It's still A-me, Mario!

The UK box office delivered a muted frame this weekend, with the top 15 generating £9,552,445. A cluster of new releases added breadth but not scale, while several key holdovers continued their steady climbs up the yearly and all time charts. This was the third worst weekend of the year so far, and the market felt it.

Weekend roundup

• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: £2,552,081; 691 screens; Week 3; down 54%. Now at £32,935,857, it ranks as the 142nd highest grossing film ever, sitting just behind Mufasa: The Lion King. Current momentum suggests a finish near £45 million, which would place it among the stronger modern animated runs.

• Project Hail Mary: £1,676,572; 674 screens; Week 5; down 33%. Its total of £30,344,276 positions it as the 174th highest grossing film of all time, just behind Ice Age: Continental Drift. It remains the second top grossing film of 2026.

• The Drama: £1,205,060; 647 screens; Week 3; down 32%. Total now £8,077,705. A consistent adult drama performer holding well against new competition.

• Lee Cronin's The Mummy: £970,220; 543 screens; Week 1. A solid genre opening that lands as the 17th best debut of the year, just behind Reminders Of Him.

• Akira (Re: 2026): £884,729; 414 screens; Week 1. A strong reissue result for a title with deep cultural reach and a loyal fanbase.

• The Magic Faraway Tree: £857,125; 680 screens; Week 4; down 49%. With £13,390,155 to date, it is now the 6th highest grossing film of the year behind Hoppers. On the all time chart it sits at 560th, just behind American Sniper.

• Time Hoppers: The Silk Road: £219,142; 291 screens; Week 1. A modest launch for a niche adventure title.

• BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN JAPAN: £203,738; 246 screens; Week 1. Another event-driven K-pop entry with strong fan turnout.

• All My Sons – NT Live 2026 (Theatre): £196,211; 349 screens; Week 2. Total now £597,807. A stable second weekend for premium theatre programming.

• Hoppers: £178,606; 526 screens; Week 7; down 56%. Now at £13,875,297. A long-running family hit continuing to add incremental business.

• Glenrothan: £159,465; 464 screens; Week 1. A quiet start for a Scottish drama with regional appeal.

• Me & Tuscany You: £117,454; 354 screens; Week 2; down 61%. Total now £655,281.

• Undertone: £76,675; 293 screens; Week 2; down 72%. Total now £515,162. A steep drop but a respectable final gross for a small-scale thriller.

Holdovers and milestones

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues its ascent up the all time chart, now ranking 142nd and on track for a finish near £45 million. Project Hail Mary strengthens its position as the second highest grosser of 2026 and enters the all time list at 174th. The Magic Faraway Tree climbs to 6th on the yearly chart and reaches 560th all time, while Hoppers edges closer to the year’s top five with another weekend of steady takings. These titles remain the most durable performers in the market.

Ones to watch next week

A broad slate arrives, but one title stands above the rest in terms of expected audience pull:

• Michael

• Basibozuklar

• Darling 4K (Re: 2026)

• Exit 8

• Fight Club (4K Restoration)

• Funny Girl – The Musical (Re: 2026) (Theatre)

• Ginny Wedss Sunny 2

• Hitpig!

• The Last Spy

• Licence

• London’s Last Wilderness

• Mother Mary

• The North

• Power To The People: John & Yoko Live In NYC (Concert)

• Primavera

• Rose Of Nevada

• Searching For Satyrus

• Singh Vs. Kaur 2

• Surviving Earth

• Ultras

Michael is the clear commercial driver, with strong pre-release awareness and broad demographic reach. Several restorations, concerts and niche dramas round out a varied slate that should lift overall admissions.

Final take

A £9.5 million frame reflects a market in need of fresh momentum. While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary continue to deliver meaningful milestones, the weekend’s new releases added more variety than volume. Next week’s arrival of Michael, supported by a wide and eclectic slate, should provide a welcome boost as the market moves toward a stronger late April corridor.