| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mia Blakeney |
Box Office Round-up
Transformers are back at the top of the box office as Transformers One opened in the top spot with £1.7m. The previous Transformers film in cinemas, Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, opened with £2.5m in June 2023 so this film is down on that, but with Transformers One a more family friendly animation, and with half term in a couple of weeks, it should have a stronger week then. It’s also scoring well with audiences with a PostTrak score of 4.5 stars across all audiences.
Joker: Folie à Deux fell to second, adding £1.4m, which is a hefty drop of 75% from last weekend. That takes its total after 10 days in cinemas to £8.7m, and on its second weekend in 2019, the first Joker fell 22% to £9.8m and had crossed the £30m mark. That film was a genuine box office sensation and it feels like Folie à Deux is too, but for a completely different reason.
We have another breakout horror success as Terrifier 3 opened in third with £1m. The Terrifier films have become a cult success in the US, with the first film made for just $35,000 and the second for $250,000. This is the first Terrifier film to get a cinema release in the UK and it has opened with a hugely impressive £1m, so it seems like there’ll be more Terrifier films to come. If you’re curious about what they are like, approach with caution as they are most definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continues its terrific run, adding £770k, a drop of 32% from last weekend. After six weekends in cinemas, Tim Burton’s blockbuster sequel is up to a terrific £23.9m, and it’s now the fifth biggest film released so far this year and the fourth biggest film for Burton, behind only Dumbo (£25.1m), Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (£37.8m) and Alice In Wonderland (£42.6m). It may have the legs to get past Dumbo and take third spot.
Indian cinema is back in the top five as Vettaiyan, a Tamil action-drama starring Amitabh Bachchan, opened in fifth with £486k, which includes £194k from previews after opening on Thursday.
Outside of the top five, Salem’s Lot, the latest Stephen King horror adaptation to hit the big screen, opened with £360k. Speak No Evil in ninth added £236k, which was enough to take it over the £5m mark to £5.2m. It’s the second highest grossing original horror of 2024, behind only Longlegs (£8.1m).
Next Weekend
The Wild Robot is a brand new animation and is the favourite for the Best Animated Film Oscar. After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Smile 2 is the sequel to the breakout horror smash. About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her past. It’s in cinemas from Thursday.
The Apprentice is the story of how a young Donald Trump started his real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. Sebastian Stan plays Donald Trump, Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn, and Maria Bakalova plays Ivana Trump.
My Hero Academia: You’re Next is a new anime. Deku, Bakugo, Todoroki and the rest of U.A. High Class 1-A must face off against Dark Might and the obscure crime organisation under his control, the Gollini Family.
The Buzz
Companion is a mysterious new thriller from the production team behind the breakout horror Barbarian. The exciting cast includes Sophie Thatcher (Heretic), Jack Quaid (TV’s The Boys), and Lukas Gage (Smile 2) and while the plot is under wraps, the trailer is filled with intrigue and striking scenes. In the trailer it says it’s from ‘New Line Cinema—the studio that brought you The Notebook - and the unhinged creators of Barbarian cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story…’ It is one of the most exciting new thrillers in Q1 2025 and looks perfect for a 16-34 audience. Companion opens in the UK cinemas on 10 January.
Across The Pond
Terrifier 3 is a horror sensation, opening in the top spot with $18.3m. Terrifier 2 finished its run with $11m, so this is a franchise on a steep upward curve. The Wild Robot added $13.5m in second, a healthy drop of 29% from last weekend, which takes its total to $83.7m. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice came in third, adding $7.1m for a new total of $275.6m. Joker: Folie à Deux took a huge tumble in fourth, falling 81% to $7m, which takes its total to $51.6m. Piece By Piece rounded out the top five, opening with $3.8m.