FDA 2018 YEARBOOK - Launching Films
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Box-office data supplied by
#launchingfilms
Film Distributors’ Associa!on Yearbook 2018
FDA
YEARBOOK FDA
YEARBOOK
2018
2018
3 Kingly Court
launchingfilms.com
London W1B 5PW UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7437 4383
Email: info@fda.uk.net
launchingfilms.com
#launchingfilms
/launchingfilmsUK
Welcome Contents
Foreword by FDA President, Lord Pu!nam of Queensgate CBE 2 Worldwide round‐up 88
FDA 2017: A snapshot of our ac"vity during the year 10 Home/mobile entertainment 98
Impact analysis: The difference that film distribu"on 12 round‐up
makes to the UK’s economy and ci"zens
Almanac 118
10‐year market trends 18
FDA members 119
The year in UK film & cinema 20 Golden "ckets of 2018 120
What 24
Directory of screening rooms 121
including a report from the Event Cinema Associa!on 54
When 62 Networking in the film industry 122
Where 68 Diary dates 2018 and beyond 123
Who 72 Congratula"ons 124
How 76 Final farewells 125
Accessible film by the numbers 82
Acknowledgements 126
– report from YourLocalCinema.com
Clear and present danger 84 Index of tables 127
– report from FDA’s Film Content Protec!on Agency Contact FDA 128
1
Foreword
It is now twenty years since Google was founded.
Artificial Eye
In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were PhD students at
Stanford University in California. Various search engines had
sprung up earlier in the ’90s, including Excite, Yahoo! and Lycos.
by Lord Pu!nam of Queensgate CBE, But Page and Brin wanted a version that be!er analysed the
President of Film Distributors’ Associa!on rela"onships between websites. They developed an algorithm
that checked the number and quality of links coming back to
sites, which were ranked accordingly.
Today, seeking a high ranking in Google search results has
become a serious business. And of course, in the online
economy, appropriate consumer data is a valuable commodity
to be packaged and sold to adver"sers, entertainment
companies among them.
Ro!en Tomatoes, the (US) film review aggrega"on website,
also celebrates its twen"eth birthday in 2018.
Ten years ago, the online hospitality marketplace, Airbnb,
was created by former schoolmates who had moved to San
Francisco but could not afford the rent on their lo$ apartment.
These websites and apps are more than merely well‐ingrained
services in the global digital economy. While public confidence
in poli"cians and ins"tu"ons has generally eroded, it has
Capitalising on playability: Directed by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker, Park
actually moved elsewhere rather than disappearing altogether.
Chan-wook, The Handmaiden was inspired by Sarah Walters’s 2002 novel,
Online services such as Airbnb are trusted because they work Fingersmith, transplanted from Victorian Britain to Japanese-occupied Korea in the
on the basis of community control. Peer group oversight, 1930s. Although precious few foreign-language films have topped £1m UK box-office
even with no face‐to‐face contact, is a powerful form of social in recent years, The Handmaiden was given an ambi"ous release. Its UK poster
carefully reflected the sumptuous beauty, complexity and ero"cism of the film itself.
glue that can quickly heap sanc"ons upon transgressors.
At the Screen Awards in November 2017, the release scooped three prizes including
Community influence per se is not a new concept – par"cularly, poster design of the year. A partnership with Secret Cinema helped The Handmaiden
to reach younger audiences via a busy, six-night run at the Troxy in east London. Its
perhaps, to film distributors, who for many years have
overall gross of £1.35m made it the highest-grossing (non-Bollywood) foreign-
understood the value of posi"ve ‘word of mouth’. language release in the UK in almost five years (since Untouchable).
2 FDA/Tim Whitby 3
Disney
The risk‐laden distribu"on process begins with a effect. The latest in‐built apps both enable you In a heavily supplied, brutally competitive Taking the box‐office by Force: Eighth film in
the spectacular saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
thorough assessment of the film itself – what it is, to rent films and series and are themselves environment, a first‐rate mix of film releases
had its world premiere in Los Angeles on
what earlier releases it might be compared with, interac"ve. If you miss a bit of dialogue, just has successfully cut through the noise to reach Saturday 9 December 2017. Three days later
which audiences it will play well to, and what it ask your remote and the last fi$een seconds sizable audiences. 14 films generated more its huge Royal European charity premiere
might generate at the box‐office. These are always will replay with sub"tles. More broadly, personal was staged at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
than £25m at the UK/Irish box‐office in 2017, Cast members Mark Hamill (reprising
among the key considera"ons before detailed robots such as Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa compared with 11 in 2016 – although it’s Luke Skywalker), Daisy Ridley, John Boyega,
distribu"on and marke"ng plans are drawn up. can dim your lights and order you a meal worth re‐stating that those levels of return Adam Driver, Gwendoline Chris"e and
whilst playing your favourite media. Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) were among the
But today, ci"zens have at their disposal an remain a relatively rare achievement. stars on the red carpet. Wri#en and directed
abundance of content, as never before. Europe However, at its best, the purpose‐built, shared, by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi featured a final
Which makes it all the more pleasing that so many screen appearance as the heroic Princess Leia
alone has more than 300 children’s TV channels. out‐of‐home cinema experience is uniquely of the year’s highest grossers were Bri"sh‐made, by Carrie Fisher (1956–2016). The glowingly
On‐demand services have long since morphed immersive and peerless. It remains ‘the great Paddington 2, Dunkirk, Beauty and the Beast and
reviewed, Pinewood-made film was
into must‐visit, personalised des"na"ons, date’, and it is still the place where filmmakers unleashed on Thursday 14 December, forty
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (opposite) amongst them. years a$er the original Star Wars: A New
offering much more than just catch‐up. aspire to meet their audience and have their Hope (also shot in the UK) had landed in UK
work showcased. I don’t believe that any good Con"nued on page 8 cinemas. The Last Jedi enjoyed a colossal
According to Ofcom, in the UK, 88% of opening day, grossing £7.6m as part of a
film, especially when seen, heard and felt in a
eOne
households are connected to the internet and global haul exceeding $100m. The opening
cinema, ever leaves you entirely unmoved weekend’s total gross of $450m worldwide
94% have digital TV. On average, we watch TV
– you can come out feeling up or down; (excluding China, which had a later release)
for three‐and‐a‐half hours a day, although ranks as the fi$h biggest in cinema history.
never indifferent.
