U.K. box office: some more about ‘Avatar’

Avatar was down only six percent last weekend in the U.K., which was even better than the drop in North America. And wow, they really like Alvin II in the U.K.: while it’s been sinking fast in North America -- down to No. 9 this past weekend, though with total takings well over $200 million -- it’s still No. 2. Though its cumulative U.K. number of just under £20 million is pretty much on a par with the North American total.

Sherlock Holmes, on the other hand, is doing better in the U.K., which could be down to its homefield advantage in the title character and in British director Guy Ritchie. The film was down to No. 8 in North America last weekend, with total takings of $197 million, but in the U.K., it’s still at No. 4, with cumulative earnings of more than £23 million. (That’s comparable to $230 million, so it’s well ahead in the U.K.)

Precious debuted in the U.K. last weekend, on 47 screens, and earned an average of £5,552 at each of those locations, which is better than every other film last weekend except Avatar (per-screen: £11,474) and The Princess and the Frog, also debuting, though on only one screen: but it took in £15,651 on that one screen. It goes wide this coming weekend. This kind of platforming release is not typical in the U.K., but if it works this weel, perhaps we’ll see more of it.

Overall busines up 16 percent over the same weekend last year, so the trend of hugely up takings in the U.K. continues...

[numbers via UK Film Council]