The February 2024 box office had the potential to help cure the box office malaise that cinemas have been feeling throughout January, with some high-profile films hitting cinemas like Migration, Argylle, Bob Marley: One Love, and Madame Web. However, it all amounted to little, with those releases experiencing huge dropoffs, leaving the UK Box Office to rely on March’s big tentpole releases to turn the tide.
The red bar is the average weekly total box office for 2015-2019, forming the pre-pandemic average. It represents the place where the box office should be. The yellow bar is the average weekly total box office for 2021-2023, which forms the post-pandemic average, and the blue bar is the 2024 box office.
All of the numbers come from the British Film Institute and they’re unadjusted for inflation.
February 2024 UK Box Office Analysis
Weekend 8 – February 23-25, 2024
UK Box Office February 2nd-4th, 2024
- While multiple films were in cinemas this week, none of them sparked audience interest, resulting in the 2024 total box office once again slipping below the post-pandemic average.
- The box office being below the post-pandemic total means that it’s once again below the pre-pandemic total, for the eighth week running. The first two months of the post-pandemic also failed to get above the total, showing that a slow box office for January and February might be the new norm.
Dune: Part Two, the highly anticipated sequel to 2021’s Dune opening in cinemas on March 1st gives the UK weekly box office a chance to rise above the pre-pandemic total.
Weekend 8 of the 2024 total weekly box office showed a steep decline from the high of Weekend 7, dropping 43% to £8,911,523. This was due to two factors: No major films were released into cinemas and current drivers of the box office dropped off quite hard. Bob Marley: One Love dropped 66% of its gross in its second weekend, and Madame Web dropped a staggering 73%. Even films like Migration and Wonka, which saw a boost in Weekend 7, dropped 46% and 41% compared to last weekend.
This weekend is 39% lower than the same weekend in the pre-pandemic era, posting a total of £14,621,183.60. For the first two months of 2024, the box office failed to surpass the weekly total of the pre-pandemic box office, mirroring the failure of the 2021-2023 average to do the same. After 3 years (for the first 2 months in 2021, cinemas were closed) of similar sluggish activity, it’s clear this is a trend to expect in years to come.
Compared to the post-pandemic period, the picture doesn’t get any rosier. This weekend saw a 12% when compared to the same weekend in the 2021-2023 period, which achieved a total of £10,084,146.50. While that’s, of course, disappointing on its own, what’s more worrying is the drop-off from Weekend 7 to 8. In 2021-2023, it was 27%, but in 2024 it is 43%. This is likely down to the fact that the films that opened on Weekend 7 for 2024 sustained heavy drop-offs, where this wasn’t the case in previous years.
Weekend 9 brings the start of March and with it the highly anticipated Dune: Part 2. It will surely bring big business to cinemas, and will likely be a key driver of the box office for weeks to come. The film heralds the arrival of other high-profile sequels, like Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. It’s looking up for the UK box office.
#uk #BoxOffice update
A disappointing weekend, as the 2024 weekly total box office once again slipped below the post-pandemic average.
It’s below the pre-pandemic average for the eighth week in a row, showcasing a continued lack of recovery.
Numbers from @BFI pic.twitter.com/oHdak3I0vP
— Kieran (@KieranDavidBurt) February 28, 2024
Weekend 7 – February 16th-18th, 2024
UK Box Office February 9th-11th, 2024
- Multiple films in cinemas helped spur the 2024 box office above the post-pandemic average, resulting in a 15% increase.
- The pre-pandemic total is still an unattainable goal for the 2024 box office. If current trends hold, it might not surpass the total until Weekend 9, the first weekend in March.
- Weekend 7 may be the start of a stronger box office period, with bigger films releasing with a more regular cadence.
Weekend 7 of 2024 showed a huge spike for the box office, improving 90% over last weekend. This translates to a total box office of £15,764,632, a fantastic haul. This total is largely driven by Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love, jamming to a total of £6,950,773. Films like Migration and Wonka actually saw growth in their sales, an 11% and 3% increase respectively. Migration’s growth propelled it to number two with a total of £2,764,151. It’s more than Sony’s new release of Madame Web, a film that spun out with a measly opening of £2,273,544.
The many different films in cinemas are what helped the box office to rise above the post-pandemic average by 15%, a total of £13,742,070 compared to 2024’s total of £15,764,632. It’s an encouraging increase, one showing a gradual return to cinemas when there are a variety of films on offer.
However, the 2024 box office is still a way off from surpassing the pre-pandemic average. It’s 29% below the same weekend, a total of £22,225,345 compared to 2024’s £15,764,632. 2024 has yet to rise above the pre-pandemic total for any weekend so far, which matches the pattern the years of the post-pandemic total have followed, which it couldn’t do until Weekend 9. It’s unsurprising, as studios tend to avoid putting their big audience-grabbing films early in the year, choosing to wait for Spring and Summer.
The strong performance of Weekend 7 hopefully indicates the proper start of the box office year, especially as bigger films are soon to follow. It gives audiences plenty of opportunity to come back to cinemas and revitalize the UK box office.
#uk #BoxOffice update!
Weekend 7 for 2024 had a 15% increase on the post-pandemic average, the first increase since Weekend 3.
