Disney’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” held the No. 1 position at the U.K. and Ireland box office for a third consecutive weekend, adding £4.4 million ($6 million) and lifting its cumulative total to £31.6 million ($42.8 million), according to Comscore.
Lionsgate U.K.’s erotic thriller “The Housemaid,” starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, remained a strong second, pulling in $5.2 million in its sophomore frame to reach $16.7 million after two weekends.
Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothée Chalamet, climbed to third place with $3.7 million, pushing its total to $8.1 million after two weeks in release. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” followed in fourth, grossing $2.8 million to bring its six-week total to $37.2 million.
Paramount’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” rounded out the top five, earning $1.6 million for a total of $8.1 million in its second weekend.
Further down the chart, Universal debuted Craig Brewer’s Hugh Jackman–Kate Hudson vehicle “Song Sung Blue” with $1.3 million and Sony’s “Anaconda” added $1.1 million for a $5.3 million running total.
Universal’s long-running hit “Wicked: For Good” continued its endurance run in eighth, grossing $820,000 and reaching a robust $62.9 million after seven weekends.
Trinity Filmed Entertainment’s Hong Kong action title “Back to the Past” debuted in ninth with $341,000, while Mubi’s “Sentimental Value” rounded out the top 10, adding $247,000 for a $821,000 cumulative total.
Upcoming releases begin on Thursday with Telugu-language title “The Raja Saab,” starring Prabhas, from Prathyangira Cinemas.
The first notable wide release of the new year arrives with Universal Pictures’ “Hamnet,” which rolls out to more than 300 locations. Directed by Chloe Zhao, the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, with Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn in supporting roles.
Also opening on Friday is Jim Henson’s fantasy classic “Labyrinth,” returning to cinemas for its 40th anniversary via Park Circus. The David Bowie–Jennifer Connelly title is set for a broad reissue across 100-plus sites.
On the specialty side, True Brit Entertainment releases boxing docudrama “Giant,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry, while Dartmouth Films brings documentary “Becoming Victoria Wood.” Directed by Catherine Abbott, the film features contributions from Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Maxine Peake and Joan Armatrading.
