- Mean Girls – £1,496,629 -£5,524,957.
Dropped 54% in its second weekend (40% without previews)
642nd biggest second weekend between Four Christmases and Arrival (close to House of Gucci, Australia, Labyrinth and National Treasure 2) and 1,094th biggest inflated between Wild Hogs and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (close to Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Moonwalker, Far and Away and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin).
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 29% £983,547 (£1,745,851 inflated) #2 from 365 screens and £3,015,271 of £5,411,323 (£9,605,400 inflated)
The original Mean Girls opened 20 years ago over the years since its popularity has grown, research In 2019 found the Machiavellian-like plot popular with adolescents as adolescents place a lot of emphasis on popularity and they are keenly aware of the difference between being liked and being popular. Similarly, films like Heathers and most recently Saltburn are also popular.
Much has been made about how social media and TikTok helped films like Mean Girls and Anyone But You, but if that were the case these films will be taking far more as Taylor Swift: Eras Tour would have been taken in October.
These films have generated over a billion each on social media so why did Barbie have a far stronger conversion rate than these others? It’s all part of the industry lowering its expectations of BO success post-COVID as films that would have been seen as disappointing in 2019 are now seen as successful. It’s similar to calling Mean Girls a hit after opening bigger than the original that opened 20 years ago and Anyone, But You is being compared to The Greatest Showman as it has several small drops.
If Anyone But You was overperforming it should be increasing its BO, especially after generating so much media coverage recently. This was the case with The Greatest Showman the user-generated content grew its audience over far long time and it’s impossible to compare Anyone But You with The Greatest Showman.
1,278th biggest between Die Hard 2 Die Harder and Smurfs: The Lost Village (close to Shallow Hal, Saltburn, Arachnophobia and Mean Girls (2004) and 1,832nd biggest inflated between Insidious: The Last Key and Kangaroo Jack (close to Practical Magic, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, The Shawshank Redemption and My Stepmother is an Alien).
- 2. All of Us Strangers £1,176,972 – NE
Includes £138k from previews.
1,449th biggest opening between Asteroid City and Air (close to Eyes Wide Shut, Love, Simon, Eat Pray Love and The Lucky One) and 2,033rd biggest inflated between Private Parts and Pacific Heights (close to Not Another Teen Movie, Stepmom, The Bridges Of Madison County and The Tall Guy).
55th biggest opening over the last 52 weeks between Asteroid City and Plane (close to Anyone But You, No Hard Feelings, The Fabelmans and Grand Turismo).
Opened on 493 screens 611th widest opening similar to The Equalizer 2 and High School Musical 3 (close to Mamma Mia!, LOTR: The Return of the King, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Hidden Figures).
Andrew Haigh’s previous films also received critical acclaim but struggled to find an audience 2011’s Weekend opened on limited release at £30,474 from 10 screens #23 only played in a maximum of 20 screens taking £221,169; 2015’s 45 Years opened £331,196 #10 from 68 screens and expanded into 103 screens taking £1,829,573; 2018’s Lean on Pete opened £85,597 #12 from 46 screens taking £473,558.
All Of Us Strangers has generated much more media coverage with the British cast Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell and Claire Foy on the promotional tour starring with a UK premiere at the London Film Festival in October to a Gala screening at the BFI South Bank days before opening.
Over a quiet weekend, All of Us Strangers should have opened #1 but it’s another example of films opening 30%+ lower than they would have done pre-2020. Since cinemas reopened UK BO has been down most weeks by about 30% from pre-2020 levels, I compare the top 10s with previous since 2002 and have to go back to 2006 for a weekend to be bigger than last weekend, this has been a regular occurrence. So the question is where has the 30%+ gone and will they ever return? As the UKCA ticket average is up 11.4% since 2019 it’s really over 40%.
Similar films include.
2013’s Warm Bodies opened £895,509 #6 315 screens taking £2,664,789
2014’s If I Stay opened £505,704 #6 333 screens taking £1,373,572
2009’s The Time Traveler’s Wife opened £1,410,333 #1
2006’s Lake House opened £761,465 #2 343 screens taking £2,655,261 425 screens taking £7,308,665
1990’s Ghost opened £1,504,893 #1 (£4,266,808 inflated) taking £23,341,442 (£66,179,756 inflated).
Curiously opened similar to 2018’s Love, Simon (£1,179,593 #4 from 458 screens taking £3,540,552); 2006’s Brokeback Mountain £987,261 #4 from 125 screens taking £9,469,032; 2010’s I Love You Phillip Morris £1,066,092 #4 342 screens taking £2,298,494.
While 2017’s Call Me by Your Name opened £235,760 #11 from 111 screens taking £1,173,150 and 2010’s The Kids Are All Right opened £411,960 #9 203 screens talking £1,485,900; 2017’s Moonlight £621,836 #10 85 screens taking £3,852,475; 2017’s God’s Own Country £167,824 #15 from 45 screens taking £868,140; 2021’s Supernova £245,715 #8 353 screens taking £770,664; 2022’s Bros £215,612 #11 from 482 screens.
