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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bridget Jones and Minecraft Movie lead big screen bounce back as box office takings beat pandemic downturn
Cinemas across the UK and Ireland are roaring back to life after posting their strongest first-half performance since the Covid19 pandemic in a stunning box office comeback. After years of gloom, audience numbers are surging and tills are ringing once more. New data from Comscore shows box office takings hit a massive £532.4million in the first six months of the year – up a hefty 18 per cent on the same period in 2024. It is a dramatic reversal from the post-Covid slump that many feared was here to stay. This year's box office has outpaced 2024 for all but a single week, and analysts say the trend is only gathering speed. Film fans have been flocking to the big screens for a string of smash hits - with the Minecraft Movie leading the charge, grossing a staggering £56.7million. Hot on its heels came Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy with £46.4million, followed by a live-action Lilo & Stitch reboot, which raked in £35.3million. Other crowd pleasers included Ryan Coogler's Sinners which grossed a whopping £162.2million, contributing to a bumper first half. New data from Comscore shows box office takings hit a massive £532.4million in the first six months of the year – up a hefty 18 per cent on the same period in 2024 In total, cinema admissions were up 12 per cent, with box office receipts rising even faster - up to 18 per cent on last year. Experts now believe the worst is behind the industry. Gower Street Analytics forecasts the UK and Ireland box office will reach £1.2billion this year. 'A 16.5 per cent advantage over last summer's performance is a great place to be,' Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told The Times. 'With August looking particularly strong, I think we'll see this momentum continue'. Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, credited a broad range of appealing titles for luring audiences back into cinemas. 'The summer slate has really started to gear up, and there's still more to come - including Fantastic Four: First Steps,' he said, adding that high expectations now rest on tentpoles such as Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Ash and Water, later this year. Even the slightly underwhelming UK launch of Superman - which opened with £6.9million, compared to Man of Steel's £11.2million in 2013 - has not dampened the mood. Vue's group director of screen content, Eduardo Leal, dismissed fears the superhero's return signalled another dip. 'We're seeing external factors, like the heatwave, weighing on UK numbers, but the film has already picked up in the last few rainy days,' he said. 'We're optimistic it will track upwards.' Even the slightly underwhelming UK launch of Superman - which opened with £6.9million, compared to Man of Steel's £11.2million in 2013 - has not dampened the mood Leal also pointed to a structural shift. 'There's a much higher volume of films this year - levels recovered after 2022 but then dipped due to the [Hollywood writer] strikes. Now they're looking really good again'. Looking ahead, hopes are high for a strong finish to the year. Titles including the Fantastic Four, Wicked, and Avatar are all poised to deliver box office fireworks in the autumn and winter months. Film journalist Charles Gant described the year's progress as 'continued gentle recovery, supercharged by strong releases'. He added that 'success breeds success' and that anticipation is built on audiences coming in and seeing striking trailers. Despite this, the path is not entirely smooth. September is expected to be quieter, and some insiders warn the final quarter may struggle to replicate last year's blockbuster-heavy finish, which included Wonka and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. But there remains cautious optimism that the UK box office could return to pre-pandemic heights by late 2016 - or even sooner. 'It's been a long haul and we're still behind 2019, but 2025 is showing cinemas can bounce back when the right films come along,' Gant said.
