- Bob Marley: One Love £2,387,019 – £11,313,026
Dropped 65.7% in the second weekend (44% without previews)
Took 658k 27.57% Friday (-48.2% £1.27m); £1.04m 43.57% (-41.6% £1.76m) Saturday; £689k 28.86% (-41.61% £1.18m) Sunday.
353rd biggest second weekend between The Favourite and Aquaman (close to The Theory of Everything, The Greatest Showman, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Stardust) and 618th biggest inflated between The Suicide Squad and Rush Hour 3 (close to Father of the Bride, The Great Gatsby, Cool Runnings and Tenet).
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’ second weekends include.
2023’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody dropped 58% £1,388,927 #2 and £6,269,960 of £11,383,690
2006’s Walk the Line up 4% £1,150,472 #4 and £3,024,681 of £9,737,493
2022’s Elvis dropped 26% £2,963,292 #2 and £10,197,943 of £27,492,430; had long legs staying in top 5 for 7 weeks and top 10 for 11 weeks.
2019’s Rocketman dropped 53% £2,486,043 #4 and £11,957,794 of £23,502,881: top 5 for 5 weeks and top 10 for 7 weeks
2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 49% £2,409,143 #3 and £9,998,783 of £49,592,940.
2018’s A Star Is Born dropped 24% £3,083,089 #1 and £9,595,670 of £30,309,667.
2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 39% £5,750,267 #1 and £20,427,866 of £55,376,188.
Bob Marley: One Life directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, previously directed 2021’s King Richard taking £1.5m.
Mean Girls and Wonka were musicals not marketed as musicals while Bob Marley: One Love has been marketed as a music biopic like Elvis and Rocketman but doesn’t include many music scenes apart from montages.
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 Michael (Michael 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.
601st biggest between San Andreas and The Nun (close to Space Jam, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Anyone But You and Spice World) and 1,023rd biggest inflated between The Conjuring and Phone Booth (close to Far and Away, Dark Crystal, Edward Scissorhands and The Remains of the Day.
- 2. Wicked Little Letters £1,642,777 – NE
Included £106,132 from previews.
Took £430k 26.19% Friday; £601k 36.60% Saturday; £611k 37.21% Sunday.
1,046th biggest opening between The Banshees Of Inisherin and Blade (close to Green Book, Big Fish, Isle of Dogs and Atonement) and 1,617th biggest inflated opening between The Banshees Of Inisherin and The Haunting in Connecticut (The Commitments, Water for Elephants, Cold Mountain and The Book Thief).
48th biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between The Boy And The Heron and Wicked Little Letters and Cocaine Bear (close to A Haunting In Venice, Poor Things, Babylon and Priscilla).
Opened in 683 cinemas 45th widest similar to Empire Of Light, House of Gucci and 1917 (close to See How They Run, Where The Crawdads Sing, One Life and The BFG).
Was #1 Monday (£321k) and Tuesday (£357k) as the grey pound will go to the cinema as often during weekdays as weekends.
Opened far stronger than recent Grey Pound films including The Great Escaper £593,150 #4 608 screens taking £5,293,230; Allelujah £715,783 #4 from 558 screens taking £3,393,983; The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry £784,698 #3 from 642 screens taking £3,357,529; 2022’s The Duke £992,659 #3 from 651 screens taking £5,283,515; 2022’s See How They Run £1,163,484 taking £4,858,629; 2018’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato £825,777 #3 from 499 screens taking £5,937,280.
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.
Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival receiving poor reviews has similarities to last year’s See How They Run as it’s not as outrageous as it believes it is, but British critics have been far more positive, and the film generated much media coverage with its British cast including Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley
Thea Sharrock previously directed The One and Only Ivan which was due to have a cinema release but after being delayed was released straight to Disney+.
Blueprint Pictures produced the film they also produced All of Us Strangers but financed by Studiocanal (as The Mercy and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). It opened with only £443 less than The Banshees Of Inisherin also produced by Blueprint Pictures (£1,643,220 Vs £1,642,777).
If the UK had a film industry films like Wicked Little Lies would be fully financed by British film companies. Highlighting again the failure of BFI/National Lottery over the last 25+ years as there’s no infrastructure in the UK for the film industry to be self-sufficient as has been the case for almost 50 years despite BO and award success of many films since.
Despite having a strong opening and playing to a vastly different demographic than Dune Part 2 it loses many screens and shows in its second weekend.
- 3. Migration – £1,489,839 – £16,443,720
Dropped 46% in the fourth weekend.
