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Dwayne Johnson cracks the disaster movie as San Andreas hits the UK Dwayne Johnson cracks the disaster movie as San Andreas hits the UK
(35 minutes later)
The winner: San AndreasThe winner: San Andreas
When Hercules debuted last year with a mild £1.45m, it was easy to question the box-office prowess of its star, Dwayne Johnson. Had the Rock got it what it takes to open a movie in the UK to blockbuster numbers? Now, with San Andreas, the answer appears to be yes: it debuted with a muscular £3.89m, plus £740,000 in previews. That’s the best start for a Johnson movie outside the Fast & Furious franchise, unless you count The Mummy Returns, where the actor had scant screen time.When Hercules debuted last year with a mild £1.45m, it was easy to question the box-office prowess of its star, Dwayne Johnson. Had the Rock got it what it takes to open a movie in the UK to blockbuster numbers? Now, with San Andreas, the answer appears to be yes: it debuted with a muscular £3.89m, plus £740,000 in previews. That’s the best start for a Johnson movie outside the Fast & Furious franchise, unless you count The Mummy Returns, where the actor had scant screen time.
The good news for Johnson is that the success is not reliant on the actor boarding an existing franchise – unlike notable past hits such as Mummy spinoff The Scorpion King, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, GI Joe: Retaliation and the Fast & Furious titles. On the other hand, the $110m-budget San Andreas is hardly reliant on Johnson for its primary appeal: the epic disaster sequences include an earthquake that lays waste to Los Angeles and San Francisco.The good news for Johnson is that the success is not reliant on the actor boarding an existing franchise – unlike notable past hits such as Mummy spinoff The Scorpion King, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, GI Joe: Retaliation and the Fast & Furious titles. On the other hand, the $110m-budget San Andreas is hardly reliant on Johnson for its primary appeal: the epic disaster sequences include an earthquake that lays waste to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The success of San Andreas seems to confirm that the combination of Johnson with appropriate material – providing blockbuster spectacle commensurate with his own outsize frame – is a commercial winner with audiences. Expect more of the same.The success of San Andreas seems to confirm that the combination of Johnson with appropriate material – providing blockbuster spectacle commensurate with his own outsize frame – is a commercial winner with audiences. Expect more of the same.
The runner-up: Pitch Perfect 2The runner-up: Pitch Perfect 2
Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road were neck-and-neck the previous weekend, with the two films grossing near identical amounts, and almost tied for cumulative box-office. But the half-term school holiday was kind to the Barden Bellas, as they pull convincingly ahead of the post-apocalyptic road warriors.Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road were neck-and-neck the previous weekend, with the two films grossing near identical amounts, and almost tied for cumulative box-office. But the half-term school holiday was kind to the Barden Bellas, as they pull convincingly ahead of the post-apocalyptic road warriors.
Related: San Andreas rocks US, but Cameron Crowe does not have audiences at AlohaRelated: San Andreas rocks US, but Cameron Crowe does not have audiences at Aloha
Pitch Perfect 2 posted a robust £1.87m for the weekend session (compared with £1.75m for Fury Road), but more impressive is its performance across the week. The past seven days saw its cumulative total rise by a spiffy £4.76m, bringing the 17-day tally to £14.53m. That’s more than double the gross of the original Pitch Perfect (£6.49m). With the rest of the top five (San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tomorrowland: A World Beyond and Avengers: Age of Ultron) all driven by big-budget action, Pitch Perfect 2 is offering the date-movie market a clear alternative.Pitch Perfect 2 posted a robust £1.87m for the weekend session (compared with £1.75m for Fury Road), but more impressive is its performance across the week. The past seven days saw its cumulative total rise by a spiffy £4.76m, bringing the 17-day tally to £14.53m. That’s more than double the gross of the original Pitch Perfect (£6.49m). With the rest of the top five (San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tomorrowland: A World Beyond and Avengers: Age of Ultron) all driven by big-budget action, Pitch Perfect 2 is offering the date-movie market a clear alternative.
