| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mia Blakeney |
Box Office Round-up
Music biopics have been fertile ground for film studios over the last decade, and that is going to continue as Michael opened in the top spot at the UK box office with a thrilling £11.6m, which includes £3.1m from Wednesday and Thursday previews. The Friday to Sunday total of £8.5m is the second highest opening of the year, behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The obvious comparative is Bohemian Rhapsody, which opened with a Friday to Sunday total of £6.5m and showed remarkable legs to finish on £55.4m. Michael has opened bigger, but can it match that staying power?
After three weekends in the top spot, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie fell to second adding £1.1m, which is down 57% from last weekend. It looks like it took something of a hit from Michael and the sunny weather. After 26 days in cinemas it’s on £34.4m and it’s the biggest film of 2026. It’s not far behind Zootropolis 2, which is currently on £36.2m and is the biggest animated film released in the last year. The first Super Mario Bros. Movie finished its run on £54.9m, so hopefully this sequel can continue to creep up towards that.
Project Hail Mary fell to third adding £833k over the weekend, which is down just 50% from last weekend, it’s first major drop. That takes its total to £31.9m. Just a reminder that Ryan Gosling’s last film in cinemas was The Fall Guy, which finished on £12.4m, so Project Hail Mary is getting close to tripling that total. It has now become the biggest film where he’s been in a lead role, surpassing La La Land’s £30.7m.
The Drama continued its excellent run, adding £503k on its fourth weekend, which is down just 58% from last weekend. That takes its total after 24 days in cinemas to £9.1m and it has flown past the final total of 2024’s Challengers (£6.5m). This is another great result for A24 and original drama.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy rounded out the top five, adding £359k for a new total of £1.8m. Lee Cronin’s last film, Evil Dead Rise, finished on £5.5m, so his new film is not performing quite as strongly.
Outside of the top five, Rose Of Nevada opened in seventh with £172k, which includes £62k from previes. Exit 8, another film adapted from a video game, opened in seventh with £140k.
Next Weekend
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a sequel to the 2006 hit. As Miranda Priestly nears retirement, she reunites with Andy Sachs to face off against her former assistant turned rival: Emily Charlton. Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return.
Hokum is an Irish folk-horror. Adam Scott (Severance) stars as a horror writer who visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.
The Buzz
Practical Magic 2 is a sequel to the 2006 hit that starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as a pair of sisters who also happen to be witches. This sequel sees them attempt to break a curse that has left them loveless for centuries. The original is a cult favourite that has grown a fervent following in the intervening years. Bullock and Kidman are two of the most beloved and reliable performers out there, and they are joined by Maisie Williams, Joey King and Lee Pace. It’s one of the best films for ABC1 women in H2 when it hits cinemas on 11 September.
Across The Pond
Michael opened in the top spot with a thrilling $97m. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie fell to second, adding $21.2m for a new total of $386.5m. Project Hail Mary added $13.2m in second, which takes its total to $305.4m. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy fell to fourth, adding $5.6m for a new total of $23.5m, and The Drama rounded out the top five, adding $2.6m for a new total of $44.8m.