UK Box Office May 3rd-5th Week 18

1. The Fall Guy – £3,598,996 – NE

Includes £432,961 (11.2%) from Thursday previews.

Took £810k 22.51% Friday; £1.23m 34.18% Saturday; £1.11m 31.4% Sunday.

(Took £1.31m on Bank Holiday Monday taking £4.91m over 5 days)

444th biggest opening between Saw 3D and Inglourious Basterds (close to Battleship, The Meg, Goldeneye and The A-Team) and 674th inflated between The Naked Gun and Knowing (close to Beverly Hills Cop II, Miami Vice, Rush Hour and S.W.A.T).

7th biggest 2024 opening between Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Migration (close to Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, One Life and Mean Girls).

Opened in 697 cinemas and over 1,400 screens; took 7.6% from 51 IMAX screens; 37^th widest opening similar to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Dumbo (close to Star Wars: Rogue One, Don’t Worry Darling, Thor: Love and Thunder and Incredibles 2)

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.

There are several comparable sets of films The Fall Guy could be compared to; first, the films based on US TV, The Fall Guy is less well-known internationally than Baywatch or The A-Team, it was first broadcast on ITV early Saturday evenings in the same slot as The A-Team.

Interesting to see The Fall Guy has opened similar to many of these films either actual or inflated.

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

2017’s Baywatch opened £4,631,244 taking £9,511,833

2010’s The A-Team opened £3,569,505 (£4,781,337) taking £9,835,019 (13,173,967 inflated)

2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. opened £1,448,298 taking £6,455,363 (£7,135,817 inflated)

1993’s The Fugitive opened £1,618,243 (£4,017,881 inflated) taking £14,202,602 (£35,263,158 inflated)

2006’s Miami Vice opened £2,231,684 (£3,652,263 inflated) taking £6,873,370 (£11,248,616 inflated)

2003’s S.W.A.T. opened £1,960,281 (£3,496,7175) taking £5,149,101 (£9,184,883 inflated)

2000’s Charlie’s Angels opened £3,182,114 (£5,727,805 inflated) taking £13,022,763 (£23,440,973 inflated)

2008’s Get Smart opened £1,542,005 (£2,363,419 inflated) taking £4,621,510 (£7,083,353 inflated)

1996’s Mission Impossible opened £4,161,780 (£8,149,726 inflated) taking £18,351,333 (£35,936,148 inflated); its hard to include Mission Impossible as despite being part of a team it was all about Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)

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.

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)

1991’s The Hard Way opened £367,731 (£961,198 inflated) 200 screens taking £988,326 (£2,583,347 inflated)

David Leitch previously directed.

2022’s Bullet Train opened £2,858,197 (£1,004,971 previews) taking £10,766,199.

2017’s Atomic Blonde opened £1,686,430 (including £555,569 previews) taking £3, 063,918

2018’s Deadpool 2 opened £12,974,669 (including £5,240,000 previews) taking £32,501,893

2019’s Hobbs & Shaw opened £6,377,583 (including £1,468,289 previews) taking £20,448,914

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 He Notebook is a similar story while it was a big hit in the US it only opened with £309,507 taking £1,109,047.

• 2. Star Wars Phantom Menace – £1,159,370 – NE

Took £270k 23.3% Friday; £1.23m 53.24% Saturday; £265k 22.86% Sunday.

Took £230k Bank Holiday Monday and £1.38m over 4 days

1,485^th biggest opening between The Lucky One and Ender’s Game (close to Skyline, Moonfall, Ex Machina and Dredd) and 2,096^th biggest inflated between The Spy Who Dumped Me and Duplicity (close to A Clockwork Orange (2000 re-issue). The Last Boy Scout, LA Story and The Little Mermaid (1990).

Opened in 673 screens 66 widest similar to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (close to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, Nope, The Fabelmans and Military Wives)

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 a 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 opened £1,218,693 #3 from 535 screens.

Phantom Menace originally opened in July 1999 2 months after its US opening; opened £7,537,914 (£14,270,113 inflated) from 460 screens taking £56,596,112 (£106,470,595 inflated.

after huge hype and expectation’s reaction to Phantom Menace was underwhelming. What didn’t help opening after The Matrix which wowed audiences, despite this Phantom Menace had very long legs playing throughout the summer. 20th Century Fox held the first screenings of Phantom Menace for all UK staff the day the print arrived, they walked in excited but walked out underwhelmed as it was never going to match up to expectations, this was also the problem with Disney’s Star Wars films.

