Box Office Round-up
Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is the big screen debut for the popular BBC sitcom. It opened at the top of the box office with an impressive £2.5m (including £48k from previews). The journey from the small screen to the big screen is not always a successful one but Ghosts: The Possession Of Button House can safely be added to the success pile. Dad’s Army had a big screen release in 2016, opening with £2.1m and finishing its run with £8.7m, so that’s a target that Ghosts: TPOBH should hit.
Clayface is the latest film in the DC Universe. It opened with £2m (including £82k from previews), which considering it is budgeted much lower than a typical DC film, is a solid result. Earlier this year, DC’s Supergirl opened with a Friday to Sunday total of £2.1m and finished its run with £5.8m, which Clayface has a good chance of surpassing.
Ali G: Who Iz I? was only supposed to be in cinemas on Friday and Saturday evenings but it was strong on those nights so some cinemas showed it on Sunday too. It also has midweek showings. It has so far grossed £1.3m which was enough to finish third in the weekend’s box office. Ali G InDaHouse was in cinemas in 2002 and banked £10.3m, which is obviously not a fair comparison considering the limited release of this new film.
Wildwood is another stop-motion wonder from the wizards at Laika and it opened in third with £1m, including £39k from previews. Laika’s last film in cinemas was 2019’s Missing Link, which opened with £648k and finished its run with £3.6m, so Wildwood looks set for a total north of that.
Street Fighter rounded out the top five, adding £1m on its second weekend, which is down 56% from last weekend. That takes its total to £4.3m and it has already surpassed the final total of May’s Mortal Kombat II, which finished its run with £3.4m.
Outside of the top five, Fatherland opened in ninth with an impressive £311k, which includes £112k from previews. This is the third feature film to hit cinemas this year starring Sandra Hüller after Project Hail Mary and Digger. It has been reported in the last week that she also has a role in Avengers: Doomsday.
Next Weekend
Wicker stars Olivia Colman as an ostracized fisherwoman who commissions the local basket-maker to weave her a husband, but when her wicker creation proves unexpectedly extraordinary, his presence ignites jealousy and upheaval that threatens their quiet village. Alexander Skarsgård plays the man made of wicker.
Primetime stars Robert Pattinson as To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, who in 2006 sets out to make television history. It’s in cinemas from Wednesday.
Animol is a prison drama and the directorial debut of Ashley Walters. Behind the walls of a juvenile detention center, young inmates navigate friendship, identity, and personal growth while confronting harsh realities and their own paths to redemption.
I Love Boosters is the latest film from Boots Riley (Sorry To Bother You). A group of shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven by stealing her clothes and reselling them at a lower price, what they call "fashion-forward philanthropy.
Everest: The Other Side is the latest documentary from the makers of Free Solo. It’s an intimate portrait of two people bound by love, ambition, and the pursuit of the impossible. Elite ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport: Everest's north face.
The Buzz
A24 are on a roll, having released Marty Supreme, The Drama, Backrooms, and The Invite in the last 10 months. In four weeks time they have You Can See Everything, which is making waves in North America and generating huge buzz over here. After that, their next film is Club Kid, which already made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Jordan Firstman writes, directs and stars as a hard-partying New York City club promoter who sees his whirlwind lifestyle upended by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had. It hits cinemas on 8 January, which places it right at the heart of awards season. It’s one of the best films for 25-44 ABC1 adults in Q1.
Across The Pond
Clayface opened in the top spot in North America with $24m. A24 documentary, You Can See Everything stayed in second but expanded to more screens and added a terrific $19.5m, which is up 25% from last weekend and takes its total to $45.1m. It’s already one of the biggest documentaries of all-time and there’s plenty more to come. Wildwood opened in third with $11.6m and Street Fighter came in fourth, adding $8.6m for a new total of $46.9m. Wicker rounded out the top five, opening with $5.8m.
