- Challengers – £1,607,094 – NE
Took £438k 27.26% Friday; £585k 36.4% Saturday: £584k 36.34% Sunday.
Includes £63,668 from previews.
1,087th biggest opening between Erin Brockovich and Love and Other Drugs (close to A Simple Favour, Swordfish, Dangerous Minds and Crazy Rich Asians) and 1,658th biggest inflated between Parental Guidance and Poltergeist (close to I Love You, Man, Six Days Seven Nights, Brokeback Mountain and Mike Bassett: England Manager).
15th biggest 2024 opening between Wicked Litle Letters and Priscilla (close to Civil War, Poor Things, All Of Us Strangers and The Beekeeper).
Opened in 699 cinemas 31st widest opening similar to Wonka and Black Panther 2 (close to Killers Of The Flower Moon, Star Wars: Rogue One, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Dumbo; 654th 600+ opening since 2015’s Jurassic World.
While Challengers is set around tennis it has more in common with films like Brokeback Mountain (opened £987,261/ £1,605,566) and Don’t Worry Darling (opened £2,771,935); than a sports film as it’s about a love triangle, like 2004’s The Notebook (opened £309,507/£545,946 inflated); 1988’s Broadcast News (opened £128,836/£443,644 inflated); 2001’s Y Tu Mamá También (opened £182,166); 1996’s Bound and 2004’s Closer (opened £1,568,526/ £2,637,521 inflated)
Challengers received critical acclaim and a strong marketing campaign, the question was whether it would translate into BO as Luca Guadagnino’s previous films also received positive reviews but struggled to find a wide audience; 2022’s Bones And All opened #6 £318,246 from 468 screens taking £806,578.
+513% 2017’s Call Me by Your Name opened #11 £235,760 from 111 screens taking £1.8m.
2016’s A Bigger Splash opened #11 £347,704 from 101 screens
2018’s Suspiria opened £166,257 #9 77 screens taking £351,171
While tennis films have struggled to find an audience in cinemas.
+212% 2017’s Battle of the Sexes opened £552,521 #7 464 screens taking £1,332,759.
2006’s Match Point opened £751,992 #7 130 screens taking £2,468,298
2021’s King Richard opened £570,316 #5 559 screens taking £1.6m
2004’s Wimbledon opened £1,699,096 #1 444 screens taking £7,168,347
Impossible to compare Challengers with tennis films as while it might be set around tennis it is more about the love triangle between the players and the coach was highlighted in the film’s marketing campaign.
But 2015’s Whiplash has a similar plot about achieving ambitions (opened £573,546 #7 249 screens taking £1,622,987
Challengers is Zendaya’s first film since Dune Part 2 and previously starred in Spider-Man: Far From Home and The Greatest Showman, but as with Timothée Chalamet with Wonka and Dune, audiences came to see these films for other reasons.
- 2. Back to Black £1,419,500 – £8,974,599
Dropped 25.2% in the third weekend.
Took £390k 27.48% (-34.12% £592k) Friday; £604k 42.57% (-24.69% £802k Saturday; £425k 29.95% (-45.02% £503k) Sunday.
393rd biggest third weekend between Smile and Stardust (close to Ocean’s 13, T2 Trainspotting, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Evita) and 666th biggest inflated between The Grudge and Tron: Legacy (close to He’s Just Not That Into You, Beowulf, What Happens In Vegas and Look Who’s Talking Too).
Amy Winehouse generated huge media coverage when she was alive. In January 2023 a week after production started on the film pictures of Marisa Abela and Eddie Marsan as Amy and her father, Mitch Winehouse found their way to social media generating much criticism. The film had its world premiere on Monday and the embargo ended Tuesday morning, received mixed reviews as it gives a vanilla version of her life while also being too soon for a biopic compared to Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and most recently Bob Marley: One Love.
After the death of Amy Winehouse, there were several attempts to make a biopic about Amy Winehouse including in 2015 Noomi Rapace was in talks to star with Kirsten Sheridan directing. They didn’t progress until 2018 when Winehouse’s estate announced they had signed a deal for a film about her life and career with Studiocanal.
Sam Taylor-Johnson previously directed 2009’s Nowhere Boy opened £148,157 #7 176 screens taking £1,292,610; 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey opened £13,550,290 #1 586 screens taking £34,662,255 and 2019’s A Million Little Pieces opened £25,746 #32 from 59 screens.
Showing the huge popularity of Amy Winehouse in the UK the 2015 documentary Amy opened £523,192 #5 133 screens taking £3,763,429.
Music biopics have been extremely popular in the UK over recent years and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black 2018 album sold 3.93m copies in the UK and is the 12th biggest-selling album in the UK.