According to the BBFC, 2024’s Phantom Menace was 4.5 minutes longer than its original release in 1999; 136m 2secs Vs 132m 43 secs. The 2012 3D re-release was 136m 1 sec. Disney has removed the 20th Century Fox fanfare from the front of the prequels so it should surely be shorter.

• 3. Challengers £986,885     – £3,627,927

Down 38.6% in the second weekend.

Took £310k 31.41% (-29.22% £438k) Friday; £250k 35.46% (-40.17% £585k) Saturday; £319k 32.32% (-66.31% £584k) Sunday.

Took £368k Bank Holiday Monday and £1.35m over 4 days

1,087^th biggest second weekend between Scream VI and Hidden Figures (close to A Simple Favour, Swordfish, See How They Run and Mean Girls (2004) and 1,647^th biggest inflated between The Shape of Water and House on Haunted Hill (close to Lady Bird, Unfaithful, Out of Sight and The Bridges Of Madison County).

While Challengers is set around tennis it has more in common with films like Brokeback Mountain (£1,279,878 dropped 29.6% (£2,094,585 inflated) and £2,843,944 of £9,469,032) and Don’t Worry Darling (£1,835,165 dropped 33.8% and £6,194,764 of £9,995,806) about a love triangle.

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 took £806,578; 2016’s A Bigger Splash £347,704; 2018’s Suspiria £351,171

2017’s Call Me by Your Name dropped 41% £140,191 #15 95 screens and £568,714 of £1.8m.

While tennis films have struggled to find an audience in cinemas.

2017’s Battle of the Sexes dropped 60% £221,996 #8 389 screens and £1,127,064 of £1,332,759.

2006’s Match Point dropped 42% £437,960 #9 152 screens and £1,509,714 of £2,468,298

2021’s King Richard dropped 56% £250,142 #8 499 screens and £1,128,753 of £1.6m

2004’s Wimbledon dropped 12% £1,499,011 #1 440 screens and £4,160,549 of £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.

2015’s Whiplash has a similar plot about achieving ambitions (dropped 34% £376,485 #10 269 screens and £1,280,311 of £1,622,987

• 4. Back To Black – £770,973 – £10,507,088

Down 45.7% in the fourth weekend

Took £226k 29.31% (-42.05% £390k) Friday; £300k 38.91% (-50.33% £604k) Saturday; £242k 31.39% (£425k -72.90%) Sunday.

Took £302k Bank Holiday Monday and £1.07m 4 days

489^th biggest fourth weekend between Stuart Little and Twilight (close to Yesterday, Braveheart, Home Alone and I Wanna Dance With Somebody) and 781^st biggest inflated between A Knight’s Tale and He’s Just Not That Into You (close to Clueless, Cruella, Blind Date and Much Ado About Nothing).

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 took £1,292,610; 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey £34,662,255 and 2019’s A Million Little Pieces £25,746.

Showing the huge popularity of Amy Winehouse in the UK 2015 documentary Amy took 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’ fourth weekends include.

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

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

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

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

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

1993’s Tina, What’s Love Got To Do With It took £3,703,961 (£9,138,745 inflated)

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.

After Wicked Little Letters has taken £9.5m and with Paddington in Peru opening later in the year Studiocanal will 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 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 20th Century Studio announced they were making Deliver Me from Nowhere Bruce Springsteen biopic starring The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White.

666^th biggest between Interview with the Vampire and Oblivion (close to Suffragette, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast (1992) and School of Rock) and 1,107^th biggest inflated between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Victoria and Abdul (close to House of Gucci, Ruthless People, Miss Potter and One Day).

8^th biggest Studiocanal film between Early Man and Rush (close to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Shaun The Sheep Movie, Non-Stop and Wicked Little Lies) and 11^th biggest inflated between Fahrenheit 9/11 and Mirror Mirror.

• 5. Kung Fu Panda 4 £562,704 – £20,461,636

Down 40.6% in its sixth weekend

Took £66k 11.72% (-16.46% £79k) Friday; £272k 48.31% (-40.35% £456k) Saturday; £223k 39.61% (-63.44% £463k) Sunday.