pa!erns con"nue to change. Most people, The UK’s 4-day opening frame (14–17
above all teenagers and young adults, stream That said, the scope of ‘theatrical’ presenta"on is December) of £28m was the biggest opening
of 2017 and the third biggest in UK cinema
content on‐demand, when and where they want. expanding – and more of the UK’s most history. Fully £7.6m of that UK opening frame
Binge‐watching, on tablets and smartphones as spectacular film premieres are moving to iconic came from IMAX presenta"ons (in 2D and
well as TV sets, has become commonplace – for venues such as the Royal Albert Hall. 3D). On Christmas Eve, the UK box-office
soared past £50m. The impressive start
the most part these are high‐quality augured well for a highly successful release,
To my mind, the public at large – three‐quarters
feature‐length storytelling experiences for the cap"va"ng big-screen audiences worldwide.
of whom remain ac"ve cinemagoers – has always By the start of February 2018, it had amassed
millennial genera"on and others. Fewer homes
tended to know the movies they want to see. $1.32 billion worldwide, including £82m in
now own a DVD player than a decade ago. the UK, where it stood as the fi$h highest-
Partly via carefully placed adver"sing and
grossing release of all time. The Last Jedi
And the quality of ‘home cinema’ just keeps editorial, and partly through trusted ‘word of crowned a stellar year for its distributor
on rising. Over Christmas, 4K televisions were mouth’ among friends and family. Today, whose 2017 slate achieved a global box-office
reportedly a hot "cket. With either flat or curved influen"al opinions can sca!er on social media gross of more than $6 billion. Back in the
summer, John Boyega had led the ensemble racially charged events of the Detroit riots of July 1967, which le$ three black men dead
screens, they can offer acous"c sound with some networks within hours of a film opening – or even cast of Kathryn Bigelow’s searing drama, and others brutally beaten. Just two weeks into its UK cinema release it had grossed £2m
speakers angled upwards for a ceiling‐bouncing sooner. For good or ill, there’s nowhere to hide! Detroit (opposite). It was based on the and finished its run with £2.6m for a place in the year’s top 100.
4 5
The Force will be with you always: The release of each new Star Wars epic is a keenly awaited global event, reaching from mass media via brand partnerships into cinema foyers.
Hearst UK Bauer Time, Inc.
6 7
Con"nued from page 4 One concern for the cinema sector in the UK and systems funded largely by film distributors). But Champion
‘‘
beyond is that, as a percentage of its audiences, to my mind, as home and mobile entertainment At FDA’s Christmas recep"on, held at the W Hotel
In today’s marketplace, ‘special event films’, in London’s Leicester Square on 6 December 2017, Lord Pu#nam said:
15–24 year‐olds have steadily declined during con"nues exponen"ally to improve, cinema
necessarily with marke"ng commitments to Lord Pu!nam addressed the importance of the
recent years. There are many reasons for this operators urgently need to reinvent 21st century For over 25 years, film distributors have sponsored the National Film
match, can perform extraordinarily well. The film industry se(ng a fine example of what a
worrying trend, and some evidence that it is part versions of the craft of showmanship, so that
wholly trusted working environment can look like. & Television School, a first-rate institution that’s now delivered to our
box‐office receipts for just the top 50 (out of 900)
of an overall cultural shi$. Among 12–15 year‐ the cinema experience is as valued and trusted “Our expecta"ons of ourselves, and the sense of industry three generations of world-class talent. Almost half (47%) of the
releases in 2016 exceeded the en"re UK/Ireland olds, for example, YouTube is now the most by future generations as we all wish it to be. opportunity we offer to everyone, must be, and current crop of students at Beaconsfield is female, and one in five are from
box‐office of a decade earlier. At the opposite recognised content brand of all. Ofcom reports be seen to be, of a very high order”, he observed. a BAME background. That’s unrecognisable from the institution I first joined
end of the scale, some specialised presenta"ons Fundamentally, the film industry depends – has
that it’s the brand that age group would turn to He then highlighted a few examples of how FDA, 40 years ago.
– Polish films; concerts; documentaries; always depended – on great films and the extent working closely with film distributors, has in recent
first for all types of content they feel is important
to which they connect with their audiences, years built “a thoroughly honourable track record”. Over the last four years, FDA’s successful paid intern scheme has yielded
award winners – can find themselves to them, and the one they would miss the most
wherever they consume it. Today, the film opportunities to enter our industry for dozens of talented individuals from
drawing impressive niche audiences too. if it were taken away.
industry lies at the heart of the UK’s creative around the UK, people who would never in the past have had the chance
But in between these polarised groupings Meanwhile, the new consumer products that industries, influencing design, fashion, to do so. Please believe me, I know how good they are, because I’ve been
lies a treacherous no‐man’s land – certainly seemed to generate the greatest excitement in advertising, music and more. Last autumn, lucky enough to meet them. This is a very impressive group of young people,
in theatrical terms. Most foreign language 2017 were connected and portable. Apple’s the Bazalgette Review set out some useful 80% of whom are female and 90% from BAME backgrounds.
drama, for example, now resides on BBC4, iPhone X, for example, is by any account a recommendations for the sector’s continued For more than a decade, FDA has sponsored the access website,
Sky and Ne'lix. beau"ful feat of engineering. Its screen is larger growth. It’s already a sector that punches well YourLocalCinema.com, enabling it to promote movies to audiences with
than its predecessor’s, although the phone above its weight, contributing £92 billion sensory impairments. (See page 82.)
In the coming years, it will be interes"ng to
itself is smaller. a year to the UK economy.
see what original works are commissioned In 2017, FDA has scheduled preview screenings for hundreds of ‘online
by the social media networks. They are moving And since its launch last spring, Nintendo Switch In 2018 and beyond, the country must con"nue influencers’, as well as the traditional critics, in London, Manchester and
increasingly into content crea"on as they refine
their ability to capture audiences through their
points of difference and distinction.
– the tablet‐like gaming console that allows single
or mul"ple users to play on the go, then con"nue
the same game on a console at home – is now in
the hands of millions.
to play to its strengths and we have no greater
strength than our crea"ve industries. As far as
film is concerned, it’s the ever‐adap"ng digital
distribu"on engine that drives consump"on,
‘‘
Glasgow. We’ve also run free exhibitions and events attended by incredibly
diverse crowds – and I do mean crowds – of film fans and their families.
In short, this is a sector that’s been getting out there and doing what
Google‐owned YouTube’s first original, it should be doing; and all these programmes
across a vast array of pla'orms. And the respect
European, adver"sing‐supported commission Cinema exhibitors, as they con"nue to have only been made possible by your support.
