U.K. box office: ‘The Hangover’ hits Britain

I wish I could get a look at comprehensive box office numbers for the U.K. like I can for North America, because that 72 percent drop for Terminator Salvation has got to be close to a record for a second weekend (the all-time North America numbers for drops aren’t pretty, and the list reeks of legendary flops).

Playing to much the same schedule as it is in North America, Star Trek dropped out of the top five in its sixth week of release, and has passed £20 million in the U.K., just a tad short of the comparable North American cumulative as of last weekend. That’s gotta be more good news for those of us already clamoring for a sequel.

But Drag Me to Hell is hanging on better in the U.K. than it did in North America, clinging to the top five. In three weeks in the U.S. and Canada, it’s scraped up about $35 million, which we might have expected to translate to about £3.5 million after this, its third week in the U.K. But it’s already passed £5 million. I guess they like Sam Raimi better over there.

The cooling of the hot box office from earlier in the year has spread across the Atlantic. Business was down from last weekend by 39 percent, and down 10 percent over the same weekend last year. Could just be the lull before the summer blockbusters hit: British geeks will be able to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starting tomorrow; we have to wait till next Wednesday.

[numbers via UK Film Council]