‘Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend’ tops UK-Ireland box office as new entries including ‘Godzilla’, ‘George Michael’ flood chart

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Bollywood action epic Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend topped the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, as new titles dominated the top five chart.

Sony’s Ramayana started with £1.7m from 364 sites, at a £4,749 average, and has £2.2m including previews. This is the biggest opening ever for an Indian film at the UK-Ireland box office, topping the £1.6m of Dhurandhar: The Revenge from earlier this year, which had £2.1m including previews. Rise Of A Legend is the first in a two-part story, with the second part, Ramayana: Part 2, scheduled for release in October 2028.

An ancient epic about the marriage between a young prince and princess, Ramayana is the most expensive Indian film ever made with a reported $420m budget across the two parts. Rise Of A Legend will look to challenge the £4.5m lifetime of Dhurandhar to become the highest-grossing Indian film ever in the territory.

Asian films took first and second place for the first time ever at the UK-Ireland box office, with Anime Ltd’s Godzilla Minus Zero starting with £1.1m from 474 sites at a £2,396 average and £1.4m including previews. It beat the £786,000 three-day start of 2023 first film Godzilla Minus One; that title went on to a £2.6m total, which Minus Zero will hope to pass in the coming weeks.

Black Bear comedy-drama Wicker was the only holdover to make the top five, adding £1.1m on its second weekend after the best hold in the top 15, falling just 32%. It is up to £4.3m in a strong result.

Concert film George Michael: The Faith Tour demonstrated the variety of choices in cinemas this weekend, landing in fourth place on opening with a £1m first weekend. Playing in 592 sites for Universal, it took a £1,734 average.

Martin McDonagh’s Venice Competition title Wild Horse Nine rounded out the top five, opening to just over £1m for Disney from 660 sites at a £1,551 average. It was down on the £1.6m opening of McDonagh’s previous film The Banshees Of Inisherin from October 2022, and £2.2m start of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri from January 2018. Wild Horse Nine has £1.5m including previews.

Despite new titles entering the charts, takings for the top five fell for the second consecutive weekend, dropping 5% to just over £6m. The coming session offers a similarly eclectic range of new releases, including heist comedy How To Rob A Bank and theatrical adaptation Prima Facie for Sony, Paramount’s Scrooge story Ebeneezer and Picturehouse Entertainment’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord.

More to follow.

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