Fantastic 4 to number 1

The UK box office surged this weekend with total earnings placing it as the 7th best overall weekend of the year. A blend of superhero spectacle, animated action, and nostalgia-fueled releases helped usher in a range of audience engagement, led by a particularly dominant debut.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ powers into first place

Claiming the number one spot with a powerful debut, The Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to £8,144,594 across 658 screens. Of this, £2,053,019 stemmed from 619 preview screenings. It marks the 8th biggest opening of the year, just behind How To Train Your Dragon, which itself continues to show resilience in its 7th week, adding £299,397 to its £21,445,468 total.

In franchise context, First Steps trails its predecessors in opening weekend gross:

• Fantastic Four (2005): £3,541,391 opening; £12,335,439 total

• Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007): £4,137,169 opening; £12,278,806 total

• Fantastic Four (2015): £2,686,176 opening; £5,653,567 total

  
  

New releases find success, while holdovers suffer typical summer slide

In second place, Superman fell a sharp 61% from last weekend, taking in £1,913,047 on 720 screens, bringing its total to £21,423,043 after three weeks. Meanwhile, The Bad Guys 2 made a solid debut in third, earning £1,628,702 across 638 screens.

Jurassic World Rebirth continues to perform well in its fourth week, adding £1,577,590 to reach an impressive £28,773,507. That said, the dinosaur sequel also suffered a 52% decline, suggesting its peak may be fading.

Animated titles were hit hardest: Smurfs dropped 60% to £481,833, although the actual decline from non-preview days clocks in at 59%. Similarly, I Know What You Did Last Summer and 28 Years Later both fell by 60%, and Elio saw a steep 66% drop, landing it in 12th place.

Noteworthy: Saiyaara’s unexpected leap and nostalgia hits

The Bollywood drama Saiyaara posted a remarkable 161% increase in its second week, grossing £506,773 on just 122 screens. Word-of-mouth and targeted appeal appear to be strong drivers for its growth.

Nostalgia factored into the lower rungs of the chart, with The Goonies (40th Anniversary) entering at number 13 with £97,054, and anime title Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death – The Movie drawing £74,539 from just 10 screens, landing at number 15.

Also new this week were Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 and Thalaivan Thalaivii, debuting at £105,249 and £78,428 respectively. Though modestly placed, their presence adds to the increasing diversity of content being offered across UK cinemas.

Looking ahead

While superhero fans showed up en masse for Fantastic Four: First Steps, the box office as a whole is seeing a familiar trend: strong openings coupled with sharp second-week declines. Upcoming releases and potential franchise expansions will determine whether these newcomers can mirror the staying power of hits like Jurassic World Rebirth and How To Train Your Dragon.

As summer continues, audience appetite appears as varied as ever, balancing anticipation for blockbuster spectacle with a clear appetite for legacy titles and niche international fare.