Films about loneliness include 2004’s Lost in Translation £797,071 #5 96 screens taking £9,865,162; 2002’s One Hour Photo £420,500 #7 190 screens taking £1,331,333; 2009’s Synecdoche, New York £123,125 #11 30 screens taking £434,718; 2012’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower £827,983 #4 328 screens taking £2,145,840; 2015’s opened £229,619 #9 75 screens taking £1,521,066; 2017’s Manchester By The Sea £729,478 #6 146 screens taking £2,298,179 and 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin £1,643,220 #2 546 screens taking £9,979,347
While opening on platform release in the US in December opened immediately wide into 496 screens, 20 years ago films like this would start on a more, limited release and expand over several weeks but now they either open immediately on 500 screens or as The Holdovers open in 200+ screens and then expand into 400+ in the second weekend. But of course, a film like All of Us Strangers with its British-led cast was always going to open stronger in the UK and also receive more BAFTAs to Oscar nominations.
All of Us Strangers opened in December on four screens, expanding into six in its second weekend performing well but as so many other films when it expanded further into 42 screens in the third weekend and then 120 and 295 screens in its fourth and fifth weekends wasn’t able to play to a wider audience. So in its sixth weekend dropped 20 screens and the lack of Oscar nominations means it is unlikely to expand further. Compare that to opening in 493 screens in the UK and then likely to expand further this weekend into 550+ screens and will see it have a 20%+ second weekend drop..
Molly Ringwald recently looked back at The Breakfast Club after the #MeToo movement found the film troubling. But can’t compare current films and TV shows with today’s attitudes and beliefs as they were from a different generation. Millennials have recently taken issue with Friends calling it out for being transphobic, homophobic and sexist while it might be seen like that now it wasn’t meant to be when it was first broadcast over 20 years ago many believe society has become oversensitive. 30 years ago, when John Hughes was making his teen films was a much more innocent time compared with many teen films that have a darker edge to them now.
Last week UKCA and FDA appeared before the CMS (Culture, Media and Sport) Select Committee Inquiry into British Film and High-End Television to give evidence on the current film industry landscape and what can be done to improve the fortunes of UK independent film. They spoke of a lack of quality British films; it’s been 30 years now since the National Lottery started funding British Films and won 14 Oscars and 32 BAFTAs, the problem is the majority of these films including The King’s Speech, Gosford Park, Billy Elliot and The Last King of Scotland all needed to be co-financed by US studios.
All of Us Strangers and Poor Things both are made by Film Four but they both needed Searchlight Pictures owned by Disney to be made, similarly, See-Saw Films One Life (taking £8.5m in the UK) needed Warner Bros to acquire it for the UK.
Film Four opened UK film distributor in the mid-90s releasing a mix of Film Four productions and acquired films, closing it in 2002 after generating big losses, seeing films that were in development including Bright Young Things, The Lovely Bones, and Under The Skin acquired by other distributors. All films since have seen Film Four as one of the producers. Channel 4 has had a key role in the British Film industry for almost 40 years since My Beautiful Laundrette and Letter To Brezhnev. The loss of Film Four was soon after the likes of Palace and Rank also were closed and there hasn’t been a UK-centric film company since.
Much has been made about Barbie being “made and recorded in Hertfordshire – not Hollywood” and Leavesden Studios generating £200m and 4,000 jobs but Barbie was made by Warner Bros, and it was shot in the UK due to 25% tax breaks as Wonka, The Marvels, Napoleon and many others. The problem is now Warner Bros, Disney and Netflix have booked out studio space in the UK for many years meaning the smaller British financed films struggle for studio space. If other companies like Malta did for Gladiator 2 offer higher tax breaks will US studios go elsewhere?
The problem is the UK doesn’t have the infrastructure as funding is still by film rather than a slate, there was a plan in the mid-90s to create up to 4 franchises that would receive about £45m over about 7 years and they would be like mini studios with production company, distributor and exhibitor chain partnering.
The problem was it was poorly conceived, that said two Pathe Productions were still making films up to last year (The Great Escaper) and DNA Films are still making films Civil War directed by Alex Garland opens in April and they are currently developing 28 Years Later. 28 Years Later as the two previous films (28 Days Later and 28 Months Later) will be co-financed by a US studio taking world rights, as the problem is only Entertainment Films is left of the British film distributors of 30+ years ago and they are a shell of the company they were 20 years ago.
While there has been much made of the successful British film industry with Wonka and Barbie made in the UK, with BAFTA Best British Film nominees Napoleon, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, Rye Lane, Saltburn and All of Us Strangers all needed US funding to be made only How To Have Sex, The Old Oak and Scrapper were made without US funding but they took less than £2m combined at the UK BO.
- 3. Wonka – £1,047,752 – £59,768,006
Down 38.1% in the eighth weekend
17th biggest eighth weekend between Casino Royale and Fantastic Beasts (close to Harry Potter Chamber Of Secrets, Frozen, Jurassic Park and Paddington) and 46th biggest inflated eighth weekend between The Fugitive and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (close to The Living Daylights, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pretty Woman and Goldeneye).
26th biggest film in the UK between LOTR: The Return of the King and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (close to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Jurassic World, Joker and Oppenheimer) and 63rd biggest inflated between Shrek The Third and The Inbetweeners Movie (close to Dunkirk, The Simpsons, The Kings Speech and The Matrix Reloaded).
