This weeks film schedule updates:
The film schedule has been updated to reflect these changes.
The Avengers Assemble 3D juggernaut shows little signs of slowing down as another mammoth weekend sees the film cross the £30m barrier. A further £8.1m from Friday to Sunday and £3.5m on Monday takes the film to £33.4m, a figure that would have placed it fourth on 2011’s list of highest grossing films. Although it has some way to go to eclipse 2011’s second place film, The King’s Speech, you wouldn’t bet against it passing that film’s final total of £45.7m. It goes without saying that Avengers Assemble 3D is now near the very top of the list of most successful comic book films with only The Dark Knight (£49.1m) ahead of it.
On a weekend with a large number of new releases, it was clear that the UK public are still open to another helping of American Pie. A £4.5m Friday to Sunday opening for American Pie: Reunion compares favourably with the last theatrically released American Pie film’s debut (The Wedding – £4.2m) but its someway short of American Pie 2’s £5.5m opening. With a cume total of £7.8m including previews and bank holiday Monday, the film is already over half way to overtaking the first American Pie’s final total of £14m.
Spots 3 – 5 in the top 10 were also taken up with new releases, with Zac Efron weepie The Lucky One (£1.2m, including £329k from previews) holding off both Beauty and the Beast 3D (£685k) and Jason Statham bone cruncher Safe (£680k). Safe’s performance is better than Jason Statham’s most recent couple of films Blitz (£266k) and Killer Elite (£481k) but not quite as good as The Mechanic (£922k). Beauty And The Beast 3D had a strong bank holiday Monday and now has a cume total of £1.2m. Including Monday, The Lucky One’s cume is £1.5m and Safe is on £920k. The final new entry in the top 15 was horror Silent House in ninth place with £215k (£285k cume).
One other notable occurrence was The Hunger Games crossing the £23m mark. Its reign as the number 1 film of 2012 so far only lasted a week but it’s still a fantastic performance and bodes well for the release of the next book in the series, Catching Fire in November 2013. Overall the box office was up a sizeable 91% from the same weekend last year.
Across the Atlantic box office records were smashed as The Avengers opened to an unprecedented $207.4m. This absolutely trounced the previous all-time weekend record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 last Summer ($169.2m). After just three days in cinemas The Avengers has already taken more than Thor ($181m), Captain America: The First Avenger ($176.6m) and The Incredible Hulk ($134.8m) made in their total run. $207.4m also accounted for a whopping 83.1% of the $249.7m the Top 12 earned this weekend, which is the second-highest weekend market share ever. Trailing in The Avengers’ wake, the best performing of the rest of the titles were Think Like a Man with $8.1m, The Hunger Games with $5.6m and The Lucky One with $5.4m. Way down in 16th place was a great performance from a home-grown hit. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opened on just 27 locations but grossed $737k for a very strong location average of $27k. With expansion planned expect a decent next few weeks for the charming British comedy.
| Title | Weekly Total | Cumulative Total |
| 1 Avengers Assemble 3D | £8,121,916 | £29,851,680 |
| 2 American Reunion | £6,334,539 | £6,334,539 |
| 3 The Lucky One | £1,159,435 | £1,159,435 |
| 4 Beauty And The Beast 3D | £685,024 | £685,024 |
| 5 Safe | £679,716 | £679,716 |
| 6 Salmon Fishing In The Yemen | £641,051 | £4,470,916 |
| 7 The Hunger Games | £346,807 | £23,059,924 |
| 8 The Pirates! In An… | £318,039 | £15,302,734 |
| 9 Silent House | £214,731 | £214,731 |
| 10 Mirror Mirror | £207,319 | £6,886,603 |
Source: Rentrak EDI.
This weeks film schedule updates:
The film schedule has been updated to reflect these changes.
Mentos 3 is the latest innovation in chewing gum, combining 3 layers of different flavoured gum in a single stick. To support the product in the UK, Perfetti Van Melle are running a 30″ Cinema spot ‘High Rider’ around the film release of Avengers Assemble 3D. The ad is a visual metaphor for the product with a classic American lowrider turning into an awesome triple layered car.
As Avengers Assemble is being released in 3D, and the product has taken the physical form of gum into three dimensions, it was a natural step for Perfetti Van Melle to consider running the ad 3D. The fact that the triple layered car featured already existed as a 3D model made it an easy decision to go with 3D.
DCM in partnership with Prime Focus and AMS Media undertook the 2D to 3D conversion, using the existing footage from the ad and the 3D model of the car, to great effect.
The ad can be seen in cinemas now.