Other recent music biopics’ third weekends include.
2024’s Bob Marley: One Love dropped 43% £1,351,557 #2 669 screens and £13,760,796 of £17,126,572
2023’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody dropped 20% £1,103,064 #4 and £8,203,259 of £11,383,690
2006’s Walk the Line dropped 16% £958,306 #4 and £4,864,122 of £9,737,493
2022’s Elvis dropped 55% £1,325,853 #3 and £13,802,061 of £27,492,430; had long legs staying in the top 5 for 7 weeks and top 10 for 11 weeks.
2019’s Rocketman dropped 12% £2,166,839 #3 and £16,051,346 of £23,502,881: top 5 for 5 weeks and top 10 for 7 weeks
2018’s A Star Is Born dropped 6% £2,883,000 #1 and £14,874,834 of £30,309,667.
2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 20% £4,559,647 #2 and £28,907,411 of £55,376,188.
1993’s Tina, What’s Love Got To Do With It took £3,703,961 (£9,138,745 inflated)
Spoof musician biopics.
2008’s Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Walk Hard opened £240,833 #13 296 screens; others include 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap; 2000’s Almost Famous; 2016’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping; 1996’s That Thing You Do! And 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats.
These films had the musician’s estate approval Rocketman was produced by Elton John while Queen produced Bohemian Rhapsody. The difference between those biopics is the main musicians died 20+ years ago while Amy Winehouse is only 14 years after her death which feels too soon for a biopic.
The question was always whether audiences embrace Back to Black as they have with other musician biopics over recent years that also received mixed reviews, whilst opening #1 opened lower than would have expected. The question is how it will hold over the next few weeks, looking at its Fri-Sun daily split looks like it will be front-loaded despite little competition over the next few weeks.
It’s hard to make second-weekend comparisons as many had extended openings which saw them drop about 50%; Bob Marley: One Love dropped 65.7%; 44% without previews and Rocketman 37% without previews so would expect a similar drop for Back to Black. £1.6m+ should see Back to Black remain #1 in its second weekend.
After Wicked Little Letters has taken £9.3m and with Paddington in Peru opening later in the year Studiocanal are likely to have their best year at the UK BO.
There are many more musician biopics on the way with Robbie William’s Better Man later this year and then Micheal Jacksom’s Micheal early next year along with 4 individual Beatles films directed by Sam Mendes in 2027, Bee Gees directed by Ridley Scott and most recently 20th Century Studio announced they were making Deliver Me from Nowhere Bruce Springsteen biopic starring The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White
- 3. Kung Fu Panda 4 – £948,033 – £19,743,606
Up 5.1% in the fifth weekend.
Took £79k 3.06% (-76.80% £126k) Friday; £456k 48.1% (up 4.6% £339k) Saturday; £463k 48.84% (up 36.6% £339k) Sunday.
Despite being available to watch at home Kung Fu Panda 4 increased in its fifth weekend showing again that if it’s a film audiences want to see in the cinema they will see it in the cinema as many family films continue to attract cinemagoers weeks after being released on VOD.
193rd biggest fifth weekend between Downton Abbey and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (close to Meet the Parents, Cats and Dogs, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Spider-Man Homecoming) and 380th biggest inflated between Gremlins 2: The New Batch and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (close to School Of Rock, Batman and Robin, Wedding Crashers and Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines)
47th biggest fifth-weekend animation between Cats and Dogs and Toy Story (close to The Lego Movie, Shrek 2, Puss in Boots and Hotel Transylvania 2) and 70th inflated animation between Ice Age II and Home (close to The Simpsons, Kung Fu Panda, Cars and Space Jam).
10th biggest Dreamworks Animation fifth weekend between Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and Puss in Boots (close to Rise Of The Guardians, Shrek, Shrek Forever After and How To Train Your Dragon 2) and 21st biggest inflated between How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Home (close to Antz, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Croods and Megamind).
12th biggest Dreamworks Animation after 5 weeks between Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Monsters Vs. Aliens (close to Madagascar, Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Kung Fu Panda).
The Dreamworks Animation films have now taken £730m+ since 1998’s Antz and £1bn+ inflated.
Fifth weekends
2008’s Kung Fu Panda dropped 4% £628,741 #6 464 screens and £17,061,776 78.73% of £19,634,723 (£29,905,193 inflated)
2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2 up 24% £900,739 #3 509 screens and £13,975,978 93.31% of £16,199,968 (£21,172,235 inflated)
2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 dropped 18% £627,959 #5 532 screens and £12,835,111 91.72% of £13,993,060 (£14,956,145 inflated)
38 Dreamworks Animation films have taken over £730m and £1bn inflated.
After the strong performance of Kung Fu Panda 4 taking $185m in the US and $504m worldwide there will surely be a fifth and sixth film released over the next 5 years. The four films have taken $710m in the US and $2.3bn worldwide.
