February 22Feb 22 Author 84. Dear England: NT Live 2024 - £1,241,087 A new play by James Graham. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game? With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt, to take team and country back to the promised land. Director: Rupert Goold Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Gina McKee, Will Close Release Date: 24th January 2024 Distributor: National Theatre Certification: 15 Genre: Theatre Rotten Tomatoes: n/a IMDb: 8.1 Top 15 Chart Run: 13 (1 week) Opening Weekend: £184,536 (#13) The second theatre recording, 'Dear England' is about (now Sir) Gareth Southgate's reign as the manager of the England National Football team and his choice to bring in a psychologist to help the players. Just imagine how much more this could have made if we didn't concede that last-minute winner to Spain in the Euro's final last July.
February 22Feb 22 Author 83. Perfect Days - £1.3 million In a world of fleeting moments, find the beauty that lasts. Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world. Director: Wim Wenders Cast: Kōji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakono Release Date: 23rd February 2024 Distributor: MUBI Certification: PG Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes: 96% IMDb: 7.9 Top 15 Chart Run: 13-9-11-13-13 (5 weeks) Opening Weekend: £175,599 (#13) A 2-hour, naturalistic, slice-of-life Japanese-language tale of a toilet cleaner living his life doesn't immediately scream blockbuster, must-see cinema but 'Perfect Days' earned rave reviews and earned itself a nom for 'Best International Film' at last year's Oscars. It was Japan's entry despite director, Wim Wenders, being German. This had a really impressive run at the box office, especially with it being the third entry in a row that didn't debut in the weekly top 10.
February 22Feb 22 Author 82. Tarot - £1.4 million Your fate is in the cards. When a group of friends recklessly violate the sacred rule of Tarot readings, they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death. Director: Spenser Cohen & Anna Halberg Cast: Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Release Date: 2nd May 2024 Distributor: Sony Certification: 15 Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes: 17% IMDb: 4.8 Top 15 Chart Run: 6-5-11-14 (4 weeks) Opening Weekend: £509,181 (#6) The first half of 2024 was filled with these cheap, underperforming horror releases that left as fast at they came. Although, 'Tarot' did make ~$50 million worldwide on a $7 million budget so still proved to be a good investment for Sony, it's just that we usually see these horrors make, at least, another couple of million in the UK. From what I've heard, this is practically 'Final Destination' but with Tarot Cards and without the sense of fun.
February 22Feb 22 Author 81. Kalki 2989 AD - £1.4 million When the world is taken over by darkness, a new force will arise. In the year 2898 AD, around 6000 years after Kurukshetra war, Ashwatthama gears up for his final battle of redemption at the sign of hope in a dystopian world and Bhairava, a wisecracking and self-interested bounty hunter, tired of the perilous life becomes the hurdle in the process. Director: Nag Ashwin Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas Release Date: 27th June 2024 Distributor: Dreamz Entertainment Certification: 12A Genre: Sci-Fi Rotten Tomatoes: 77% IMDb: 7.0 Top 15 Chart Run: 3-6-14 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £886,366 (#3) The third Indian film in the top 100 and only the second from the country to make more than £1 million. Especially disappointing when you consider than 8 passed that mark last year. As the title suggests, this one is set in the year 2989 and is a three-hour Sci-Fi epic. The Indian 'Dune' perhaps. This was also the 2nd biggest film of the year in it's native country.
February 23Feb 23 Author 80. Night Swim - £1.4 million Everything you fear is under the surface. Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home’s past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror. Director: Bryce McGuire Cast: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle Release Date: 5th January 2024 Distributor: Universal Certification: 15 Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes: 20% IMDb: 4.7 Top 15 Chart Run: 9-11-15 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £590,691 (#9) One of the first new films released in 2024, 'Night Swim' didn't get the year off to a great start earning poor reviews and becoming a disappointment for Blumhouse after they found so much success in 2023 with 'M3GAN' and 'Five Nights At Freddy's' . The concept of a haunted swimming-pool always sounded schlocky and I had no idea how they'd make it scary. It turned out, they didn't. It's wild that Kerry Condon chose to follow-up 'The Banshees On Inisherin' with this.