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
End of Covid disaster movie as cinemas bounce back
Cinemas have posted their strongest first-half performance since the pandemic, defying fears that audiences had abandoned the big screen for good. From Bridget Jones to Captain America, cinemas have found their summer sequel: a real-life comeback story. UK and Ireland box office revenue in the first six months of 2025 reached £532.4 million, according to Comscore — a clear bounce back from recent years and a reversal of the steady post-Covid decline that had set in since cinemas fully reopened. That total is an 18 per cent rise on the same period last year. When comparing cumulative revenue totals across the first half of the year, 2025 has been ahead for all but one week compared with 2024. In the sole week when 2024 nudged in front, it was only by a mere 0.2 per cent. Since then, a strong summer showing has propelled 2025 to an impressive return year-on-year. The recovery is gaining momentum and is unlikely to slow down any time soon, according to experts. Gower Street Analytics forecasts the UK and Ireland box office will reach £1.2 billion this year — a 10 per cent jump on 2024 and 9 per cent ahead of 2023, marking a strong rebound as the market continues to close the gap with pre-pandemic levels. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said the UK performance echoed a wider global trend. 'A 16.5 per cent advantage over last summer's performance is a great place to be. With August looking particularly strong, I think we'll see this momentum continue,' he said, pointing to the cumulative impact of a robust summer slate. Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said the resurgence had been powered by a broad range of hits. A Minecraft Movie led the way, grossing £56.7 million, while Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (£46.4 million) and Lilo & Stitch (£35.3 million) both outstripped expectations. Other successes included Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which brought in £16.2 million. While some films underperformed, Clapp said the overall effect had been positive: cinema admissions were up 12 per cent and box office takings up 18 per cent on the year. Much has been made of the disappointing start made by the latest blockbuster, Superman, causing many to mistakenly see its struggles as a symbol of cinema's decline. The film opened with £6.9 million in the UK and Ireland — a noticeable drop from 2013's Man of Steel, which debuted with £11.2 million. 'The summer slate has really started to gear up, and there's still more to come — including Fantastic Four: First Steps,' he said, adding that high expectations now rest on tentpoles such as Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Ash and Water later this year. But insiders pointed to mitigating factors. Eduardo Leal, group director of screen content at Vue, said Superman's US performance had actually matched Man of Steel's. 'We're seeing external factors, like the heatwave, weighing on UK numbers, but the film has already picked up in the last few rainy days. We're optimistic it will track upwards,' he said. Analysts agree this year's success is partly structural. 'There's a much higher volume of films this year — levels recovered after 2022 but then dipped due to the [Hollywood writer] strikes,' said Leal. 'Now, they're looking really good again.' Many believe that this was an underappreciated fact, and that cinema was being written off far too hastily. Charles Gant, a film journalist and critic, said this year marked a return to a slow but steady recovery trend after 2024's flatlining. 'What we're seeing is continued gentle recovery, supercharged by strong releases,' he said.A Minecraft Movie and Bridget Jones gave early momentum, while summer saw an unusual run of back-to-back hits — F1: The Movie, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman — giving cinemas a sustained lift. 'Success breeds success,' Gant said. 'Audiences come in, see trailers, build anticipation. That momentum's been missing since the pandemic.' But some familiar challenges remain. September looks patchy, with a slate of medium-sized releases and no guaranteed hits. Last year's fourth quarter, which featured heavyweights such as Wonka, rescued 2024's box office, and while this year's slate is strong, it may struggle to replicate that late surge. Leal believes the second half of the year will still deliver, especially with major franchise films in the pipeline, and predicts UK box office could match — or even possibly exceed — pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year. Gant struck a similar note of cautious optimism: 'It's been a long haul and we're still behind 2019, but 2025 is showing cinemas can bounce back when the right films come along.'
Al Jazeera
05-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Trump says he will put 100% tariff on all foreign films
United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 100 percent tariff on foreign films, claiming that Hollywood is undergoing a 'very fast death' due to overseas competition. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said he had directed the US Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to immediately begin the process of imposing the tariff on 'any and all' films produced in 'foreign lands'. 'Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,' Trump said on his Truth Social platform. 'This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!' Trump did not elaborate on how such a tariff would work in practical terms, including whether it would be applied to Hollywood features that involve shooting and production across multiple countries. Trump's announcement follows his appointment in January of actors Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as 'special ambassadors' tasked with bringing back business that Hollywood has lost to other countries. At the time, Trump said the actors would be 'my eyes and ears' as he set about instituting a 'Golden Age of Hollywood'. Hollywood has faced tough business conditions in recent years amid the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 actors' and writers' strike. Hollywood studios grossed about $30bn worldwide last year, down about 7 percent from 2023, according to Gower Street Analytics. While last year's performance was an improvement on revenues in 2020, 2021 and 2022, it was still about 20 below the pre-pandemic average, according to Gower Street Analytics.
