A Box Office Roundup – A Flop for Every Success.

This week, Stealth Media Films gives you a roundup of box offices on both sides of the Atlantic; as whilst one film rides high in the UK, another flops in the US.

What Works At the Box Office?

As a film finance company, Stealth Media Films takes box office numbers very seriously. Box office numbers are the most useful tool that we have to hand to determine how an audience has received the latest projects making a splash in the world of film.

Film audiences are funny things. You can put millions into a film and they hate it, whilst they take like a duck to water to a low budget indie flick that nobody expected to even make up its production costs. That wasn’t quite the case over the past seven days, but the numbers certainly were interesting.

Those Inbetweeners do it Again!

As far as UK markets go – you guessed it – the second Inbetweeners film still reigns supreme. This is the comedy film’s second consecutive week at the top of the UK box office.

According to Digital Spy, the second film instalment of the rude coming-of-age franchise raked in an impressive £4.3 million this week to once again top the UK box office. It pulled in more than Hollywood blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy and latest release, Expendables 3 – also considered a heavyweight.

Whilst Galaxy Rode High, Sin City 2 Monumentally Flopped

Meanwhile, the US markets certainly proved fascinating to watch over the past seven days. Whilst Guardians of the Galaxy did manage to top that market (they really love a big-budget flick over there) – similar Hollywood heavyweight Sin City 2, flopped so hard you could hear it from China!

The Sin City sequel – Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill, pulled in a paltry $6 million at the US box office. It came eighth in the list of top ten. Guardians meanwhile, pulled in almost three times as much – over $17 million.

There is no Proven Recipe for Success

These numbers have once again shown Stealth Media Films that it’s hard to predict what’ll prove a hit at the box office. Both films – the Inbetweeners and Sin City, were seen as proven recipes for success; yet only one was. Why that was, we can only speculate. 

Stealth Media Films is pleased that the ‘Force is Strong’ for UK film production

Stealth Media Films was pleased with the news this week that yet another Star Wars film is set to shoot in the UK next year. Chancellor George Osbourne (not Chancellor Palpatine) was proud that his tax breaks are helping to keep the UK a first choice for film production.

American film companies benefit from choosing the UK as a production centre with 25% tax relief on the first £20m of qualifying expenditure and 20% thereafter. This is proving an attractive draw for companies looking to get maximum bang for their buck.

Tradition of the Star Wars Franchise

The treasury reported a massive boost of over 14% in film production investment on the previous year. In 2013 alone there was a massive £1bn investment into UK film production. It’s not just the tax breaks that attract film-makers, it’s also the talent and expertise of UK film technicians.

Disney and Lucasfilm have decided to shoot at Pinewood Studios which is a great boost for the UK industry and those employed here. It’s also in keeping tradition with the Star Wars franchise, the original film was partly lensed at Elstree Studios.

The Chancellor Speaks

Visiting the set of the current Star Wars film, the Chancellor George Osbourne praised the decision. "Lucasfilm and Disney's decision to shoot the Star Wars standalone movie in the UK is testament to the incredible talent in Britain," said Mr Osborne.

"This will mean more jobs and more investment. It is great news for people working at Pinewood Studios, from the set designers to the carpenters.

"As Chancellor I have been determined that we back our brilliant creative industries which is why we have invested in skills and training as well as providing tax relief for films, high-end TV, animation, video games and regional theatre.

"The further changes the Government made to the film tax relief at Budget 2014 will support our highly skilled, innovative creative sectors so that they continue to thrive and encourage more films to be made in the UK."

Stealth Media Films

At Stealth Media Films our current slate of films includes the eagerly anticipated Gummy Bear the Movie featuring the voice of John Travolta. We’re always keen to hear from parties interested in film investment, and we’re available for comment on film industry investment news. If you’re considering film investment you can contact Stealth Media Film Investments here.