£302k 20.28% (-69.8% £1m) Friday; £628k 42.18% (-36.2% £0.98m) Saturday; £559k 37.54% (-28.2% £0.78m) Sunday
178th biggest fourth weekend between Enchanted and Deadpool (close to Notting Hill, Daddy’s Home, Doctor Dolittle and Fantastic Beasts 2) and 346th biggest inflated between Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and The Specialist (close to The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell Of Fear, Flubber, Last Christmas and Stuart Little)
43rd biggest animated fourth weekend between The Secret Life Of Pets 2 and The Addams Family 2 (close to The Simpsons, The Lego Batman Movie, Chicken Run and The Lego Movie 2) and 66th biggest inflated between Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Rugrats Movie (1999) (close to The Addams Family 2, Cars, Madagascar and Bolt).
11th biggest Illumination fourth weekend (out of 14) between The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (£1,521,488) and Despicable Me (£1,177,507) close to The Secret Life of Pets (£1,850,549) and Despicable Me 2 (£2,053,623).
Illumination’s 14 animated films have taken £440m in the UK since 2010 and £480m inflated with Despicable Me 4 set for release in June.
12th biggest Illumination film after 4 weeks close to The Grinch (£17,002,535); The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (£16,865,992) and Despicable Me (£16,863,318) and ahead of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Hop.
76th biggest animated film between The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists and The Smurfs (close to Tarzan (1998), How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Aladdin (1993) and 105th biggest inflated between The Polar Express and The Good Dinosaur (close to Rio, The Jungle Book (1993 RE), Mr. Peabody and Sherman and The Lion King 3D).
386th biggest between F9 and Nanny McPhee (close to The Bodyguard, Enchanted, Elf and The Muppets) and 686th biggest inflated between The Polar Express and Father of the Bride (close to Forever Young, Peter Pan (2003), War of the Roses and Rocky).
- 4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training – £641,878 – NE
Took £213k 33.23% Friday; £175k 27.3% Saturday; £253k 39.47% Sunday.
2,056th biggest opening between Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and The Commitments (close to Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO (£663,290), Moonwalker, Clueless and Street Fighter (£619,489).
2021’s Demon Slayer: Mugen Train opened £693,081 #4 from 336 screens taking £1,357,821
2023’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village opened £567,638 #6 from 240 screens taking £640,502
1,221st widest opening in 399 cinemas similar to Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Sahara, Did You Hear About The Morgans and Seven Psychopaths (close to Eight Legged Freaks, Inspector Gadget, The Blair Witch Project and Chronicle).
It’s a spinoff compilation from the anime TV show featuring footage from the third and fourth series, these films are front-loaded playing only to fans with noticeably short legs. That said they have found a new audience over the last few years as much more Anime has been released in UK cinemas over the last few years including Godzilla Minus One opening £816,891 #2 and The Boy and the Heron £1,640,667 #4
Down 73.5% in its second weekend (55% without previews)
£149k 24.8% (-68.8% £477k) Friday; £264k 43.8% (-51.6% 564k) Saturday; £189k 31.4% (-40.2% £316k) Sunday.
1,638th biggest second weekend between Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and Coming To America (close to Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Clueless, Captain Underpants and The Last Airbender) and 2,107th biggest inflated between The Expendables 3 and Regarding Henry (close to This is the End, Very Bad Things, Inspector Gadget and The Avengers (1998).
100th biggest comic-book second weekend between Kick-Ass 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) (close to Morbius (£740,336), Fantastic Four (2015) (£701,406), Spawn (£425,391) and Super Mario Brothers (1993) (£417,378) and the 107th biggest inflated between TMNT and Elektra (close to Kick-Ass 2, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Catwoman and Hellboy).
2022’s Morbius dropped 77% £740,336 #4 and £5,084,271 616 screens taking £6,439,100 and 2023’s The Marvels dropped 63% £1,255,158 #2 660 screens and £5,713,712 of £7,204,734.
1,780th biggest between Zodiac and Days Of Thunder (close to Malice, Superman IV, The Karate Kid Part 2 and Moonwalker) and 2,253rd biggest inflated between Transporter 3 and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (close to Jacob’s Ladder, The Brady Bunch Movie, Very Bad Things and The X-Files: I Want to Believe).
Madame Web has a lot in common with Argylle both films were too busy trying to set up what follows next they forgot to get there they needed audiences to want to be part of the first film. Both films were planned as the first of a series of films but as with films like King Arthur, Dark Tower and Warcraft, with the series Divergent the fourth film Ascendant was never made due to Allegiant soft BO.
Always know when a film is in trouble when the talk is centred around the budget with the budget for Madame Web rumoured to be $80m+ while Argylle’s $200m+, budget of a film shouldn’t matter to anyone bar studio accountants while many budgets are more speculation as seen last week with Gladiator 2 budget reportedly up from $165m to $310m, three times the 2000 films budget. With some films, you can see exactly where the money has been spent but the issue many have with Madame Web is despite the budget the CGI is poor. Madame Web was originally set in the 90s and was to include Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man but it was removed as were any mentions of Spider-Man which surely didn’t help.