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why Hans Zimmer's Latest Creation Could Be Crucial The Future Of Movie Theaters
Hans Zimmer is famous for scoring movies such as 'Dune: Part Two' but his latest project takes an ... More unexpected turn Hans Zimmer has done it all in the movie music industry. Over more than four decades the German composer has produced some of Hollywood's most memorable and sweeping scores from Gladiator and Interstellar to Dune and Pirates of the Caribbean. The productions he has scored have grossed a combined $28 billion and earned him two Oscars, three Golden Globes and five Grammy Awards. However, his latest project could be even more significant than all of those accolades as it could play a crucial role in getting the movie theater sector back to its pre-pandemic highs. It's fair to say that the past five years have been more challenging for movie theaters than any other period since the dawn of cinema. First the Covid-19 pandemic brought the curtain down on theaters all over the world and then when their doors finally swung open again they had to tempt an audience which had become accustomed to streaming new releases in their own homes and was wary of being in a crowded room whilst a deadly disease was raging. Then came a cost of living crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine and governments increasing taxes to cover the cost of furlough payments during the pandemic. This led to a slump in streaming subscriptions and a surge in piracy aided by the studios putting their archives of content online. Some theater chains couldn't survive this perfect storm and it wasn't a breeze for the ones which managed to navigate these choppy waters. Just as theaters were righting their ships along came the SAG-AFTRA strikes followed by the devastating wildfires in California at the start of this year. Last month movie industry specialists Gower Street Analytics forecast that this year's global box office will hit $34.1 billion, 13% less than the average of the last three pre-pandemic years with North America finishing 17% down thanks to its anticipated $9.5 billion haul. It has caused some commentators to question whether the theater sector has been bruised beyond repair but one company is proving that this is far from the case and it has enlisted Zimmer to shine a spotlight on this. In true Hollywood fashion, there is a twist to the tale as the company is based in one of the most unexpected locations. Hans Zimmer is one of the world's most successful movie score composers (Photo by Francesco ...) The Middle East isn't famous for movie theaters - they weren't even legal in Saudi Arabia, which is one of the biggest markets, until 2018. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the region has come into its own and is leading the way worldwide in terms of cutting-edge theater facilities. There is good reason for this. Temperatures in the Gulf soar north of 100 in summer whilst they can even rise into the mid-80s in winter. As a result, there is an abundance of indoor entertainment and theaters in the region are usually in a prime position. They tend to be located inside malls which look more like sprawling entertainment complexes than shopping centers so visitors can stay there for the entire day rather than going back outside into the blazing sunshine. It explains why malls in the Middle East are often home to theme parks, museums, galleries and sports facilities. Visitors come from far and wide and it gives theater operators a captive audience. A visit to the theater in the evening is a natural way to end the day so it has become a crucial part of local culture, especially as bars and nightclubs are not as common as they are in the west due to alcohol restrictions. Malls are so integral to society in the Middle East that countries in the region couldn't risk Covid-19 spreading in these indoor environments. So, unlike many western nations, they introduced strict prevention measures and this had a magic touch. Malls in major Middle Eastern cities were bustling again within a year of the start of the pandemic. It meant that theaters in the region had less down time than elsewhere which helped them weather the storm. In the midst of the pandemic a report from Omdia, a consultancy firm owned by research giants Informa, revealed that the Middle East was the world's fastest-growing cinema market over the four years to 2021. It didn't stop there as Omdia announced in November last year that the region would generate $900 million of revenue in 2024, a 21.1% increase on 2019. What's more, it added that this growth is set to continue with the annual revenue expected to hit $1.5 billion by 2029. The Middle East isn't just bucking the global trend in terms of box office revenue but also screen growth. The decline in traffic to theaters has put chains in the west in jeopardy and in July 2022, Europe's biggest privately-owned exhibitor, Vue, was taken over by its lenders. Two months later the the American arm of Cineworld, the world's second-largest theater chain, went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Although it has since emerged from this, its U.K. operation is still struggling with a number of its sites closing over the past six months. In stark contrast, the number of screens in the Middle East isn't just increasing, its growth is outperforming the rest of the world. According to Maria Rua Aguete, Omdia's senior research director of media and entertainment, around 1,000 screens have been added since 2019 bringing the total in the