US release: 25th December 2008
£9 Million $127.5 Million
$328.9 MillionAfter an impressive 3 week run at the top Wolf of Wall Street this week surrenders to animated feature Mr Peabody and Sherman.
An early half term treat for the kids, Mr Peabody makes a splash at the top with £3.9 million over the weekend beating out quite easily a challenge from the Robocop reboot which lands at 2 with £2.4 million.
The Wolf of Wall Street dips to number 3 with a weekend take of £1.6 million bringing it's total to £17 million.
New films this week: -
This time last year Disney's Wreck-It Ralph made a good debut at the top of the box office knocking the 4 week champion Les Mis from the top.
Five years ago there was also a change at the top with Brad Pitt starring in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button making it's debut knocking Slumdog Millionaire down to number 3.
Ten years ago it was a similar story when Jet Black's starring School of Rock took over at the top on it's debut knocking the previous weeks top film Scary Movie 3 to number 4.
Fifteen years ago (and not to sound too receptive) A Bugs Life took over at the top on it's debut week knocking Shakespeare In Love into the runner up spot.
Finally twenty years ago Mrs Doubtfire was still the big film of February with Free Willy proving to be the big new film of the month.
Who said that the box office was dead? Well Warner Bros. are set to make $4bn this year in Box Office takings, the highest a studio has ever made in a calendar year.
The big films which helped Warners hit this target were harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, their highest grosser this year, The Hangover, Yes Man, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Gran Torino which all came in over $100m in worldwide grosses.
Other films which have helped are Watchmen, Terminator Salvation and The Blind Side which is yet to see a UK release but did big business in the US. Sherlock Holmes is also sure to make big money for Warners which came out over the Christmas holiday break.
Sure ticket prices are higher today than they have ever been, but we have home cinema systems today which are more affordable than ever and make staying in and watching a video a better experience than ever, couple this with the ever growing Blu-ray and video on demand market and it's a real challenge for the multiplexes.
Looking at the top earners of recent years though and they are all films which are better experienced on a large screen rather than you���re at home 50 inch plasma. Except for last year���s top film, Mamma Mia, which for some reason took on a life of its own?
The annual BAFTA awards for film took place in the Royal Opera House on Sunday night with many stars attending including Kate Winslet, Danny Boyle and Brad Pitt.
The ceremony is the UK's equivalent of the Oscars and has taken place 2 weeks before the American ceremony. Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were the two films expected to take the big awards before the ceremony began.
The winners were fairly predictable with Winslet winning for The Reader, Mickey Rouke winning for The Wrestler, Penelope Cruz winning supporting actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and of course the late Heath Ledger winning for Supporting Actor.
As the evening unfolded is became clear, predictably, that Slumdog was going to be top dog for the evening, a British film in a British ceremony, what did you expect?
Benjamin Button got a couple of awards but it was Slumdogs evening wining best film and director for Danny Boyle.
The attention for those interested turns to the Oscars now where Slumdog won���t do so well but the money is on Slumdog to beat Benjamin Button for best film but not director.