Had a lower second weekend drop than other female-led comic-book films including 2005’s Elektra dropped 68% £253,174 #12 329 screens taking £1,303,703 (£2,192,214 inflated); 2004’s Catwoman dropped 70% £164,607 #10 354 screens taking £1,158,075; 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 dropped 91% £72,674 #1 (COVID) #1 71 screens and £1,377,049 of £1,584,340.
For all the criticism DC have deservedly received for most of their recent DC Universe the one thing they did do right is their female superhero film Wonder Woman (didn’t learn anything from it as seen by the awful sequel Wonder Woman 1984).
Despite all the critical acclaim and huge BO success of MCU, they have been far too slow to launch films that didn’t feature rich arrogant white males took 10 years and 18 films for Black Panther (was originally planned as one of the first 10 MCU films when Marvel first announced slate) 11 years and 21 films for Captain Marvel and 13 years and 24 years for Black Widow despite her character being in 2010’s Iron Man 2 (Black Widow should have been made in 2014 instead Scarlett Johansson made Lucy).
When Sony Pictures acquired Spider-Man rights from Marvel in 1999 for $10m they also acquired rights for associated characters in his universe including Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, and Green Goblin. Venom, Carnage and Morbius. (was similar to the 20th Century Fox’s 1994 $2.6m deal to acquire X-Men rights).
After the enormous success of the MCU Sony and 20th Century Fox wanted to build their own comic-book universes, the only problem was these associated characters weren’t as well known as the Avengers. It wasn’t then a surprise that these spinoffs including Daredevil, Elektra, Morbius and Venom didn’t come close to the critical and box office success of Spider-Man and X-Men films.
Marvel has had similar issues with films like Eternals and The Marvels and only has one new MCU film (Thunderbolts) over their next slate instead have two sequels (Deadpool & Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World), two reboots (The Fantastic Four and Blade) and two Avengers films despite having over 80,000 characters in the Marvel Multiverse.
Sony Pictures started development on a Madame Web in 2019; while Sony received tremendous success with the Spider-Man spinoff Venom last year’s Morbius was a box office and critical flop. It is Sony Pictures’ first female-led comic-book film and has been described as a Sony Pictures version of Doctor Strange. It’s surprising after meeting several A-listers for the lead role they cast Dakota Johnson as it will be her first leading role since starring in the 50 Shades of Grey trilogies.
Sony Pictures was offered all Marvel rights in 1999 for $25m but only brought Spider-Man as comic-book films in the late 90s were in the decline it was two years after Batman & Robin was a box office disappointment it was a huge gamble for Sony Pictures to make a Spider-Man film as it was for 20th Century Fox to make X-Men. The success of both films gave Marvel the ability to raise $525m to produce a slate of films starting with Iron Man released in 2008 and then saw Disney acquire Marvel a year later for $4bn.
Also opened.
- Tenet – Warner Bros
Re-released in 2 cinemas showing the film in 70mn Picturehouse Central and BFI IMAX taking £21,158 average £10,579 #36 and £17,510,652.
Warner Bros also re-released Christopher Nolan’s Inception £14,873 #40 from 74 screens after Oppenheimer’s recent BAFTA wins which will be repeated next month at the Oscars.
Oppenheimer also increased 191% taking £48,051 and £58.8m
Inception took £35m (£46.6m inflated) in 2010 what Tenet could have done had Christopher Nolan not forced Warner Bros hand after his op-ed in the Washington Post which made many believe Tenet would be the film that would save cinema after COVID. Not saying it in hindsight as I said in March 2020 Tenet was never going to be the film that would bring back audiences on mass. The bad feeling between Warner Bros and Christopher Nolan saw him leave the studio and Universal Pictures acquire Oppenheimer.
UK box office in detail
The weekend’s top 10 box office took £8,042,310 down 45.4% from last weekend’s £14,740,526: x admissions up x% from 1,887,266 admissions.