The Royal Albert Hall, not a name you think of when there is a movies premiere but upon entering the auditorium it becomes apparent why it was chosen for the Titanic 3D world premiere.
It is a warm and sunny evening in Kensington as I approach the red carpet, walking past the cameras and catching a glimpse of the adoring fans that have waited hours for their screen idols. The walk takes me past Kate Winslet, star of the movie, who is in conversation with the press, as well as a few of the other supporting cast and celebrities in attendance.
Upon entering the screening we are treated to a live feed from the red carpet, watching as the stars of the movie make their way towards the venue, stopping briefly for photos and signatures with the fans who line the barriers.
After the announcement of the 64th Cannes line-up, the countdown has begun to another feast of filmic fun on the French Riviera. The competition at this year’s festival is already hotting up with an array of talent both behind the camera and on screen set to make it the best year yet. New films by Michael Haneke, Jacques Audiard, Lee Daniels, Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach and Wes Anderson are just a few to look out for.
Check out the full list below..
The glitz and glamour of a film premiere can generate a euphoric atmosphere. Star struck onlookers with their pens and posters mix with the geeks and the media for a glimpse of the Hollywood elite as those lucky enough to hold a ticket are herded towards escalators, shuffling awkwardly down a red carpet that isn’t meant for them. I had been like Banner and The Hulk all day, trying to keep my excitement contained for a full 8 hours. I was so focused on seeing the heroes on screen I barely had time to notice them right in front of me as we were ushered along. I could have touched Scarlett Johansson. COULD have. But then I wouldn’t have been allowed in to watch the movie. Office hype was at fever-pitch due to news that she went ‘au naturel’ underneath that signature Black Widow cat suit. I was torn, but I made my choice and settled for a photo. She has a very photogenic shoulder and back (see below for proof). A few escalators later and we’re seated in the screen, watching the red carpet show unfold as Jonafon Woss patters with the celebrities one-by-one. It isn’t long before the film rolls, and we all look fetching in our Hulk/Iron Man/Thor/Captain America themed 3D Glasses.
Metaphorically this ship is still sailing as the 3D re-release of Titanic cruised to the top of the UK box office with £2.9m (including £97k from previews). Although this is a is a good deal fewer than the original Titanic’s £4.8m opening weekend in 1997, it’s a big improvement on Star Wars – Episode 1’s 3D re-release in February (£1.5m) and similar to The Lion King 3D’s performance in October (£2.8m). Love for the epic film is still high and its performance is particularly impressive when you consider that the film is 194 minutes long, so less screenings can be scheduled per day. Including Easter Monday, James Cameron’s lavish romance has a cume of £3.9m.
In second place after another strong weekend was The Hunger Games. A further £2.4m, just a drop of 20%, takes the thriller to a very impressive £16.2m (including Monday). Although it may fall short of New Moon’s £27.5m total, it is already way ahead of the first Twilight’s £11.2m final total. Just behind in third place was Mirror Mirror, also with £2.4m. This weekend figure is inflated due to the film opening on Monday 2nd, so includes £1.3m from previews. Including Easter Monday, the film now has a cume of £3m. In fourth place was The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists with £2.2m. This is a fantastic hold for the film, actually improving on its opening weekend when the figure for previews is removed. Strong word of mouth should be in full flow for this title and its cume is now at £9.1m.
Aardman have once again proven that they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Pixar when it comes to big screen animation with their brilliantly bonkers new film, The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists. Its release date just ahead of the Easter holidays may indicate its status as great entertainment for younger audiences but any film featuring a barking mad Queen Victoria as the main villain and a traitorous Charles Darwin clearly has its eyes set on the more mature viewers too.
A terrific Hugh Grant plays the noble Pirate Captain who’s not very good at amassing huge quantities of bounty but with the help of his loyal crew, he sets out to win the annual ‘pirate of the year’ competition. His quest takes him to Victorian London where he encounters the aforementioned Queen Victoria, who just so happens to have a vendetta against pirates. What follows involves endless sight gags, a case of avian mistaken identity and the best soundtrack of any ‘family’ film likely to be released this year.
Billed as master director Martin Scorsese’s first family film, Hugo is a hugely affectionate love-letter to film and cinema history. Scorsese has always been known as an avid film historian and every ounce of his passion comes through to make a film that both moves and enchants.
Hugo is the story of 11 year-old orphan, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), who lives in a 1930s Paris train station, secretly maintaining the stations clocks and evading the clutches of the pompous station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen). Before his death, Hugo’s father (Jude Law) was repairing a mysterious mechanical automaton and Hugo takes on the task of finishing the job.
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