I have for the skills, experience, imagina"on #davidpu!nam
breaks in spring 2018, prior to the World Cup. consolidate, have invested considerable sums
and passion that drive the distribu"on davidpu!nam.com
Called Training Day, it’s an unscripted comedy in modern sea"ng and catering op"ons. Over launchingfilms.com
process con"nues to be boundless.
series hosted by Jack Whitehall, who visits the the last decade, they’ve enjoyed the flexibility
training grounds of interna"onal football teams. and efficiencies of digital projec"on (with new I wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year.
FDA
8 9
FDA 2017
Summary of FDA’s ac$vity across
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Aim: Best possible help ge$ng started, with sustainable routes into the sector
and more confident, upskilled progress up the career ladder to leadership
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Aim: In a crowded entertainment marketplace,
inspire greater buzz for the unique cinema line‐up
POLICY &
RESOURCES
and experience, and better equip consumers to Aim: A clear,
5 inter‐linked workstreams For UK film distributors, FDA offered 5 free training programmes (some with decide on their next cinema visit and book tickets positive voice for
Crea"ve Skillset support), delivering 93 professional development places. UK film distribution
We co‐ordinated a 9‐month paid trainee scheme with 12 entry‐level
In 2017 we focused on adding value for 2 key audiences – whenever
placements at film distributors in 2017, its third year. Many par"cipants from For families with children – free movie‐themed experiences and Instagrammable moments: appropriate
diverse backgrounds have a!ained full‐"me employment in the sector.
SAFEGUARD the
founda$on 2017 marked FDA’s 26th consecutive year of sponsorship of the
Interactive exhibitions of posters,
on‐set photos and displays,
Virtual reality funhouse, digital graffiti
wall, workshops in stage figh"ng, make‐up
We take generic logistics management
off distributors’ backs, and channel
COPYRIGHT of the film
industry
National Film & Television School on behalf of UK film distributors.
including our Lego model cinema and animation, costume characters, prizes coherent input from our sector into
key consultations.
Aim: Zero piracy sourced from UK cinema releases For online social influencers: Lord Puttnam helps FDA to play an
FDA’s Film Content Protection Agency
MEDIA SERVICES Generic content to upload, share, discuss,
including a weekly top 10 films chart
Film quiz nights
with their peers
‘Know the
film industry’
energising role in industry development
and to bring the sector together. Lord
(see page 84) is a UK central point of
Aim: Fully service all branches of UK media, including with and season trailers – which a!racted in August and dedicated
Puttnam’s keynote policy speeches for
preview screening schedules and generic content solu"ons, to FDA are freely available at any time on
contact for asset integrity. facilitate the widest possible editorial coverage of film releases over 2m views online (Facebook the top October, hosted panel events
launchingfilms.com and elsewhere.
performing site) and on Lorraine (ITV) by Alex Zane in August
This specialist unit: FDA is part of the
FDA is a trusted, authoritative source of comprehensive film information,
FDA/Ge!y
Delivers a prac"cal briefing and incen"ve programme contacts and data for UK media, screen bookers, researchers and policymakers. Brussels‐based
for cinema staff, backed up by night vision tech. International
In 2017, police made 12 arrests and issued 12 In 2017, FDA serviced: Federation of
further cautions for illegal in‐cinema activity. Critics’ Week of Release Official FDA media Film Distributors’
screenings for 358 films screenings for 241 films Associations
Has a professional capacity for investigation, intel Scottish Press Shows for FDA Showcase event (FIAD). In 2017
processing and research, and liaises with the law 88 films screenings for 24 films we also invested
enforcement community on ma!ers of copyright the$. in a range of research and insights
FDA’s growing website, launchingfilms.com, served 1.1m sessions, 93% in the UK
Commissions a bespoke scanning/takedown programmes to support our sector.
and Ireland. The forward planner (UK release schedule) was the #1 most visited
service to provide the broadest possible cover. section. 47% of usage came from portable devices. #launchingfilms launchingfilms.com
10 11
In recent years, FDA has commissioned Saffery Champness Mul$plier effect
and Nordicity to assess The Economic Impact of UK Through the purchase of goods and services from other sectors of the economy, e.g. adver"sing all
Theatrical Distribution. For the first time, their joint around the UK, the film distribu"on sector also had significant mul"plier effects, which may be added to
reports set out in one place an estimate of the the direct economic impact (below le$) in order to find the total economic impact of film distribu"on:
contribution made by film distributors to the UK
economy. Established economic methodology was Employment FTEs GVA Tax revenue
The difference that
adapted to measure the contribution in three ways:
Direct impact 4,400 £1,670 million £129 million
Direct impact – resulting from the direct
Mul"plier effects 14,500 £1,047 million £281 million
expenditure of UK‐based film distributors
Total economic impact 18,900 £2,717 million £410 million
film distribu$on
Indirect impact – resulting from the goods and
services purchased by distributors from other Saffery Champness/Nordicity calcula"ons based on data from IDBR, ABS, Companies House, Olsberg-SPI/Nordicity (2015) and other sources
industries in the UK The economic ac"vity generated by UK film distributors through both direct and mul"plier effects also yielded an es"mated £410 million in tax revenue
for the UK government in 2014, including income tax, Na"onal Insurance, VAT (on induced impact consump"on), corpora"on tax and council tax
makes to the UK’s
Induced impact – resulting from re‐spending of
income earned by employees of distributors and Yet even this is not the complete picture. Some additional points should be considered in order
their suppliers to appreciate the full contribution of theatrical film distribution:
The combination of the indirect and induced impacts A distributor is a risk‐taker. It will be the first (and some"mes A distributor is an innovator,
economy and ci$zens
the last) commercial contributor to a feature film’s produc"on driving change in how films
is presented here as the multiplier effect.
budget. A distributor’s skill is to iden"fy the commercial are marketed and seen.
poten"al of a feature film at an early stage, some"mes For example, distributors
Direct economic impact generated Direct
economic before a script has been completed and a cast assembled, have been the major financial
by UK film distribu"on companies impact and then to put their money where their judgement is. contributors to the digital
Impact analysis: Distribu!on is necessarily the branch of the film business Employment
Furthermore, the distributor is not only risking their money conversion of the UK’s cinema
4,400 to finance the produc"on of a film, they are also commi(ng exhibi"on estate. Audiences
with the greatest influence on the breadth and depth of audiences’ access – measured in full‐!me equivalents
to put even more funding into the marke"ng, promo"on and can now experience a broader
to films. How to quantify that influence in today’s marketplace? Gross Value Added
£1,670 million
other costs associated with the actual release of a film. For range of ‘event’ content,
– sector’s contribu!on to the UK economy larger releases, this could mean commi(ng many millions e.g. live theatre, opera,
of pounds – without a guarantee of a commercial return. concerts, Q&As (see page 54).