40t biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 23 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse £1,995,517 (24.33%) and 12 May 2023 #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £5,349,346 (66.98%)
104th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 171 weeks between 21 January 2022 #1 Spider-Man No Way Home £2,335,488 (28.86%) and 12 May 2023 #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £5,349,346 (66.98%)
820th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,143) between 01 February 2002 #1 Vanilla Sky £1,743,556 (21.64%) and 20 April 2012 #1 Battleship £1,282,091 (15.95%) and 1033rd biggest inflated between 05 September 2014 #1 Sex Tape £1,431,058 (21.02%) and 20 September 2013 #1 Rush £2,099,308 (31.87%)
The top 3 took (£5,519,635) 68.3% of the top 10; Bob Marley: One Love 29.68% (£2,387,019); Wicked Little Letters 20.43% (£1,642,777); Migration 18.53% (£1,489,839)
707th highest #1 percentage (29.68%) between 19 September 2003 The Italian Job (29.75%) and 14 December 2007 The Golden Compass (29.64%)
961st biggest admissions #1 (301,391) between 06 August 2021 The Suicide Squad (301,481) and 05 September 2008 Rocknrolla (301,046)
Down 9.3% from 2023; (£8,869,711); Cocaine Bear (£1,581,128); What’s Love Got To Do With It? (£1,082,163); #1 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania £3,049,939 2nd week 65% drop 681 screens (34.39% of top 10)
Down 20.2% from 2022 (£10,074,422); The Duke (£992,659); Cyrano (£398,650); The Godfather: 50th Anniversary (£267,096); Studio 666 (£135,385); #1 Uncharted £3,084,102 3rd week 631 screens 18% drop (30.6% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown 2
Down 42% 2020 (£13,862,134); The Call Of The Wild (£1,465,400); Like A Boss (£520,059); Brahms: The Boy II (£506,773); Greed (£369,028); Swan Lake – Bolshoi Ballet 2020 (£194,536); #1 Sonic The Hedgehog £4,171,244 2nd week 634 screens 12% drop (30.1% of top 10)
Down 13.5% from 2019: (£9,295,306); Cold Pursuit (£631,467); On the Basis of Sex (£458,914); Capernaum (£140,770); #1 The LEGO Movie 2 £2,410,824 3rd week 661 screens 2% drop (25.9% of top 10)
Down 49.7% from 2018; (£15,994,745); Lady Bird (expansion) (£1,233,508); I, Tonya (£1,049,551); Finding Your Feet (£923,220); La Boheme – Met Opera 2018 (£309,799); #1 Black Panther £6,859,230 2nd week 599 screens 61% drop (42.9% of top 10)
Down 29.2% from 2017: (£11,360,198); Patriots Day (£843,380); A Cure for Wellness (£409,540); Rusalka – Met Opera 2017 (£215,774); Within (£8,364); #1 The LEGO Batman Movie £2,893,337 3rd week 610 screens 35% drop (25.4% of top 10)
Down 14.8% from 2016: (£9,440,280); Grimsby (£1,928,789); The Forest (£448,258); Secret In Their Eyes (£117,094); #1 Deadpool £2,987,877 3rd week 568 screens 48% drop (31.6% of top 10)
Down 44.5% from 2015; (£14,483,939); The Wedding Ringer (£990,445); Project Almanac (£868,030); Blackhat (£147,199); The Duke Of Burgundy (£43,155); Cake (£114,316); #1 Fifty Shades of Grey £4,597,092 2nd week 596 screens 66% drop (31.7% of top 10)
Down 41.9% from 2014: (£13,831,826); A New York Winter’s Tale (£257,634); Peter Grimes – English National Opera 2014 (£145,097); Nymphomaniac Part 1 (£143,282); Stalingrad (£33,289); The Godfather: Part 2 (Re: 2014) (£9,583); #1 The Lego Movie £5,978,904 2nd week 552 screens 26% drop (43.2% of top 10)
Down 21.7% from 2013: (£10,277,378); Mama (£1,512,297); Cloud Atlas (£544,725); Song for Marion (£456,714); Hardy Bucks: The Movie (£152,775); To the Wonder (£96,645); #1 Wreck-It Ralph 3rd week (2-weeks #1 split by one) £3,420,196 540 screens (33.3% of top 10)
Down 25.1% from 2012 (£10,741,377); The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (£2,222,051); Safe House (£2,142,872); One for the Money (£316,762); Black Gold (£11,004); #1 The Woman in Black £2,432,580 3rd week 451 screens 31% up (22.6% of top 10)
Down 41.8% from 2011 (£13,823,666); I am Number Four (£1,628,523); No Strings Attached (£978,974); West is West (£758,226); Drive Angry (£651,344); The Rite (£626,159); Animal Kingdom (£155,081); #1 Gnomeo and Juliet £2,502,806 3rd week 1st #1 487 screens 13% up (18.1% of top 10)
Down 13.4% from 2010: (£9,286,544); The Crazies (£1,194,207); Leap Year (£728,251); From Paris with Love (£678,950); Extraordinary Measures (£131,759); Everybody’s Fine (£68,948); Capitalism: A Love Story (£29,595); #1 Avatar £2,260,319 11th week (10 weeks #1 with week gap) 398 screens (24.4% of top 10)
