British Ghost Film Beats DC Superhero in U.K. Opening
Lionsgate's 'Ghosts: The Possession of Button House' earns £2.4 million, outpacing Warner Bros.' 'Clayface' in the U.K. and Ireland.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Lionsgate U.K. secured the top spot in the U.K. and Ireland box office this weekend with the horror-comedy 'Ghosts: The Possession of Button House.' The film collected £2.4 million, equivalent to $3.2 million, across its opening three days. This debut placed the British production ahead of major studio competitors in the region.
Warner Bros. placed second with the DC horror thriller 'Clayface,' which opened with $2.6 million. The film finished behind the Button House haunting despite its franchise backing. Amazon MGM Studios' comedy 'Ali G: Who Iz I?' claimed third place, generating $1.7 million in its debut session.
Black Bear's animated fantasy 'Wildwood' directed by Travis Knight, took fourth spot with an opening haul of $1.36 million. Paramount's 'Street Fighter' moved to fifth in its second weekend, adding $1.35 million to reach a cumulative total of $5.6 million. Universal's 'Forgotten Island' followed in sixth place, collecting $1.2 million for a total of $3.7 million.
Sony's psychological thriller 'Verity' ranked seventh in its fourth week, adding $857,067 to its total of $14.4 million. Universal's 'Other Mommy' sat at eighth, earning $576,822 for a cumulative gross of $6.2 million. Mubi's drama 'Fatherland' debuted at ninth, pulling in $264,083 from 86 locations.
'Fatherland' recorded a screen average of $3,144, the fourth highest among new releases. Including previews, the film's total opening reached $415,017, surpassing the previous record for director Paweł Pawlikowski in the territory. Studiocanal's 'Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom' completed the top 10 in its sixth weekend with $408,089.
Upcoming releases include Disney's 'Everest: The Other Side' and A24's 'Primetime' starring Robert Pattinson, arriving Friday in more than 300 locations. Black Bear's 'Wicker' featuring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård also opens wide. Mid-week events feature a broadcast of the Royal Ballet's 'Manon' and a live viewing of the BTS World Tour.
The week concludes with a Saturday live viewing of the BTS World Tour 'Arirang' in Sao Paulo. BFI Distribution is also releasing a 4K restoration of Ken Russell's 'The Devils' across 25 screens. Studiocanal brings back Richard Kelly's 'Donnie Darko' in a 25th anniversary 4K re-release.