February 23Feb 23 Author 79. Borderlands - £1.5 million Chaos loves company. Lilith, an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the universe's most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits -- Roland, a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina's musclebound protector; Tannis, the oddball scientist who's seen it all; and Claptrap, a wiseass robot. Director: Eli Roth Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black Release Date: 9th August 2024 Distributor: Lionsgate Certification: 12A Genre: Action Rotten Tomatoes: 10% IMDb: 4.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-10 (2 weeks) Opening Weekend: £843,159 (#5) Talking about odd role choices, Cate Blanchett stars in delayed adaptation of the hottest video-game franchise of the early 2010s, 'Borderlands'. With a $120 million budget, this has gone down as one of the biggest flops of the the year. This had a tumultuous production cycle, with writer Craig Mazin requesting that his name be removed from the project and Tim Miller being brought in to film reshoots instead of Eli Roth. One of the major problems has to be that this was certificate 12A in the UK, while PEGI have rated each of the games 18.
February 23Feb 23 Author 78. Kraven The Hunter - £1.5 million Villains aren’t born. They’re made. Kraven Kravinoff’s complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. Director: J.C. Chandor Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger Release Date: 13th December 2024 Distributor: Sony Certification: 15 Genre: Superhero Rotten Tomatoes: 16% IMDb: 5.4 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-8-10 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £686,806 (#5) Sony's sans-Spider-Man, Spider-Man-verse finally came to a disastrous conclusion last year with 'Kraven The Hunter' leaving on a low with the lowest gross of all of them. 'Madame Web' seems to be one that gets clowned on but it still did a lot better than this and is still to come in this list. Aaron Taylor-Johnson can't seem to buy a hit as a leading-man and his shot of Bond seems to be fading more-and-more.
February 23Feb 23 Author 77. The First Omen - £1.5 million Create something to fear. When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. Director: Arkasha Stevenson Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sônia Braga Release Date: 5th April 2024 Distributor: Disney Certification: 15 Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes: 83% IMDb: 6.5 Top 15 Chart Run: 6-8-10 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £521,573 (#5) Well, it's nice to have a film to discuss that wasn't universally despised :lol: Last year saw two competing 'pregnant Nun' horrors released within weeks of each other and 'The First Omen' ended up being the loser. 1976's 'The Omen' remains a classic but I think the general consensus is that they ran the franchise to the ground with countless sequels not living up to the standard so I don't think many were expecting much of this. However, those who saw it, seemed to really dig it and I saw a lot of praise for Nell Tiger Free in the lead role. It's a weird case where I think not having the name of a recognisable franchise might have actually helped this one.
February 23Feb 23 Author 76. American Fiction - £1.6 million A novelist fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. Director: Cord Jefferson Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander Release Date: 2nd February 2024 Distributor: Curzon Certification: 15 Genre: Comedy Rotten Tomatoes: 93% IMDb: 7.5 Top 15 Chart Run: 10-13-15 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £389,375 (#10) The winner of 'Best Adapted Screenplay', 'American Fiction' was one of my favourite films of last year and I'm delighted it found an audience. Jeffrey Wright is brilliant as a writer unhappy with the stereotypical 'Black' literature that becomes bestsellers and writes a parody of such work.
February 24Feb 24 Author 75. Pushpa 2: The Rule - £1.6 million The rule begins. As his smuggling empire grows, a brazen Pushpa longs for power and respect on his vengeful journey, while facing old rivals and new. Director: Sukumar Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil Release Date: 5th December 2024 Distributor: AA Films Certification: 15 Genre: Action Rotten Tomatoes: n/a IMDb: 6.2 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-10 (2 weeks) Opening Weekend: £1,118,894 (#5) The only Indian release to crack the top 75 this year, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' is the follow-up to 2021's 'Pushpa: The Rise' and saw star, Allu Arjun and director Sukumar both return. It was the top grossing film in India last year and part 3 'The Rampage' has already been announced. It looks like it's on Netflix if you have a spare 3-and-a-half hours and fancy giving it a go.