4th biggest Warner Bros film between Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Joker (close to Joker, Dunkirk, Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets).
Wonk dropped slightly more than last weekend (24%) but being available to watch at home held still very well as exhibitors complain about short theatrical windows but if it’s a film audiences want to see in the cinema they will still see it in the cinema, this has been the case for many films recently. As also been seen with Saltburn taking about £1m over the last 6 weeks since being released on Amazon.
Wonka has currently taken 6.71x openings similar to Beetlejuice, Elvis, Free Guy, Good Morning Vietnam, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, The Hangover, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Last Christmas, American Pie and Big; Barbie was 5.16x; Top Gun Maverick 5.23x; Mary Poppins Returns 5.44x; Paddington 7.41x.
Wonka received only one BAFTA nomination for Best British Film, while the other David Heyman-produced film Barbie received five BAFTA nominations, but surprisingly Warner Bros didn’t register it for Best British Film as both were made in the UK so if one was nominated the other should have been too.
Wonka was released digitally on Monday but like many other films, it’s unlikely to harm its box office as audiences will still go to see the film in the cinema that said as with Barbie when it dropped off #1 Wonka Bo slowing down and will come short of Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Seventh weekends
2014’s Paddington down 25% £943,320 #5 561 screens and £34,067,531 89.7% of £37,965,541; #1 for 2 weeks; in the top 5 for 8 weeks and in the top 10 for 12 weeks; took £2m+ for 6 weeks and £1+ for 7 weeks.
2017’s Paddington 2 up 16% (Christmas) £1,884,062 #5 620 screens and £37,567,705 88.1% of £42,643,286; #1 for 3 weeks split over 5 weeks, opened #1, then dropped #2 for 2 weeks before returning #1 in early December; top 5 for 8 weeks and top 10 for 10 weeks; took £2m+ for 4 weeks and £1m+ for 9 weeks.
2022’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical down 27% £857,293 #5 673 screens and £25,027,891 89.2% of £28,044,574
2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dropped 35% £348,030 #7 412 screens and £36,420,902 97.5% of £37,354,584 (£64,081,749 inflated)
2009’s Fantastic Mr Fox dropped 52% £43,073 #17 193 screens and £8,772,267 94.7% of £9,260,892 (£13,755,148)
2016’s The BFG dropped 52% £332,704 #9 468 screens and £29,197,858 95.1% of £30,694,086
1990’s The Witches took £2,135,460 (£7,405,372 inflated) and 1996’s James And The Giant Peach £5,750,628 (£12,558,128 inflated); 1996’s Matilda took £10,227,163 (£22,333,913 inflated)
While many are now comparing Wonka to The Greatest Showman having overtaken its UK and global BO The Greatest Showman was very different few expected it to take a quarter of the BO it took Wonka was always expected to take £40m+ in the UK after the success of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical last year and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 19 years ago.
Wonka could be compared to
2018’s Mary Poppins Returns dropped 48% £275,315 #9 452 screens and £43,337,786 97.3% of £44,541,719.
2008’s Mamma Mia! Dropped 15% £1,548,894 #2 (10 weeks £1m+) and £54,541,447 78.9% of £69,166,814
2018’s Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! Dropped 25% £726,771 #4 577 screens and £63,232,313 96.4% of £65,603,758
While 2017’s The Greatest Showman up 1% £1,927,367 (12 weeks £1m+) #4 502 screens and £30,414,668 61.3% of £49,592,940 and Barbie dropped 65% £561,119 #4 and £ 93,718,922 98% of £95,595,082.
If Wonka was really performing like The Greatest Showman it would take another £28m over the coming weeks taking about £98m, but they are two very different films, Wonka had an immediate audience while The Greatest Showman was discovered by audiences. While as with Top Gun: Maverick much was about timing for Wonka as it was originally due to open in March 2023 but films perform very differently in December having much longer legs.
- 4. Anyone But You £817,810 – £8,358,865
Down 24.3% in its fifth weekend
241st biggest fifth between Maleficent and The Smurfs (close to The Lego Batman Movie, The Fugitive, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Enchanted) and 456th inflated between Green Book and The Bourne Supremacy (close to Memphis Belle, Waterworld, Beetlejuice and Miss Congeniality).
Having a similar fifth weekend drop as Miss Congeniality, LA Story. Father of the Bride, Night at the Museum 2, Arthur Christmas, No Time To Die and Legally Blonde.
13th biggest fifth-weekend rom-com between What Women Want and Hitch (close to Notting Hill, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sliding Doors and Two Weeks’ Notice) and 29th biggest inflated between The Wedding Singer and Blind Date (close to My Best Friend’s Wedding, While You Were Sleeping, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and She’s All That).
Taken 6.67x opening between Meet the Parents and Ritchie Rich (close to Bean, Elvis, Mermaids, Free Guy, Brassed Off, Good Morning Vietnam, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, The Hangover, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Last Christmas, American Pie, Big, Enchanted, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and Jerry Maguire.
Over recent months Saltburn, Wonka and Anyone But You all have had similar legs showing there is still space in the market for films to find audiences when there are fewer wide releases. Fewer wide releases would be better despite exhibitors saying otherwise as it will let those films have longer to find audiences, had the last few months had the normal amount of wide releases these three would have had the legs. While exhibitors also complain about shorter theatrical windows the availability of Saltburn on Amazon and Wonka on Digital had insignificant effect on their BO.
