March 14Mar 14 Author 16. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes - £15.7 millionNo one can stop the reign. Several generations following Caesar’s reign, apes – now the dominant species – live harmoniously while humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all he’s known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike. Director: Wes BallCast: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin DurandRelease Date: 9th May 2024Distributor: DisneyCertification: 12AGenre: ActionRotten Tomatoes: 80%IMDb: 6.9 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-4-3-4-4-6-11-15 (9 weeks)Opening Weekend: £3,802,189 (#1) After the conclusion of the well-received Caesar trilogy of Apes films (2011-2017), Disney decided to continue the series after their acquisition of Fox. They decided to move away from Andy Serkis and set this film around 300 years after Caesar's death where Apes have fully taken over Earth and the remaining humans have become feral. This had a disastrous opening in the UK., with a lower figure than any of the previous films and not even matching Tim Burton's ill-fated attempt in 2001. It held pretty well but still wasn't able to stop itself from becoming the lowest grossing modern-Apes film with 2001's film ending on £17 million. It's a far cry away from the massive £32.9 million for 2014's 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes'. It still did well enough worldwide ($397 million) to justify another sequel.
March 15Mar 15 Author 15. Bob Marley: One Love - £17.2 millionFirst he changed music, then he changed the world. Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world. Director: Reinaldo Marcus GreenCast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James NortonRelease Date: 14th February 2024Distributor: ParamountCertification: 12AGenre: BiopicRotten Tomatoes: 43%IMDb: 6.2 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-2-3-4-6-12 (7 weeks)Opening Weekend: £6,950,773 (#1) The UK loves a traditional, middle-of-the-road biopic so it's no surprise that the biggest one of the year was 'Bob Marley: One Love'. 'Legend' is the 17th best-selling album of all-time in the UK and has hardly left the albums chart in years so we all know that there was always a market for the king of Reggae but I think this did even better than most were expecting, even out-grossing the opening weekend of 'Elvis' (£4,023, 572, #1, 2022) thanks to a midweek, Valentine's Day release.
March 15Mar 15 Author 14. Migration - £21.2 millionAdventure takes flight. After a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, the Mallard family embarks on a family road trip, from New England, to New York City, to tropical Jamaica. Director: Benjamin RennerCast: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan Michael-KeyRelease Date: 2nd February 2024Distributor: UniversalCertification: UGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 77%IMDb: 6.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-2-3-4-4-3-5-10-7-13-15 (12 weeks)Opening Weekend: £3,577,675 (#1) With only the 24th biggest opening weekend of 2024, 'Migration' shown great legs to climb all the way to 14 in the EOY chart and become our first film in the £20 million+ club. In 2023, only the top 10 passed £20 million, so this is a good sign that we moved towards big-screen recovery last year. Released in 2023 in most of the world, it's impressive that 'Migration' kept enough hype to be such a monster hit. It was another great year for Illumination (when is it not?) who have two films in the top 15, despite this being their 2nd ever lowest grossing film worldwide, only beating their second film, 2011's 'Hop', When your flops are making $300 million worldwide against a $72 million budget, you know that you're doing something right.
March 15Mar 15 The Wild Robot <3 Definitely my favourite of the ones to feature since I last posted, even if it took me until 2025 to see it
March 15Mar 15 Author 13. It Ends With Us - £21.7 millionWe break the pattern or the pattern breaks us. When a woman’s first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended, and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future. Director: Justin BaldoniCast: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny SlateRelease Date: 9th August 2024Distributor: SonyCertification: 15Genre: DramaRotten Tomatoes: 55%IMDb: 6.4 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-2-3-3-8-10 (7 weeks)Opening Weekend: £4,516,760 (#1) Where do we even start with this one? The most controversial film of 2024, and just like with 2022's 'Don't Worry Darling', a film where it will be remembered more for the the behind-the-scenes drama than the actual film itself. Although, unlike with 'Don't Worry Darling', this was actually also a MASSIVE hit. In any other circumstances, we would be marvelling at what a brilliant summer Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds had and would be talking about how they are the Hollywood it couple. Adapted from the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, it must have been a phenomenon that passed me as this film made $351 million against a $25 million budget. Enjoy your success Justin Baldoni because I'm sure you'll never see it again.