Down 17.7% from 2009; (£9,768,713); The Unborn (£1,300,543); The International (£760,382O; New in Town (£438,979); Franklyn (£52,567); #1 Slumdog Millionaire £1,676,508 8 weeks split over several weeks 449 screens up 7% (17.2% of top 10)
Down 4.5% from 2008; (£8,417,049); Be Kind Rewind (£1,388,146); Rambo (£1,247,195); #1 Jumper £1,513,088 2nd week 421 screens 51% drop (18% of top 10)
Up 14.6% from 2007: (£9,415,236); The Number 23 (£1,206,087); The Good Shepherd (£629,863); School for Scoundrels (£340,984); #1 Hot Fuzz £3,297,539 2nd week 432 screens 44% drop (35.1% of top 10)
Up 8.1% from 2006; (£7,442,296); Date Movie (£1,288,089); Lucky Number Slevin (£1,074,550); Capote (£236,444); The Fog (£210,525); #1 Date Movie £1,288,089 1st week 354 screens (17.3% of top 10)
Up 16.4% from 2005 (£6,908,179); Hide and Seek (1,594,508); Coach Carter (£469,062); The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (expansion) (£455,722); Hotel Rwanda (£81,476); #1 Hide and Seek £1,594,508 1st week 345 screens (23.1% of top 10)
Down 0.3% from 2004 (£8,063,782); Sex Lives of the Potato Men (£353,726); #1 The Haunted Mansion £1,564,558 2nd week 1st #1 364 screens 7% drop (19.4% of top 10)
Down 18% from 2003 (£9,802,035); The Ring (£2,200,084); The One and Only (£61,413); #1 The Ring £2,200,084 1st week 396 screens (22.4% of top 10)
Down 34.7% from 2002 (£12,321,631); Ali (expansion) (£1,315,506); Don’t Say A Word (£597,896); Charlotte Gray (£450,229); A Beautiful Mind (limited) (£186,862); #1 Monsters, Inc. £4,234,293 3rd week 498 screens 26% drop (34.3% of top 10)
2023 Next week: (£10,910,653); Creed III (£5,003,452); Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village (£567,638); #1 Creed III £5,003,452 1st week 645 screens (45.86% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Bob Marley: One Love – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 45% in the second weekend $13.45m #1 and $71.14m.
830th biggest second weekend between Storks and Waterworld (close to Rocketman $13.81m; Ray $13.64m; Hannah Montana: The Movie $13.4m and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never $13.3m)
Biopics second weekends
2015’s Straight Outta Compton dropped 56.2% $26.36m and $111.08m of $161.19m and $201.63m worldwide
2005’s Walk the Line dropped 14% $19.21m and $54m of $119.51m and $186.79m worldwide
2022’s Elvis dropped 40.9% $18.45m and $66.77m of $151.04m and $288.67m worldwide
2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody dropped 38.9% $31.2m and $100.36m of $216.66m and $910.8m worldwide
2019’s Rocketman dropped 46.3% $13.81m and $50.31m of $96.36m and $195.32m worldwide
2004’s Ray dropped 31.9% $13.64m and $39.64m of $75.3m and $123.97m worldwide
Distributors Top 5 2024; Universal $148.6m; Warner $147m; Paramount $143.9m; MGM $111m; Sony $106.2m
Dropped 37% taking $15m from 59 territories $49.4m total and $120.6m worldwide; UK $14.3m; France $9.7m; Germany $3.2m; Australia $3.1m; Brazil $3m.
- Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training – Sony/Crunchyroll
Opened $11.5m #2; received positive reviews (78% Rotten Tomatoes) and B+ CinemaScore.
Took $1.8m from Thursday previews.
Opened in IMAX/PLF screens.
2020’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train opened $21.23m total $49.5m and $453.21m worldwide
2023’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village opened $10.11m total of $46m and $56.11m worldwide
Opened $13.7m from 42 territories 29% more than Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village and 66% more than Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train
Took $4m worldwide from IMAX.
- Ordinary Angels – Lionsgate
Opened $6.13m #3; received positive reviews (81`% Rotten Tomatoes) and A+ CinemaScore.
Being a faith-based film they are word of mouth so harder to predict if audiences will embrace them and tracking services will often underestimate them.
- Madame Web – Sony Pictures
Dropped 61% in the second weekend $5.91m #4 and $35.36m.
It’s the fifth film over the last 9 years starring Dakota Johnson opening over Valentine’s Day weekend; 2015’s 50 Shades of Grey opened $85.17m taking $166.16m and $569.65m WW; 2016’s How to Be Single opened $17.87m taking $46.84m and $112.54m WW; 2017’s Fifty Shades Darker opened $46.6m taking $114.58m and $381.54m WW and 2018’s Fifty Shades Freed opened $38.56m taking $100.4m and $371.98m WW.