February 24Feb 24 Author 74. The Critic - £1.7 million Ambition seduces. Power corrupts. Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal. Director: Anand Tucker Cast: Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong Release Date: 13th September 2024 Distributor: Lionsgate Certification: 15 Genre: Thriller Rotten Tomatoes: 52% IMDb: 6.0 Top 15 Chart Run: 7-9 (2 weeks) Opening Weekend: £353,075 (#7) One genre of film that Britain is really known for is the thriller made for the elder market and the latest example is 'The Critic'. Having read the plot, it sounds suitably preposterous and exactly the sort of campy fun you'd expect from this type of film. It recovered from a slight opening weekend with strong midweek showings but I still think £1.7 million is a lot lower than where you'd expect this film to be.
February 24Feb 24 Author 73. Fly Me To The Moon - £1.7 million Will they make history… or fake it? Sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones, brought in to fix NASA’s public image, wreaks havoc on Apollo 11 launch director Cole Davis’ already difficult task of putting a man on the moon. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as backup, and the countdown truly begins. Director: Greg Berlatini Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson Release Date: 12th July 2024 Distributor: Sony Certification: 12A Genre: Rom-Com Rotten Tomatoes: 65% IMDb: 6.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 4-6-10-15 (4 weeks) Opening Weekend: £862,358 (#4) There's a time where you could just sell a film on the fact that you put two big stars together and hope that the chemistry alone would be enough to make proper bank. I'm sure that 10 years ago, this would have been huge but it feels like you need more to attract people to the cinemas nowadays. Apple reportedly put $100 million into this film and originally planned to make it an Apple TV+ exclusive. However, some good feedback in test screenings convinced them to go theatrical and Sony ended getting the distribution rights. I'm not sure where the buzz went because this seemed to come-and-go without any sort of impact. Despite being a rom-com, it has a weird Moon-conspiracy aspect to the plot which makes me interested to see it.
February 24Feb 24 Author 72. Abigail - £1.7 million Children can be such monsters. A group of criminals kidnap a teenage ballet dancer, the daughter of a notorious gang leader, in order to obtain a ransom of $50 million, but over time, they discover that she is not just an ordinary girl. After the kidnappers begin to diminish, one by one, they discover, to their increasing horror, that they are locked inside with no normal little girl. Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton Release Date: 19th April 2024 Distributor: Universal Certification: 18 Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes: 83% IMDb: 6.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-6-12 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £596,590 (#5) The directing duo who go by the collective name 'Radio Silence' have really successfully carved out their own niche of OTT, high-concept horrors that balance the scares and comedy in equal measure ('Ready Or Not', the two most recent 'Screams') and that proved to be the case again with 'Abigail'. They poached Melissa Barrera for her first role since her controversial firing from the Scream franchise and paired her with another modern scream-queen in Kathryn Newton. This seemed to have the same problem as this year's 'Companion'; how do you get audiences to see the film without spoiling the big twist that makes the film unique? It turns out, they couldn't with a disappointing box-office return and an advertising campaign that focused fully on the twist.
February 24Feb 24 Author 71. Immaculate - £1.7 million Not every intervention is divine. An American nun embarks on a new journey when she joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. However, her warm welcome quickly turns into a living nightmare when she discovers her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. Director: Michael Mohan Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco Release Date: 22nd March 2024 Distributor: Black Bear Certification: 18 Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes: 71% IMDb: 5.8 Top 15 Chart Run: 3-7-12 (3 weeks) Opening Weekend: £522,583 (#3) The other pregnant-Nun based horror to hit the screens in 2024, what helped 'Immaculate' win the battle was definitely the star, Sydney Sweeney. Coming off-the-back of 'Anyone But You', which made over £11.6 million and ended up as the 23rd hit of 2023 after only opening in 5th position, Sweeney was on top of the world and was always likely to see a boost for her next film. She put a lot into this film, both with her very-committed performance but also in production where she bought the rights to the script after it went into production hell after first auditing for the role in 2014.
