It’s a DC takeover at the top of the Official Film Chart, but it’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League that wins the top spot
Welcome to The Official Film Chart.
This week has seen the yearly ‘Star Wars Day‘ on May the fourth. To celebrate the fact, many digital retailers have dropped the price of all of the films. Usually retailing for £13.99 each or £17.99 for the UHD versions, They have dropped to £4.99 each. Or you can pick up ‘The Skywalker Saga‘ box set for £39.99 instead of the usual £60-£80. I must admit, although I own the entire collection on DVD, VHS, and Blu-Ray, I did indeed pick them all up on digital. Some things just need to be done!
MORTAL KOMBAT
The B.B.F.C. website is showing that the remake of ‘Mortal Kombat‘ has been classified as a 15. But better than that is the news that it is due for release on May 14th. Wishful thinking as cinemas won’t reopen until the 17th. However, the film is set for its digital home premiere this Thursday giving fans the chance to catch it early. Also, the new Angelina Jolie film ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead‘ will be released the same day. Cinema is back in a big way again.
OFFICIAL FILM CHART
As for the chart this week, it’s a case of some in, some out. Once again, we have climbers and fallers. And this week, we say goodbye to ‘Willy’s Wonderland‘, ‘Soul’, ‘Godzilla: King Of The Monsters‘, ‘Urban Legend Trilogy‘, and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home.’ But Has ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘ united again to remain the UK number one? Suit up as we find out.
THE LEAGUE DOMINATES!
The league remains united as ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘ holds firm at the top of the chart. The superhero epic, long called for by DC fans comfortably retains its place based on digital downloads alone. The physical copies are due for release later this month. Almost certainly guaranteeing the film will remain near or at the top for a while longer yet. What is probably the climax to Zack Snyder’s time in the DC Universe is a four-hour-long triumph. More involved, darker, and the total opposite of the original 2017 version, the film deserves to be owned by fans and non-fans alike.
Holding firm by lassoing herself firmly into the second position, we find the DC superhero sequel ‘Wonder Woman 1984‘. The film has managed to triumph against the odds that were thrown against it by COVID. Gal Gadot once again gives us a powerful performance as the main character with great support from Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, and Kristen Wiig. A third film is already in the planning stage so we can expect at least one final adventure with the Amazonian warrior.
DAWN OF JUSTICE
DC manages to get itself the much-coveted hattrick in the charts. Returning once again to grab third place this past week is the prequel ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.‘ The film is the middle part of Snyder’s DC trilogy. Ben Affleck plays the caped crusader for the first time alongside the returning Henry Cavill as the man of steel. It is also the film that first introduced us to Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The original version was passable but the extended edition is much better. It is, in some ways, similar to Snyder’s ‘Justice League‘ in being more involved and darker than the original release.
Our first new entry this week comes into the chart in fourth place. We welcome ‘Blithe Spirit‘ into the charts. Despite poor reviews, the film has managed to make a success of itself. Judy Dench, Isla Fisher, and Dan Stevens lead the cast in a new adaptation of the classic Noel Coward play. The film was due for cinematic release but had to be shelved due to the pandemic. Sky picked the film up and released it as an original film on Sky Movies Premiere back in January.
SEND IN THE CLOWNS
Not being content with holding the top three places in the chart, DC has decided that it wants four films within the top five. And it gets its wish as the Oscar-Winning ‘Joker‘ slips a place to round out the top five for the week. The Joaquin Phoenix-led dramatic masterpiece is still selling well thanks to a digital price cut. And the film deserves to have continued success. All thanks to a powerhouse performance from Phoenix.
COMING SOON
Hitting download and keep from Monday is the crime thriller ‘The Little Things’. The film, starring Oscar-winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto sadly missed out on a UK cinema release. The film was released back in January in the U.S where it debuted in cinemas and on the HBO MAX streaming service. The movie follows two detectives in 1990 Los Angeles, tasked with investigating several grisly murders. Along the way, they encounter a strange loner who may or may not be the culprit. The film received mixed reviews but the stars and director gained critical praise. Leto himself was nominated for the best supporting actor at both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards. If this sounds like your cup of tea, grab it on digital from May 10th.
OSCAR WINNER
We return to the chart now with a look at the bottom five placings. And it is here where we find our second new entry of the week. Coming off the back of its many awards including at the Oscars is ‘Judas And The Black Messiah‘. Daniel Kaluuya won Best Supporting Actor at Hollywood’s big night last week. The film tells the story of Fred Hampton (Kaluuya), the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1960s Chicago. It depicts his betrayal at the hands of FBI informant William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield). The film is a powerful biographical drama and deserves to be seen.
Our final new entry arrives at number seven. And making its chart debut is the controversial 2000 Japanese action-thriller ‘Battle Royale’. This is thanks to a new limited edition 4K boxset. The film follows a bunch of junior-high-school students who are forced to battle to the death by the totalitarian Japanese government. The film is extremely violent, bloodthirsty, and engrossing. It has the dubious honor of being banned in the United States until it was released direct-to-video in 2010. Fans of cinema ought to own a copy of the film as it is quite simply, a masterpiece of filmmaking.
JACKMAN THE SHOWMAN
Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron can’t quite keep us entertained this week as ‘The Greatest Showman‘ descends the chart three places to give us the greatest show from the eighth position.
Returning yet again, thanks to a digital price cut are Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. ‘Jumanji: The Next Level‘ zooms twenty-one places back into the top ten and occupying the ninth spot.
And finally, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane hang over the chart exit door as ‘Let Him Go‘ drops two places to tenth.
Our time within the top ten titles has come to an end for another week. My thanks for joining me as we take a look at the biggest titles in the UK. All that remains to say is…
Whatever you decide, whatever you buy, stay safe, be kind, look after each other, and happy viewing!
Anyone wishing to buy any of the titles featured in The Official Film Chart can do so via FindAnyFilm.com. All videos and information have been supplied by Find Any Film and used under authorization.
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