region to nearly 2,500 by the end of last year. One company dominates them all. With more than 620 screens in its portfolio, VOX Cinemas is comfortably the Middle East's biggest theater chain. It is also the region's highest-grossing exhibitor and in 2024 its admissions increased 2% to 19.9 million thanks to hard work and a magic formula. Vox is the largest cinema chain in the Middle East VOX is owned by Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim which is a media conglomerate in the truest sense of the word. In addition to running the theaters, it also operates local retail franchises including LEGO, upscale U.S. clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch and Crate & Barrel, a high-end furniture retailer from Northbrook, Illinois. However, that is just the start. Majid Al Futtaim also runs many of the malls which house its shops and theaters. Indeed, with 29 sites under its control, Majid Al Futtaim is the region's biggest mall manager though, as this report revealed, it has more in common with entertainment giants like Disney and Universal than a retail operator. In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Majid Al Futtaim is a partner in one of only two outlets worldwide of Dreamscape, the cutting-edge virtual reality operator which was part-financed by Warner Bros., Fox, IMAX and Steven Spielberg. Inside many of its malls are lavish snow parks and, as this report explained, they look more like resorts than the indoor ski slopes that are typical across the U.S. and Europe. Last year this author reported that the region's first outlet of cutting-edge Canadian escape room operator Activate had opened in one of Majid Al Futtaim's malls and they are also home to iFLY facilities which replicate the sensation of skydiving in towering clear cylinders. Inside others are Magic Planet entertainment complexes containing the latest arcade games, midway games, VR games, climbing walls, large-scale simulators and carousels for kids. This emphasis on entertainment is no coincidence. That's because Majid Al Futtaim's entertainment division is run by Ignace Lahoud, one of the most talented and experienced managers in the industry. Lahoud has an MBA from C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and is a 27-year veteran of the The Walt Disney Company. This included a stint as chief financial officer of Disneyland Paris where he presided over one of the greatest periods of growth for the theme park resort. He rose up to become executive vice president and chief financial officer of Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media before joining Majid Al Futtaim in 2021. Like Disney, it develops master-planned residential communities and it also owns Sheraton, Westin and Aloft hotels, some of which have movie-themed rooms. This too is no coincidence. Movie studios don't tend to promote and distribute their own movies in the Middle East as they do in the U.S. Instead, studios rely on local companies including Majid Al Futtaim which is the regional distributor of the Universal and Warner Bros. movies it shows in its theaters and those of its competitors. Despite its dominance, it isn't resting on its laurels. Unlike many other exhibitors around the world, which have only recently realized that they need to invest in their product, VOX regularly upgrades its theaters. It was the first operator in the region to introduce laser projection to its super-sized IMAX screens. It now has its own VOX MAX big screen format and holds the exclusive Middle East rights to 4DX cinemas which feature moving seats, smoke, wind and water effects. Last year VOX introduced a top tier product offering more comfortable and cutting-edge seats than are found in first class on an airline along with delectable dishes served during the film. The innovation doesn't stop at the doors to the theaters as their lobbies look like gleaming art galleries lined with white marble and restaurants from celebrity chefs. It has helped to keep film fans streaming through its turnstiles, so much so indeed that, as local title Arabian Business reported, VOX expects its theaters to exceed pre-pandemic revenue this year. It has come up with a groundbreaking way of promoting that cinemas are back in business. Last month Lahoud announced a 'partnership with our friend and living legend Hans Zimmer. Hans is composing a unique score that will become the sound of will also launch the new VOX brand campaign featuring Hans's work. Thank you, dear Maestro.' Known as 'The Sound of VOX Cinemas' the score is designed to become synonymous with VOX so when customers hear it they think of its cinemas. It is a smart strategy from Lahoud as music can be used to communicate to customers without using language which is helpful as, according to government data, more than 200 nationalities are resident in Majid Al Futtaim's home country, the United Arab Emirates. Dave Bautista on the red carpet for the regional premiere of 'Dune: Part Two' at a Vox cinema in Abu ... More Dhabi (Photo byfor Warner Bros. Pictures) Zimmer's sonic brand identity is due to debut this week at a new cutting-edge VOX IMAX cinema and it won't just be heard in the cinemas themselves but also at other customer service interaction points. Zimmer's deep passion for cinema and mastery of conveying feelings through music made him the ideal choice. "The Middle East holds a special place in my heart, as does cinema; it's what truly moves me. I was genuinely excited to collaborate with VOX Cinemas, the region's largest and most beloved cinema chain," he said. "VOX Cinemas' commitment to creating magical moments for guests and the idea of creating a unique sound for the brand resonated as it beautifully illustrates how cinema connects us all. It's at the heart of so many unforgettable moments, ones that are passed down through generations, just as VOX has done over the years." It was music to Lahoud's ears. "VOX Cinemas is proud to partner with the legendary Hans Zimmer to create a signature score that is instantly recognisable and synonymous with our brand. This collaboration marks a new chapter in our journey, enhancing the moviegoing experience with a distinctive sound that resonates across the diverse markets we serve," he said. 