Neill Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo leads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, released by Sony.
Forefronting its real origins with the full title Gran Turismo: Based On A True Story, the film tells the story of a videogame player of the titular game; a former race car driver; and a motorsports executive who take on the elite sport of motor racing.
Stranger Things’ David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and 2017 Screen Star of Tomorrow Archie Madekwe lead the cast, which also includes Geri Horner – Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls – Djimon Hounsou and Takehiro Hira.
It is a fifth feature for South African director Blomkamp, who scored an international hit with his 2009 debut District 9 (opened: £2.3m; closed: £9m). That was just pipped by his next film, his highest-grossing title to date - 2013 sci-fi Elysium starring Matt Damon (£9.1m total).
Gran Turismo lands at an intriguing intersection of films about motor racing; and films based on – and in this case about - video games.
In the former category, recent starters include James Mangold’s Le Mans ’66 (titled Ford v Ferrari in most international territories), which sped off with £2m, but slowed before a £6.3m finish.
Ten years ago Ron Howard broke the £10m barrier with Rush starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl, which started with £2.1m and ended with £10.1m.
Films based on video games are an increasingly popular proposition. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the highest-grossing film of the year until the Barbenheimer phenomenon; and still sits in second place with a hefty £54.3m, remaining in cinemas after 19 weekends. In the live-action realm, the Sonic The Hedgehog films have transferred the speedster’s interactive popularity to the big screen. The first film took £19.3m before the pandemic ended its run in 2020; while number two collected £26.7m in spring last year.
Themed attraction
Disney has its own adaptation out this weekend: Haunted Mansion, inspired by the attraction at several of its theme parks. Directed by Justin Simien, the supernatural horror-comedy follows a single mother who hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her house.
It is a second feature for Simien, after 2014’s Dear White People (opened: £10,000; closed: £53,199). He also created, wrote and directed the Netflix show of the same name, which ran for four seasons from 2017 to 2021.
Disney previously adapted the ride into a film with 2004’s The Haunted Mansion (£1.7m; £8.3m). The studio scored an international success on a ride adaptation in 2003 through Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (£3.8m; £28.2m), which became a five-film-and-counting franchise. The highest-grossing of these to date in the UK and Ireland is the second title, 2006’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (£13.7m; £52.5m).
Curzon is starting Emmanuele Crialese’s L’Immensita in 30 venues this weekend – 29 in UK-Ireland and one in Malta. The film, which debuted at Venice last year, stars Penelope Cruz in a story of the love between a woman and her children, in 1970s Rome.
Further non-English language titles this weekend include Gadar 2 – The Katha Continues through Zee Studios; and Katak: The Brave Beluga from Miracle/Dazzler.
In back catalogue titles, Park Circus is conducting a re-release of Robert Clouse’s martial arts classic Enter The Dragon starring Bruce Lee, in 231 sites across its first week; while Other Parties is playing Bette Gordon’s 1983 title Variety in 20 cinemas in England, expanding to Scottish venues after August 20.
Vertigo Releasing is opening family animation Puffin Rock, based on the children’s series; while Eclipse Pictures is starting Gerry Gregg’s documentary Face Dow n, about a German businessman who was kidnapped from his home in Belfast in 1973.
Now heading into its fourth weekend, the Barbenheimer juggernaut continues at pace. Having hit £67.5m as of last weekend, Warner Bros Barbie will look to break into the top 10 before the end of its run (Star Wars: The Last Jedi is currently 10th with £82.7m).
An equally – arguably more - impressive performance comes from Universal’s Oppenheimer, which was at £38.2m as of last Sunday. It had dropped just 49.5% since its first weekend compared to 52.3% for Barbie; should it continue this performance, it may usurp the pink performer in the weekend chart.
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