| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mia Blakeney |
Box Office Round-up
It was another great weekend at the UK box office (the fifth biggest in the last 12 months), despite there being no significant new releases. Moana 2 held on to the top spot with £6.9m, down just 43% from last weekend. That takes its total to £21.5m, and in just 10 days in cinemas it has already surpassed the final total of the first Moana, which finished its run with £20.7m. It’s also the 11th biggest film of the year to date and is likely to be in the top five or six by the end of the year.
Wicked continued its terrific run, falling 37% to £5.3m. That takes its total after just 17 days in cinemas to a huge £37.9m, making it the fifth biggest film of the year to date and with Christmas still two weeks away, there’s much more to come. In terms of stage-to-screen musicals, the pinnacle is Mamma Mia, which finished its run with £69m, and the sequel Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again finished with £65.6m. Wicked might fall short of those totals, but not by too much. The initial Film Monitor data suggests that Wicked has already delivered 11 16-34 adult TVRs to date.
Gladiator II added £1.6m in third, a drop of 36% from last weekend. After four weekends in cinemas, Gladiator II is up to £26.6m, making it the seventh biggest film of 2024 to date. The target is still the £31.3m the first Gladiator finished its run with in 2000. With the Christmas holidays ahead, there’s a good chance Gladiator II gets there. The initial Film Monitor data suggests that Gladiator II has delivered 8 16-34 adult TVRs.
On its fifth weekend Paddington In Peru posted a strong hold, falling 33% to £1.2m. That takes its total to £29m, which makes it’s the sixth biggest film of 2024 to date. The initial Film Monitor data suggests that Paddington In Peru has delivered 7 16-34 adult TVRs.
Rounding out the top five, is Telugu-language thriller Pushpa 2 – The Rule, which opened on Wednesday and in just five days has banked a terrific £1.1m. The biggest Indian film in cinemas this year is Kalki 2898 AD, which finished its run with £1.5m, but it looks like Pushpa 2 – The Rule is going to set a new benchmark.
Outside of the top five, the King of event cinema, Andre Rieu, is back in the top 10 with his Christmas Concert: Gold And Silver. It banked a terrific £931k over the weekend. Red One posted the best hold in the top 10, increasing on last weekend by 7%, the power of a Christmas film as we get closer to Christmas. It added £454k for a new total of £7.3m.
Next Weekend
Kraven The Hunter is the latest film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU). Kraven's complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe star.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is a brand new animation. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.
Queer is the second film this year from the prolific Luca Guadagnino (Challengers, Bones And All, Call Me By Your Name). In 1950s Mexico City, an American ex-pat in his late forties leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student stirs the man into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone. Daniel Craig stars.
The Buzz
The Penguin Lessons is the latest collaboration between Steve Coogan and writer, Jeff Pope after Philomena, The Lost King, and Stan & Ollie. This poignant dramedy from director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) follows an Englishman's personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history. It’s one of the best films for an older ABC1 audience in Q2 when it hits cinemas on 18 April.
Across The Pond
After a historic Thanksgiving weekend last weekend, the following weekend set a new record for the post-Thanksgiving box office. Moana 2 held on to the top spot, adding $52m, for a huge new total of $300m. Wicked stayed in second adding $34.9m for a new total of $320.5m. Gladiator II added $12.5m, which takes its total to $132.7m. Pushpa 2 – The Rule opened in fourth with a terrific $9.3m, while Red One rounded out the top five, adding $7m, which takes its total to $85.8m.