'For 25 years, VOX Cinemas has been at the forefront of innovation in the global entertainment industry, shaping some of life's most cherished moments — from childhood to adulthood. Through the magic of cinema, we continue to be a key part of our audience's unforgettable experiences. As we look to the future, we remain committed to pushing boundaries and redefining how people experience cinema, ensuring that every visit to Vox is nothing short of extraordinary.' It is no exaggeration as this is believed to be the first time that a movie theater chain has collaborated with such a high profile personality to create a theme tune. It is the kind of development that was more common in the heydays of cinema, long before streaming came on the scene, and it sends out an incredibly strong signal of confidence in the cinema sector. Zimmer is easily the most famous frequently active film composer with upcoming projects including the third Dune movie and a BBC series based on William Golding's novel, Lord Of The Flies. To get a sense of the impact he has on his projects, this author spoke to Gavin Greenaway, an eminent Emmy award-winning movie conductor who has worked on more than 100 film and television soundtracks including Wicked, Dunkirk and The Dark Knight. "I've known Hans for over 45 years. I first met him when I was a teenager and he was programming synthesisers for recording sessions. Since then I have watched (and sometimes participated) as he has risen to become one of the most famous film score composers in the world. "Most composers have one stand out 'defining' score, but Hans does this regularly, every few years he will create an iconic score which redefines a genre of modern film music. From Driving Miss Daisy to Gladiator to the Dark Knight to Interstellar to Dune, Hans regularly invents a new sound world for his movies, which become the ones for aspiring composers to try (and fail!) to emulate. "What Hans has is a unique combination of many skills related to sound and music creation: an ear for universal melody and harmony; an intuitive understanding of orchestration; the mind of a scientist and engineer when it comes to sound design and synthesis; the ability to act as music producer (for himself as well as others); an unflinching work ethic (always striving for the excellent, never settling for OK); the ability to 'read' a director and work with them to create what they want and, more importantly, what works for the movie; and lastly a deep understanding of story structure on a par with the best film makers. "Although he would describe himself as untrained, he has learned over many years by listening and experimenting. And his listening is eclectic, absorbing influences from pop, classical, rock, folk music from around the world resulting in a comprehensive understanding of how music works, even if he may not be a virtuoso at any one instrument. He has made the music sequencer the canvas on which he creates his scores - his instrument - and on that he is without doubt a master. This combination of skills and personality add up, in my opinion, to using the word 'genius' to describe Hans without any hint of hyperbole." Hans Zimmer documentary 'Diamond in the Desert' was filmed in the United Arab Emirates (Photo by ... More Karwai Tang/WireImage) It is far from Zimmer's first partnership in the region. Last month a film called Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert was released in select cinemas and was largely filmed in Dubai. The movie features a mesmerising montage of classic film scores performed at Hans Zimmer Live concerts in dramatic locations across Dubai. They range from the Coca-Cola Arena in the middle of the city to the helipad of the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and inside the cavernous Al Wasl dome, the world's largest 360 degree projection screen. Fittingly, the scores include A Time of Quiet Between the Storms from last year's Dune: Part Two which Zimmer performs in the desert not far from where the film itself was shot. The concert footage is interspersed with discussions between Zimmer and other leading lights such as Billie Eilish, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Jerry Bruckheimer and Denis Villeneuve. He opens up to them about his creative process and they explain the meaning his music has on them. He is also returning to the region to play his Hans Zimmer Live concerts at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on 31 May and 1 June. That will reportedly be followed by time in the studio with one of his projects being a reinterpretation of Saudi Arabia's national anthem. Like Majid Al Futtaim, Zimmer isn't resting on his laurels and although his first Academy Award came in 1995 for The Lion King, his second was just three years ago for Dune. So despite being in the business for almost half a century, he is still on song.