The plucky contender: Man UpThe plucky contender: Man Up
Is there a viable audience for a British romcom? Given uncertain international appeal, films need to stay within modest budget limits and perform strongly on home turf, making the genre a challenge for UK producers, financiers and distributors. In 2013, I Give It a Year, starring Rafe Spall and Anna Faris, posted a decent £6.22m. A year later, Cuban Fury, with Nick Frost and Rashida Jones, crossed the finish line with a less impressive £2.46m. Now it’s the turn of Man Up, starring Lake Bell and Simon Pegg. The film has opened with £529,000 from 357 cinemas, yielding a site average of £1,481. That compares with Cuban Fury’s debut of £966,000 from 361 cinemas, and I Give It a Year’s £1.45m from 396 venues.Is there a viable audience for a British romcom? Given uncertain international appeal, films need to stay within modest budget limits and perform strongly on home turf, making the genre a challenge for UK producers, financiers and distributors. In 2013, I Give It a Year, starring Rafe Spall and Anna Faris, posted a decent £6.22m. A year later, Cuban Fury, with Nick Frost and Rashida Jones, crossed the finish line with a less impressive £2.46m. Now it’s the turn of Man Up, starring Lake Bell and Simon Pegg. The film has opened with £529,000 from 357 cinemas, yielding a site average of £1,481. That compares with Cuban Fury’s debut of £966,000 from 361 cinemas, and I Give It a Year’s £1.45m from 396 venues.
In the past, Pegg enjoyed major box-office success in romantic comedic roles, powering Run Fatboy Run to £11.02m and romzomcom Shaun of the Dead to £6.69m. While his international star power has increased with the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises, Pegg’s enduring appeal as a romantic leading man isn’t so certain.In the past, Pegg enjoyed major box-office success in romantic comedic roles, powering Run Fatboy Run to £11.02m and romzomcom Shaun of the Dead to £6.69m. While his international star power has increased with the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises, Pegg’s enduring appeal as a romantic leading man isn’t so certain.
The late surge: HomeThe late surge: Home
Spending its 11th week in the top 10, DreamWorks Animation’s Home is the star performer of the week, rising 121% from the previous session. That takes its cumulative total past £24m, which compares with £20.4m for Disney’s Big Hero 6. With the half-term holiday ending on Sunday, Cinderella, Two by Two and The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge Out of Water likewise posted impressive rises. Big Hero 6 and Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep the Movie also made the top 20, in what is surely a last hurrah for these titles, now that they have hit DVD shelves. All these family films are benefiting from the fact that Disney’s Tomorrowland: A World Beyond was graded 12A by Britain’s censor, and also by the rather modest commercial appeal of more recently released animation Moomins on the Riviera.Spending its 11th week in the top 10, DreamWorks Animation’s Home is the star performer of the week, rising 121% from the previous session. That takes its cumulative total past £24m, which compares with £20.4m for Disney’s Big Hero 6. With the half-term holiday ending on Sunday, Cinderella, Two by Two and The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge Out of Water likewise posted impressive rises. Big Hero 6 and Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep the Movie also made the top 20, in what is surely a last hurrah for these titles, now that they have hit DVD shelves. All these family films are benefiting from the fact that Disney’s Tomorrowland: A World Beyond was graded 12A by Britain’s censor, and also by the rather modest commercial appeal of more recently released animation Moomins on the Riviera.
The arthouse marketThe arthouse market
Posting the biggest debut for a non-Bollywood foreign language film since Force Majeure in early May, The Connection scores £84,000 from 54 cinemas including £1,800 in previews. Covering some of the same terrain explored by William Friedkin’s The French Connection, except from the perspective of a Marseilles police magistrate (Jean Dujardin), the film was positioned for fans of arthouse thrillers.Posting the biggest debut for a non-Bollywood foreign language film since Force Majeure in early May, The Connection scores £84,000 from 54 cinemas including £1,800 in previews. Covering some of the same terrain explored by William Friedkin’s The French Connection, except from the perspective of a Marseilles police magistrate (Jean Dujardin), the film was positioned for fans of arthouse thrillers.
Earning a higher screen average thanks to a tighter rollout in 32 venues, Timbuktu picked up £66,000, plus £8,700 in previews, a record opening for Mauritania-born, Mali-raised director Abderrahmane Sissako. That number puts it ahead of the debuts of the recent run of foreign-language arthouse films, including The New Girlfriend, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Girlhood, Phoenix, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence and the part-English language Clouds of Sils Maria.Earning a higher screen average thanks to a tighter rollout in 32 venues, Timbuktu picked up £66,000, plus £8,700 in previews, a record opening for Mauritania-born, Mali-raised director Abderrahmane Sissako. That number puts it ahead of the debuts of the recent run of foreign-language arthouse films, including The New Girlfriend, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Girlhood, Phoenix, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence and the part-English language Clouds of Sils Maria.