Exports
£262 million In many respects, therefore, film distribu"on acts as the lynchpin of the en"re film sector value
– revenue generated for the UK economy
chain: it links creators and the produc"on of films with ci"zens who have a vast choice of media
Saffery Champness/Nordicity calcula"ons based on data from IDBR,
ABS, Companies House, Olsberg-SPI/Nordicity (2015) and other sources and entertainment. Therefore, the full scope of the economic impact of UK film distribu"on
GVA plus taxes on products/services minus subsidies on should take account of its wider economic impacts via enabling both film produc"on and
products/services = Gross Domestic Product (GDP) consumer engagement with film content.
12 13
eOne Disney
Wider economic impacts of film distribution Prime time: Written by and starring Julian
Hearst UK
Barratt and Simon Farnaby, Mindhorn is
Much of the wider impact is associated with the content investments made by the “engaging and funny, a very British spin on the
production arms of distribution companies, both ‘US majors’ and ‘independents’. The TV cop” (The Independent). The plot dealt with a
total economic activity generated by film production yielded tax revenues of £616 million serial killer’s relationship with a fictitious TV
for the UK economy back in 2014, while in 2016/17 the UK content investments included detective whom he believes to be real. Shot on
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Beauty and the Beast and Paddington 2. the Isle of Man, Mindhorn’s cast and crew
reunited there for a premiere screening on 27
In terms of consumer engagement, film distributors spearhead and fund the positioning, April, while the hilarious film opened in UK
marketing and promotion of films across multiple release platforms. For example, the cinemas the following week.
distribution of film content into cinemas UK‐wide enables those operators to employ
thousands of UK citizens and stimulates additional economic activity. Similarly, the
UK’s crea$ve industries
release of films on VoD services and DVD/Blu‐ray discs is a source of further employment
and economic activity. Film distributors’ roles in the management of character licensing are a £92 billion sector
– growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole
meant that they enabled £753 million in film‐related merchandise sales in the UK (2013
estimate), in turn generating more employment, GVA and tax revenue. Data published by the government in November 2017
By combining the core impact of film distribution (through their direct and multiplier reveal that:
effects) with these wider economic impacts, a fuller picture emerges of the overall The UK’s crea"ve industries, which include film, TV,
impact of film distribution in the UK. When viewed as the lynchpin of the UK film sector, music, games, publishing and adver"sing, are worth
film distribution is responsible for generating: almost £92 billion a year (up from £85 billion the
previous year). Enchan$ng: This live-ac"on tale as old as "me about the Beauty and the Beast
143,000 employment FTEs The sector makes up more than 5% of the UK economy’s was based on the 1991 animated hit, also scored by Alan Menken. Directed at
Shepperton Studios by (New Yorker) Bill Condon, it felt a very Bri"sh film, starring
£7.7 billion in GVA Gross Value Added (GVA), i.e. the value of goods and Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the "tle roles, accompanied by Emma
services produced without associated costs. Thompson, Ewan McGregor, Luke Evans, Ha&e Morahan, Sir Ian McKellen and
£1 billion in services exports Over £1 billion of inward investment in the UK film
others. The spectacular musical romance was perfectly in tune with audience
desires for larger-than-life escapist fantasy. It opened worldwide on (or soon a$er)
£2.3 billion in tax revenue industry came in 2016 as a result of the 17 March and scored a global debut weekend of $350m in "cket sales – $170m
government’s dedicated tax relief. from US cinemas, the seventh biggest opening in US cinema history and the biggest
Saffery Champness/Nordicity calculations based on data from FDA, BFI, ONS, ABS, IDBR, ever for a PG-rated family film; plus $180m from the interna"onal markets. In the
Companies House, comScore, Oxford Economics (2012) and Olsberg-SPI/Nordicity (2015) The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport UK, its debut weekend of £19.7m was the fi$h biggest on record and the biggest
(DCMS) commented: “Britain’s creative industries ever three-day opening for a PG release. Despite some warm spring weather,
Beauty and the Beast held over impressively, building its cumula"ve UK box-office
Overall, by several measures, theatrical film distribution continues to make an important play an essential role shaping how we are seen to almost £40m a$er just ten days, £51m a$er 17, and coun"ng. The final UK gross
contribution to the UK’s economy and citizens. around the world but, as these new statistics show, of £72.4m makes it the top-grossing musical, and overall the 9th biggest release,
they are also a vital part of the economy.” in UK cinema history. As digital effects techniques continue to advance
saffery.com exponen"ally, other live-ac"on adapta"ons of popular animated films will follow.
14 15
StudioCanal
Looking a&er this bear: Backed by a huge
marke"ng and publicity campaign, Paddington
2 arrived in cinemas three years a$er Paul King’s
original (2014) hit. Partner brands included
VisitBritain which encouraged catering outlets
in the UK to celebrate the release with
“marmalade experiences”, and Marks &
Spencer which had a dedicated Paddington gi$
shop in its stores and online, backed by a fes"ve
TV commercial, Paddington and the Christmas
Visitor. On 16 October, the Duke and Duchess
of Cambridge and Prince Harry a#ended a
charity event at Paddington Sta"on, where they
met the stars of Paddington 2 and a train
full of children supported by their joint
Chari"es Forum. The film’s world premiere on
Sunday 5 November was streamed live on the
Telegraph website. With its great Bri"sh cast
augmented by Hugh Grant (as faded actor
Phoenix Buchanan) and Brendan Gleeson (as
convict Knuckles McGinty), the heart-warming
family-comedy sequel garnered rave reviews:
“Crucially director Paul King and his co-writer
Simon Farnaby once again show a perfect feel
for Paddington’s humour, strengths and effect
on the world”, wrote Helen O’Hara in Time Out;
and “[this] gorgeous sequel is a love le#er to
kindness and London” from Kevin Maher in
The Times. Opening widely in UK cinemas on
10 November, in its first 3-day weekend the new
film a#racted £8.2 million in "cket sales, around
60% more than the first Paddington and a new-
record high for its distributor. Fi&ngly it is
dedicated to “our friend, Michael Bond”, the
author who died aged 91 in June 2017. His last
Paddington adventure will be published in 2018,
fully 60 years a$er the first novel, A Bear Called
Paddington. Hugh Bonneville (who plays
Mr Brown) and other cast members par"cipated
in a memorial service for Michael Bond at St
Paul’s Cathedral on 14 November. Paddington 2
went on to gross more than £41m in UK cinemas
before a home entertainment release in March
2018, leaving this much-loved Bri"sh film
(as well as book) franchise in fine fe#le.
