Comic book film Watchmen has matched its US box office success by topping the charts in the UK and Ireland.

The Warner Bros film, based on Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel, took £3.2 million in its opening weekend to knock last week’s number one Slumdog Millionaire into second.

Starring Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman and Patrick Wilson, Watchmen tells of an alternate 1985 in which a group of outlawed masked vigilantes reunite after one of their former comrades is murdered.

The film yesterday topped the US box office with $55.7 million (£40.2 million) after its opening three days on release.

The top ten films at the UK box office are: (last week’s position)

1 Watchmen – £3.2 million (-)
2 Slumdog Millionaire – £1.3 million (1)
3 Gran Torino – £1.2 million (2)
4 The Young Victoria – £1 million (-)
5 Bolt – £978,954 (4)
6 Confessions of a Shopaholic – £977,441 (5)
7 The Unborn – £749,898 (3)
8 Hotel For Dogs – £569,802 (7)
9 The International – £423,358 (6)
10 He’s Just Not That Into You – £317,588 (8)

From In The News