The Guardian
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Pre-sales are bigger than Barbie': Bridget Jones 4 set to break box office records – despite no US cinema release
As the Oscars loom, cinemas are bracing themselves for a particular surge of interest in one hotly anticipated title. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth instalment in the misadventures of Helen Fielding's hapless romantic, may be unlikely to dominate the Academy Awards, but it is set to clean up at screens across the country over the Valentine's Day period – and beyond. 'We're anticipating it to be one of the biggest titles of the year in the UK, the biggest British film of the year, and the biggest box office for the first half of 2025,' says Robert Mitchell, director of theatrical insights at Gower Street Analytics. 'Pre-sales are even higher than for blockbusters like Barbie,' said Eduardo Leal, group Regional director of screen content for the Vue cinema chain. 'It is tracking to be the biggest ever Bridget Jones film.' Nine years after Renée Zellweger's bumbling reporter fell pregnant in Bridget Jones's Baby, she is now back with two children but no husband, as human rights lawyer Mark Darcy has been killed off during a heroic humanitarian trip to Sudan. Colin Firth does, however, make a number of spectral – yet still dishy – appearances in the new film, which are heavily teased in the trailer. Resurrected instead is dastardly smoothie Daniel Cleaver , who was missing, presumed dead, in Baby, but is now back in action, with dialogue polished by Hugh Grant himself. The film is being positioned as a tonic to other, more challenging, awards contenders such as the post-Holocaust epic The Brutalist and September 5, based onthe terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The latest Bridget Jones instalment also offers a female-skewed alternative to more mainstream new releases, including Captain America: Brave New World, Marvel's new superhero offering starring Harrison Ford and Anthony Mackie. 'I can also say that we're anticipating a bumper Valentine's weekend with a perfect mix of titles for all audiences,' says Mitchell. 'I think Bridget is perfectly placed counter-programming to Captain America.' However, this happy marriage of product and timing is exclusive to the UK, because in the US the film is skipping cinemas and going straight to streaming. Such disparity of expectation between the two territories is almost unprecedented. Usually, the reasons for radically different release strategies are attributable to the cultural divide; Dennis Quaid's middle-of-the-road Reagan biopic cleaned up in the southern US last year but failed to secure a release in the UK. Some genres, such as faith films and much of the work of US actor Tyler Perry, similarly struggle to gain enough transatlantic traction for UK distributors to risk more than a niche digital release. Meanwhile, the experimental Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, in which the singer is reimagined as CGI chimp, left American audiences baffled, and in the US it earned just a quarter of the $8m (£6.4m) it made on home turf. But the Bridget Jones films have been opening to diminishing returns in the US since the start. The first film made a respectable 25% of its $282m global take in the US in 2001; by the second, in 2004, that had dropped to 15% (of a $265m total). In 2016, Bridget Jones's Baby had an even more troubled transatlantic birth, with just 11% of its final takings coming from the US. That $20m (of $211m) was, however, trebled in the UK, where the film broke a considerable number of records and was the third best-performing movie of the year. For Mad About the Boy the distributor Universal Pictures and production company Working Title struck a deal for US rights with the streamer Peacock before the film went into production, but some are now wondering whether such scepticism about its American prospects may have been misguided. Early word of mouth on the film, whose reviews are embargoed until 12 February, has been positive, with many praising the reinvention and stamina of the franchise, despite the central love triangle having two new corners: Chiwetel Ejiofor (who plays a strict yet ripped science teacher) and Leo Woodall (a strapping parks supervisor). The film's central tension – the age-gap relationship between the characters played by Zellweger, who is 55 and Woodall, who is 28 – is very on point, with age-gap relationships involving older women and younger men producing two box office hits in the past year, thanks to Anne Hathaway and Nicole Kidman (twice). Many – including Grant – have also flagged Mad About the Boy's classy Kleenex credentials, with the theme of grief (which is central to Fielding's 2013 novel on which this instalment is based) faithfully transferred to the screen by the film's co-writer Abi Morgan. Tonally, the film is reportedly considerably more mature and thematically complex than its predecessors, and its visual palette also more ambitious – thanks, perhaps, to incoming director Michael Morris, whose most recent film was the acclaimed drama To Leslie, about an alcoholic single mother in Texas. Two years ago, that film earned its star Andrea Riseborough a very surprising Oscar nomination. So don't write Bridget off just yet.
