Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Drives The UK Box Office Back Up To Pre-Lockdown Levels

Peter Rabbit to the rescue it would seem, as the sequel, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, kickstarted the first weekend back for UK cinemas. The film led the box office to over $10 million, and that's the best Friday Sunday combo since UK cinemas had to close due to the pandemic in March of 2020. As for the last time things were at this level, that happened with Pixar's Onward, which brought in $12 million during the March 6th to 8th weekend timeframe. Now it's Peter Rabbit's time in the spotlight, and the sequel is off to a great start it would seem (via Deadline).

The lockdown was announced on March 16th 2020, and Onward released the first week of March. Since then it's been a rough go for cinemas, with one of the only bright spots being Tenet, which hit $8.6 million in August. It didn't hurt that weather in the UK was not so great this weekend, driving even more people into theaters.

Odeon revealed it sold 300,000 tickets the entire week and around 60% of those audiences saw Peter Rabbit 2. They also revealed it sold quite a bit of concessions, attributing 9000 portions of Nachos, 3000 hot dogs, and 25,000 litres of Ice Blast and Coke sales to the film. They also noted that they already have "strong pre-sales" for films Cruella, Demon Slayer, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Cineworld also said this weekend's sales were strong. "This weekend's performance went beyond our expectations as customers were eager to return to the movies and enjoy the full movie experience, including the traditional popcorn which led to strong concession income," the company said in a statement.

Peter Rabbit 2 is directed by Will Gluck and features Corden, Margot Robbie, Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, and Elizabeth Debicki. You can find the official description for Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway below.

"In PETER RABBIT™ 2: THE RUNAWAY, the lovable rogue is back. Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have created a makeshift family, but despite his best efforts, Peter can't seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be."

Peter Rabbit 2 hits stateside theaters on June 18th.