Took £458k Bank Holiday Monday and £1.02m 4 days.

Despite being available to watch at home Kung Fu Panda 4 still holding well in its sixth 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. Also, the cold wet weather has helped as has being the only major family film released since Migration with the next If and Garfield Movie not opening for a couple of weeks.

Since the end of the Easter holidays, it’s taking the bulk of its business on Sat/Sun, with If having previews this weekend will likely see Panda 4 have its biggest weekend drop since opening.

228^th biggest sixth weekend between The Day After Tomorrow and Bourne Ultimatum (close to Elf, Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Happy Feet and Mission Impossible) and 417^th biggest inflated between War Horse and Deadpool (close to Anyone But You, The Princess Diaries, Clifford The Big Red Dog and Romeo & Juliet)

58^th biggest sixth-weekend animation between The Boss Baby and Hotel Transylvania 3 (close to Ice Age, The Smurfs, Toy Story and Zootropolis) and 80^th inflated animation between Brave and Zootropolis (close to Migration, Hotel Transylvania 2, The Lego Batman Movie and Tangled).

15^th biggest Dreamworks Animation sixth weekend between The Boss Baby and How to Train Your Dragon (close to Kung Fu Panda, The Croods, Flushed Away and Madagascar) and the 20^th inflated between The Boss Baby and Bee Movie (close to Home, Antz, Shark Tale and Shrek the Third).

15^th biggest Dreamworks Animation after 6 weeks between Monsters Vs. Aliens and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (close to Home, Madagascar, How To Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda).

The Dreamworks Animation films have now taken £730m+ since 1998’s Antz and £1bn+ inflated.

Sixth weekends

2008’s Kung Fu Panda dropped 31% £419,648 #8 417 screens and £18,186,300 86.9% of £19,634,723 (£29,905,193 inflated)

2011’s Kung Fu Panda 2 dropped 14% £779,183 #4 468 screens and £15,115,981 97.4% of £16,199,968 (£21,172,235 inflated)

2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3 dropped 61% £246,893 #10 469 screens and £13,317,340 95.2% 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.

278^th biggest between Doctor Dolittle and Peter Rabbit 2 (close to Cinderella, Fantastic Beasts 3, 101 Dalmatians and Babe) and 533^rd biggest inflated between Bend It Like Beckham and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (close to Beverly Hills Cop, Stuart Little 2, 102 Dalmatians and The Muppets).

58^th biggest animation between Migration and A Christmas Carol (close to Toy Story, Wall·E, Tangled and Despicable Me) and 86^th biggest inflated between Hercules and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (close to Chicken Little, Moana, Antz and Coco).

Also opened.

•             Tarot – Sony Pictures

Opened £509,181 #6 from 400 screens.

Includes £76,473 (14.73%) from Thursday.

Took £131k 25.74% Friday; £159k 31.24% Saturday; £140k 27.5% Sunday.

Opened similar to other horrors this year including Night Swim £590,691; Imaginary £652,808 and Abigail £596,590

•             Love Lies Bleeding – Lionsgate

Opened £309,321 from 256 screens.

Including £47,321 from previews

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival receiving positive reviews (93% Rotten Tomatoes); a European premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and a UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival. Lionsgate acquired UK rights in November 2023.

Rose Glass previously directed 2020’s Saint Maud (opened £263,433 #2 334 screens taking £849,698 between the first and second lockdown and receiving positive reviews).

BO News

BO for the first four months of UK BO is 3% down from 2023; in the US BO is down 20% from 2023 and 40% from 2019. May BO will likely see the percentages grow in both the UK and the US.

UK box office in detail

The weekend’s top 10 box office took £8,694,226 up 29.8% from last weekend’s £6,698,311:  1,086,745 admissions up 28.5% from 845,746 admissions.

