Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

The UK box office delivered a sharply front‑loaded frame, with the top 15 generating £15,594,130. It was the 4th best weekend of the year so far and marked a 39% uplift from last weekend, driven by a dominant new release and supported by a cluster of niche debuts and resilient long‑running titles that added texture across the chart.

Weekend roundup

• Michael: £11,574,192; 704 screens; Week 1. Includes £3,082,250 from 660 previews. A major breakout that lands as the second best opening of the year, the 88th biggest opening weekend of all time behind The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and the 43rd widest release ever. It is also the 3rd widest rollout of 2026.

• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: £1,099,044; 660 screens; Week 4; down 57%. Total now £34,464,302. It rises to the 135th highest grossing film of all time, sitting just behind Up.

• Project Hail Mary: £838,094; 617 screens; Week 6; down 50%. Total now £31,927,033. It becomes the 153rd highest grossing film ever, now behind Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were‑Rabbit.

• The Drama: £504,926; 568 screens; Week 4; down 58%. Total now £9,204,414.

• Lee Cronin's The Mummy: £358,678; 520 screens; Week 2; down 63%. Total now £1,792,416.

• The Magic Faraway Tree: £339,523; 624 screens; Week 5; down 61%. Total now £13,907,993.

• Rose Of Nevada: £172,025; 127 screens; Week 1. Includes £62,472 from 48 previews. A modest but notable debut that ranks as the 64th best opening of the year behind The Strangers – Chapter 3.

• Exit 8: £140,265; 216 screens; Week 1. Includes £27,300 from 96 previews. A preview‑supported start for a mid‑scale genre rollout.

• Fight Club (4K Restoration): £98,468; 422 screens; Week 1. A strong catalogue reissue with broad multiplex reach.

• London 2026 (Opera), The Magic Flute – ROH: £87,522; 146 screens; Week 2. Total now £441,080.

• Akira (Re: 2026): £83,232; 307 screens; Week 2; down 91%. Total now £1,215,611.

• Bhooth Bangla: £82,328; 81 screens; Week 3; down 56%. Total now £370,833.

• Mother Mary: £64,227; 177 screens; Week 1. Includes £59 from 1 preview.

• Hoppers: £58,004; 397 screens; Week 8; down 68%. Total now £13,963,353.

• Primavera: £41,622; 49 screens; Week 1. Includes £17,970 from 36 previews.

Holdovers and milestones

Michael’s commanding launch sets a new benchmark for the spring corridor and instantly positions it as one of the year’s defining commercial stories. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues its climb up the all time chart, now ranking 135th. Project Hail Mary also reaches a significant milestone, moving up the all time list to 153rd as it pushes past the £31 million mark. Among longer‑running titles, The Magic Faraway Tree and Hoppers remain the most durable performers, each adding incremental totals that keep them relevant deep into their runs. Akira’s steep second‑week drop reflects the front‑loaded nature of event‑style anime reissues, while Fight Club’s 4K restoration demonstrates the continued strength of premium catalogue programming.

Ones to watch next week

A broad and unusually varied slate arrives next week, with a mix of sequels, restorations, event cinema and regional titles. Among them, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Hokum are likely to deliver the strongest results. The former benefits from the enduring popularity of the original film, making the sequel one of the more anticipated studio releases of the season, while Hokum enters the market with solid genre appeal and strong early awareness.

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 

• Hokum

•Ada – My Mother

•The Architect

•Basibozuklar

•Dhabkaaro

•Di'Anno – Iron Maiden's Lost Singer

•Ek DinEugene Onegin – Met Opera 2026 (Opera)

•Gaaya Padda Simham

•Highlander (40th Anniversary Reissue)

•I've Seen All I Need To See

•JetleeKaraKara

•Once Upon A Time In A Cinema

•Patriot

•Pitt Siyapa

•Raja Shivaji

•The Return Of Arinzo

•Slither (20th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

•That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime: Tears Of The Azure Sea

•Wild Foxes

Final take

A £15.6 million frame was driven almost entirely by Michael’s exceptional debut, which reshaped the chart and delivered one of the year’s standout openings. Key holdovers continued to climb the all time rankings, while a mix of restorations, niche releases and preview‑supported debuts filled out the lower half of the top 15. Next weekend’s arrival of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Hokum should provide a meaningful uplift, supported by a wide and eclectic slate across multiplexes and event cinema venues.