UK Box Office 20-22 June

Before last Friday, it was anyone's guess which of the mid-size new releases would end up on top. John Maybury's Dylan Thomas film The Edge of Love boasted Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller in its cast, but was debuting on a modest 52 screens, ahead of its expansion on June 27. The Ruins lacked big names, but was in a recognisable genre – teen horror – and arrived with backing from major studio Paramount, which released at 168 cinemas. Teeth likewise lacked a starry cast, but the dark comedy – about a high school senior with vagina dentata – was considered to be in with a chance of striking a chord with audiences, and was opening on 188 prints. And then there was Adulthood, Noel Clarke's sequel to British urban youth drama Kidulthood, a modest-size hit (£454,000 total UK theatrical box-office) in 2006.

Even though Adulthood lost out to its Hollywood rivals – especially Hulk and Indie – over the course of the whole weekend (family films always play better at Saturday and Sunday matinee screenings), its three-day total remains highly impressive: £1.21 million. Its screen average of £7,664 is nearly double its closest rival. Adulthood has also, in just three days, grossed nearly triple Kidulthood's box office for its entire run.

The weekend's top five runs as follows: The Incredible Hulk, £1.87 million; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, £1.46 million; Sex and the City, £1.21 million; Adulthood, £1.20 million; The Happening, £834,000.

As for Adulthood's rival new releases, Teeth landed at number 7 with £236,000; The Edge of Love a couple of places lower with £181,000 (and a decent screen average of £3,478); and then The Ruins with a disappointing £124,000. British prison-breakout drama The Escapist debuted outside the top 15, with £80,000 from 67 cinemas.

Several other new releases opened in limited release. The well-reviewed Couscous, which won acclaim at Venice in 2007, impressed with £32,000 from 11 screens. Indian release De Taali took £11,000 from seven sites. A re-release of Charles Burnett's acclaimed 1977 picture Killer of Sheep pulled in over £6,000 from just two theatres. French documentary Her Name Is Sabine took £639 from its Friday evening showings at London's ICA cinema; we have yet to ascertain its takings on Saturday and Sunday.

Overall, the top 15 films were 19% down on the previous weekend, which is understandable given the lack of blockbuster new releases. More encouragingly, takings were 33% up on the same weekend from 2007, when Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer topped the chart for the second week in a row, and the highest new entry was horror flick Captivity.

Comments

[TheScreenBiz]

"Adulthood" has been a box office hit, taking over £1Million in the first weekend.
By despite this it opened to some very scathing reviews.
Why is this? Why did the critics not like it and why has it been such a success?
Perhaps it is because many of the film critics don't relate to this subject matter whereas for the younger generation "Adulthood" is exactly the type of film they want to see. Is there a divide between the established film industry in the UK and the younger cinema going audience?
"Adulthood" is a hard-hitting film, which portrays how a young man, Sam, copes on his first day out of prison, after serving a sentence for murdering a fellow man, Trife. Many people want revenge, and he has to face his demons as people express their anger at what he did and Trife's friends hunt him down. But Sam has had much time to think in prison, enduring tough men and tough conditions, so he is now stronger and wiser and able to use his street experience and wisdom to stem the flow of violence.
The film is fast paced, exciting and full of action with a pumping sound track. The cinematography and editing is tight and polished, without being perfect. But it's not about perfection. The subject matter is definitely not about perfection - it is rough!
Noel Clarke is a new breed of filmmaker, who uses his experience in life, although apparently "Adulthood" is not autobiographical, to create strong, realistic characters in a scenario which is also realistic and compelling. The film manages to convey life on the streets for many of our young people and how easy it is for one to fall into serious crime. Some reviewers have criticised the film for relying on 'stereotypes', being a 'monotonous portrait of West London depravity in which brutal beatings, muggings, drug dealing and daylight robbery are a way of life'. But, unfortunately, this is the way of life for many youngsters today. Some people may consider the plot exaggerated and sensationalised, but many young people will recognise that these situations happen all the time. We indeed know about the increasing violence and stabbings in British cities today.
Noel Clarke manages to convey Sam as being a character who is able to handle himself on the street and can engage in this type of violence but now realises it is no good and wants it to stop.
If this film can encourage other youngsters to pull away from violence then "Adulthood" will be achieving more than just being an entertaining, urban film.
Perhaps, this is why "Adulthood" has been such a success - it connects with a large percentage of the cinema going audience, in a way that few British films can. Perhaps, we need to recognise that there is an audience out there that doesn't relate to quirky British humour, period drama, or sci-fi.
Noel Clarke is one of the few writers/directors who has recognised this. "Adulthood" is hip, raw and honest in a way that so much of our media these days is not.