With the lucrative Easter holidays ended Kung Fu Panda 4 will be limited to weekend BO with the next family films opening in two weeks If and Garfield Movie the following weekend before the battle of Pixar Vs Illumination Inside Out 2 Vs Despicable Me 4.
301st biggest between Venom and Thor: The Dark World (close to Night at the Museum, Batman Forever, Johnny English and Maleficent) and 566th biggest inflated between Sleepers and Cars 2 (close to When Harry Met Sally, Dead Poets Society, Cocktail and East Is East).
63rd biggest animation between Tangled and Despicable Me (close to Migration, Hotel Transylvania 2, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Elemental) and 93rd biggest inflated between Pokemon: The First Movie and Cars 2 (close to Hercules, Antz, Over the Hedge and Puss in Boots).
- 4. Civil War £755,426 – £5,156,478
Down 28.4% in the third weekend
Took £194k 23.79% (-40.85% £328k) Friday; £331k 40.58% (-23.73% £434k) Saturday; £291k 35.63% (-0.82% £293k) Sunday.
1,003rd biggest third weekend between Date Movie and The Proposal (close to Arachnophobia, Jumper, Trainspotting and M3gan) and 1,192nd biggest inflated between Saw V and Mona Lisa Smile (close to Lethal Weapon, Children Of Men, Side Effects and Last Action Hero).
Civil War has received positive reviews with some comparing it to 28 Days Later as instead of Zombies the characters are travelling through a war and the film isn’t about a Civil War but about the journalists who are following the story.
Alex Garland previously directed 2022’s Men took £1,004,483; 2018’s Annihilation was released theatrically in the US and internationally on Netflix; 2015’s Ex Machina dropped 61% £161,136 #12 and £2,502,929 of £2,890,149.
2002’s 28 Days Later dropped 28% £768,687 #2 319 screens and £4,678,281 of £6,315,553 (£11,659,482 inflated)
2006’s Children Of Men dropped 52% £463,685 #7 332 screens and £3,958,989 of £4,858,150 (£7,900,729 inflated)
2013’s The Purge took £3,365,209; 2014’s The Purge: Anarchy £4,430,522; 2016’s The Purge: Election Year £1,908,983; 2018’s The First Purge £5,904,674
Other similar films include.
2005’s War of the Worlds dropped 47% £2,223,949 #2 485 screens and £21,900,630 of £30,600,000 (£51,454,777 inflated)
2006’s V for Vendetta dropped 53% £289,544 #10 277 screens and £3,066,342 of £3,331,295 (£5,417,630 inflated)
1999’s The Siege took £3,143,307 (£5,913,300 inflated)
Also wrote screenplays for 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Go and Dredd and wrote the scripts for follow-ups to 28 Months Later, and 28 Years Later.
1,378th biggest between Million Dollar Baby and Jarhead (close to Presumed Innocent, Let’s Be Cops, S.W.A.T and Cruel Intentions) and 1,920th biggest inflated between King Arthur and The Color Purple (1986) (close to Dredd, Street Fighter, Pacific Heights and The Rocketeer).
65th biggest Entertainment Films between Million Dollar Baby and The Reader (close to Dawn of the Dead, Highlander 2: The Quickening, The Piano and Silver Linings Playbook.
Over the last 30+ years, so many independent UK distributors have come and gone while Entertainment Films might not have the huge films they did 20 years ago releasing Lord of the Rings through an output deal with New Line. They are the last British film distributor standing and having success with their acquisitions and still fiancé the odd British film like the recent Seize Them!
Down 8.4% in its fifth weekend
Took £92k 10.4% (-50.8% £325k) Friday; £287k 48.1% (-8.6% £314k) Saturday; £248k 41.5% (16.4% £213k Sunday.
391st biggest fifth weekend between DC League Of Super-Pets and The Gentlemen (close to Snow White And The Huntsman, Iron Man 3, Fast & Furious 6 and The Martian) and 623rd biggest inflated between Final Destination and Parasite (close to Die Hard 2 Die Harder, The Perfect Storm, District 9 and Lucy).
Has held better than the other four MonsterVerse films due to a lack of competition, the other films all opened in a much-crowded marketplace with several big films opening directly afterwards. After dropping almost 51% Fri-Fri it surprisingly held much stronger Sat-Sat down 8.6% and then increased 16.4% Sun-Sun.