39th biggest rom com between My Best Friend’s Wedding and Knocked Up (close to Sleepless in Seattle, The Other Woman, Muriel’s Wedding and What Happens in Vegas) and 86th biggest inflated between Never Been Kissed and Amelie (close to You’ve Got Mail, Just Like Heaven, Friends with Benefits and Mannequin).
846th biggest between Waterworld and Horton Hears a Who (close to Sister Act, Tropic Thunder, Closer and The Commitments) and 1,396th inflated between Rat Race and Where The Crawdads Sing (close to Boogie Nights, Leon, Muppets Most Wanted and Thelma & Louise).
The Greatest Showman Anyone But You is a film that the audience rom-com, but critics didn’t, while a key part of a rom-com is the chemistry between the leads, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell (Glen Powell also had it with Zoey Deutch starring in the 2018 Netflix rom-com Set It Up).
Romcoms historically had long legs as they took time to find their audience and were released close to tentpoles playing to the female audience famously with films like Sleepless in Seattle opening the week after Jurassic Park and My Best Friend’s Wedding opening the same weekend as Batman & Robin. While Batman and Robin opened with twice as much it stayed in the top 10 for 5 weeks and took $107.32m while My Best Friend’s Wedding took $127.12m.
Over recent years rom-coms have struggled to find an audience as studios moved into grossout rom-coms playing to a younger audience while Netflix and other streaming platforms found success with rom-coms. Predictably analysts made comparisons with The Greatest Showman, but it has a long way to go to be comparable.
Will Gluck returns to his rom-com roots after directing Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Peter Rabbit and Annie.
2011’s Friends with Benefits dropped 46% £131,309 #13 and £6,241,762 and 2010’s Easy A took £773,795
Easy A is one of the best modern romcoms as it homages many 80s romcoms and John Hughes films whilst also being a modern-day retelling of A Scarlet Letter, it was also one of Emma Stone’s early leading roles, sadly it didn’t find its audience in cinemas.
Other recent rom-coms third weekend
2022’s Ticket To Paradise dropped 38% £378,204 #7 and £8,552,526 of £9,669,162
2023’s No Hard Feelings dropped 84% £39,436 #13 and £3,881,194
It has been seen as a sorta sequel to 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding dropped 30% £446,238 (£873,837 inflated) and £7,106,784 78.93% of £9,003,541 (£17,631,013 inflated) and 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You took £2,809,751 (£5,319,172 inflated).
- 5. Poor Things – £690,024 – £5,068,533
Down 36.9% in its third weekend
903rd biggest third weekend between Jack Reacher and Sherlock Gnomes (close to Good Will Hunting, Lady Bird, 12 Monkeys and The Danish Girl) and 1,227th biggest inflated between The Equalizer 2 and The Ring Two (2005) (close to Hidden Figures, Syriana, Scent of a Woman and The Untouchables)
Yorgos Lanthimos’s earlier films third weekends
2019’s The Favourite dropped 43% £1,337,885 #5 607 screens and £11,137,384 of £16,972,417
2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer dropped 57% £50,935 #16 96 screens and £681,047 of £862,085
2015’s The Lobster dropped 55% £108,509 #11 59 screens and £882,756 of £1,521,066
2009’s Dogtooth took £189,815
Yorgos Lanthimos has already filmed his next also starring Emma Stone he made directly after completing Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness will also be released by Searchlight Pictures and will be released this time next year.
Despite Poor Things receiving 11 BAFTA nominations (including Best Film, Best British Film and Best Actress) and 11 Oscar nominations last week it hasn’t had the normal award hold as the major award contenders normally get, maybe it’s the 18 certificates or that it’s not likely to win major awards.
1,385th biggest between Shallow Grave and The Accountant (close to Cruel Intentions, Lady Bird, Everything Everywhere All At Once and Birdman) and 1,924th biggest inflated between Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and The Land Before Time (close to Steel Magnolias, Pacific Heights, Postcards From the Edge and Sex, Lies and Videotape).
Also opened.
- The Color Purple – Warner Bros
Opened £452,364 from 619 screens.
141st widest opening similar to Ralph Breaks The Internet and Sonic The Hedgehog (close to Operation Mincemeat, Ferrari, Murder on the Orient Express and The Lost City).
After missing out on major Oscar and BAFTA nominations The Color Purple was always likely to struggle to find an audience in the UK. A month ago, expected it to open similar to 2011’s The Help opened £896,597 #7 from 294 screens taking £3,865,125, 2007’s Dreamgirls opened £1,329,817 (£2,127,707 inflated) taking £3,475,271 (£5,560,434 inflated) and 2021’s In The Heights opened £1,073,687 #3 taking £4,286,073.
But opened similar to 2017’s Fences opened £350,071 #13 taking £1,158,590.
It was a tale of two musicals for Warne Bros Wonka trailers didn’t include any songs and it was a hit but then songs featured heavily in the trailers for The Color Purple, and it wasn’t.
Warner Bros strangely had the world premiere of The Color Purple in the UK a month before the US opening they were hoping to repeat the success of 2012’s Les Miserables also had the world premiere in the UK over a month before opening.
