Simon Pegg's The World's End fails to outperform Hot Fuzz at the box office
The sci-fi thriller starring Martin Freeman and Nick Frost suffers in the summer heat during opening weekend, taking just £2.1m compared to its predecessor's £5.9m
Thanks to the UK's continuing heatwave, it looks like the final instalment of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Cornetto trilogy has melted in the sun.
The World's End, which cost $20 million to make, has taken an underwhelming £2.11m over its opening weekend compared to Hot Fuzz's £5.9m (plus £1.6m in previews).
It's worth noting that neither Hot Fuzz nor its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead, which took £1.6m on its opening weekend, went up against the summer blockbusters, opening in February and April respectively. Shaun of the Dead went on to take £6.69m in total, with its sequel raking in an impressive £20.99m.
The World's End lost out on the number one slot to Monsters University, which topped the UK box office for a second week running, grossing £2.79m and taking its total UK earnings to £8.63m. But Edgar Wright's sci-fi action thriller did succeed in knocking Despicable Me 2 down to third place after the animated sequel took £1.8m, taking it across the £30m mark.
Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi flick Pacific Rim starring Idris Elba fell two places to fourth, earning £1.3m over the weekend with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman's heist thriller Now You See Me conjuring just shy of £1m.