37^th biggest weekend of the last 52 weeks between 22 March 2024 #1 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire £4,056,097 (45.91%) and 23 June 2023 #1 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse £1,995,517 (24.33%)

98^th biggest since cinemas reopened out of 181 weeks between 07 January 2022 #1 Spider-Man No Way Home (51.37%) and 04 June 2021 #1 A Quiet Place Part II £3,567,048 (41.26%)

762^nd biggest top 10 of the last 22 years (out of 1,152) between 08 May 2015 #1 Avengers: Age Of Ultron £3,509,620 (40.36%) and 27 August 2004 #1 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story £2,200,271 (25.34%) and 1,010^th inflated between 31 August 2018 #1 Disney’s Christopher Robin £1,173,235 (14.89%) and 30 September 2022 #1 Smile £1,860,452 (22.27%)

The top 3 took (£5,745,251) 66.1% of the top 10; The Fall Guy 41.4% (£3,598,996); Star Wars Phantom Menace 13.3% (£1,159,370); Challengers 11.35% (£986,885).

399^th highest #1 percentage (41.40%) between 10 January 2020 1917 (41.42%) and 03 December 2010 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (41.27%)

722^nd biggest admissions #1 (454,419) between 10 October 2014 Gone Girl (456,033) and 09 April 2004 Scooby-Doo Too (454,032)

Down 42% from 2023; (£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)

Down 63.3% from 2022 (£23,689,265); Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (£19,765,718); Turandot – Met Opera 2022 (£110,203); Cabaret (50th Anniversary) (£19,238); Thunderball (Re: 2022) (£7,907); #1 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness £19,765,718 1st week 684 screens (83.4% of top 10)

2021; Lockdown 2

2020: Lockdown 1

Down 50.6% from 2019; (£17,607,835); Long Shot (£856,333); The Curse of La Llorona (£609,745); Tolkien (£554,835); #1 Avengers: Endgame £14,331,192 67% drop 2nd week 677 screens (81.4% of top 10)

Down 34.3% from 2018: (£13,239,297); I Feel Pretty (£1,272,154); The Strangers: Prey at Night (£205,325); Tully (£138,674); Mary and the Witch’s Flower (£119,129); Lean on Pete (£85,597); 102 Not Out (£68,302); #1 Avengers: Infinity War £10,143,580 66% drop 652 screens 2nd week (76.6% of top 10)

Down 18.9% from 2017: (£10,714,932); A Dog’s Purpose (£1,300,097); Sleepless (£369,004); Mindhorn (£280,483); Unlocked (£258,452); Whisky Galore (£49,205); Lost in London (£25,248); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 £6,097,082 2nd week 54% drop 634 screens (56.9% of top 10)

Down 18.1% from 2016: (£10,605,061): Bad Neighbours 2 (£1,691,699); Florence Foster Jenkins (£712,899); Robinson Crusoe (£575,321); I Saw the Light (£17,248); Knight of Cups (£10,323); #1 Captain America: Civil War £4,806,575 605 screens 2nd week (45.3% of top 10)

Down 42% from 2015; (£14,986,028); Far from the Madding Crowd (£1,450,297); Unfriended (£1,346,952); Two by Two (£566,871); Monsters: Dark Continent (£34,820); #1 Avengers: The Age of Ultron £8,591,670 589 screens 2nd week 57.32% 53% drop

Up 23.3% from 2014: (£7,048,138); Pompeii (£1,165,551); Tarzan (£808,174); Plastic (£154,441); Brick Mansions (£137,153); #1 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 £1,984,667 3^rd week 41% drop 513 screens (28.2% of top 10)

Down 15.1% from 2013: (£10,240,223); 21 and Over (£772,235); All Stars (£563,563); I’m So Excited (£310,908); Dead Man Down (£294,125); Chimpanzee (£54,780); #1 Iron Man 3 £6,307,191 2nd week 558 screens 54% drop (61.6% of top 10)

Down 53.5% from 2012 (£18,708,577); American Pie: Reunion (£6,334,539); The Lucky One (£1,159,435); Beauty and the Beast 3D (£685,024); Safe (£679,716); Silent House (£214,731); #1 Avengers Assemble £8,121,916 2nd week 523 screens 49% drop (43.4% of top 10)

Down 9.5% from 2011; (£9,607,222); Water for Elephants (£1,270,483); Hanna (£1,135,782); Something Borrowed (£707,863); 13 Assassins (£124,377); #1 Thor £1,946,695 64% drop 2nd week 503 screens (44.4% of top 10)