16 1710‐year market trends 2008 – 2017 The modern‐"mes peak in cinemagoing was reached in 2002 with 175.9 million admissions, a 40‐year high as yet unsurpassed.
As can be seen in the table spread below, over the last ten years (2017 vs. 2008):
UK cinema visits increased +3.9% UK + Ireland box‐office receipts increased +45.2% No. "tles released in UK cinemas increased +64.6%
10‐year trends 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 10‐year trends 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
Total gross box‐office £1,378,280,334 £1,329,473,131 £1,309,606,402 £1,133,893,009 £1,167,036,502 Total gross box‐office £1,179,046,380 £1,129,379,496 £1,080,833,635 £1,064,911,767 £949,458,033
UK + Ireland +6% vs. 2016 (53 weeks) +15% vs. 2014 ‐2.9% vs. 2013 ‐1% vs. 2012 UK + Ireland +3.7% vs. 2011 +4.5% vs. 2010 +1.5% vs. 2009 +12.1% vs. 2008 +4.9% vs. 2007
+1.5% vs. 2015
Total cinema admissions 170,616,775 168,259,894 171,930,400 157,499,641 165,539,976 Total cinema admissions 172,498,774 171,562,192 169,249,839 173,461,335 164,222,082
UK +1.4% vs. 2016 ‐2.1% vs. 2015 +9.2% vs. 2014 ‐4.9% vs. 2013 ‐4% vs. 2012 UK +0.5% vs. 2011 +1.4% vs. 2010 ‐2.4% vs. 2009 +5.6% vs. 2008 +1.1% vs. 2007
No. $tles released No. $tles released
874 900 853 838 801 646 577 573 503 531
including event cinema including event cinema
Top 20 films’ box‐office £710,449,756 £650,146,184 £707,142,065 £492,383,127 £532,592,844 Top 20 films’ box‐office £627,933,518 £533,852,382 £483,034,642 £490,348,326 £458,553,881
Top 20 films’ share of Top 20 films’ share of
51.5% 48.9% 53.9% 43.4% 45.6% 53.6% 47.2% 43.7% 46.1% 48.3%
total box‐office above total box‐office above
Top 3 films Star Wars: The Last Jedi Rogue One: Spectre The Lego Movie Despicable Me 2 Top 3 films Skyfall Harry Po#er and the Toy Story 3 Harry Po#er and the Mamma Mia!
Some !tles s!ll on Beauty and the Beast A Star Wars Story Star Wars: The Hobbit: The Ba#le Les Misérables Some !tles s!ll on The Dark Knight Rises Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Harry Po#er and the Half‐Blood Prince The Movie
release at end of year Fantas!c Beasts and The Force Awakens of the Five Armies release at end of year The King’s Speech Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Ice Age 3 Quantum of Solace
Dunkirk The Hobbit: The Marvel Avengers
Where to Find Them Jurassic World The Inbetweeners 2 Desola!on of Smaug Assemble The Inbetweeners Movie Alice in Wonderland Up! The Dark Knight
Bridget Jones’s Baby
comScore comScore
18 19Release markets for UK film distributors as rights‐holders UK/Ireland 2017 at a glance
New record cinema box‐office receipts for third year in succession:
Cinema admissions
(number of visits)
2017 2016 £1.378 billion (including £275m in VAT). As a social experience,
Theyear
cinemagoing withstands economic fluctuations.
UK 170,616,775 168,259,894
The marketplace remains resilient, robust, intensely competitive,
Republic of Ireland 16,117,688 15,782,328 as ever. Cinema consumption was powered by 874 wide‐ranging new
inUK
releases (including 110 ‘event cinema’ "tles), an average of 16–17 per week.
Malta 730,457 651,674
filmand
Distributors again invested more than £350m to release and promote
Total admissions 187,464,920 184,693,896 their titles in the product‐driven market. The line‐up included highly
regarded, popular films across practically every genre – musical, horror,
cinema
thriller, adventure, sci‐fi, comedy. The market is polarised into ‘big event’
Gross box‐office
and ‘special experience’ films with precious little middle‐ground in between.
receipts 2017 2016
(value of "cket (52 weeks) (53 weeks) 170.6m cinema visits (admissions) were made in the UK (1.4% more
sales in sterling) than in 2016). Average sum spent on cinema tickets each week: £26.5m.
UK £1,278,061,020 £1,246,593,601 Average annual cinema admissions over the last 10 years: 168.5m.
Reflec!ons on the choices, behaviours 10 of 2017’s releases grossed more than £30m at the box‐office.
Republic of Ireland £99,827,538 £91,177,680
and trends of UK cinema audiences Two of these grossed more than £70m.
in 2017 by FDA Chief Execu!ve, Malta £4,156,820 £4,075,771
The top 8 film releases of 2017 are placed in the UK’s all‐time top 100 hits
Mark Batey, on pages 21 – 83. Total box‐office £1,382,045,378 £1,341,847,052 (as at 5 January 2018).
What did audiences see, talk about The box‐office for the top 40 films in 2017 (out of 874 releases) was
greater than the entire year’s box‐office (for all 531 releases) back in 2008.
and share, and how did distributors
Finding herself: Emily Beecham The top 50 releases in 2017 generated more than three‐quarters
mo!vate consump!on? won the Best Actress prize at
2017’s Edinburgh Film Fes"val (76.6%) of the entire year’s box‐office.
for her portrait of a 31-year-old
With 1% of the world’s population, the UK accounted for 5% of world
Londoner finding herself at a
crossroads in her life. Daphne cinema box‐office receipts and 20% of box‐office receipts in Europe.
was the feature film directorial
debut of Sco&sh filmmaker, €12.4m was awarded through Creative Europe’s MEDIA sub‐programme to
Peter Mackie Burns. support UK companies and the wider distribution of UK films within Europe.
Altitude
20 21Lionsgate
Playing a part: Gemma Market dynamics Box‐office range of theatrical 2017 weather watch source: Met Office
Arterton stars as Catrin
Cole, recruited by the releases 2017/2016 January/February: Mild, relatively dry winter with June/July/August: The 9th we!est summer in the last 100 December: Some disruptive
Audiences crave premium
Minister of Information mean temperature above average, rainfall below years. June was a warm month, July and August less so. snowfall early in the month
during the London Blitz
experiences for personal fulfilment Total gross box‐office No.
and to share with others. releases average (compared with the previous 30 years). September/October/November: Unsettled autumn, and between Christmas and
to write scripts for achieved during UK
propaganda films that the Cinemagoing is product‐driven, theatrical run 2017 2016 March/April/May: Warm, rather dry spring with mean wetter than average. October and November were New Year, but a very mild
public might actually enjoy. depending largely on the films temperature above average, rainfall below average. relatively dry and mild. run‐up to Christmas itself.
