman opened £492,071 #5 taking £1,753,891.

• Seize Them! – Entertainment Films

British comedy starring Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood with a cast that includes Jessica Hynes, Nick Frost, Lolly Adefope, James Acaster and Ben Ashenden and directed by Curtis Vowell.

The film was made in 2022 and was originally due to be released in August last year.