While female comic-book films Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel have been huge hits their follow-ups haven’t; 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 dropped 67.5% $5.42m and $28.43m of $46.8m and $169.6m worldwide; 2023’s The Marvels dropped 78.1% $10.12m and $64.94m of $84.5m and $206.08m worldwide.
Other Female-led comic-book films include.
2004’s Catwoman dropped 61.5% $6.44m #6 and $29.77m of $40.2m and $82.4m worldwide
2005’s Elektra dropped 69% $3.96m #10 and $20.37m of $24.4m and $56.99m worldwide
While other Spider-Man spinoffs
2022’s Morbius dropped 73.8% by $10.2m #2 and $57.08m of $73.86m and $167.46m
2018’s Venom dropped 56.4% $35m #1 and $142.1m of $213.51m and $856.08m worldwide
2021’s Venom 2 dropped 64.7% $31.75m #2 and $141.41m of $213.55m and $506.86m worldwide
Dropped 59.2% taking $10.5m from 64 territories $42m total and $77.4m worldwide; UK $2.9m; Mexico $2.9m; France $1.6m; Australia $1.5m; Germany $1.5m.
- Drive Away Dolls – Focus Features
Opened $2.4m #8; received positive reviews (66% Rotten Tomatoes) and C CinemaScore.
Took $x from Thursday midnights.
Recent Coen Brothers films include.
2016’s Hail, Caesar! Opened $11.35m taking $30.49m and $63.94m worldwide.
2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis opened a $405,411 platform from 4 screens and an expansion; $1.88m from 729 screens taking $13.23m and $32.93m worldwide.
2011’s True Grit opened $24.83m taking $171.24m and $252.27m worldwide.
2000’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? Opened $195,104 from 5 screens; expanded into 809 screens $3.64m taking $45.51m and $71.86m worldwide.
But Drive Away Dolls looks quirkier similar to their earlier films.
1996’s Fargo opened $730,265 from 36 screens; expanded into 716 screens $2.53m taking $24.61m
1998’s The Big Lebowski opened $5.53m taking $19.3m and $48.05m worldwide.
2000’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? Opened £563,900 132 screens (£1,078,765 inflated) taking £2,232,468 (£4,270,808 inflated)
While 1991’s Thelma & Louise opened $6.1m taking $45.36m
Opened with $229k from 7 territories and $2.6m worldwide.
- Wonka – Warner Bros
Down 30% in its eleventh weekend taking $2.45m #7 and $214.46m.
96th biggest eleventh weekend between Crazy Heart and Rocky III (close to The Greatest Showman, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 4 and Steel Magnolias)
204th biggest between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax; 564th inflated between Mission: Impossible III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; 8th biggest 2023 between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and John Wick: Chapter 4; 5th biggest musical between Sing and Coco; 38th biggest Warner Bros between A Star is Born and It: Chapter Two.
Took $5.2m from 74 territories $402.7m total and $617.3m worldwide; UK $78.7m; France $30.6m; Mexico $27.3m; Australia $25.8m; Germany $24.7m.
177th worldwide between The Lost World: Jurassic Park and How to Train Your Dragon 2; 7th biggest 2023 worldwide between Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Little Mermaid; 6th biggest musical worldwide between Sing and Mamma Mia! (overtaking Les Misérables $435.4m; La La Land $435.2m; The Greatest Showman $429.9m and close to 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s $474.96m worldwide; 29th biggest Warner Bros worldwide between Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Hangover Part II.
- Migration – Universal Pictures
Up 25% in the tenth weekend $2.86m #5 and $120.31m
1016th biggest tenth weekend between The Karate Kid (1984) and Twins (close to Aladdin (2019), Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid (1989) and Big).
101st biggest animation between Mulan and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2; 597th biggest between Mulan and Seabiscuit; 1,336th inflated between Bachelor Party and Heartbreak Ridge; 21st biggest 2023 between Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; 86th biggest Universal Pictures between Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! And Seabiscuit.
Tenth weekends
2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish dropped 22.8% $4.11m and $173.43m of $185,53m and $481.07m worldwide
2021’s Sing 2 dropped 20.9% $2.25m and $151.34m of $162.72m and $408.4m
The 13 Illumination Entertainment films have taken $3.84bn in the US and $9.7bn worldwide.
Took $4.9m from 79 territories $148.3m total and $268.8m worldwide.
111th biggest animation worldwide between Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Bambi; 625th worldwide between 10,000 B.C. and Exodus: Gods and Kings; 82nd biggest Universal Pictures between Neighbors and American Gangster.