Sam Claflin is cast as her £1 ‐ £1,000 45 63
colleague in the writers’ available and the extent to which
room as they prepare a they connect with audiences. £1,001 ‐ £10,000 218 234 The spy who lived twice:
major new produc"on,
Ma#hew Vaughn’s second
while Bill Nighy portrays a Box‐office revenues self‐evidently
leading actor in the twilight £10,001 ‐ £50,000 205 229 Kingsman film, The Golden Circle,
flow in as distributors’ campaigns came three years a$er The Secret
of his career. The director of
Their Finest, Lone Sherfig, roll out and films open on screens: Service, which introduced Eggsy
£50,001 ‐ £100,000 82 76
who also made An Educa!on in 2017, the average weekly (Taron Egerton) to the secret
and One Day, imbues the spend on cinema tickets in the organisation headquartered
film with a love of the
£100,001 ‐ £500,000 156 140
UK/Ireland was £26.5m but ranged behind a London tailor’s shop.
cinema itself. Empire Now, with their HQ blown up,
magazine summed it up: widely, according to the available £500,001 ‐ £1,000,000 53 36 the Bri"sh agents join forces with
“Anchored by a superb film choice, between a low of their Statesman counterparts in
Gemma Arterton, Their £10.4m and a high of almost £1,000,001 ‐ £4,000,000 59 65 the US to take down the
Finest is a funny, winning,
beau"fully acted ode to five "mes as much, £50.5m. perpetrators, the Golden Circle of
working women and £4,000,001 ‐ £7,000,000 18 26 drugs cartels led by Poppy
cinema.” Launched in the Cinema audiences engage with (Julianne Moore).Colin Firth and
UK in April, its box-office characters and stories (generally £7,000,001 ‐ £10,000,000 12 17 Mark Strong also return, while
receipts topped £4m. A more so, today, than ‘stars’), the cast includes Channing
varied slate of films £10,000,001 ‐ £20,000,000 15 12 Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Halle
reflected on World War II so proper!es, especially those
Berry. Shot extensively in the
during 2017, including with the poten"al to develop UK and heavily promoted,
Alone in Berlin, Another £20,000,001 ‐ £30,000,000 11 6
as franchises, are all‐important. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother’s Son, Churchill
£30,000,001 ‐ £40,000,000 5 6 amassed an opening weekend
starring Brian Cox, Darkest In 2017, nearly a third (30.1%)
Hour with the award- frame of £8.5m in September
winning Gary Oldman (see
of all releases grossed less than and crossed the £20m box-office
£10,000 (including VAT) during £40,000,001 ‐ £50,000,000 2 3
page 26) and Christopher threshold in its third week of
Nolan’s in"mate epic, their theatrical run. Out of the 874 release. A release partnership
Dunkirk (see page 109). In £50,000,001 ‐ £60,000,000 1 2 with VisitBritain helped to
"tles brought to market, 706 (81%)
2018, on the centenary of showcase the UK to the world:
the World War I Armis"ce, grossed less than £500,000. £60,000,001+ 2 0 in 2017, overseas visits to the
Sam Claflin returns to UK rose to an es"mated 39.7m,
cinemas in Saul Dibb’s film 36 releases (just 4%) grossed
Total 884 915 genera"ng spending of £25.7bn.
of Journey’s End. more than £10m (see table right).
comScore 20th Century Fox
22 23eOne
The timeless vitality of great material was abundantly clear
as cinemagoers tended to opt for stories with which they
(already) felt some affiliation and/or stories magnified by
the cinema’s uniquely immersive, collective experience.
Spectacle unsurpassed:
More than a third (35.6%) of the year’s total box‐office
was taken by ac!on, adventure and sci‐fi films.
Families together:
More than £207m was spent on cinema "ckets for animated
films – about £1 in every £6 spent on cinema "ckets all year.
Live‐ac!on films in the family genre accounted for a further
£73.4m.
Emo$onal work‐outs:
Thrillers/dramas generated nearly as much (£192.5m),
while horror/suspense films seized a box‐office of £135m.
150 comedies (including romcoms) were released,
What drew UK audiences to the cinema in 2017? genera"ng almost £156m in cinema "cket sales.
7 musicals were released in 2017, and they rang up £38.2m at
the box‐office, mainly from La La Land (which won 6 Oscars and
4 BAFTAs in 2017). In addi"on, the Secret Cinema presenta"on
of Moulin Rouge! generated £4.48m (which is included in the
‘event cinema’ category box‐office of £32.3m – see page 54).
Stranger than fic$on: Directed and co-wri#en by Armando Iannucci, this
sa"rical comedy revels in the poli"cal scheming that follows the death of Joseph
Stalin in 1953. A top-flight cast was assembled, including Steve Buscemi,
Michael Palin, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs, Rupert Friend
and Olga Kurylenko. The Death of Stalin grossed an impressive £5m on its
October release in UK cinemas.
