British Ghost Story Beats DC Blockbuster to Claim U.K. Top Spot

The U.K. and Ireland box office charts have shifted toward local and genre fare this week, with a British production holding the top spot against major studio releases. Lionsgate U.K.’s horror-comedy “Ghosts: The Possession of Button House” opened at number one, collecting £2.4 million, which equals $3.2 million, across the three-day period.

The film’s debut establishes it as a strong performer in the current market. Warner Bros.’ DC horror thriller “Clayface” started in second place with $2.6 million. Amazon MGM Studios’ comedy “Ali G: Who Iz I?” took third, earning $1.7 million in its initial run. Black Bear’s animated fantasy “Wildwood,” directed by Travis Knight, placed fourth with $1.36 million.

Paramount’s “Street Fighter” fell to fifth in its second week, adding $1.35 million to reach a cumulative total of $5.6 million. Universal’s “Forgotten Island” sat at sixth in its second weekend, grossing $1.2 million for a total of $3.7 million. Sony’s “Verity” ranked seventh in its fourth week, adding $857,067 to its $14.4 million aggregate. Universal’s “Other Mommy” placed eighth in its third week with $576,822, bringing its total to $6.2 million.

Mubi’s “Fatherland” debuted at number nine, earning $264,083 from 86 locations. The average per screen stood at $3,144, the fourth highest among new releases. Including previews, the drama’s opening total reached $415,017, which exceeds the opening of director Paweł Pawlikowski’s previous film “Cold War” in the region. Studiocanal’s “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” rounded out the top 10 in its sixth week, adding $408,089 to its $6.1 million total.

Mubi’s documentary “Making Marie Antoinette” opened at six sites, taking $1,737 for a cumulative total of $24,355. This limited release begins a phased expansion before Park Circus re-releases Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film on Nov. 13. Mid-week event programming starts Tuesday with Trafalgar Releasing’s broadcast of the Royal Ballet’s “Manon.”

Wednesday brings the music documentary “Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning” to more than 100 locations. Friday marks a major expansion of commercial releases across more than 300 screens. Disney’s “Everest: The Other Side” leads the slate, alongside A24’s “Primetime” and Black Bear’s “Wicker.”

Other Friday arrivals include Universal’s “I Love Boosters” and a 20th anniversary 4K restoration of “Pan’s Labyrinth.” The weekend concludes Saturday with Trafalgar Releasing’s event cinema presentation of the “BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Sao Paulo: Live Viewing.”