Down 13.4% from 2010: (£10,040,063); Furry Vengeance (£1,778,050); Nightmare on Elm Street (£1,342,837); Hot Tub Time Machine (£904,959); The Back-Up Plan (£710,201); Four Lions (£608,608); #1 Iron Man 2 £3,214,776 58% drop 2nd week 522 screens (32% of top 10)

Down 32.7% from 2009; (£12,914,013); X-Men Origins: Wolverine (£6,658,979); The Hannah Montana Movie (£2,030,657); The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (£976,780); Is Anybody There? (£123,309); #1 X-Men Origins: Wolverine £6,658,979 1st week 488 screens (51.5% of top 10)

Down 11.7% from 2008; (£9,840,435); Iron Man (£5,465,103); Nim’s Island (£820,218); Made of Honour (£749,611); #1 Iron Man £5,465,103 1^st week 500 screens (55.54%)

Down 42.2% from 2007: (£15,039,874); Spider-Man 3 (£11,827,013); Bridge to Terabitha (£1,045,444); Goya’s Ghosts (£49,660); #1 Spider-Man 3 £11,827,013 1st week 522 screens (78.6% of top 10)

Up 8.2% from 2006; (£8,032,130); Mission: Impossible III (£5,378,013); Confetti (£635,072); #1 Mission: Impossible III £5,378,013 1st week 512 screens (66.9% of top 10)

Up 24.4% from 2005: (£6,989,592); Kingdom of Heaven (£2,530,445); Machuca (£15,148); #1 Kingdom of Heaven £2,530,445 1st week 447 screens (36.2% of top 10)

Up 49.8% 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 22.3% from 2003 (£11,186,072); X-Men 2 (£7,037,861); The Heart of Me (£52,466); Half Past Dead (£45,708); #1 X-Men 2 £7,037,861 1st week 449 screens (62.9% of top 10)

Up 20.1% from 2002 (£7,236,442); The Panic Room (£2,022,582); Showtime (£486,753); #1 About A Boy £2,239,288 4468 screens 2nd week (30.9% of top 10)

2023 Next week: (£7,986,182); Love Again (£340,785); Book Club: The Next Chapter (£299,370); Eurovision – Grand Final Live (£237,787); Machine Gun Kelly: Mainstream Sellout Live From Cleveland (£57,625); #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 £5,349,346 2^nd week 56% drop 710 screens (66.98%)

US Box Office

• The Fall Guy – Universal Pictures

Opened $27.74m #1; received positive reviews (83 Rotten Tomatoes and A- CinemaScore

44% came from IMAX/PLF ($3m from PLF)

697^th biggest opening between Big Momma’s House 2 and Jarhead (close to Free Guy, Starsky & Hutch, Wild Wild West and Real Steel)

Tracking predicted The Fall Guy expected to open with about $40m but rather than rising ahead of opening it dropped ahead of release and then below $30m after Thursday previews. The Fall Guy had generated strong buzz since premiering at SXSW with a strong marketing campaign and positive reviews, so why didn’t it translate into a stronger opening?

The Fall Guy wasn’t a start of summer film as it was planned to be a March release, had it opened March 1st as planned it wouldn’t have had the expectations attached. As seen in films like 21 Jump Street and Starsky and Hutch. The other issue is while it might have been Ryan Gosling’s first film since Barbie, he can’t open films as seen with First Man and The Nice Guys while also having humour being used to veil abuse including the ‘joke’ “It’s like Amber and Johnny were just in here.” That’s not something you joke about in a big summer movie.

The Fall Guy is the 3^rd biggest Ryan Gosling opening and the 9^th biggest Emily Blunt opening.

Going to have similar issues with Furiosa in three weeks opening less than half of the other Memorial Day openers, as again it was given a date that’s far too big for the film and its opening will be seen by ‘analysts’ as disappointing but as with The Fall Guy will open exactly as expected.

Over the last 15 years, the summer season started the first weekend of May with MCU film 2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 $118.41m; 2021 Doctor Strange 2 $187.42m; 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 $146.51m; 2016 Captain America: Civil War $179.13m; 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron $191.27m; 2014 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 $91.6m.

Previously 2007 Spider-Man 3 $151.1m; 2006 Mission: Impossible III $47.74m; 2004 Van Helsing $51.74m; 2003 X-Men 2 $85.55m; 2002 Spider-Man $114.84m; 2001 The Mummy Returns $68.13m; 2000 Gladiator $34.81m; 1999 The Mummy $43.36m; 1998 Deep Impact $41.15m previous to Deep Impact Memorial Day was the start of summer.