While receiving positive reviews, two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress and a strong opening day in the US on Christmas Day it dropped off surprisingly quickly and did not receive major BAFTA and Oscar nominations.
The original film opened in the UK in February 1986 it expanded very slowly taking £1,432,351 (£6,307,093 inflated). was overshadowed by Out of Africa opening two weeks later both at the BO taking £5,178,866 (£21,955,086 inflated) and Oscars despite being nominated for 11 Oscars (not director) didn’t win any while Out of Africa won 7 including Best Picture and Director.
Based on the stage musical of the same name, which was based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, the musical version of The Color Purple had a limited run in London in the summer of 2013 at the Menier Theatre and it had a limited UK tour September-November 2022.
As most films that struggle to find their audience in opening weekend The Color Purple’s screens and shows are severely reduced in its second weekend, as seen with The End We Start From dropping from 242 screens to 158 in its second weekend and down 76% £41,640 taking £345,230.
- Dear England – NT Live
Opened £729,299 over 4 days (Thurs-Sun) but only £184,535 from Fri-Sun from 254 screens
After taking £541k from Thursday screenings from 694 screens with tickets £20+ would have expected it to continue strongly with encore screenings Fri-Sun as advance bookings ahead of release looked strong for weekend shows thought it could open similar to 2014’s Billy Elliot The Musical Live 2014 £1,904,098 #1 from 509 screens.
UK box office in detail
This weekend’s top 10 box office took £7,796,217 down 24% from last weekend’s £10,259,086: 984,371 admissions down 23% from 1,278,348 admissions.
44th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 28 April 2023 #1 Super Mario Bros £3,067,431 (39.15%) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25.01%)
105th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 167 weeks between 28 April 2023 Super Mario Bros £3,067,431 (39.15%) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25.01%)
848th biggest top 10 of the last 21 years (out of 1,139) between 07 June 2013 #1 After Earth £2,249,532 (28.82% of top 10) and 01 March 2013 #1 Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters £1,502,782 (19.29% of top 10) and 1,043rd biggest inflated between 28 April 2023 #1 Super Mario Bros £3,067,431 (39.15% of top 10) and 25 August 2023 #1 Barbie £1,944,777 (25.01% of top 10)
The top 3 took (£3,721,353) 47.7% of the top 10; Mean Girls 19.2% (£1,496,629); All Of Us Strangers 15.1% (£1,176,972); Wonka 13.44% (£1,047,752).
1,058th highest #1 percentage (19.2%) between 27 November 2020 Home Alone (Re: 2018) (19.23%) and 02 November 2007 Ratatouille (19.18%)
1,080th biggest admissions #1 (188,968) between 20 April 2007 Wild Hogs (189,020) and 21 March 2014 The Grand Budapest Hotel (188,602)
Down 17.3% from 2023; (£9,422,654); Pathaan (£1,967,854); Plane (£1,161,382); The Fabelmans (£1,067,384); Billie Eilish: Live At The O2 (Extended Cut) (£329,407); Unwelcome (£118,322); #1 Avatar: The Way of Water £2,116,615 24% drop 623 screens (22.46% of top 10)
Down 38.5% from 2022 (£12,668,620); Sing 2 (£6,867,533); Parallel Mothers (£301,877); Rigoletto – Met Opera 2022 (£86,823); Friday The 13th (1980) (Re: 2022) (£8,256); #1 Sing 2 £6,867,533 1st week 632 screens (54.2% of top 10)
2021; Lockdown 2
Down 42.8% 2020 (£13,633,691); The Personal History Of David Copperfield (£1,524,147); Paw Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue (£483,886); The Grudge (£461,921); The Turning (£104,459); #1 1917 £4,518,270 3rd week 27% drop 742 screens (33.1% of the top 10)
Down 26.5% from 2019: (£10,612,229); Vice (£1,327,464); Dragon Ball Super: Broly (£851,508); The Mule (£725,554); A Dog’s Way Home (£705,875); Love Yourself In Seoul – BTS World Tour 2019 (£518,810); Second Act (£403,211); Destroyer (£106,410); Schindler’s List (25th Anniversary) (£29,745); #1 Glass £1,936,631 2nd week 559 screens 44% drop (18.2% of top 10)
Down 55.1% from 2018; (£17,354,267); Maze Runner: The Death Cure (£2,247,915); Early Man (£2,020,653); Downsizing (£1,131,687); 12 Strong (£421,515); Tosca – Met Opera 2018 (£404,994); Last Flag Flying (£16,867); #1 Darkest Hour £2,672,022 3rd week 2nd-week #1 over 3 weeks 641 screens 15% drop (15.4% of top 10)
Down 69.8% from 2017: (£25,816,418); Sing (£10,487,380); T2 Trainspotting (£5,146,791); Hacksaw Ridge (£1,490,158); Denial (£229,067); #1 Sing £10,487,380 1st week 554 screens (40.6% of top 10)
