Ghosts: The Possession of Button House topped the UK and Ireland box office over the weekend, earning £2.4 million from 642 cinemas, according to the chart reported on October 27. The Ghosts UK box office result gives the Lionsgate comedy a £3,827 per-cinema average and the sixth-best opening for a comedy this year.
Clayface was second with $2.6 million, about £1.95 million, its best market outside North America, while Amazon MGM’s Ali G: Who Iz I? took third with £1.3 million. Laika’s Wildwood was fourth with $1.36 million, about £1 million, a record number of cinemas for its UK distributor, Black Bear.
Ali G Refuses to Leave
Despite being advertised as a one-weekend-only cinema release, Ali G: Who Iz I? will now stay open for holdover bookings, according to the same chart report. The opening is down on Sacha Baron Cohen’s previous outings, but the decision to extend the run suggests exhibitors see continued demand.
The film’s third-place finish is a reminder of the enduring pull of the Ali G character, more than two decades after the character first broke through, and of the UK audience’s appetite for homegrown comedy on the big screen.
Wildwood’s Record Cinema Count
Wildwood’s fourth-place UK finish came with a record cinema count for Black Bear, its UK distributor. The stop-motion fantasy from Laika follows a teenage girl entering an enchanted forest to rescue her baby brother, and audiences have given it an A CinemaScore in North America.
The film’s UK performance, at around £1 million, mirrors its solid but unspectacular North American opening, where it took around $12 million. With a reported $100 million production budget, the film faces a long road to profitability, but its warm audience response gives it a chance at a sustained run.
A Varied Weekend for UK Cinemas
The UK chart reflects a varied weekend for cinemas, with horror, comedy, animation and a returning comedy icon all finding audiences. For exhibitors heading into Halloween week, the mix of a comedy chart-topper and a horror holdover in Clayface offers something for both family audiences and late-night thrill seekers.
Related: Jailer 2 Storms UK Box Office With Strong Opening Weekend Haul
