‘Paddington in Peru’ Dominates U.K., Ireland Box Office as ‘Gladiator II’ Looms

Studiocanal’s third “Paddington” instalment, “Paddington in Peru,” delivered a commanding £9.6 million ($12.3 million) opening weekend at the U.K. and Ireland box office, per numbers from Comscore.

“Paddington in Peru” scored the biggest opening of the year for a British-produced film, the biggest opening in the territory for the franchise and is Studiocanal’s highest U.K. opener.

The frame’s other major newcomer, Warner Bros.’ “Red One,” secured a solid £2.4 million debut in second place. Entertainment Film Distributors’ supernatural horror “Heretic” demonstrated staying power in its second frame, adding £1 million for a £3.8 million running total. Sony Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance” continued to draw audiences in its third week with £965,297, propelling its cume past £10.9 million.

Universal’s “The Wild Robot” showcased enduring family appeal in week four, generating £665,209 and pushing its total to £12.7 million. Awards season contender “Small Things Like These” from Lionsgate U.K. held steady in its sophomore session with £660,028, reaching £2.1 million overall.

Paramount’s horror sequel “Smile 2” maintained its grip in week four with £310,741, bringing its total to £6 million. Apple Original Films’ “Blitz” added £245,688 in its second frame for a £430,118 cume, while Universal’s “Anora” collected £240,719, reaching just over £1 million. Universal’s newcomer “Piece By Piece” rounded out the top 10 with a £186,978 debut.

Come Friday, all eyes will be on Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington, which Paramount is opening across more than 300 locations.

Before that, on the Wednesday, Cosmic Cat is opening BFI Flare documentary “India’s 1st Best Trans Model Agency” and on the Thursday, Trafalgar Releasing is bowing live concert film “Shawn Mendes: For Friends & Family Only” and Yash Raj Films, action-packed Tamil-language Indian film “Kanguva,” headlined by Suriya.

On the Friday, Disney is releasing music documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late” and Dartmouth Films, another film in the genre, “Hyper: The Stevie Hyper D Story.” From Modern Films comes Sundance-winning music and politics-themed documentary “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat.”

Netflix is providing a limited theatrical release to “Joy,” starring Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy, while Vertigo has commenced the holiday season early by bowing “Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point.”

The Indian releases this week also include “The Sabarmati Report” from Zee Studios International, “Mura” from Yash Raj Films and “Matka” Dreamz Entertainment. Bakrania Media is re-releasing Venice-playing cult horror hit “Tumbbad.”

Trinity CineAsia is opening Anselm Chan’s Hong Kong drama “The Last Dance,” which recently played at the Tokyo International Film Festival.