Austin Powers Knocks Star Wars Off Top Spot In UK Cinemas

Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace, perhaps one of the most eagerly anticipated and hyped films of all time, has been knocked off the number one spot in the UK weekend box office charts in its third week by Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

On its third weekend, The Phantom Menace may have slipped back to second place in the weekend box office sales chart, but it has also become the biggest grossing film of the year so far. Until last weekend, Notting Hill had taken the most money at UK box offices, but the Star Wars prequel inched ahead at the weekend with cumulative sales at £27.9 million. Notting Hill has so far made £26.0 million.

Mike Myers’ spy spoof sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, was the most popular film last weekend with box office sales of £6.0 million. The Phantom Menace took sales of £3.1 million, 39% lower than the previous weekend, according to figures from ACNielsen EDI. However, The Phantom Menace‘s opening weekend broke all records in the UK with ticket sales of £9.51 million (see Star Wars Episode 1 Smashes Box Office Records).

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