24 25Film is
The top‐grossing ‘home‐grown’ Gallery of UK film releases 2017
films of 2017: Dunkirk (£56.6m
Universal
box‐office); Paddington 2 (£41m
GREAT
by mid‐January 2018); Kingsman:
The Golden Circle (£24.8m); Murder
on the Orient Express (£23.9m);
T2 Trainspo$ng (£17.0m); Baby
British cinema, comprising both Driver (£13.0m); Alien: Covenant
home‐grown films and interna"onal (£12.9m); Lion (£11.8m); Victoria
productions made here with & Abdul (£10.1m): and The Death
inward investment, enjoyed a of Stalin (£5.1m). Collectively Picturehouse Universal eOne StudioCanal 20th Century Fox Kaleidoscope
robust year. Inward investment these ten releases accounted
A first‐class act: Stephen Frears’s latest
in UK film produc"on exceeded for 15% of the entire UK/Ireland drama, Victoria & Abdul, was scripted by
£1.6 billion. box‐office in 2017 (source: comScore). Lee Hall and starred Judi Dench and Ali Fazal
in the "tle roles. An Indian clerk, Abdul
A diverse year, too: From Lady Film is an important driver of Karim, came to London along with many
Macbeth to God’s Own Country via tourism both into, and within, the overseas visitors for Queen Victoria’s golden
jubilee celebra"ons in 1887. They struck up
Paddington 2 and T2 Trainspotting, UK as visitors travel to experience an unlikely, yet deep and happy, friendship
there were impressive films in first‐hand the stunning scenery which lasted for the rest of Victoria’s life
practically every genre. and loca"ons seen on screen. For (she died aged 81 in 1901), despite the best
efforts of her household to thwart it. Soon
2018, VisitBritain forecasts 41.7m a$er the release of Victoria & Abdul, Judi
British talent was rewarded with
inbound visits to the UK (vs. 39.9m Dench was among the stellar ensemble cast
12 nominations at the Golden of Murder on the Orient Express. Kenneth
in 2017) and £26.9 billion in visitor
Globes, including for Gary Oldman Branagh directed this new adapta"on of
spend (vs. £25.1 billion in 2017). Agatha Chris"e’s classic (1930s) whodunnit
(Darkest Hour, right), Judi Dench
and starred as the lavishly moustachioed
(Victoria & Abdul), Helen Mirren A gallery showcasing some of Hercule Poirot, who inves"gates when
(The Leisure Seeker) and Daniel the Bri"sh films released in 2017 fellow passenger Ratche# (Johnny Depp) is
The Wright stuff: For his u!erly transforma"ve performance as Winston Churchill in Joe
Day‐Lewis (Phantom Thread). follows; others appear throughout murdered. The carriage full of suspects
Wright’s engrossing drama, Gary Oldman was garlanded with many pres"gious interna"onal
includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz,
Similarly, Bri"sh actors were hailed awards. The London premiere of Darkest Hour, staged in December 2017, was a!ended by this Yearbook. Whilst being Olivia Colman, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Leslie
as having their best showing in the Gary Oldman, Kris"n Sco! Thomas (who plays Clemmie, Baroness Spencer‐Churchill) and Lily diverse entertainments, Odom Jr, Derek Jacobi and Willem Dafoe.
Collins (his suppor"ve secretary, Elizabeth Layton). The film covers the pivotal moments of 1940
Oscar nominations for 25 years, such films inevitably reflect Both Victoria & Abdul and Murder on the
when Churchill, newly installed as Bri"sh prime minister, must decide whether and how to
Orient Express were among the year’s top
with three contenders in the leading nego"ate with Hitler or instead to fight on against seemingly insuperable odds. As well as contemporary Britain as a hugely 40 releases; their combined box-office
man category (Gary Oldman, Daniel capturing the admira"on of academy voters, Darkest Hour caught the social zeitgeist and within crea"ve country that has become topped £34m.
a fortnight of its UK cinema release in January 2018, its box‐office had already topped £10m. Universal 20th Century Fox
Kaluuya and Daniel Day‐Lewis). a global hub for filmmaking.
26 27Al"tude Thunderbird
Living life to the full: Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy star as Robin and Diana Cavendish, The birth of two na$ons: Gurinder Chadha directs Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson The power of wri$ng
the Bri"sh couple who devoted their lives to helping polio sufferers a$er he is struck as Lord and Lady Mountba!en in Viceroy’s House, set in 1947. Newly appointed as the and performance:
down with the paralysing disease at the age of 28. Breathe is an inspira"onal story of final Viceroy of India, he is tasked with overseeing the transi"on of the Bri"sh colony to Adapted by Alice Burch
bravery and determina"on, produced by their real‐life son, Jonathan Cavendish, whose independence. Lily Travers played the Mountba!ens’ daughter, Pamela, while the cast from a 19 th century
own childhood is portrayed in the film by a series of young actors. Scripted by William included Michael Gambon, Simon Callow, David Hayman and Om Puri (who died two
Nicholson, it is the directorial debut of Andy Serkis, whose next film, Jungle Book: months before the film’s release). Hugh Bonneville had a busy 2017 on cinema screens: Russian novel, Lady
Origins, is due in 2018. Breathe was a high‐profile release in October 2017; its European as well as Paddington 2, he also played a key role in Breathe as the Oxford professor who Macbeth is the story
premiere was the opening night gala of the London Film Fes"val. helps his friend Robin Cavendish to develop a wheelchair with an in‐built respirator. of Katherine, a young
woman on her wedding
day who is expected
con"nued to conform to a rigid
Victorian no"on of
Film is GREAT
femininity. Instead she
starts a passionate
affair with a worker on
her cold-hearted
husband’s estate.
BA F TA- n o m i n ate d
as Outstanding Bri"sh
Film, Lady Macbeth
won 4 British
Independent Film
Awards, including one
as Best Actress for
Florence Pugh who
gives a compelling,
break-out performance
in the title role. She
was back on screen in
January 2018 in The
Commuter. Shot on
appropriately
atmospheric loca"ons Bah! Humbug! With Christmas 1843 fast approaching, Charles
in the north-east of Dickens (Dan Stevens) embarks on writing a seasonal story that
England, Lady Macbeth
he needs to be a hit. As his ideas coalesce, we follow his out-
plundered £0.8m at the
loud conversations with his leading character, Ebenezer Scrooge
box-office on its spring
release in UK cinemas. (Christopher Plummer). Also in the bleak house are Jonathan
In November 2017, Pryce, Simon Callow, Miriam Margolyes, Ian McNeice and Miles
the UK distributor of Jupp. Dickens’ published story, A Christmas Carol, would define
Lady Macbeth, Al"tude, the spirit of Christmas for successive generations. Soon after The
was named Distributor Man Who Invented Christmas, Christopher Plummer returned to
of the Year at the annual cinema screens as J Paul Getty in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in
Screen Awards. the World.