February 27Feb 27 Author 70. Peppa's Cinema Party - £1.7 million In celebration of British children’s series Peppa Pig‘s 20th anniversary, the event offers ten exclusive never-before-seen season 10 episodes, including a three-part Wedding Party Special. A party bus bonus episode will also be included together with new interactive entertainment featuring Peppa and her friends breaking into the real world through a mixture of animation and live-action with five brand-new songs to sing along to. Director: Andrea Tran & Gretchen MallorieCast: Amelie Bea Smith, Katy Perry, Orlando BloomRelease Date: 9th February 2024Distributor: TrafalgarCertification: UGenre: ChildrenRotten Tomatoes: n/aIMDb: 5.0 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-8-15 (3 weeks)Opening Weekend: £490,693 (#5) Peppa Pig celebrated her 20th anniversary with this big-screen release that included 10 new episodes, a 3-part wedding special, live action scenes where she enters the real world, singalongs and Katy Perry. This is the fourth time, Peppa has released in cinemas with the previous most recent being Peppa: Pig: Festival Of Fun in 2019. That one grossed about £2.9 million so a hefty drop for this one.
February 27Feb 27 It was revealed today that Peppa Pig's mum is pregnant with a third child (yes this lore hit my news feed) so good timing for that post.(this has been a great read so far!)
February 27Feb 27 Author 69. The Strangers: Chapter 1 - £1.8 millionThey don't need a reason After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motives. Director: Renny HarlinCast: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel BassoRelease Date: 17th May 2024Distributor: LionsgateCertification: 15Genre: HorrorRotten Tomatoes: 21%IMDb: 4.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 4-6-9-10 (4 weeks)Opening Weekend: £452,507 (#4) Probably best known for directing 'Die Hard 2' and 'Deep Blue Sea', Renny Harlin made his return to the director's chair filming a whole new trilogy of 'The Stranger' films back-o-back, starting with this (pointless) remake of 2008 home-invasion classic. The original is still a beloved film and I don't think anyone was clamouring for it to be remade 15 years later. This was shown by the poor box office returns and 'Chapter 2', which was supposed to be released in late 2024 has been delayed indefinitely. The ex-Riverdale cast are still waiting for a breakthrough, I imagine 'Hustlers' is still the biggest release for any of the main cast.
February 27Feb 27 Author 14 minutes ago, Jade said:It was revealed today that Peppa Pig's mum is pregnant with a third child (yes this lore hit my news feed) so good timing for that post. Peppa's new sibling sounds like another cinema release waiting to happen!
February 27Feb 27 Author 68. Vanya: NT Live 2024 - £2 million Andrew Scott brings multiple characters to life in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, filmed live in West End, London. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotions. Director: Sam YatesCast: Andrew ScottRelease Date: 22nd February 2024Distributor: National TheatreCertification: 15Genre: TheatreRotten Tomatoes: n/aIMDb: 8.6 Top 15 Chart Run: 6 (1 week)Opening Weekend: £327,444 (#6) Andrew Scott had a great year in 2024 with 'All Of Us Strangers' being a big hit and is still to come in this list while the recording his one-man play 'Vanya' comfortably makes the top 75. An adaptation of Anton Chekov's 1897 play 'Uncle Vanya', it has a competing Broadway adaptation running at the same time with Steve Carrell in the main role. This one is heading to New York itself next month and should be worth checking out with Scott earning himself an Olivier award nomination. In fact, all three of the theatre releases so far earned 'Best Actor' nods with Gatiss winning for 'The Motive and the Cue'.
February 27Feb 27 Author 67. Imaginary - £2 million Meet Chauncey. He’s not imaginary. And he’s not your friend. When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behaviour becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be. Director: Jeff WadlowCast: DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen BurnsRelease Date: 8th March 2024Distributor: LionsgateCertification: 15Genre: HorrorRotten Tomatoes: 24%IMDb: 4.7 Top 15 Chart Run: 5-5-9 (3 weeks)Opening Weekend: £652,808 (#5) The first half of 2024 was filled by dud horror releases with the only premise weaker than Night Swim's haunted swimming pool was probably Imaginary's killer imaginary friend who, for some reason, they decided on being a (very unscary) teddy bear. Universal has a first-option deal with Blumhouse but decided to pass on this one and I can see why.
Create an account or sign in to comment