| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mia Blakeney |
Box Office Round-up
Taylor Swift / The Official Release Party of a Showgirl was in cinemas for this weekend only but it made the most of it, topping the UK box office with an impressive £3.5m. This is the second Taylor Swift related release in cinemas in the past two years, with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour opening with £5.7m in October 2023, but that was from a much higher ticket price of £19.89. Either way, it seems like Taylor is becoming a fixture in cinemas and cinemagoers are loving it.
On its second weekend, One Battle After Another posted a terrific hold, falling just 20% to £2m, which takes its total after 10 days in cinemas to £6m. It has already overtaken the final total of 2008’s There Will Be Blood to become director Paul Thomas Anderson’s highest grossing film in the UK & Ireland.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale added £867k on its fourth weekend, which takes its total to £15.6m. It has now overtaken the final total of the previous film, Downton Abbey: A New Era which finished its run with £15.1m. There’s still a bit more to add too.
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt have both seen considerable box office success throughout their careers, but they couldn’t replicate that with The Smashing Machine, which opened with a disappointing £863k. The last time they appeared together on screen was in 2021’s Jungle Cruise, which finished its run with £12.6m. The Smashing Machine will be tapping out way before that.
The Conjuring: Last Rites rounded out the top five, adding £511k, down 39% from last weekend. That takes its total after five weekends in cinemas to a sensational £17.3m, and it’s worth re-iterating that the previous biggest film of the series was 2016’s The Enfield Case, which finished with £11.1m.
Outside of the top five, new South Asian release Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 opened in sixth with £344k (including £125k from previews), while Him opened in seventh with a disappointing £276k. The re-release of Avatar: The Way Of Water opened quietly in 10th with £254k.
Next Weekend
Tron: Ares is the latest film in the sci-fi series and stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and Jeff Bridges. A highly sophisticated Program, Ares, is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission.
Good Boy is a thriller with a dog (Indy) as the central character. A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.
I Swear is a true-life British drama about John Davidson, who was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome at a young age which alienated him from his peers, and he struggled with a condition few people had witnessed. Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, and Peter Mullan star.
The Buzz
The Bride! is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s follow-up to the excellent The Lost Daughter. In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change. Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale star, and this is due out two Fridays after the BAFTAs and two Fridays before the Oscars. Jessie Buckley is currently favourite for the Best Actress awards for her role in Hamnet, in cinemas in January. The Bride! is visually striking, featuring a great cast, and amazing costumes. It should be one of the best films for ABC1 women in Q1.
Across The Pond
Taylor Swift / The Official Release Party of a Showgirl opened in the top spot with $33m. One Battle After Another added £11.1m in second for a new total of $42.8m. The Smashing Machine opened in third with a disappointing $6m, while Gabby’s Dollhouse added $5.2m in fourth for a new total of $21.6m. The Conjuring: Last Rites rounded out the top five, adding $4.1m for a new total of $167.8m.