‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Tops U.K. Box Office

Disney’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness” opened the U.K. and Ireland box office with a mighty £19.5 million ($24.3 million)

Last week’s top ranking film, Universal’s “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” collected £1.5 million in second place and now has a total of £7.6 million after two weekends. In third place, Paramount’s “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” took £630,391 for £23.5 million after six weekends.

Another Paramount title, “The Lost City,” collected £468,402 in fourth place for a total of £8.6 million after four weekends.

Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros,’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore” with £401,449 and now has a total of £19.5 million after five weekends.

The lone debut in the top 10 was Trafalgar Releasing’s filmed opera “Turandot – Met Opera 2022,” which bowed in ninth place with £110,203.

The upcoming weekend sees several keenly anticipated releases including A24’s action film “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, starring Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and James Hong.

Also opening is Sony’s biography-drama “Father Stu,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson. Universal is releasing horror “Firestarter” and Curzon is opening Irish film “The Quiet Girl” (An Cailin Ciuin), which won an award at Berlin and swept the Irish Film and Television Awards.

Picturehouse Entertainment is releasing auteur Gaspar Noé’s San Sebastian winning “Vortex” and Modern Films is bowing Asia Pacific Screen Award winner “The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson,” directed by and starring Leah Purcell.

Kaleidoscope Entertainment is opening war drama “Spitfire Over Berlin.”

Blue Finch Film Releasing is bowing the 25th anniversary revival of Jan Kounen’s cult classic “Dobermann,” starring Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci.