Could It Be Magic?

The UK box office saw a sharp rise this weekend, with overall grosses for the top 15 titles up 29% from last weekend. A pair of near-identical openers led the charge, while anime and seasonal fare added variety to the slate.

Weekend roundup:

• Now You See Me: Now You Don't — £2,384,018 opening; 564 screens; Week 1; includes £356,709 from 458 previews. This ranks as the 27th best opening of 2026, just behind Sinners, and delivered the highest screen average of the week at £4,227. It opened below its predecessors (Now You See Me 2 at £2,964,641 in 2016 and Now You See Me at £2,767,056 in 2013) but still posted a strong debut.

• The Running Man — £2,383,269 opening; 647 screens; Week 1; includes £704,083 from 580 previews. Just £749 behind the top spot, this ranks as the 28th best opening of the year so far.

• Nuremberg — £898,314 opening; 528 screens; Week 1; includes £41,718 from 286 previews. A mid-table debut that ranks as the 68th best of the year, just behind The Accountant 2.

• JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution — £837,563 opening; 360 screens; Week 1. A strong anime launch with no preview contribution, continuing the genre’s reliable performance in UK cinemas.

• Christmas Karma — £487,528 opening; 434 screens; Week 1. A seasonal debut that may build momentum heading into December.

• Keeper — £176,755 opening; 358 screens; Week 1. A modest platform-style launch.

• De De Pyaar De 2 — £130,643 opening; 118 screens; Week 1. A niche release with a focused footprint.

Holdovers and milestones:

• Predator: Badlands — £919,262; Week 2; down 61%. Despite the steep drop, its total has reached £4,259,697. Now the 41^st Top grossing film of 2025 behind Babygirl.

• The Choral — £601,580; Week 2; down 35%. Without previews, the fall-off is 34%, suggesting solid organic interest. Total now £2,564,840.

• Regretting You — £383,731; Week 4; down 51%. Total now £5,947,217, one of the highest among current releases.

• Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie — £172,997; Week 5; down 44%. Total now £5,860,805. Now the 31^st top grossing film of the year behind Regretting You.

• I Swear — £116,166; Week 6; down 58%. Total now £5,860,003.

• Die My Love — £157,284; Week 2; down 60%. Without previews, the fall-off is 46%. Total now £779,431.

• Bugonia — £257,907; Week 3; down 53%. Total now £2,650,482.

• A Paw Patrol Christmas — £258,395; Week 2; up 3%. A rare holdover gain, bringing its total to £554,208.

Quick Take:

Previews shaped much of this weekend’s story, with Now You See Me: Now You Don't and The Running Man neck-and-neck at the top. Anime continues to deliver, with JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution landing a robust fifth-place finish. Holdovers like Regretting You, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and I Swear have now cleared £5,800,000, marking them as standout performers in the current market.

Ones to watch next week:

Next week’s main release is Wicked: For Good, expected to dominate the box office following the huge success of Wicked Years last year.

• Paddington: Winter Warmers

• Sisu: Road To Revenge

• Picasso: A Rebel In Paris

• CBeebies Panto 2025: Cinderella

• The Fifth Step – NT Live 2025

• Arabella – Met Opera 2025

• 120 Bahadur

• Vilayath Budha

Final Take:

A preview-driven weekend lifted the UK box office by 29%, with two top-tier openers and a strong anime entry leading the way. Holdovers continue to show staying power, with several titles crossing major milestones. The coming week’s mix of anniversary screenings, concert films, and fan-focused releases could keep momentum high across UK screens.