Wouldn’t expect most films to increase in their fifth weekend across the weekend let alone a lot of films like Godzilla X Kong, but it’s a silly popcorn film perfect big screen escapement from all the doom and gloom.
Fifth weekends
2014’s Godzilla dropped 53% £223,407 #7 297 screens and £16,876,460 of of £17,074,621 (£20,123,660 inflated)
2017’s Kong: Skull Island dropped 50% £328,692 #9 365 screens and £15,178,158 of £15,616,015
2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters dropped 55% £67,827 #15 172 screens and £6,901,606
2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong dropped 33% £76,192 #10 230 screens and £2,549,257
496thbiggest between True Lies and The Devil Wears Prada (close to Pokemon Detective Pikachu, What Lies Beneath, Dungeons & Dragons and Fast & Furious) and 846th biggest inflated between The Jewel on The Nile and The Dictator (close to Mars Attacks, Highlander 2: The Quickening, Alien: Covenant and The Jungle Book (re-release).
79th biggest Warner Bros film between Pokemon Detective Pikachu and Two Weeks’ Notice (close to Batman and Robin, The Fugitive, American Sniper and The Meg 2) and 135th biggest inflated between Mars Attacks and Space Jam: A New Legacy (close to Memphis Belle, LA Confidential, Under Siege and Wild Wild West).
Also opened.
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White £280,729 #8 from 261 screens.
There’s Still Tomorrow – Vue Entertainment £93,553 #14 140 screens.
Boy Kills World – Signature Entertainment £81,797 #15 296 screens.
Ordinary Angels – Sony Pictures £51,719 #19 from 236 screens
Faith-based films struggle to find an audience internationally as seen by 2023’s Sound of Freedom opening $19.68m and taking $184.17m in the US taking $66.39m internationally 26.5% of $250.57m; it opened in the UK with £760,060 (including £170,571 previews) #4 from 523 screens taking £2,009,767.
Most other faith-based films take far less and Ordinary Angels opened similar to 2016’s Risen £69,909 #19 162 screens.
I.S.S. – Universal Pictures £25,004 #26 from 134 screens
The American Society Of Magical Negroes – Universal Pictures £12,473 #38 111 screens
Exhibitors always talk about a lack of films being released, there are plenty of films being released the problem is audiences have become very selective in the films they pay to see in the cinema. That said some of these films were never going to find an audience in the UK and were likely given a theatrical release for contractional reasons, when they were acquired they were promised a national UK theatrical release.
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £6,698,311 up 6.2% from last weekend’s £6,309,075: 845,746 admissions up 6.2% from 796,600 admissions.
48th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 15 March 2024 #1 Dune Part 2 £4,046,492 (59.4%) and 08 September 2023 #1 The Nun 2 £1,743,903 (26.2%)
123rd biggest since cinemas reopened out of 180 weeks between 15 March 2024 #1 Dune Part 2 £4,046,492 (59.4%) and 08 September 2023 #1 The Nun 2 £1,743,903 (26.2%)
965th biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,151) between 25 August 2017 #1 American Made £1,067,075 (15.93%) and 24 June 2005 #1 Batman Begins £2,926,042 (43.75%) and 1,088th inflated between 12 August 2022 #1 Nope £1,859,337 (28.66%) and 08 September 2023 #1 The Nun 2 £1,743,903 (26.2%)
The top 3 took (£3,974,627) 59.3% of the top 10; Challengers 24% (£1,607,094); Back to Black 21.2% (£1,419,500); Kung Fu Panda 4 14.16% (£948,033).