Had the lowest first weekend of May since 2005’s Kingdom of Heaven $19.63m

Took $3.15m Thursday midnights similar to The Lost City $3.25m; Don’t Worry Darling $3.1m; Civil War $2.9m; Lucy $2.74m; Kingsman: San Andreas $3.1m; The Golden Circle $3.4m. 2013 Iron Man 3 $174.14m; 2012 The Avengers $207.43m; 2011 Thor $65.72m; 2010 Iron Man 2 $128.12m;

2022’s The Lost City opened $30.45m taking $105.34m and $192.9m WW

2012’s 21 Jump Street opened $36.3m taking $138.44m and $201.58m WW

2014’s 22 Jump Street opened $57.07m taking $191.71m and $331.33m WW

2004’s Starsky & Hutch opened $28.1m taking $88.23m and $170.26m WW

Films about stuntmen have struggled to find an audience 2007’s Hot Rod opened $5.31m taking $13.93m and $14.35m WW.

Films about the cinema industry include.

1999’s Bowfinger opened $18.06m taking $66.38m and $98.62m WW

2008’s Tropic Thunder opened $25.81m taking $110.51m and $195.7m WW

David Leitch previously directed films

2022’a Bullet Train opened $30.03m taking $103.36m and $239.26m WW

2017’s Atomic Blonde opened $18.28m taking $51.68m and $100.01m WW

2018’s Deadpool 2 opened $125.5m taking $324.57m and $786.32m WW

2019’s Hobbs & Shaw opened $60.03m taking $173.95m and $760.73m WW

Despite the huge success of Barbie Ryan Gosling struggles to open films on his own as seen with 2016’s The Nice Guys opening $11.2m taking $36.26m and $71.26m WW; 2004’s The Notebook opened $13.46m and $81.41m and $118.26m WW.

The Fall Guy was originally set for release in March but was moved to May after positive test screenings and Deadpool 3 was moved to July 26. Had it opened in March opening with $25m+ wouldn’t have been such a big deal but moving it to the start of May saw it for what it was a $130m+ film.

Took $25.4m internationally from 78 territories from 9,797 screens total of $36.9m and $65.4m worldwide; Australia $4.9m; UK $4.4m; Mexico $2.5m, Spain $2.3m; France $2.3m; Germany $1.9m; Italy $1.4m; Korea $1.1m; opened similar to The Lost City and Bullet Train

Took $4.7m from IMAX.

• Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace – Disney

Opened $8.72m #2; received mixed reviews (52% Rotten Tomatoes); took $4.6m on Saturday, May the 4^th.

Opened in 150 PLF screens and 130 D-Box/4DX.

Phantom Menace was previously re-released in 2012 in 3D opening $22.46m taking $43.45m and $102.73m worldwide; was meant to be the start of all prequels being re-released in 3D.

But to put it into perspective 20^th Century Fox re-released the original trilogy in 1997 for its 20^th anniversary with Special Editions.

Last year Return of the Jedi opened $7.25m and in 2020 Empire Strike Back re-release opened $2.48m

A New Hope opened $35.9m taking $138.25m

The Empire Strikes Back opened $21.97m taking $67.59m

Return of the Jedi opened $16.29m taking $45.47m

While Avatar was re-released in 2022 opening $10.52m taking $24.71m and $76.01m WW

Phantom Menace originally opened May 19^th $64.82m taking $483.79m and $1.042bn worldwide.

Took $6.4m internationally from 30 territories and $14.5m worldwide.

• Tarot – Sony Pictures

Opened $6.5m #4; received poor reviews (8% Rotten Tomatoes) and C- CinemaScore

Took $715k from Thursday previews.

Opening similar to all other horror films this year; Abigail $10.29m taking $21.17m and $30.92m WW; Night Swim opened $11.79m taking $32.49m and $54.07m worldwide; Imaginary opened $9.91m taking $27.81m and $38.65m worldwide.

Opened $3.7m from 26 territories.

• Challengers – MGM

Dropped 49.4% in the second weekend $7.59m #3 and $29.4m

Took similar to last year’s MGM’s sporting drama Air in its second weekend $7.84m and $33.4m

Luca Guadagnino’s previous films also received positive reviews but struggled to find a wide audience.

