Hot Fuzz Rules the UK Box Office

Hot Fuzz, the new action comedy from the Shaun of the Dead team, opened in the U.K. and Ireland this past weekend at #1, scoring the biggest opening of the year so far. Hot Fuzz is in release in the U.K. and Ireland through the newly formed Universal Pictures International U.K. and Eire, and will be released in the U.S. on April 20^th through Rogue Pictures.

Notching the fifth-biggest opening weekend ever for a comedy in the U.K., Hot Fuzz took in over £5.9 million (equivalent to nearly $11.7 million) in 427 theaters. That figure encompasses two days of paid previews (beginning on Valentine’s Day), which accounted for £$1.6 million (equivalent to $3.1 million).

The numbers also marked Universal’s fifth-biggest opening weekend ever in the U.K., as well as Hot Fuzz production company Working Title Films’ third-biggest opening weekend ever (behind only Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [in 2004] and Love Actually [in 2003]).