907th highest #1 percentage (23.99%) between #1 31 May 2013 #1 The Hangover Part III 24.02%) and 04 August 2006 #1 Miami Vice (23.98%)
06 March 2009 Watchmen (30.08%) and 27 December 2013 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (30.06%)
1,080th biggest admissions #1 (202,916) between 07 October 2005 #1 Serenity (203,570) and 20 April 2012 #1 Battleship (201,270)
Down 14.5% from 2023; (£7,835,588); The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry (£784,698); Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (40th Anniversary) (£446,291); Polite Society (£220,278); Big George Foreman (£204,220); #1 Super Mario Bros £3,067,431 4th week down 28% 713 screens (39.15%)
Down 27% from 2022 (£9,173,308); Downton Abbey: A New Era (£3,072,762); #1 Downton Abbey: A New Era £3,072,762 1st week 739 screens (33.5% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown 2
2020: Lockdown 1
Down 85.7% from 2019; (£46,742,473); Avengers: Endgame 92.8% (£43,400,000); Eighth Grade (£144,923); #1 Avengers: Endgame £43,400,000 1st week 679 screens (92.8% of top 10)
Down 80.2% from 2018: (£33,778,278); Avengers: Infinity War (£29,379,496); Cendrillon Met Opera 2018 (£212,367); Beast (£166,295); Bing at the Cinema (£65,535); #1 Avengers: Infinity War £29,379,496 1st week 650 screens (86.9% of top 10)
Down 64.3% from 2017: (£18,771,674); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (£13,092,657); The Promise (£178,388); Lady Macbeth (£174,989); Mad Max: Fury Road – Black & Chrome Edition (£39,399); Lowriders (£6,543); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £13,092,657 1st week 632 screens (69.7% of top 10)
Down 70.4% from 2016: (£22,632,665): Captain America: Civil War (£14,466,681); Demolition (£264,512); Son of Saul (£178,617); Elektra – Met Opera 2016 (£174,559); Ratchet and Clank (£147,848); #1 Captain America: Civil War £14,466,681 605 screens (63.9% of top 10)
Down 70.2% from 2015; (£22,462,873); Avengers: Age Of Ultron (£18,015,774); Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci – Met Opera 2015 (£337,698); #1 Avengers: Age Of Ultron £18,015,774 1st week 583 screens (80.2%)
Down 36.1% from 2014: (£10,488,280); The Other Woman (£2,662,870); Transcendence (£1,181,347); Tracks (£111,337); #1 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 £9,011,114 2nd week 63% drop 546 screens (32.1% of top 10)
Down 61.6% from 2013: (£17,443,495); Iron Man 3 (£13,711,048); The Look of Love (£208,557); Bernie (£32,935); #1 Iron Man 3 £13,711,048 1st week 555 screens (78.6% of top 10)
Down 67.3% from 2012 (£20,513,565); Marvel Avengers Assemble (£15,778,074); Albert Nobbs (£106,552); Damsels in Distress (£44,765); African Cats (£41,392); #1 Marvel Avengers Assemble £15,778,074 1st week 521 screens (76.9% of top 10)
Down 45.4% from 2011; (£12,271,421); Thor (£5,449,300); Insidious (£1,441,292); Cedar Rapids (£146,062); #1 Thor £5,449,300 1st week 500 screens (44.4% of top 10)
Down 47.8% from 2010: (£12,841,846); Iron Man 2 (£7,664,732); The Last Song (£679,698); The Disappearance of Alice Creed (£142,324); Gentlemen Broncos (£1,125); #1 Iron Man 2 £7,664,732 1st week 521 screens (69.6% of top 10)
Down 2.9% from 2009; (£6,897,702); State of Play (£1,513,951); The Uninvited (£343,378); Observe and Report (£326,749); #1 State of Play (£1,513,951) 1st week 398 screens (21.95%)
Down 20.4% from 2008; (£5,542,493); Forgetting Sarah Marshall (£5,465,103); Nim’s Island (£820,218); Made of Honour (£749,611); #1 Forgetting Sarah Marshall £5,465,103 1st week 393 screens (38.7% of top 10)
Up 54.6% from 2007: (£4,332,041); Next (£795,012); The Painted Veil (£261,130); This Is England (£207,676); Reno 911! Miami (£137,648); #1 Next £795,012) 1st week 357 screens (18.3% of top 10)
Up 29.8% from 2006; (£5,158,448); 16 Blocks (£778,839); Slither (£488,446); #1 Ice Age II £1,100,736 4th week 42% drop 485 screens (21.3% of top 10)
Down 10.1% from 2005: (£7,444,415); The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (3,298,262); XXX2: The Next Level (£920,506); #1 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy £3,298,262 1st week 465 screens (44.3% of top 10)
Up 15.4% from 2004 (£5,804,618); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (£1,045,501); Secret Window (£759,162); Our House (£146,061); #1 Kill Bill – Volume 2 £1,456,152 2nd week 47% drop 409 screens (25.1% of top 10)
Down 15.1% from 2003 (£7,886,578); Dreamcatcher (£729,525); Welcome to Collinwood (£688,465): The 25th Hour (£198,341); #1 Johnny English £2,279,100 3rd week 447 screens 10% drop (28.9% of top 10)
Down 23.4% from 2002 (£8,748,862); About A Boy (£3,747,966); Roadkill (£784,853); John Q (£306,517); #1 About A Boy £3,747,966 1st week 446 screens (42.8% of top 10)
2023 Next week: (£14,988,771); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (£12,079,820); Return To Seoul (£75,273); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £12,079,820 1st week 704 screens (80.59% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Challengers – MGM
Opened $15.01m; received positive reviews (91% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore.
Took $1.9m from Thursday midnights; Where the Crawdads Sing $2.3m; No Hard Feelings $2.15m; Girls Trip $1.7m.