Down 31.2% from 2016: (£11,333,473); Dirty Grandpa (£2,047,207); Spotlight (£1,060,435); Turandot – Met Opera 2016 (£375,950); Youth (£265,217); 13 Hours (£238,231); The 33 (£26,208); #1 The Revenant £2,278,262 3rd week 616 screens 41% drop (20.1% of top 10)
Down 27.5% from 2015; (£10,751,450); Ex Machina (£1,093,952); Mortdecai (£484,878); The Gambler (£381,554); Swan Lake – Bolshoi 2014 (£284,344); A Most Violent Year (£216,538); #1 American Sniper £2,539,534 2nd week 1st #1 457 screens 0% drop (23.6% of top 10)
Down 33.7% from 2014: (£11,753,522); Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (£1,278,187); Inside Llewyn Davis (£718,401); August: Osage County (£537,310); Grudge Match (£265,643); #1 The Wolf of Wall Street £3,608,968 2nd week 506 screens 23% drop (30.7% of top 10)
Down 44.1% from 2013: (£13,926,746); Lincoln (£1,657,337); Zero Dark Thirty (£1,052,845); Movie 43 (£787,648); The Last Stand (£538,867); Won’t Back Down (£736); #1 Les Miserables £4,016,611 3rd week 591 screens 9% drop (28.8% of top 10)
Down 19.3% from 2012 (£9,656,063); The Descendants (£1,797,939); The Grey (£1,094,338); A Monster in Paris (£1,043,531); Like Crazy (£93,981); #1 War Horse £2,081,490 3rd week 510 screens 35% drop (21.5% of top 10)
Down 49.8% from 2011 (£15,525,216); Tangled (£5,106,612); The Mechanic (£921,554); Hereafter (£601,728); How do you Know (£374,933); Biutiful (£156,029); Barney’s Version (£109,266); #1 Tangled £5,106,612 1st week 445 screens (32.9% of top 10)
Down 33.1% from 2010: (£11,642,410); Edge Of Darkness (£1,172,927); Precious: A Novel By Sapphire (£260,921); The Princess And The Frog (platform) (£15,651); #1 Avatar £4,865,081 7th week 424 screens 6% drop (41.7% of top 10)
Down 16.6% from 2009; (£9,343,240); Revolutionary Road (£1,013,548); Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist (£398,194); #1 Slumdog Millionaire £2,359,854 4th week 3d #1 416 screens 16% increase (25.2% of top 10)
Down 25.5% from 2008; (£10,462,095); Sweeney Todd (£4,525,246); In the Valley of Elah (£345,185); The Savages (£72,823); #1 Sweeney Todd £4,525,246 1st week 436 screens (43.2% of top 10)
Down 2% from 2007: (£7,954,979); Blood Diamond (£1,471,104); Venus (£317,426); Bobby (£285,057); #1 Rocky Balboa £1,705,180 2nd week 411 screens 53% drop (21.4% of top 10)
Up 6.3% from 2006; (£7,333,608); Munich (£1,209,970); Rumour Has It (£816,743); Hidden (Caché) (£169,234); #1 Fun with Dick and Jane £1,381,737 2nd week 419 screens 29% drop (18.8% of top 10)
Up 38.1% from 2005 (£12,600,625); Meet the Fockers (£7,917,661); Assault on Precinct 13 (£748,846); Creep (£477,687); Sideways (£349,642); #1 Meet the Fockers £ 7,917,661 1st week 456 screens (62.8% of top 10)
Down 22.4% from 2004 (£10,047,733); Scary Movie 3 (£3,490,585); Big Fish (limited) (£126,899); #1 Scary Movie 3 £3,490,585 1st week 418 screens (34.7% of top 10)
Down 26.6% from 2003 (£10,625,350); I Spy (£878,229); Ghost Ship (£784,565); About Schmidt (£757,325); The Pianist (£195,222); #1 8 Mile £2,514,467 2nd week 423 screens 43% drop (23.6% of top 10)
Down 18.4% from 2002 (£9,329,000); Vanilla Sky (£2,978,264); In the Bedroom (£87,294); #1 Vanilla Sky £2,978,264 1st week 425 screens (31.9% of top 10)
Next week: (£10,968,696); Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (£4,950,495); Knock At The Cabin (£985,027); The Whale (£690,026); BTS: Yet To Come In Cinemas (£535,337); #1 Puss In Boots: The Last Wish £4,950,495 1st week 626 screens (45.13% of top 10)
US Box Office
- Mean Girls – Paramount Pictures
Dropped 41% in its third weekend $6.9m #1 and $60.4m.
Third weekend
2004’s Mean Girls dropped 25.5% $10.18m #3 and $55.4m of $85.05m and $130.12m worldwide.
1,494th biggest between The Lucky One and The Wedding Planner;2,655th inflated between Parasite and Best Defense; 36th biggest musical between Fantasia 2000 and The Color Purple (2023) and 206th biggest Paramount film between Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Snow Day).
Social media was measured to have 264m across X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube below A Star Is Born 301m and ahead of Rocketman (113.5m) and The Color Purple (200m). Would have surely expected a far bigger opening especially given the popularity of the original film for the last 20 years, but again industry has lowered expectations on the size of the opening.
As with Smile, it was originally due to be released on Paramount+ but after positive test scores Paramount decided to give it a theatrical release, it was also after the successful run of the musical based on the film running from 2018 to 2020, the run ended early due to COVID. It was expected to open in the UK in 2021 but its opening was delayed until June 2024 due to COVID.