- Anyone But You – Sony Pictures
Down 48% in its tenth weekend $1.25m #11 taking $87m.
353rd biggest tenth weekend between Chef and The Mask (close to Call Me by Your Name, Maleficent, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Hitch).
950th biggest between Saw II and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear; 1,903rd biggest inflated between Seven Years in Tibet and Final Destination 3; 29th biggest 2023 between The Equalizer 3 and The Nun II; 36th biggest rom-com between Along Came Polly and While You Were Sleeping (close to The Ugly Truth, Failure to Launch, What Happens in Vegas and Yesterday); 124th biggest Sony Pictures between Pineapple Express and The Emoji Movie.
Has overtaken romcoms Ticket to Paradise” $168m; The Lost City” $192m becoming the first rom com in half to take $200m+ worldwide since 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians $239m and the first R-rated since 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby $211m.
I1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding dropped 26.8% $1.61m and $116.08m of $127.12m and $299.28m worldwide); has been compared to Much Ado About Nothing and 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You took $38.17m and $53.47m worldwide.
Will Gluck’s films took $565m in the US and $1.06bn worldwide.
2010’s Easy A took $58.4m and $76.2m worldwide; 2011’s Friends with Benefits $55.8m and $146.59m worldwide; 2014’s Annie $85.91m and $139.82m worldwide; 2018’s Peter Rabbit took $115.23m and $346.72m worldwide and 2021’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway $40.5m and $150.97m worldwide
Took $6m from 50 territories total $112.8m and $200m worldwide; Australia $14.7m; UK $14.2m; Germany $13.9m; Mexico $7.9m; Italy $6.8m.
962nd biggest worldwide between The Addams Family and Hollow Man; 39th biggest 2023 between The Marvels and Insidious: The Red Door; 36th biggest rom-com between 50 First Dates and While You Were Sleeping (close to The Ugly Truth, Two Weeks’ Notice, He’s Just Not That Into You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days); 124th biggest Sony Pictures between Open Season and Hollow Man. Fire.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
As with films like Avatar and Gravity taking 80%+ of BO from 3D/IMAX Dune Part 2 will take similar from IMAX/PLF, sales in IMAX cinemas have been extraordinarily strong with many screenings over the opening weekend at BFI IMAX sold out and sales extraordinarily strong for screenings over the following weeks. IMAX/PLF advance bookings are over-indexing box office expectations, as these formats all come from surcharges of over double the industry average.
BFI IMAX has become the home of films for directors like Denis Villeneuve, James Cameron and Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer took £207,677 at the BFI IMAX over its opening weekend, the third highest for the cinema ahead of 2009’s Avatar but less than 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi (BFI IMAX has dropped prices since then since they took over control of the cinema from Odeon). As with Oppenheimer BFI IMAX is one of only a handful of cinemas in the world showing it in 70MM IMAX.
In 2012 The Dark Knight Rises sold £1m+ in advance of opening selling over 60,000 seats and 43 screenings sold out, beating 2009’s Avatar’s 607,000 sales for 47,000 tickets; The Dark Knight Rises also broke BFI IMAX records for highest first-day sales (24,754 tickets taking £409,838) and the highest first-week sales ever (38,658 tickets grossing £634,013). Prices are over a third more than they were in 2012 so would be interesting to see how Dune Part 2 compares to cinema data is rarely available, but it will surely be the #1 cinema in the UK for Dune Part 2 despite many multiplexes showing the film dozens more times daily.
Dune opened In 49 IMAX cinemas £1.1m 19% of the opening (No Time To Die took 8%); opened in 668 cinemas and 1,331 screens. Dune Part 2 will open in 700+ cinemas and 1,500+ screens but 80%+ of its opening will be taken from 50+ IMAX screens and 250+ PLF. Normally blockbusters take about 40% of their opening from IMAX/PLF screens.
In 2018 Denis Villeneuve announced plans to adapt Dune into a two-part film series but it wasn’t until October 2021 that the sequel was greenlit by Legendary Pictures, as while the first film performed well internationally its BO for both the US and was much lower than it was expected taking £21.7m in the UK, $108.32m In the US, $293.7m internationally 73.1% of its $402.02m WW, had it not been for COVID Warner Bros would have surely been expected similar global BO as other grownup sci-fi films Interstellar $731.07m; The Martian $631.05m; Gravity $773.03m.
2021’s Dune opened £5,876,892 (including £1,111,262 previews 18.91%) #1 657 screens: £904k Friday 19% of opening taking £21,701,533; opening was 14.33% of US (11.62% 3-day opening) as films like Dune perform far stronger internationally why the first film opened internationally a month before the US.