Took 37% from IMAX/PLF; IMAX took $1.2m
Ahead of the opening, it was expected to open with $15m and it opened exactly as expected, a few years ago films would regularly open above estimates but since cinemas reopened films are opening very close.
Challengers was a test for Zendaya’s star power as was her first film since Dune Part 2 but as with her co-star Timothée Chalamet Challengers, neither was the reason why most people went to see it. Challengers had Zendaya’s name above the film title on the poster. (Zendaya also starred in recent Spider-Man films and The Greatest Showman again as with Wonka for Timothée Chalamet they weren’t BO hits because of her, she was one of many reasons.
The trailer played Barbie, Dune: Part Two, Anyone But You, Mean Girls, Beekeeper, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong.
Luca Guadagnino’s previous films also received positive reviews but struggled to find a wide audience.
2022’s Bones And All opened $3.61m (after platform) taking $7.83m and $15.23m worldwide
2017’s Call Me by Your Name opened $1.43m (after platform) from 815 screens taking $18.09m and $42.1m worldwide
2016’s A Bigger Splash opened on platform to a max of 378 screens taking $2.02m and $7.54m WW
2018’s Suspiria opened $979,882 from 311 screens (after platform) taking $2.48m and $7.94m WW
While tennis films have struggled to find an audience in cinemas.
+212% 2017’s Battle of the Sexes opened $3.4m (after platform) taking $12.63m and $18.59m WW
2006’s Match Point opened $2.7m (after platform) taking $23.15m and $85.63m WW
2004’s Wimbledon opened $7.11m taking $17m and $41.68m worldwide
Sporting films both fictional and non-fiction have been very popular In the US but have become a genre of films that has suffered over the last 20 years.
Took $9m from 51 territories and $10m total; UK $1.8m; Italy $1.5m.
- Civil War – A24
Dropped 45% in its third weekend $7m #1 and $52m.
5th biggest A24 between Talk To Me and Hereditary (close to The Iron Claw, Lady Bird, Moonlight and Ex Machina); 9th biggest 2024 between Argylle and Madame Web. 230th biggest sci-fi between Frequency and Timecop; 2,074th biggest between xXx: Return of Xander Cage and Cop Out; 3,390th biggest inflated between A Bronx Tale and 28 Weeks Later.
Third weekends
Previous Alex Gartland films
2014’s Ex Machina up 55.5% added 725 screens $3.47m and $15.72m of $25.44m and $36.86m worldwide
2018’s Annihilation dropped 41.1% $3.3m and $26.24m of $32.68m and $43.07m worldwide (Netflix had many international territories)
2022’s Men dropped 66.6% $401,423 and $7.16m of $7.58m and $11.15m worldwide
2002’s 28 Days Later dropped 29.3% $4.24m and $28.44m of $45.06m and $84.66m worldwide
Other similar films include.
1998’s The Siege dropped 55.8% $3.57m and $32.05m of $40.98m and $116.67m worldwide
2005’s V for Vendetta dropped 49% $6.29m and $56.65m of $70.51m and $134.68m worldwide
2006’s Children of Men dropped 41.8% $3.71m and $27.49m of $35.55m and $70.45m worldwide
Took $8.1m internationally $30m total and $86.2m worldwide
Took $1.9m worldwide from IMAX and $8.5m total.
- Unsung Hero – Lionsgate
Opened $7.73m; received mixed reviews (59% Rotten Tomatoes) and x CinemaScore.
Took $1.67m from Thursday previews.
Faith-based films have been lucrative as they are low-budget, with low marketing costs and with strong word of mouth.
Produced by Kingdom Story Company they previously made 2023’s Jesus Revolution opened $15.88m taking $52.1m and $54.29m worldwide and 2018’s I Can Only Imagine opened $17.1m taking $83.48m and $86.08m worldwide.
Sound of Freedom was a huge success in the US last summer opening $19.68m taking $184.17m taking $66.39m 26.5% of its $250.57m global BO internationally. Faith-based films don’t travel well outside the US. Sony has had huge success with their Affirm Studios, but the majority of BO came from the US, Heaven is Real and George Foreman’s biopic took 90% US and 10% international.
- Abigail – Universal Pictures
Dropped 49% in the second weekend $5.2m #5 and $18.73m
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett previously directed.
2022’s Scream dropped 59.3% $12.21m and $51.16m of $81.64m and $137.74m worldwide
2023’s Scream VI dropped 61% $17.33m and $75.86m of $108.16m and $168.96m worldwide
2019’s Ready Or Not dropped 26.2% $5.91m and $20.38m of $28.71m and $57.61m worldwide
Vampire films include.
