JAWS swims back into the global box office, as THE ROSES bloom in the UK
Plus: STARFIGHTER, THE CONJURING & TOXIC AVENGER!
đ° Box Office: WEAPONS aimed to fend off the return of Spielbergâs iconic sharkâŚ
After the strange anomaly of KPop Demon Hunters stealing the No.1 spot from horror smash Weapons, that was only a two-day special event, so a sense of normality returned with Weapons regaining the top spot. Itâs really got staying power! But there was another amusing oddity in the re-release of Jaws for its 50th anniversary, which made $8.1M and grabbed the No.2 spot, denying new releases anything higherâŚ
Darren Aronofskyâs Caught Stealing thus had to settle for No.3, while dark martial comedy The Roses debuted at No.5, which perhaps isnât too bad for a film with two prominent British actors being very cynical and snarky to each other. The other new release, The Toxic Avenger remake, struggled to enter the Top 10, landing at No.11 with a dismal $1.7M.
đşđ¸ US Box Office
Weaponsâ$10.2M (week 4)
Jaws (50th Anniversary Re-release)â$8.1M (week 1)
Caught Stealingâ$7.8M (week 1)
Freakier Fridayâ$6.5M (week 4)
The Rosesâ$6.4M (week 1)
In the UK, the appeal of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as bickering English spouses was naturally a lot stronger, so The Roses took No.1 with ÂŁ2.1M. The Jaws re-release was something Brits could also enjoy (unlike the KPop sing-along), so it likewise took No.2. But a similar re-release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for its 20th anniversary only saw it enter the chart at No.8. Aronofskyâs Caught Stealing seemed to have less appeal here too, despite starring hunk-of-the-moment Austin Butler and homegrown Matt Smith, only coming in at No.6.
đŹđ§ UK Box Office
The RosesâÂŁ2.1M (week 1)
Jaws (50th Anniversary Re-release)âÂŁ1.1M
WeaponsâÂŁ838K (week 4)
The Bad Guys 2âÂŁ807K (week 6)
Freakier FridayâÂŁ744K (week 4)
đď¸ News: STARFIGHTER launches, CALL OF DUTY: The Movie, SCARFACE on TV, and ARISTOCATS canned!
Star Wars: Starfighter has started production, having now added Amy Adams and Aaron Pierre to a cast that includes Ryan Gosling.
A film based on the popular video game Call of Duty is in development with Paramount Pictures, hoping to find the next such hit after the successes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minecraft.
Ridley Scott wonât be working with his Gladiator II cinematographer John Mathieson again, after the DoP described the filmmakerâs style of using 4-11 cameras with just three or four takes âlazyâ in an interview with Dazed.
The TV adaptation of Scarface is moving ahead, technically based on the 1930 novel rather than Brian De Palmaâs classic 1983 remake or Howard Hawksâ 1932 film. Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) is producing and will star as Tony Montana, a role made famous by Al Pacino.
Despite a lot of success with the live-action updates of its animated hits, despite the odd misfire like Snow White, Disney wonât be moving ahead with a planned remake of The Aristocats from drummer, record producer, actor, and DJ Amir âQuestloveâ Thompson in his directorial debut.
đ Critical Lens: ghosts, convicts, an actor, old-age pensioners, a married couple, and a janitor!
Alexander Boucher covered the new 4K Ultra HD disc of The Conjuring ahead of the franchiseâs fourth and final instalment coming to cinemas.
looked back at summer 2025âs winners and loser at the global box office.
looked back at the Coen Brothersâ O Brother, Where Art Thou? for its 25th anniversary, and The Constant Gardener and Sofia Coppolaâs Somewhere for their 15th.
Conall McManus revisited Christopher Nolanâs first hit, Memento, for its quarter-century anniversary.
had mixed thoughts on remakes of The Toxic Avenger and The Roses, and likewise The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix.
đ What Have We Been Watching?
: âI had the pleasure of viewing Darren Aronofskyâs latest film Caught Stealing, a propulsive thrill ride through New York City that rarely ever takes its foot off the pedal. It was reminiscent of Guy Ritchieâs first two films, though it felt like a watered-down, Americanised version without the same degree of gleeful insanity. While enjoyable, Caught Stealing offers little to reflect on or savour after the credits have rolled, but itâs still a satisfying piece of escapist media that warrants a trip to your local cinema.â
: âHavenât enjoyed an MCU movie as much as Thunderbolts* for a whileâsome tight scripting and not a straightforward villain or threat, so felt a little fresher. Also, watched the Eyes of Wakanda animation, which was patchy with Episode 3 being the strongest, but catching up with the two Fairy Tail movies has been a recent highlightâit doesn't get much more anime than that.â
: âI saw The Thursday Murder Club, based on a book Iâve heard good things about. Love the premise of old people in a (dream-like) retirement home taking their love of solving cold cases and applying it to a real-life murder. Itâs a British version Only Murders in the Building with added sponge cakes and cups of tea. Far too long at two-hours given its limited visual appeal, it should have been a miniseries. Anyway, it was fine but forgettable. Celia Imrie stole the movie. Pierce Brosnan was miscast. And Iâm not sure making the villain/s so extremely sympathetic was a good move!
Dan Perrin: âGot a second viewing in for Ryan Cooglerâs superb Sinnersâquite necessary as my first watch in the cinema came after a few hours of daytime drinking with a friend which, shall we just say, left me a little sleepy at one point! Anyway, this time I was quite sober and loved every minute of this beautifully made blues-infused vampire tale. Canât remember the last time I saw a Hollywood movie that had (so much) more to offer than just spectacle. Just give Coogler an Oscar next year and a blank cheque for whatever he wants to make next.â