2022’s Bones And All dropped 47.4% $1.18m and $6.03m of $7.83m and $15.23m worldwide

2017’s Call Me by Your Name dropped 10.3% (after platform) $1.28m and $9.13m of $18.09m and $42.1m worldwide

While tennis films have struggled to find an audience in cinemas.

2017’s Battle of the Sexes dropped 24.7% $2.56m and $7.84m of $12.63m and $18.59m WW

2006’s Match Point dropped 26.1% $2m and $6.43m of $23.15m and $85.63m WW

2004’s Wimbledon dropped 53.3% $3.32m and $12.12m of $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 have suffered over the last 20 years.

Took $7.5m (down 24%) from 51 territories taking $22.8m and $52.2m worldwide; UK $4.4m; Italy $3.3m; France $2.3m; Australia $2m; Mexico $1.6m.

UK Box Office Top 10

UK Box Office Preview

20th Century Fox originally rebooted the classic 60’s sci-fi series in 2001 with Tim Burton directing starring Mark Wahlberg; opened £5,445,983 (£10,484,175 inflated) taking £16,850,987 (£32,440,185 inflated). The studio had plans for a sequel, but Tim Burton said at the time, “I’d rather jump out a window.”

The studio decided to reboot it a second time in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes which took almost double BO of Planet of the Apes and received positive reviews, the two sequels Dawn and War were similarly as successful with the trilogy taking £75m+ in the UK (£90m inflated).

The fourth instalment in the second Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and sequel to 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes.

2011’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes opened £5,835,140 (£7,674,268 inflated) taking £20,549,440 (£27,026,244 inflated)

2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opened £8,705,995 (£9,363,938 (inflated) taking £32,526,416 (£34,984,553 inflated)

2017’s War For The Planet Of The Apes opened £7,195,773 (£7,656,917 inflated) taking £20,094,984 (£21,382,780 inflated)

The three films took $533m in the US and $1.67bn worldwide, and 2001’s film took $180m in the US and $362m worldwide, so had Disney not brought Fox in 2019 they would have made a fourth film, but it would have been released much sooner.

In February World of Reel reported Disney had test screenings of the film and it was poorly received. Still, then 13 minutes with gravity-defying cliff jumping was screened last week at CinemaCon and their reaction was predictably hugely different. Always have to take CinemaCon’s reaction with a pinch of salt as so often audiences rave about footage and films screened and then a few months later come short of expectations.

It’s expected to open with $130m worldwide with $50m+ from the US with 45%+ from IMAX/PLF (1,600 IMAX screens worldwide having 2-week run); 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes opened $62m internationally ($8m China); 2014, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes $127m ($37m China) and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes $130m ($56m China). The trilogy has taken $1.68bn worldwide and all Apes films $2.1bn worldwide.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes has a four-day opening with IMAX/PLF screens so should open with £5m+ similar to 2001’s reboot. That said bookings have been soft, and temperatures are expected to be the hottest of the year so far this year.

The Fall Guy will likely drop upwards of 50% in its second weekend with the opening of Kingdom, losing IMAX/PLF screens and receiving mixed word of mouth.

All other holdovers will likely drop upwards of 50% including Kung Fu Panda as there are weekend previews for If.

Eurovision – Grand Final Live also plays in cinemas on Saturday, interest in Eurovision will be lower than last year’s final from Liverpool taking £237,787 #7 from 444 screens. Tickets are about £17.50.

Opening in two weeks

• Young Woman And The Sea – Disney

Biographical drama starring Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler and directed by Joachim Rønning. Based on the 2009 book by Glenn Stout.

Development started in 2015 after Jerry Bruckheimer acquired the film rights and was set up at Paramount who put it into turnaround and Disney acquired it. Originally planned to be released on Disney+ but after positive test screenings, they opted to give it a theatrical release. This was surprising as they have struggled with original films over the last decade.

Disney used to have success with sporting films based on real events, their most recent was 2014’s Million Dollar Arm. At CinemaCon Disney’s Alan Horn said the film tested better than any other Disney or Warner Bros film which included the first Harry Potter film, two months later it opened $10.51m #4 taking $36.45m and £150,050 #15 236 screens.