7 BAFTAs Later, 1917 Still No.1 In the UK – Box Office Report 2nd Feb 2020
It’s safe to claim that Sam Mendes’ World War I epic 1917 is going to have a successful week in the awards calendar after taking home 7 of the 9 awards it was nominated for at this year’s BAFTAs, and the chance of a further 10 awards at this Sunday’s highly anticipated Oscars. Taking a strong £2.7 million in the UK box office this weekend alone, this week has also proven to be successful in terms of box office gross, the film not only topping this weekend’s chart, but also earning itself the top spot on the highest grossing films of 2020 so far.
This weekend, 31st Jan-2nd Feb, saw three new entries enter the top ten list, the first being Robert Eggers’ long awaited follow up project to the highly acclaimed 2015 horror film The VVitch: The Lighthouse. Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Defoe, The Lighthouse is a folklore thriller set on a remote island off the coast of New England, where two lighthouse keepers try to tell the difference between reality and a severe case of cabin fever.
Earning itself an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, The Lighthouse is a weird, yet wonderful piece of cinema that earned the distinction of a full 24/24 rating here on The Film Magazine.
Tom Hanks stars in the next new release as lovable TV presenter and American national treasure, Mr Rogers. Told through the eyes of investigative journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is a warm and comforting film about a true American icon. Despite having little relevance to audiences in the UK, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood bagged itself a strong opening weekend of £493,770 in the UK against its relatively strong (for an awards season, relatively low budget offering) domestic opening of $13.2 million in the US. Perhaps the film’s inclusion in the Supporting Actor category at many of the recent awards shows, and the pull of said actor – Tom Hanks – at the box office, was enough to warrant its heightened exposure?
The final new release this weekend to break the top 10 was the powerful drama starring Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen & Slim. Although only receiving a small release in select cinemas, it drew in big enough crowds to award it 7th place in the UK top ten this weekend.
Following the story of a young couple who find themselves in an unimaginable situation after a first date, this Bonnie and Clyde inspired film is entertaining and intense enough to wow audiences up and down the country.
It opened this weekend with £507,302, while it earned a surprisingly strong $11.8million in North America.
Written and produced by ‘Dear White People’ star, Lena Waithe, Queen and Slim is a compelling and important film highlighting the powers of authority in the United States.
Weekend UK box office chart 31st Jan – 2nd February 2020:
| Film title | Weeks of release | Weekend total | Total UK box-office to date |
| 1. 1917 (Entertainment One UK) | 4 | £2,798,457 | £31,404,434 |
| 2. Bad Boys For Life (Sony) | 3 | £1,844,179 | £11,287,270 |
| 3. The Personal History of David Copperfield (Lionsgate) | 2 | £1,037,119 | £3,758,595 |
| 4. Little Women (Sony) | 6 | £659,344 | £19,931,774 |
| 5. The Gentlemen (Entertainment Film) | 5 | £597,494 | £10,364,506 |
| 6. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) | 8 | £597,326 | £34,326,248 |
| 7. Queen & Slim (Entertainment One) | 1 | £507,302 | £507,302 |
| 8. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (Sony) | 1 | £493,770 | £493,770 |
| 9. Event Cinema: Porgy & Bess – MET Opera 2020 | 1 | £409,359 | £409,359 |
| 10. The Lighthouse (Universal) | 1 | £384,284 | £384,284 |
The highest grossing films of 2020 thus far:
| Film title | Release date | Total |
| 1. 1917 | 10th January 2020 | £31.4 million |
| 2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 19th December 2019 | £18.1 million |
| 3. Little Women | 26th December 2019 | £15 million |
| 4. Jumanji: The Next Level | 11th December 2019 | £12.3 million |
| 5. The Gentlemen | 1st January 2020 | £9.3 million |
The 92nd Academy Awards are just around the corner (Sunday, February 9th) and there are plenty of incredible films to see at the cinema this weekend.
Parasite
The 6-time Oscar nominee, and a favourite for the Best Picture, Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated Parasite gets its full release in the UK this weekend following preview screenings earlier this week.
This class-conscious thriller, set in Bong’s home country of South Korea is a must-see ahead of the Oscars, and one that received an impressive 22/24 rating here on The Film Magazine.
Birds of Prey
Following a painful breakup with the Joker, Harley Quinn and her crew of violent superheroes join forces to defeat an evil crime lord and save a young girl from a terrible fate.
Directed by Cathy Yan and starring Margot Robbie and Ewan McGreggor, Birds of Prey (or to use it’s full name, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) has been receiving great reviews from critics ahead of it’s global release this week.
Dolittle
Robert Downey Jr begins a new journey as the iconic big screen doctor who can speak to animals in this child-friendly adaptation of Hugh Lofting’s childrens series of novels. Unfortunately for fans of the actor and the series, the film has received less than favourable reviews and earned just $55.5million in North America, $127million worldwide, making it a box office failure for Universal Pictures who sunk $175million into making the film. Watch the full trailer here.
Underwater
Kristen Stewart stars alongside French star Vincent Cassel in this underwater thriller from The Signal (2014) director William Eubank, though The Film Magazine’s Jacob Davis has warned: “Don’t bother watching it because there’s a film catalogue deeper than the Mariana Trench you can watch instead.” Read the full review of Underwater here. Watch the full trailer here.
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