Took $4.35m from 22 territories $22.6m total and $83m worldwide; Australia $4.3m; UK $4.1m; Mexico $2.8m; Brazil $1.2m; France $600k; Spain $590k.
- Wonka – Warner Bros
Down 16% in its seventh weekend taking $5.66m #3 and $194.42m.
139th biggest seventh weekend between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Knives Out (close to Oppenheimer, Wayne’s World, The Hunger Games and Jerry Maguire)
243rd biggest between Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation and Madagascar; 671st inflated between Walk the Line and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over; 8th biggest 2023 between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and John Wick: Chapter 4; 8th biggest musical between Happy Feet and Grease (overtaking The Greatest Showman (overtaking Chicago and Mary Poppins Returns); 46th biggest Warner Bros between Happy Feet and Dunkirk.
Other Roald Dahl’s film adaptions seventh weekends
2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 39.2% $2.69m and $197.57m of $206.45m and $474.96m WW
2016’s The BFG dropped 7.3% $273,974 and $53.3m of $55.48m and $195.24m WW
In the UK Wonka is performing similarly to Paddington
2015’s Paddington dropped 25.9% $1.81m and $70.21m of $76.27m and $282.43m WW
2017’s Paddington 2 dropped 46.9% $213,231 and $39.8m of $40.9m and $227.3m WW
2017’s The Greatest Showman dropped 19.4% $7.69m and $137.37m of $174.34m and $434.9m WW
2018’s Mary Poppins Returns dropped 38.5% $2.03m and $168.31m of $171.95m and $349.54m WW
2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again dropped 37.4% $1.25m and $117.7m of $120.63m and $395.04m WW.
Took $7.8m from 77 territories $357.3m total and $552.25m worldwide; UK $75.7m; France $28.7m; Mexico $26m; Australia $24.5m; Germany $22.9m.
208th worldwide between Armageddon and King Kong; 11th biggest 2023 worldwide between Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One and Elemental; 7th biggest musical worldwide between Mamma Mia! And Beauty and the Beast (1991) (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; 33rd biggest Warner Bros worldwide between Kong: Skull Island and American Sniper.
- The Beekeeper – MGM
Dropped 22% in the third weekend $6.67m and $41.54m
On Sunday estimates were $7.3m similar to Mean Girls but both films were overestimated with The Beekeeper slightly more than Mean Girls.
Third weekend
2020’s The Gentlemen dropped 24.8% $4.21m and $26.88m of $36.47m and $115.17m worldwide
2002’s The Transporter dropped 44.7% $2.81m and $21.47m of $25.29m and $43.92m worldwide
2006’s Crank dropped 45.3% $2.68m and $24.39m of $27.83m and $42.93m worldwide
2011’s The Mechanic dropped 39.5% $3.2m and $25.41m of $29.12m and $76.13 worldwide
Jason Statham’s films have taken over $635m in the US and over $1.80bn worldwide.
Took $10.9m from 58 territories $61.9m total and $103.9m worldwide.
- Migration – Universal Pictures
Down 10% in the sixth weekend $4.89m #4 and $101m
329th biggest sixth weekend between Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally (close to Uncharted, Venom, Tarzan (1999) and Beauty and the Beast (1991).
116th biggest animation between The Prince of Egypt and The Rugrats Movie; 794th biggest between Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat and Contact; 1,649th inflated between The Emoji Movie and The Stepford Wives; 25th biggest 2023 between Trolls Band Together and M3GAN; 114th biggest Universal Pictures between Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat and M3GAN.
Sixth weekends
2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish dropped 11.1% $10.49m and $140.71m of $185,53m and $481.07m worldwide
2021’s Sing 2 dropped 18.9% $4.66m and $134.37m of $162.72m and $408.4m
The 13 Illumination Entertainment films have taken $3.81bn in the US and $9.628bn worldwide.
Took $5.2mm from 76 territories $105.23m total and $206.21m worldwide; Germany $16.1m; France $10.6m; Australia $9.6m; Mexico $8.3m; Spain $4.9m; having staggered international release and original Illumination animated film hard to compare with any other animated films.
136th biggest animation worldwide between Trolls Band Together and DC League of Super Pets; 883rd worldwide between Red Dragon and The Break-Up; 121st biggest Universal Pictures between Red Dragon and The Break-Up.
- Anyone But You – Sony Pictures
Down 14% in its sixth weekend $4.62m #5 taking $71.02m.
371st biggest sixth weekend between Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Heat (close to Bad Moms, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Annie and My Best Friend’s Wedding).
1,231st biggest between John Q and The Smurfs 2; 2,307th biggest inflated between Loaded Weapon 1 and Enough; 34th biggest 2023 between Blue Beetle and Haunted Mansion; 49th biggest rom-com between Groundhog Day and Shallow Hal (close to Yesterday, Bridget Jones’s Diary, No Strings Attached and Nine Months); 160th biggest Sony Pictures between Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and The Smurfs 2.
Sixth weekends
1996’s One Fine Day dropped 59.3% $1.1m and $42.61m of $46.15m
Most recent rom coms
2023’s No Hard Feelings dropped 61.7% $415,064 and $50.16m of $50.45m and $87.25m worldwide
2022’s Ticket to Paradise dropped 41.6% $1.86m and $65.08m of $68.27m and $168.76m worldwide.
