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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
The Weekend Round-up
Another great weekend for weather was no match for the latest comic book behemoth from DC Comics and Warner Bros. Since it’s eye-catching trailer from Comic Con 2015 Suicide Squad has been one of the most eagerly anticipated comic book films of recent years and it duly lived up to expectations, delivering a huge £11.3m across the weekend.
That’s the biggest Friday–Sunday August opening of all time, and the third biggest opening of the year to date, after Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War. Both those films finished on over £36m.
Last week’s top film, Finding Dory, had a steep drop, likely due to the sunny weather, but it added another £4m and now sits on £20.3m. It had a terrific Monday to Thursday last week adding £8.2m, so there’s hope it will add a good deal more this week. After two weekends last year, Inside Out was on £17m on its way to £39.3m, so Dory is tracking ahead of that title.
As expected, Jason Bourne was hit hard by Suicide Squad’s popularity, falling 54% to £2.4m. It has now grossed £14.1m, making it the second highest-grossing Bourne film to date after The Bourne Ultimatum (£24m).
The BFG dropped 49% in fourth to £1.7m, but like Finding Dory, it had a great Monday to Thursday last week and has now crossed the £20m mark, sitting on £20.2m. Star Trek Beyond had another steep drop, falling 62% to £895k, bringing its total to £12.9m. Outside of the top five, Ghostbusters, in seventh, is just £4,408 away from the £10m mark.
Overall the box office was down 10% from last weekend and up a chunky 105% from the same weekend last year, when the top four films were Fantastic Four, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Inside Out and Southpaw.
Next Weekend
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a raucous comedy starring Zac Efron and Adam Devine as two hard-partying brothers who place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by an uncontrollable duo, played by Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick. It came out in the US last month and has so far grossed $45.1m. It’s in cinemas from Wednesday.
The Shallows is also out on Wednesday and sees lone surfer, Blake Lively, pitted against a hungry great white shark. It’s a slick, entertaining thriller that has been getting strong reviews and grossed over $54m in the US after releasing there in June.
Nerve is an up-to-the-minute thriller starring Emma Roberts as a high school senior who finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of "watchers". Co-starring Dave Franco, it has been out a couple of weeks in the US and has banked $26.9m to date. It’s in cinemas from Thursday.
Pete’s Dragon is a remake of the 1977 Disney adventure that mixed live-action and animation and tells the story of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. This latest version stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and Karl Urban and Variety recently called it ‘one of the year's most delightful moviegoing surprises’. In a move that will please traditionalists, it’s released on Friday.
The Buzz
The Girl with All the Gifts had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland last week. An adaptation of Mike Carey’s novel, it stars Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine in the tale of a scientist and a teacher living in a dystopian future who embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie.
The premiere had a mostly positive response, with Screen International calling it ‘a smartly compelling, emotionally engaging and stylishly executed film’. IndieWire said it ‘really does offer up a fleshed-out world rich with eerie implications, saving the biggest one for the memorable finale’.
Also, it's now just 100 days until one of 2016's biggest titles, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, hits the big screen. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
Across The Pond
Suicide Squad smashed the August opening weekend record, delivering a huge $133.6m. The previous record was Guardians of the Galaxy's $94.3m. Jason Bourne had a tough second weekend, falling 62.2% to $22.4m and after 10 days in cinemas, the Matt Damon actioner has now banked $103.1m.
Third spot was taken by Bad Moms. The Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn comedy fell 41.2% to $14m and climbs to $50.1m. The Secret Life of Pets came in fourth, adding $11.5m for a new cume of $319.5m, and Star Trek Beyond completed the top five, adding $10m for a new cume of $127.7m.