The flop: Search PartyThe flop: Search Party
Halfway down the list of other releases, see below, is road-trip comedy Search Party. With a dismal £17,900 from 102 cinemas, and a site average of £175, the film evidently was not a priority release for local distributor Universal, which will presumably recoup its investment through pay-TV deals and the like. Search Party began its international rollout in the Netherlands last October, but has yet to arrive in US cinemas.Halfway down the list of other releases, see below, is road-trip comedy Search Party. With a dismal £17,900 from 102 cinemas, and a site average of £175, the film evidently was not a priority release for local distributor Universal, which will presumably recoup its investment through pay-TV deals and the like. Search Party began its international rollout in the Netherlands last October, but has yet to arrive in US cinemas.
The futureThe future
Despite the robust number for San Andreas, overall takings are 20% down on the equivalent frame from 2014, which was led by Maleficent and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Cinema owners are counting the days until the arrival of Jurassic World (on June 12), but this coming weekend we have Melissa McCarthy comedy Spy from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig. Insidious: Chapter 3 should prove an effective franchise extension. Also in the mix: James McTeigue thriller Survivor. Arthouse audiences can choose between Jason Schwartzman in US indie Listen Up Philip, Brit flick Second Coming and Chinese crime drama Black Coal, Thin Ice, among other titles.Despite the robust number for San Andreas, overall takings are 20% down on the equivalent frame from 2014, which was led by Maleficent and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Cinema owners are counting the days until the arrival of Jurassic World (on June 12), but this coming weekend we have Melissa McCarthy comedy Spy from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig. Insidious: Chapter 3 should prove an effective franchise extension. Also in the mix: James McTeigue thriller Survivor. Arthouse audiences can choose between Jason Schwartzman in US indie Listen Up Philip, Brit flick Second Coming and Chinese crime drama Black Coal, Thin Ice, among other titles.
Top 10 films May 29-31Top 10 films May 29-31
1. San Andreas, £4,628,394 from 505 sites (new)1. San Andreas, £4,628,394 from 505 sites (new)
2. Pitch Perfect 2, £1,873,567 from 541 sites. Total: £14,526,7742. Pitch Perfect 2, £1,873,567 from 541 sites. Total: £14,526,774
3. Mad Max: Fury Road, £1,745,941 from 536 sites. Total: £13,722,9413. Mad Max: Fury Road, £1,745,941 from 536 sites. Total: £13,722,941
4. Tomorrowland: The World Beyond, £1,041,255 from 541 sites. Total: £4,103,4034. Tomorrowland: The World Beyond, £1,041,255 from 541 sites. Total: £4,103,403
5. The Avengers: Age of Ultron, £883,790 from 436 sites. Total: £47,144,213 5. Avengers: Age of Ultron, £883,790 from 436 sites. Total: £47,144,213
6. Poltergeist, £734,943 from 439 sites. Total: £3,361,7366. Poltergeist, £734,943 from 439 sites. Total: £3,361,736
7. Man Up, £528,748 from 357 sites (new)7. Man Up, £528,748 from 357 sites (new)
8. Home, £456,794 from 450 sites. Total: £24,062,5008. Home, £456,794 from 450 sites. Total: £24,062,500
9. Two by Two, £264,548 from 436 sites. Total: £2,062,1789. Two by Two, £264,548 from 436 sites. Total: £2,062,178
10. Danny Collins, £225,308 from 353 sites (new)10. Danny Collins, £225,308 from 353 sites (new)
Other openersOther openers
Masss, 29 sites, £85,951Masss, 29 sites, £85,951
The Connection, 54 sites, £83,586The Connection, 54 sites, £83,586
Timbuktu, 32 sites, £74,109Timbuktu, 32 sites, £74,109
Gadaar the Traitor, 14 sites, £42,688Gadaar the Traitor, 14 sites, £42,688
Search Party, 102 sites, £17,876Search Party, 102 sites, £17,876
Welcome 2 Karachi, 13 sites, £15,886Welcome 2 Karachi, 13 sites, £15,886
Chandrettan Evideya, 16 sites, £8,410Chandrettan Evideya, 16 sites, £8,410
The Goob, 20 sites, £6,682The Goob, 20 sites, £6,682
Results, two sites, £1,035Results, two sites, £1,035
The Dead Lands, one site, £195The Dead Lands, one site, £195
• Thanks to Rentrak• Thanks to Rentrak