1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn dropped 52.6% $4.85m and $18.05m of $25.83m
2014’s Dracula Untold dropped 57.5% $9.98m and $40.83m of $56.28m and $217.12m worldwide
2011’s Fright Night dropped 59.8% $3.1m and $14.28m of $18.3m and $41m worldwide
2007’s 30 Days of Night dropped 57% $6.86m and $27.48m of $39.56m and $75.51m worldwide
Recent horrors Night Swim dropped 60.7% $4.63m and $19.14m of $32.49m and $54.07m worldwide; Imaginary dropped 44% $5.55m and $19.03m of $27.81m and $38.65m worldwide, while the same weekend last year Evil Dead Rises dropped 50.5% $12.13m and $44.34m of $67.23m and $147.03m worldwide.
The last film was based on Universal’s MonsterVerse (Abigail was originally a Dracula’s Daughter reimagination) 2023’s Renfield dropped 59.5% $3.25m and $13.76m of $17.29m and $26.49m worldwide.
While other comparisons are 2022’s M3GAN dropped 39.8% $18.3m and $56.83m of $95.15m and $180.08m worldwide.
Took $2.6m from 65 territories $9.9m total and $28.6m worldwide.
- Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire – Warner Bros
Dropped 25% in the fifth weekend $7.22m #3 and $181.7m.
306th biggest fifth weekend between Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Sister Act (close to The Last Samurai, True Grit, Se7en and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).
281st biggest between Grease and Liar Liar; 784th biggest inflated between Pokemon: The First Movie and Ghost Rider; 3rd biggest 2024 between Kung Fu Panda 4 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; 52nd biggest sci-fi between The Day After Tomorrow and Jurassic Park III; 55th biggest Warner Bros between The Perfect Storm and The Lego Batman Movie.
The budget was $135m with Legendary funding 75% and Warner Bros 25% with Warner paying P&A costs which are another $65m+ with promotional partners.
Previous MonsterVerse film’s fifth weekends
2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters dropped 44.6% $2.13m and $10.66m of $110.5m; $387.3m WW
2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong dropped 34.3% $2.81m and $91.03m of $100.91m and $470.11m worldwide
2014’s Godzilla dropped 45.9% $3.31m and $191.45m of $200.67m and $524.97m worldwide
2017’s Kong: Skull Island dropped 35.1% $5.57m and $156.3m of $168.05m and $568.65m worldwide
While
1998’s Godzilla dropped 51.9% $2.98m and $129.2m of $136.31m and $379.01m worldwide
2005’s King Kong dropped 40.4% $7.52m and $202.99m of $218.08m and $556.9m worldwide
Took $14.9m (45% drop) from 78 territories $337.7m total and $521.3m; China $125.9m; Mexico $32.1m; UK $16.9m; India $14.6m; Australia $11.7m; Indonesia $9m; France $8.8m; Brazil $7.9m; Taiwan $7.4m; Spain $6.4m.
Took $38m globally from IMAX; China $14.8m.
232nd biggest worldwide between How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Ant-Man; 2nd biggest 2024 between Dune: Part Two and Kung Fu Panda 4; 53rd biggest sci-fi between The Meg and Terminator 2: Judgment Day; 40th biggest Warner Bros between The Meg and Dunkirk.
- The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare – Lionsgate
Dropped 57% in the second weekend $3.84m #6 and $15.43m
Recent Guy Ritchie second weekends.
2023’s The Covenant dropped 43.6% $3.59m and $12.27m of $16.93m and $21.63m worldwide
2023’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre dropped 59.5% $1.27m and $5.55m of $6.49m and $48.98m worldwide
2021’s Wrath of Man dropped 55.4% $3.7m and $14.56m of $27.46m and $103.96m worldwide
2020’s The Gentlemen dropped 47.3% $5.6m and $20.03m of $36.47m and $115.17m worldwide
Guy Ritchie made his name making British gangster films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla and then he directed Aladdin in 2019.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Filmmakers and marketers have had a lot of fun promoting The Fall Guy over the last month and it’s had a huge amount of media coverage so why are presales soft? Surely should be looking at an opening similar to Starsky & Hutch? The TV show is far less well known but with Ryan coming off Barbie, positive buzz for over 6 weeks along with positive reviews since its SXSW premiere. What is also surprising is presales are also soft in the US tracking for a $35m opening.
2012’s 21 Jump Street opened £1,556,039 (£1,946,881 inflated) taking £9,863,555 (£12,341,057 inflated)
2014’s 22 Jump Street opened £4,854,991 (£5,721,954 inflated) taking £18,322,998 (£21,594,962 inflated)
2004’s Starsky & Hutch expansion £4,145,897 (£1,413,415 previews) #1 (£7,313,030 inflated) taking £12,284,956 (£21,669,677 inflated); opened £412,326 #5 from 81 screens
Films about stuntmen have struggled to find an audience 2007’s Hot Rod opened #23 £44,241 from 97 screens.
