Bugs!, the first large format 3D feature to have had significant UK financing, opened across the country in six Imax theatres last weekend for a strong $29,914 take in its first three days on release.

The Film Consortium, jointly responsible with SK Films and UKFTV for marketing the film in the UK, is expecting the ticket sales to increase even more when the Imax-friendly school half-term begins later in the month.

The BFI London Imax at Waterloo, the country's biggest Imax auditorium with 477 seats, saw the strongest numbers with $16,766. This was followed by Bradford's $3,624 (247 seats), Birmingham's $3,110 (380 seats), Glasgow's $3,050 (350 seats), London's Science Museum theatre with $2,329 (410 seats) and finally Bristol's $1,035 (251 seats).

However, the figures do not necessarily reflect the true success of the film. For example, the take from the Bristol location is the lowest but the film screened only once on each of Saturday Oct 4 and Sunday Oct 5.

Bugs! is also the first UK-produced large format title to receive a significant release in North America where it has already built a cumulative score of $4m.

The 40 minute live-action 3-D nature film follows the dramatic and savage lifecycle of a preying mantis and a beautiful butterfly, known by their Latin names Heirodula and Papilio, along with an array of insects that share their rainforest habitat.

Directed by Mike Slee and narrated by Dame Judi Dench, Bugs! was shot on location in Borneo and in a purpose-built studio in Oxford, England.

Bugs! is produced by Phil Streather and Alexandra Ferguson with Jonathan Barker, Simon Relph and UKFTV's Peter Fudakowski serving as Executive Producers. Tim Wellspring is the associate producer.

Bugs! is produced by Principal Large Format in association with Image Quest 3-D, co-produced by the UK Film and TV Production Company Plc, financed with The Film Consortium in association with the UK Film Council. The film is presented by Terminix and distributed to the worldwide network of IMAX, and other large format theatres, by SK Films Inc. of Toronto, Canada.