Hunter or Hunted

The UK box office saw a robust weekend as Predator: Badlands stormed into first place with £2,376,780 across 582 screens, marking the 27th best opening of the year, just behind Sinners. A mix of fresh entries and resilient holdovers kept the market buoyant, with several titles crossing key milestones and others setting up for long-term runs.

Weekend Roundup:

• Predator: Badlands — £2,376,780 opening; 582 screens; Week 1. A muscular debut that lands just outside the year’s top 25 openers, ranking 27th behind Sinners.

• The Choral — £917,177 opening; 643 screens; Week 1. A wide release that enters as the 63rd best opening of 2025, just behind Coolie.

• Die My Love — £396,243 opening; 271 screens; Week 1. A mid-range launch with weekday potential, especially given its modest screen count.

• A Paw Patrol Christmas — £250,149 opening; 563 screens; Week 1. A seasonal family entry with strong positioning ahead of the holiday corridor.

• Dom Dobry — £167,924 opening; 117 screens; Week 1. A niche debut that could benefit from word-of-mouth in targeted markets.

• Regretting You — £790,646; 543 screens; Week 3; down just 13%. Total now £5,247,190 — a strong hold that suggests sustained audience interest.

• Bugonia — £548,922; 549 screens; Week 2; down 44%. Adjusted for previews, the drop is a more modest 29%, indicating a solid core audience.

• Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie — £308,588; 583 screens; Week 4; down 49%. Total now £5,660,407, maintaining its lead as one of the year’s top family performers.

• I Swear — £273,099; 389 screens; Week 5; down 28%. Total now £5,572,230, continuing its impressive long tail.

• One Battle After Another — £181,754; 296 screens; Week 7; down 32%. Total now £11,578,584, overtaking Snow White to become the 20th highest grosser of the year.

• Back To The Future (40th Anniversary) — £154,332; 354 screens; Week 2; down 82%. Total now £1,311,607 — a sharp drop but still a notable anniversary reissue.

Holdovers & Milestones:

• One Battle After Another continues its impressive run, now at £11,578,584 and climbing the yearly chart.

• Regretting You and I Swear both hold well in their third and fifth weeks respectively, each now past £5,000,000.

• Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie edges closer to £6,000,000, maintaining strong family interest.

• Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has now overtaken Captain America: Brave New World on the annual chart, securing the 11th spot with £18,262,332.

Quick Take:

Predator: Badlands led a weekend of solid performances, with The Choral and Die My Love adding depth to the new release slate. Bugonia’s second-week drop is softened when preview impact is removed, suggesting a steadier hold than headline figures imply. Meanwhile, One Battle After Another continues to outperform expectations, climbing the yearly rankings and proving its staying power.

Titles to watch next week

Selected upcoming releases likely to make an impact:

• La Boheme – Met Opera 2025 (Opera)

• Dogma: Resurrected! A 25th Anniversary Celebration

• League Of Legends Worlds25: Finals In Cinema

• The Girlfriend

• Jaari 2: Song Of Chyabrung

• Innocent

• Happy Khush Ho Gaya

• I'm Not An Actor

Final Take:

A strong mix of genre entries and family fare kept the UK box office lively this weekend. With Predator: Badlands setting a new benchmark and One Battle After Another continuing its climb, the market remains dynamic. Next week’s blend of event cinema, anniversary reissues, and international titles promises further momentum heading into the winter corridor.