STX Pathé/Fox
28 2920th Century Fox
The year that women roared Charlize Theron was cast as the first female Dame Judi Dench returned to the big screen as Queen Victoria 2018 marks the centenary of the
villain, Cypher, in the Fast & Furious in Victoria & Abdul; boarded Agatha Christie’s Orient Express Representation of the People Act 1918,
The 2017 film line‐up featured alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Olivia Colman, which enfranchised some women aged
franchise and, separately, played secret
an impressive array of leading Daisy Ridley and a carriage full of other suspects; and will 30 and over – the first time that women
female characters, driving their agent Atomic Blonde (below left). And
play the older Joan Stanley, the British KGB spy, in Red Joan, had the vote. This year also marks
own stories and des"nies Scarlett Johansson materialised in both the centenary of the Armistice that
with Sophie Cookson as her younger self.
across all genres and for all Ghost in the Shell and Rough Night ended fighting in the Great War
The momentum is gathering pace in 2018, with Meryl Streep
mainstream/specialised (see page 66), before returning to the fray on 11 November 1918.
as newspaper publisher Kay Graham in The Post; Sally Hawkins
audiences. as Black Widow in Avengers: Infinity War.
and Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water; and Frances
The year’s super‐hits included Among the year’s comedies were McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with Pitch Perfect 3 (below), A Bad Moms Christmas, And much more: Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed comedy Lady Bird
influen"al roles for Daisy Ridley Girls’ Trip and the London‐made Daphne (see page 69) stars Saoirse Ronan in the title role and Laurie
(rejoining ba!le as Rey), Metcalf as her mother; Margot Robbie gives a tour‐de‐force Libbers not lobbers: Emma
starring Emily Beecham.
Carrie Fisher (to whom the film performance as US ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya with Stone and Steve Carell
starred as Billie Jean King,
is dedicated) and Laura Dern; Allison Janney; while Alicia Vikander embodies a new, fiercely world number one, and
Wonder Woman starring the independent Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, which shot in the UK Bobby Riggs, former world
award‐winning Gal Gadot; and South Africa. Later in 2018, Steve McQueen’s new crime number one, respec"vely
in this account of their
and Beauty and the Beast with thriller, with four resolute women at the centre of its story, 1973 tennis match billed
Emma Watson in the lead as Belle. is Widows, inspired by Lynda La Plante’s British TV series. as the Ba"le of the Sexes.
Scripted by Simon Beaufoy,
Surrey‐born Lily James leapt from Baby Driver (2017) into Darkest the charming, awards-
Hour as Churchill’s adroit secretary, Elizabeth Layton; Mamma nominated film also starred
Andrea Riseborough, Sarah
Mia: Here We Go Again, as the young Donna (Meryl Streep); and
Universal
Silverman, Elisabeth Shue
Mike Newell’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Natalie Morales as
as the writer, Juliet Ashton, corresponding with the likes of Jessica Hunger for film: The feature film debut of French Rosie Casals. The match,
writer/director Julia Ducournau, Raw told of Jus"ne which in real life reached
Brown Findlay, Katherine Parkinson and Dame Penelope Wilton.
(Garance Marillier), a veterinary student who was some 90 million television
raised a vegetarian but, while at college with her viewers worldwide, was as
After The Girl on the Train (2016), Emily Blunt has voiced
sister, develops a craving for meat and flesh. For much about the personal
characters in a variety of animated comedies – Animal Crackers; cri"c, Mark Kermode, it was one of his films of the ba#les in its protagonists’
My Little Pony: The Movie; Sherlock Gnomes. In December 2018 year: “Using cannibalism to tell an in"mate story of own lives as it was about
she is due to glide into view in the UK‐made fantasy, Mary Poppins growing pains and sibling rivalry, Raw is an equality on the tennis
astonishingly assured work from a film-maker whose court. Ba"le of the Sexes
Returns, with Emily Mortimer, Meryl Streep, Dames Julie Walters unique vision is etched into every frame, straddling was a November release in
and Angela Lansbury, Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth and Dick Van Dyke. humour, heartbreak and horror with ease.” UK cinemas.
Universal Universal
30 31Warner Bros. Warner Bros.
Super Cinema ‘Never let your guard down – you expect the ba#le to be fair’:
Made in the UK, this huge movie is the origin story of Diana,
The six superhero adventures released in 2017 generated 12% of the en"re UK/Ireland box‐office. princess of the Amazons and, as we first meet her, a fierce young
warrior in training. When a World War One pilot (Chris Pine) crashes
They all carried a 12A cer"ficate apart from the sci‐fi thriller, Logan (15). on the shore of her paradise island, Diana sets off to stop the raging
conflict, in doing so discovering her full powers as Wonder Woman
Comic strip superheroes in ac$on at the cinema 2017 (first seen on screen in 2016’s Dawn of Jus!ce). There are key roles
for David Thewlis and Robin Wright, but at the heart of this film
UK cinema UK cinema is the thrilling, upli$ing performance of Gal Gadot, perfectly
Film Universe UK film release date box‐office cast in the "tle role. Wonder Woman – directed by Pa#y Jenkins,
distributor
2017 2017 her second feature film after Monster (2003) – became the
highest-grossing live-action film ever directed by a woman.
1 Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.2 Marvel Disney 28 April £41,000,237 The female superhero caught the zeitgeist: in summer 2017
Wonder Woman generated more than $800m in cinema "cket sales
2 Thor: Ragnarok Marvel Disney 27 Oct £31,050,192 worldwide, approximately half in the US/Canada and half in
interna"onal markets, where its release extended to a reported
34,300 screens. In the UK, it was
3 Spider‐Man: Homecoming Marvel Sony 7 July £30,480,157 one of the 21 releases to break the
£20m box-office mark, reaping
4 Logan Marvel 20th Century Fox 3 March £23,866,461 £22.1m. It stayed at
no.1 in the box-office
5 Wonder Woman DC Warner Bros. 2 June £22,184,183 chart for 3 weeks,
holding over strongly
despite the hot
6 Jus!ce League DC Warner Bros. 17 Nov £17,412,417 * weather (temperatures
exceeded 30C on
Total £165,993,647 We can be heroes: Uni"ng Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman 5 consecu"ve days
(Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), 17–21 June). Gal
* S"ll on UK cinema release at end of 2017 comScore
Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Superman (Henry Cavill) against a common Gadot soon reprised
global foe, Jus!ce League followed the events of Batman V the role in Justice
Superman: Dawn of Jus!ce (2016). The epic film was made in the League (opposite),
When two animated comedy‐adventures involving superheroes – The Lego Batman Movie
UK and on loca"ons including Iceland and Greece. Backed by a wide- released in November
and Captain Underpants, both U‐certificate releases – are added to these six, the total ranging launch campaign, it achieved one of the top 15 opening 2017, and will see
box‐office climbs to £201.8 million. This means almost 1 in 6 cinema tickets purchased weeks of the year (£9.9m first week gross). more ac"on in the
DC Extended Universe
in 2017 was for a superhero adventure. in the coming years.
Thor: Ragnarok, the third stand‐alone adventure for the hammer‐wielding Asgardian
(Chris Hemsworth), was the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, developed
across the last decade. Worldwide, by the end of 2017, the MCU releases had grossed
more than $13 billion, including more than $850m from this well‐reviewed entry.
32 33You can also read
