Paul Feig's psychological thriller The Housemaid has reclaimed the top position at the UK and Ireland box office, collecting £2 million during its fifth weekend of release. The film, distributed by Lionsgate UK and starring Sydney Sweeney, has now accumulated £26.1 million since its debut, cementing its status as one of the most successful awards season releases in recent memory.
The thriller's continued strength comes at a key moment in the awards calendar, with major ceremonies approaching and industry attention focused on films with both commercial appeal and critical acclaim. The Housemaid's performance demonstrates the rare combination of popular appeal and prestige that has become increasingly valuable in the current theatrical landscape.
Background
The awards season has traditionally been a proving ground for films seeking both critical recognition and substantial box office returns. In recent years, the balance between these two measures of success has become more precarious, with many acclaimed films struggling to find audiences in cinemas. The Housemaid's trajectory stands in sharp contrast to this trend.
Comparison to other recent awards season performers reveals just how significant The Housemaid's run has become. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning finished its theatrical run with £26.4 million, while Superman concluded at £28.1 million. With The Housemaid still in cinemas and showing no signs of immediate decline, industry observers now expect the film to surpass both of those totals.
"This is an amazing result, especially when you compare that to some of last summer's biggest films. A final total over £30 million is looking increasingly likely."
Universal's Hamnet, another major awards contender, has also demonstrated impressive staying power. The film added £2 million during its third weekend, bringing its total to £12.1 million. With eight Oscar nominations and recognition in this week's BAFTA nominations, Hamnet appears positioned for further gains in the coming weeks.
Key Details
The Housemaid's latest weekend performance showed a decline of 29 percent from the previous week, which is a modest drop for a film in its fifth week of release. This level of hold indicates sustained audience interest and word-of-mouth momentum that has kept the film competitive against newer releases.
Hamnet's performance has been equally impressive, declining just 25 percent from its previous weekend. The film is now approaching the £15.6 million final total achieved by Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, which stands as the biggest awards season release since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted theatrical distribution. If Hamnet maintains its current trajectory, it could surpass that benchmark within the coming weeks.
Other Box Office Movements
Sony Pictures' 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opened with strong numbers but experienced a steeper decline of 49 percent in its second weekend, collecting £1.2 million for a cumulative total of £5.7 million. The sequel fell short of the original film's £15.8 million finish, though observers suggest it could still approach £10 million by the end of its run.
Disney's Avatar: Fire and Ash maintained fourth position in its sixth week, adding £1.1 million for a total of £40.2 million, making it the fourth highest-grossing film released in 2025. Zootropolis 2 rounded out the top five with an unexpected increase of 5 percent week-over-week, bringing its total to £31.7 million.
Several new releases entered the top ten during the weekend. Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice, despite missing out on Oscar nominations, opened in eighth place with £621,339. Chris Pratt's science fiction film Mercy opened in ninth position with £612,349, while the horror film Return to Silent Hill debuted in tenth place with £579,967.
What This Means
The strength of both The Housemaid and Hamnet suggests that audiences remain willing to venture into cinemas for films that combine entertainment value with awards season prestige. This challenges assumptions that theatrical releases must choose between commercial appeal and critical recognition.
The Housemaid's trajectory also indicates that word-of-mouth and audience reception continue to matter significantly in determining a film's long-term box office success. The film's modest weekly declines suggest that it has built a loyal audience that continues to bring friends and family members to screenings.
For the industry, these results offer encouragement that the awards season can still drive meaningful theatrical revenue. However, the performance also shows how rare such success has become. Most films, regardless of their critical acclaim or award nominations, struggle to achieve the kind of sustained audience interest that The Housemaid has managed.
The coming weeks will test whether The Housemaid can maintain its momentum as new releases arrive and the awards season reaches its climax. Hamnet's trajectory will also be worth monitoring, particularly following this week's BAFTA nominations and as the Oscar ceremony approaches. Both films represent a significant moment for theatrical distribution, demonstrating that audiences still value the cinema experience for prestige entertainment.
