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The Weekend Round-up
With no big new films released until Star Wars: The Last Jedi on 14 December, Paddington 2 grabbed the chance to spend another week in the top spot with both paws. The blockbuster family comedy added £2.9m, which takes its total to £26.9m. It’s now the 13th biggest film released in 2017 and could be in the top five before the end of the year. At the same stage of its run the first Paddington was on £18.1m, so the second instalment is well placed to easily surpass that film’s final total of £37.9m.
Last weekend’s top film, Daddy’s Home 2 fell to second but posted a solid hold, falling 30% to £1.9m. That takes its total to £7.9m and while the first Daddy’s Home’s final total of £17.4m looks out of reach, the sequel looks to be heading to a total comfortably north of £10m.
Justice League stayed in third, falling 50% to £1.5m. That takes its total to £15.6m and it looks like it will fall short of Wonder Woman’s final total of £22.2m, which is a major disappointment.
This weekend’s highest new entry was heart-warming family-drama, Wonder. After its strong performance in the US (see Across The Pond below), it opened in the UK with £1.2m (including £5k from previews). Director, Stephen Chbosky’s last film, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower opened with £828 (including £227k from previews) in October 2012 and finished on £2.3m, so Wonder, especially with a festive holiday boost in a couple of weeks should be looking to at least double that total.
Completing the top five was Murder On The Orient Express with £824k. That takes the all-star whodunnit to £22.2m, making it the 18th biggest film to be released in 2017 to date.
Outside of the top five, Thor: Ragnarok fell just 5% in sixth to £579k. That was enough to take the Marvel blockbuster across the £30m mark and on to £30.2m. That’s over £10m more than Thor: The Dark World finished on.
A number of new films opened in spots 10 to 13, including The Man Who Invented Christmas kicking off its run with £168k, Happy End launching with £136k (including £45k from previews) and The Disaster Artist opening with £130k (including £26k from previews). The Disaster Artist was only on 22 screens, so delivered the best screen average of any film in the top 15 and it expands into further screens on Thursday.
Overall the box office was down 41% from last weekend and down 12% from the same weekend last year, when the top films were Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Sully: Miracle On The Hudson, Allied and Trolls.
Next Weekend
Stronger is the only major release before the behemoth that is Star Wars: The Last Jedi is unleashed on 14 December. It’s the true life story of Jeff Bauman, an ordinary man who captured the hearts of his city and the world to become a symbol of hope after surviving the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Bauman and has been getting awards buzz for his performance.
Both Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Ferdinand preview on Saturday and Sunday next weekend.
The Buzz
Phantom Thread is Daniel Day Lewis’ final performance as an actor. The three-time Oscar winner once again teams up with Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) in this tale of Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker in 1950s London, whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover. The first responses to the film are now appearing online and it appears it’s another knockout from the Anderson-Day Lewis dream team. Nick James, editor of Sight & Sound, said ‘I adored Phantom Thread, would like anything that Daniel Day Lewis wears in it for Christmas’. Most importantly though, Barbra Streisand, yes THE Barbra Streisand, tweeted ‘recently saw four great movies. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Mudbound, Phantom Thread and The Shape of Water by my friend Guillermo del Toro’. It’s out in the UK on 2 February.
Across The Pond
Coco held on to the top spot, adding $27.5m and crossing the $100m mark in the process. The Pixar charmer has now grossed $110m after 12 days on release. Justice League came in second, falling 60% to $16.7m. That takes its total to $197.4m. Wonder came in third, adding $12.1m, giving it a new cume of $88m. Thor: Ragnarok added $9.9m in fourth, which edges it even closer to $300m. It now sits on $291.6m. Daddy's Home 2 completed the top give, adding $7.6m for a new cume of $82.9m.