March 15Mar 15 My mum wanted to see It Ends With Us so I went with her and didn't get much out of it, was very surface level.It's mad how popular Colleen Hoover novels are... haven't attempted one but some of the dialogue that has gone viral has been interesting to say the least
March 15Mar 15 Author 12. Kung Fu Panda 4 - £21.9 millionQuadruple the awesomeness. Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, but also needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior. As such, he will train a new kung fu practitioner for the spot and will encounter a villain called the Chameleon who conjures villains from the past. Director: Mike MitchellCast: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Bryan CranstonRelease Date: 28th March 2024Distributor: UniversalCertification: PGGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 71%IMDb: 6.2 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-3-3-3-5-6-9-11-12-15 (11 weeks)Opening Weekend: £5,020,600 (#1) It had been 8 years since 'Kung Fu Panda 3' closed the trilogy and Universal obviously weren't that confident in the fourth part and only gave this a $85 million budget compared to the $145 million budget for part '3'. Universal will be very happy to see that the audience is very much still there for the franchise as this made more than '3' worldwide and became the biggest of the lot in the UK, overtaking the £20.4 million of the original 'Kung Fu Panda'. This was despite losing some of the starry cast names of the first three (Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu).
March 15Mar 15 Author 11. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - £26.3 millionThe ghost with the most is back. After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife. Director: Tim BurtonCast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna OrtegaRelease Date: 6th September 2024Distributor: Warner Bros.Certification: 12AGenre: ComedyRotten Tomatoes: 75%IMDb: 6.7 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-1-1-2-4-7-6-12 (9 weeks)Opening Weekend: £7,352,761 (#1) Despite spending the equal longest run at #1 in 2024 (4 weeks), 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' has fallen out of the EOY top 10 at the last hurdle over the past 7 days. Tim Burton had seemed to have fallen away since his 80s/90s/00s heyday with a recent string of of disappointments but with 'Wednesday' being a massive Netflix hit and this exceeding all expectations, he appears to be back with a vengeance. Delayed sequels can always be a risk, but when they payoff, they really pay-off. The original 'Beetlejuice' grossed just £3.6 million in total in the UK in 1988. 36-years later and the sequel is nearly doubling that in just it's opening weekend. This is Tim Burton's 3rd biggest film ever in the UK, only behind popular kids adaptations 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' and 'Alice In Wonderland'.
March 16Mar 16 Author 10. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 - £26.4 millionNew adventure. New rival. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet. Director: Jeff FowlerCast: Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Keanu ReavesRelease Date: 20th December 2024Distributor: ParamountCertification: PGGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 85%IMDb: 6.9 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-4-3-3-4-7-7-7-12-13 (10 weeks)Opening Weekend: £11,760,315 (#1) 6 of the this top 10 were released in either November or December last year so it's no surprise that one of those kicks us off. Thanks to the most sus previews window (6 whole days) this side of 'Kneecap', 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' managed to have the 4th biggest opening weekend of the year, although it's 3-day gross would have only been about £4 million. It has easily surpassed the £19.3 million gross of the original 'Sonic The Hedgehog' from 2020 but, despite the huge opening. has still not quite matched the £27 million total for 'Sonic The Hedgehog 2'. Again, this is only a UK trend as it was made $488 million worldwide compared to $405 million for part 2.
March 16Mar 16 Author 9. Gladiator II - £32 millionPrepare to be entertained. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people. Director: Ridley ScottCast: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro PascalRelease Date: 15th November 2024Distributor: ParamountCertification: 15Genre: EpicRotten Tomatoes: 71%IMDb: 6.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-3-3-3-5-7-9-14 (9 weeks)Opening Weekend: £9,100,897 (#1) Concluding the Paramount section of the top 10 is Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator II'. 87 years of age and still putting out films to this scale and at a frightening pace, I don't know how he does it. 2024 really was the year for the delayed sequel with this coming 24 years after the original swept the Oscars and made Russell Crowe a household name. The original 'Gladiator' made around £31 million in 2000 which means that this has ended up pipping it to became the biggest hit of Ridley Scott's career. However, it underperformed in the US and thanks to it's ballooning $300 million+ budget, wasn't able to breakeven in it's theatrical window.