2013’s Gravity opened £6,238,375 #1 539 screens taking £32,756,514
2014’s Interstellar opened £5,378,220 #1 574 screens taking £21,173,601
2015’s The Martian opened £6,531,734 #1 582 screens taking £23,589,854
2016’s Arrival opened £2,924,059 #1 561 screens taking £9,144,719
2017’s Blade Runner 2049 opened £6,071,625 #1 634 screens taking £18,918,361
But with all the media coverage, hype, reviews and buzz surrounding Dube Part 2 being far more than any of these films and closer to 2007’s I am Legend £11,009,365 (£17,266,172 inflated); 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions £8,712,350 (£15,540,949 inflated); 2005’s War of the Worlds £8,644,787 (£14,536,457 inflated); 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes £7,195,773 and 1996’s Independence Day £7,005,905 (£14,996,424 inflated). Comparisons could be made with Avatar: The Way of Water opened with £11,187,562 almost double Avatar’s £6,670,591 but didn’t have the legs.
The teaser trailer was shown at CinemaCon in April 2023 receiving rave reactions Variety called it “breathtaking”. A second trailer was released in June 2023.
Dune Part 2 opens in 802 IMAX screens in 81 countries including 12 cinemas in 70mml; it had IMAX fan screenings in 406 screens on Sunday, February 25th in the US many of which were sold out. (taking $2m)
Avatar 2 took 3D BO Europe 81%; Asia 70% and Latin America 65%. while the first Avatar took only 21% from 2D in the UK despite playing in many more 2D screens than 3D.
With an ensemble cast playing across young and old, male and female audiences including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken nothing has been left to chance for the film also having two huge premieres including London last week and New York this week with Zendaya getting much media coverage from the dresses she wore at both premieres. There were reports that the cast didn’t like each other during the press tour, but this could be just a way to generate more media coverage as seen with the negativity during the Don’t Worry Darling press tour all media coverage helps unless it’s towards the film.
Critical reaction has been predictably over the top with Cinephiles calling it the greatest sci-fi film, that said some critics have said while it looks stunning but it’s far too long. It has currently overtaken Shawshank Redemption as the best film on IMDB but it will drop down over the next few weeks.
The first Dune took 50% from IMAX/PLF and the sequel will take more, it was tracking to open with $65m+ but with 60%+ of BO from premium formats, an opening up to $90m is more likely similar to 2017’s Logan $88m (Thurs previews $9.5m/$33m Friday; Dunkirk took $5.5m/$19.7m; Dune $5.1m/$17.5m; Oppenheimer $10.5m/$33m.
Visual cinematic film including Oppenheimer, Interstellar, Gravity, Prometheus and Inception are comparable titles, while as Tenet Dune Part 2 will have all IMAX/PLF/Dolby screens which Oppenheimer never had as Barbie had some PLF screens.
Oppenheimer opened $82.45m; Gravity $55.78m/ $72.25m; Prometheus $51.05m/$67.53m; Inception $62.78m/$83.79m; Interstellar $47.51m/$61.23m.
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 with $25k per-screen average.
The holdovers including Bob Marley: One Love, Wicked Little Letters and Migration should hold much stronger than the other films which will see up to 60% drops.
While as in the US Lisa Frankenstein will struggle to find an audience in the UK.
Opening in two weeks
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – Sony Pictures
Supernatural comedy sequel to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the fifth film in the Ghostbusters franchise starring Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, and Kumail Nanjiani. Patton Oswalt, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton and directed by Gil Kenan.
Jason Reitman originally returned to direct the sequel after the success of Afterlife but was replaced by Gil Kenan
It was originally due to be released in December but was delayed to March after the SAG/WAG strike, delaying it to 2024 opening during the 40th anniversary of the original film. The first trailer was released in November.
2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife opened £4,314,263 (included £549,710 previews) #1 658 screens taking £11,494,268
2016’s Ghostbusters opened £4,388,944 #1 581 screens taking £10,554,557
1984’s Ghostbusters opened £1.25m (£5,469,613 inflated) taking £12.4m (£54,258,564 inflated)
1989’s Ghostbusters 2 opened £1,418,955 (£4,823,229 inflated) #1 279 screens taking £8,301,000 (£28,216,275 inflated)
It’s interesting that over the 40 years of Ghostbusters, they all had similar openings and BO including inflation. While the original Ghostbusters film opened in December 1984 the same weekend as Gremlins.
- Immaculate – Black Bear
Psychological horror starring Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano, Giorgio Colangeli and Simona Tabasco and directed by Michael Mohan; has its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12, 2024.
cigarette burns and missed changeovers 