It’s been called a sorta sequel to 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding dropped 30.8% $4.51m and $103.09m of $127.12m and $299.28m worldwide) as it features Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths as parents of Sydney Sweeney (aged 26). The film has been compared to Much Ado About Nothing and 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You dropped 37.6% $1.13m and $32.63m of $38.17m and $53.47m worldwide.
Will Gluck’s earlier films took $380m in the US and $890m worldwide.
2010’s Easy A dropped 33.6% $1.74m and $54.78m of $58.4m and $76.2m worldwide
2011’s Friends with Benefits dropped 60% $213,321 and $55.21m of $55.8m and $146.59m worldwide
2014’s Annie dropped 60.1% $793,837 and $85.01m of $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 $14.2m from 48 territories total $55.4m and $126.6m worldwide; Australia $12.3m; UK $10.6m; Germany $5.6m; Mexico $3.6m; Holland $3.1m.
1,799th biggest worldwide between Any Given Sunday and How to be Single; 66th biggest 2023 between The Creator and Godzilla Minus One; 83rd biggest rom-com between Just Like Heaven and How to be Single; 232nd biggest Sony Pictures between A Knight’s Tale and Hellboy.
- Poor Things – Searchlight
Up 37% adding 1,780 screens taking $2.13m #7 in the eighth weekend from 3,190 screens and $24.65m
The Favourite expanded into 1,540 from 517 screens in its 10th weekend taking $2.54m and $26.1m of $34.36m and $95.91m worldwide.
2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer expanded to 238 screens after 4 weeks); taking $2.29m and $6.93m worldwide.
Took $10.6m from 36 territories $26.3m total and $51.1m worldwide; UK $6.4m; Greece $2.8m; France $2.1m; Italy $2.1m; Australia $2m.
UK Box Office Top 10
UK Box Office Preview
Spy action film Argylle was directed by Matthew Vaughn, he previously directed The Kingsman trilogy, X-Men First Class, Kick-Ass, Stardust and Layer Cake and he also produced three Guy Ritchie films Lock Stock, Snatch and Swept Away.
It will play to Kingsman and Bullet Train audiences opening almost exactly 9 years after Kingsman: The Secret Service opened £4,241,292 #3 taking £16,440,885 more recently 2022’s Bullet Train opened £2,858,197 #1 taking £10,766,199.
While 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle opened £8,525,664 #1 taking £24,883,225; 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. opened £1,448,298 #4 taking £6,455,363 and 1993’s Last Action Hero opened £894,309 (£2,220,449 inflated) taking £3,580,336 (£8,889,495) but it also can be compared to 2022’s The Lost City (opened £2,743,211 #1 taking £10,606,648) as Argylle looks to be inspired by Romancing the Stone.
Cast attended the world premiere in London on January 24th social media embargo ended on January 26th with positive reactions and the review embargo ended on January 31st a day before opening in UK cinemas. Argylle is 12A (PG-13 in the US) compared to 15 The Kingman, the first ending had misogynistic undertones receiving media backlash, hopefully, the lower certificate means it won’t be repeated in Argylle.
It was made by Apple as a planned franchise similar to Kingsman, as with Killers Of The Flower Moon and Napoleon Apple has partnered with a studio to release the film theatrically worldwide and will release it on Apple several months later.
Migration will open #2 but will have much longer legs as it has done in the US. As with Sing 2 and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish over the last two years Universal Pictures held back their Christmas animated film to the February half-term.
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish opened £4,950,495 #1 from 626 screens taking £25,633,299.
Sing 2 opened £6,867,533 #1 from 632 screens taking £32,790,416.
But as both were sequels Migration is more likely to open similar to 2016’s Angry Birds opened £2,138,507 #2 522 screens taking £10,408,235; 20216’s Storks £2,247,038 #3 taking £6,990,236; 2006’s Open Season £1,666,750 #3 taking £7,418,065 rather than The Secret Life of Pets or Kung Fu Panda.
Strong word of mouth should see All Of Us Strangers be the strongest holdover taking about £900k.
The Zone of Interest opened fourth thanks to extensive previews over the last two weeks, receiving critical acclaim, BAFTA and Oscar nominations and audiences seeing the trailer before One Life. But it does depend on how wide it opens as 2017’s Moonlight opened £621,836 #10 from 85 screens expanding into 175/343 and 411 screens over the following three weeks. While 2023’s The Whale opened £690,026 #5 from 385 screens expanding into 517 screens in the second weekend and with BAFTA awards in two weeks a more staggered release is likely.
As in the US Jonathan Glazer’s films receive critical acclaim but as with directors like Paul Thomas Anderson struggles to find a wide audience beyond cinephiles.
2001’s Sexy Beast opened £98k from 27 screens (expanded to widest of 50 screens) taking £285k
2004’s Birth opened £421,758 #5 from 270 screens taking £953,661
2014’s Under the Skin opened £238,694 #10 from 75 screens taking £1,183,956
Opening in two weeks
- Wicked Little Letters – Studiocanal
Comedy mystery starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins and Timothy Spall and directed by Thea Sharrock.
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.
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+.
cigarette burns and missed changeovers 