March 18Mar 18 Author 8. Mufasa: The Lion King - £32.3 millionThe story of an orphan who would be King. Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny. Director: Barry JenkinsCast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth RogenRelease Date: 20th December 2024Distributor: DisneyCertification: PGGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 57%IMDb: 6.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-2-1-2-2-2-3-5-5-7-9-8-14 (14 weeks)Opening Weekend: £4,415,961 (#1) The leggiest film of 2024, 'Mufasa: The Lion King' is still within the top 10 on it's 13th week and has overcome only having the 15th biggest opening weekend of the year to comfortably secure an EOY top 10 placement. The original remake (oxymoron In know) remains to be the 13th biggest film of all-time in the UK with £76 million so it feels weird to be talking about this as a success when it has grossed less than half of that despite being released only 5 years later but I think everyone thought that this was DOA and would lose money for Disney. It's recently overtaken 'Dune: Part Two' at the worldwide box office to become the 6th biggest film of the year with $717 million, well above it's $200 million budget. People were asking what 'Moonlight' director Barry Jenkins saw in this project but he's had the last laugh. If it gets a boost from somewhere, this could move up another spot but I don't think it will have enough left in the tank now.
March 18Mar 18 Author 7. Paddington In Peru - £36.8 millionA little bear goes a long way. Paddington travels to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru. Director: Dougal WilsonCast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily MortimerRelease Date: 8th November 2024Distributor: StudioCanalCertification: PGGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 93%IMDb: 6.7 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-3-4-4-4-4-6-8-11-13-14-x-13-15 (14 weeks)Opening Weekend: £9,649,984 (#1) The first two 'Paddington' films by Paul King have become such beloved, modern-day classics, a third film without the director always felt risky, especially when one of the leading stars Sally Hawkins also had to depart. And despite a slightly stronger start, 'Peru' does fall short of the other two ('Paddington', £38 million, 'Paddington 2', £42.6 million) but not by enough to raise any alarm bells. Although, with the fancy Peru setting, this one did have the largest budget of the lot so they might have to cut down slightly if they do make a fourth film. Paul King passed on this to make 2023's 'Wonka' which is at £64.6 million (23rd biggest of all-time) so just imagine what this could have done had King stayed on.
March 25Mar 25 Author 6. Dune: Part Two - £39.5 millionLong live the fighters. Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Director: Denis VilleneuveCast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca FergusonRelease Date: 1st March 2024Distributor: Warner Bros.Certification: 12AGenre: EpicRotten Tomatoes: 92%IMDb: 8.5 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-1-2-4-4-6-7-9-14-14 (11 weeks)Opening Weekend: £9,279,080 (#1) I think that the first 'Dune' film surprised many by becoming one of the first real hits after cinemas re-opened in 2021, making £22.4 million in the UK alone. There was a lot of excitement for the sequel with many people pinning hopes on it to save the early 2024 box-office and it didn't disappoint. 'Part Two' passed the original gross in 2.5 weeks and was so close to reaching the £40 million mark . It held on as the #1 film of the year until July but a busy Q4 saw it just miss the top 5. Villeneuve is coming back to close the trilogy with 'Dune: Messiah' expected to release in December 2026. The hype for these films passes me by a bit. I did enjoy this one a bit more but I thought the first one was one of the most dull films I've ever watched. This is the highest placed 12A certificate of 2024 which is a shock because 12A films usually rule the box office.
March 25Mar 25 Author 5. Moana 2 - £42.5 millionThe ocean is calling them back. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Director: Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller & David Derrick Jr.Cast: Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualālai ChungRelease Date: 29th November 2024Distributor: DisneyCertification: PGGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 61%IMDb: 6.7 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-1-3-4-5-8-8-7-8-10-11-11 (13 weeks)Opening Weekend: £12,021,342 (#1) Another successful sequel, 'Moana 2' is probably the biggest benefactor of Disney+. Reportedly, the original 'Moana' is the most streamed film of all-time and the building of the audience was very evident in this film's success. The original 'Moana' debuted at #2 with £2,214,898 on release in 2016 (behind the third weekend of 'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them') and ended it's run with about £20 million. The sequel had the 5th biggest opening ever for an animated film (£12 million) and passed the original within 10 days. It's ended up as Disney Animation's (not Pixar) 2nd biggest ever release sitting between 'Frozen II' (£53.5 million) and 'Frozen' (£41.2 million). Not bad for a project that was originally being made as a streaming show before being retooled into a feature-length theatrical film.
March 27Mar 27 Author 4. Despicable Me 4 - £48.3 millionThings just got a little more despicable. Gru and Lucy and their girls—Margo, Edith and Agnes—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, forcing the family to go on the run. Director: Chris RenaudCast: Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig, Will FerrellRelease Date: 12th July 2024Distributor: UniversalCertification: UGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 56%IMDb: 6.2 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-2-2-3-5-4-1-6-5-6-8-6-11-14-14 (16 weeks)Opening Weekend: £8,856,183 (#1) You just can't bet against the Minions, despite a slightly slow start (it only had the 9th biggest opening weekend of the year and was the first entry since the original 'Despicable Me' in 2010 to open with less than £10 million) but it shown INSANE legs (returning to #1 in week 8) and eventually made enough to become the biggest ever hit in the franchise in the UK. It just fell short of $1 billion worldwide but with a $100 million budget, it's still comfortably the most consistent and profitable major franchise around nowadays. Another banner year for Illumination Studios.