The Fall Guy opened last week in some international territories similar to The Lost City (opened £2,743,211 (£1,006,273 previews) #1 taking £10,606,648; Bullet Train opened £2,858,197 (£1,004,971 previews) taking £10,766,199.
Films about the cinema industry include.
1999’s Bowfinger opened £896,983 (£1,687,436 inflated) taking £3,520,163 (£6,622,254 inflated)
1992’s The Player opened £332,618 (£820,665 inflated) taking £2,687,526 (£6,630,905 inflated)
2008’s Tropic Thunder opened £2,483,271 (£3,782,213 inflated) #1 460 screens taking £8,387,745 (£12,775,181 inflated)
Despite the huge success of Barbie Ryan Gosling struggles to open films on his own as seen with 2016’s The Nice Guys opening £1,004,622 #6 484 screens taking £3,792,002 despite receiving positive reviews, what didn’t help was its poor dating, The Fall Guy doesn’t have that issue. 2004’s The Notebook was a similar story while it was a big hit in the US it only opened with £309,507 taking £1,109,047.
The other wide new release horror Tarot will likely open similar to all other horrors that have opened this year Night Swim £590,691; Imaginary £652,808 and Abigail £596,590
Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace is re-released for its 20th anniversary and Saturday is May the 4th
Last re-released in 3D in February 2012 £1,528,156 #3 369 screens (£227,851 previews) (£1,899,999 inflated) taking £5,287,849 (£6,574,531 inflated); the plan was to re-release all prequels in 3D.
The Empire Strikes Back (40th Anniversary) was re-released in 2020 and opened with £50,406 #1 from 101 screens.
Soon after cinemas reopened after the first lockdown, Disney had originally planned to release it in 4K remastered version opting to premiere the 4K version on Disney+
Return Of The Jedi (40th Anniversary) opened £446,291 #7 from 40 screens.
In 1997 20th Century Fox re-released the original trilogy with special editions.
A New Hope opened £3,770,206 #1 354 screens (£7,336,617 inflated) taking £16,343,172 (£31,802,929 inflated)
The Empire Strikes Back opened £2,023,379 #1 354 screens (£3,937,386 inflated) taking £7,183,898 (£13,979,477 inflated)
Return Of The Jedi opened £1,695,114 353 screens (£3,298,600 inflated) taking £4,885,138 (£9,506,214 inflated)
Disney also re-released Avatar in September 2022 ahead of Avatar 2 release opening £1,218,693 #3 from 535 screens.
Kung Fu Panda 4 will again hold strongly in its sixth weekend with 40% drops for Challengers and Back To Black.
As last weekend it will down heavily from weekends over the last decade
Opening in two weeks
- Furiosa – Warner Bros
Post-apocalyptic action adventure and the fifth instalment in the Mad Max franchise and prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke and Alyla Browne and directed by George Miller.
Furiosa will have its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival as Mad Max: Fury Road did nine years ago.
Development started on Furiosa in 2020 after George Miller completed Three Thousand Years of Longing, opting to cast Anya Taylor-Joy for the lead role rather than using de-ageing technology with Charlize Theron.
Mad Max: Fury Road opened £4,538,933 #2 from 546 screens including £638,690 from previews taking £17,203,206; Pitch Perfect 2 opened #1 £5,005,394.
- The Garfield Movie – Sony Pictures
Animated comedy adventure comic strip Garfield featuring voices Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, and Snoop Dogg and directed by Mark Dindal.
A decade ago, 20th Century Fox released the live-action Garfield: The Movie and sequel 2006’s Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties and two straight-to-video films Garfield Gets Real and Garfield’s Fun Fest.
Development on a new Garfield film started in May 2016 after the 20th Century Fox license expired and Alcon announced they would develop a new CG animated film, Paramount acquired Garfield rights in 2019 but Sony kept rights for the new film.
The previous two Garfield films received poor reviews 2004’s Garfield: The Movie opened £1,147,437 #3 378 screens (£2,036,765 inflated) taking £9,352,051 (£16,600,411 inflated) and 2006’s Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties opened #5 £739,560 327 screens (£1,210,327 inflated) taking £5,969,059 (£9,768,665 inflated); both films opened at the start of the summer holidays while The Garfield Movie opens ahead of the Whitsun half-term and has competition from IF opening the weekend before.
cigarette burns and missed changeovers 