It’s nowhere near the pre-pandemic average, but now big films have a stronger release cadence, it’s only a matter of time.
Numbers from @BFI pic.twitter.com/MiKVxxni8w
— Kieran (@KieranDavidBurt) February 24, 2024
Weekend 6 – February 9th – 11th, 2024
UK Box Office February 9th-11th, 2024
- 2024 continues to be an unstable time for the box office, dropping by 25% compared to last weekend
- It’s 46% lower in the same weekend than the 2015-2019 average. Weekend 6 was also a slow period during the pre-pandemic, showing similar instability as 2024.
- It’s 28% lower for the same weekend than the 2021-2023 average, which by now had found its rhythm.
- The 2024 box office will have to wait until Weekend 7 for the films to spark a period of stability.
The 2024 box office continues to show its instability, dropping 25% when compared to last week to £8,300,199, largely because there were no new major releases for cinemas. Migration and Argylle continue to be the biggest drivers, though their second weekend was down 31% and 50% respectively. These aren’t bad drops, especially for Argylle, which was panned critically.
Of course, the weekend box office total to the pre-pandemic period will rarely result in less than favorable comparisons, and that holds true for this week, where the average produced a total of £15,427,711.20. 2024’s total for this weekend is nearly less than half than that, with a 46% drop. Notably, this weekend in 2015-2019 was comparatively low for that period too, with a bit of instability.
Next weekend is often a major weekend to release new films. It’s something that’s held after the pandemic too, as 2024 will likely see a rise in box office traffic due to the films that are releasing. The second weekend in February is often quieter for this reason, as it’s after a studio (often Universal) has released a big film, and it’s just before other studios release more big films.
This could be the re-emergence of a negative trend for the box office, as the 2021-2023 average started to have a stable February. Audiences were interested in going to the cinema throughout February, rather than sporadic weekends like in 2024. Weekend 6 had a total of £11,558,546, meaning 2024’s total is 28% lower. The 2024 box office might start to find its rhythm next weekend with the release of Madame Web and Bob Marley: One Love, especially as there’s a steady release of films following.
The graph has changed, yet the situation hasn’t. The 2024 box office continues its instability. This weekend dropped again.
It’s 28% below the 2021-2023 average and is 46% below the same weekend in the pre-pandemic era.
Numbers from @BFI pic.twitter.com/SP9scythQh
— Kieran (@KieranDavidBurt) February 17, 2024
Weekend 5 – February 2nd – 4th, 2024
UK Box Office February 2nd-4th, 2024
Summary
- Weekend 5 saw a 26% increase in the UK’s box office compared to last weekend, bringing in a total of £11,111,320.
- For the pre-pandemic period, Weekend 5 had a total of £14,011,591, which means the 2024 total is -21% lower.
- 2024 improves this trend somewhat with a January that saw some strong weekends, and an uptick in business in February.
- Notable successes from Weekend 5 in recent history were the phenomenal opening for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2023, which came in at £4,950,495, and the amazing hold 2022’s Sing 2 had in its second weekend, dropping only 25% compared to its opening weekend for a total of £5,149,645.
Weekend 5, the first weekend of February, saw a 26% increase in the UK’s box office compared to last weekend, bringing in a total of £11,111,320. This is largely thanks to the opening of films like Universal’s animated family film Migration at £3,577,675 and Apple’s (distributed by Universal) film Argylle at £2,014,521. Apple probably had higher hopes for Argylle considering a costly $200 million investment, but it was critically panned and word of mouth doesn’t seem to be too hot. But Apple isn’t the only studio feeling the burn this week, as Universal has had better starts to February in recent years.
For the pre-pandemic period, Weekend 5 had a total of £14,011,591, which means the 2024 total is -21% lower, which is the closest the two totals have been to each other in terms of percentage all year, so in terms of being close to where the box office used to be, it’s not hugely far off. This is because on average this time of year dipped in terms of tickets sold, a trend that’s changed post-pandemic. January is quite dull for the most part, but then from the end of the month, it picks up, and the high box office stays for several weekends.
2024 improves this trend somewhat with a January that saw some strong weekends, and an uptick in business in February. Time will only tell if it will match the post-pandemic February hold, and hopefully, it can do that while climbing above the post-pandemic total.
This is because, and now for the second weekend running, the 2024 box office failed to climb above the post-pandemic average, missing the mark by 9%. The total it had to beat was £12,169,120.50. Notable successes from Weekend 5 in recent history were the phenomenal opening for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2023, which came in at £4,950,495, and the amazing hold 2022’s Sing 2 had in its second weekend, dropping only 25% compared to its opening weekend for a total of £5,149,645. Both were Universal films, and both had totals over double the opening of the latest Universal flick Migration. Sword-swinging cats and singing pigs are more well-liked than a family of ducks.
#uk #BoxOffice update!
The 2024 box office continues to be lower than the post-pandemic total, coming in at £11,111,320 compared to £12,169,120.50.
Compared to pre-pandemic, this weekend is 21% lower, which is the smallest it’s been so far.
Numbers from @BFI pic.twitter.com/GDaONZddxc
— Kieran (@KieranDavidBurt) February 8, 2024