March 27Mar 27 Author 3. Deadpool & Wolverine - £57.6 millionCome together. A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his home world faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine. Director: Shawn LevyCast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma CorrinRelease Date: 25th July 2024Distributor: DisneyCertification: 15Genre: SuperheroRotten Tomatoes: 78%IMDb: 7.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-2-3-3-2-4-6-8-14-13 (11 weeks)Opening Weekend: £17,276,622 (#1) The only MCU film released in 2024 was the highly-anticipated team up between Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's (very dead) Wolverine. It worked a treat for Disney with the MCU starting to feel like it's on the wane, this managed to make a Marvel film feel like an event again and scored the biggest opening weekend over the year (if you count previews) and overtaking the original Deadpool to become the highest opening weekend for a film rated 15 or 18. This made over double the amount of the previous most successful film starring Wolverine ('X-Men: Days Of Future Past', £27.2 million). It is the 4th biggest film of the MCU in the UK.
March 27Mar 27 Dune: Part 2 is the only one I've seen in the top 10 so far!I agree that it was more engaging than the first which was more world-building heavy. Spectacular visuals of course.
March 28Mar 28 Dune II is the only one I went to see at the cinema and I did enjoy it, albeit I'm still not totally convinced it is as wonderful as a lot of other people seem to think it is.I've streamed Deadpool & Wolverine and thought it was very average. Not sure if I've just outgrown the humour but most of it fell flat for me. I want to see Paddington but haven't managed to find time to yet, I suspect I'll enjoy it because I really like the franchise.
March 30Mar 30 Author 2. Inside Out 2 - £59.2 millionMake room for new emotions. Teenager Riley’s mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Director: Kelsey MannCast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington TallmanRelease Date: 14th June 2024Distributor: DisneyCertification: UGenre: KidsRotten Tomatoes: 91%IMDb: 7.5 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-1-1-1-2-3-4-4-7-7-7-6-8-11 (14 weeks)Opening Weekend: £11,321,387 (#1) Pixar have had a rough spell in the 2020s: 'Onward' was released just as cinemas were starting to close in 2020, 'Soul', 'Luca' and 'Turning Red' all had to settle for Disney+ releases, 'Lightyear' bombed and 'Elemental' ended up underperforming despite showing great legs. They had to dip their hand back into the 'sequel' market but they found a BIG hit. This was the 3rd biggest opening for an animated film (until it was overtaken by 'Moana 2') and breezed past the original films £38.7 million total on it's way to becoming the 9th biggest film at the worldwide box office with $1.7 billion. It was the biggest ever animated film until 'Ne Zha 2' recently overtook it. This is despite losing two of the biggest named from the original film, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader both declined to return after being unhappy with their offered contract. It looked for sure like this was going to be the #1 film of 2024 until...
March 30Mar 30 Author 1. Wicked - £61.2 millionEveryone deserves the chance to fly. When ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda, the two’s unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Director: Jon M. ChuCast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff GoldblumRelease Date: 22nd November 2024Distributor: UniversalCertification: PGGenre: MusicalRotten Tomatoes: 88%IMDb: 7.5 Top 15 Chart Run: 1-2-2-2-2-3-6-7-9-11-14 (11 weeks)Opening Weekend: £13,696,057 (#1) For the second year in a row, it's a female-led film that is the biggest film in the year after 'Barbie' dominated 2023, something that feels like it might not have happened before. 'Wicked' certainly had good buzz, it's based on a long-running, uber-successful stage show, it's a prequel to one of the most universally loved films of all-time ('The Wizard Of Oz') and it's the leading film debut for one one the biggest pop stars in the world, but it was still not always a seen as a sure bet. The UK has always been kinder to musicals, but the last few big attempts haven't massively caught on ('Into The Heights', 'West Side Story', 'Joker: Folie à Deux'), people are usually not happy with splitting films into 2 films and some scoffed at the big budget ($300 million over the two films). But this put any worried to bed with the biggest 3-day opening of the year and Oscar nominations galore (including two wins). With 'Wicked: For Good' coming in November, can they make it 2 years in a row?
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