SURPRISE HITS

Garth Jennings' quirky comedy Son Of Rambow, follows two children - and aspiring film-makers - as they grow up in 1980s Britain.

Optimum Releasing opened the film in the UK on April 4, and it enjoyed a $1.8m (£925,000) opening weekend. It has grossed $8.3m (£4.3m) to date.

The UK-France co-production held well at the box office, seeing a modest 16% drop in its second weekend and a 22% drop in its third weekend. Optimum says exhibitors were impressed by its run - the film stayed in the top 20 for a month after its release.

The distributor believes this was partly down to its early Easter bank holiday release as it was aimed at families.

Ben Luxford, theatrical sales manager at Optimum, says: 'With Easter falling earlier in March this year, a lot of children's product had already been released, despite actual Easter school holidays remaining in April.

This allowed us good product for trailer opportunities, but crucially, gave us the screen space among the circuits to allow the film the saturation release it deserved.'

COMING ATTRACTIONS

The Edge Of Love (Lionsgate UK)

Release Date: June 20

Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller star in John Maybury's romantic drama set during the Second World War about Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) and the two women he loved. The film opens this week's Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging (Paramount Pictures International)

Release Date: July 25

This comedy from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha follows a 14-year-old girl who keeps a diary about life as an angst-ridden teenager. PPI, which also has rights in the US and internationally, is opening it the same day as The Dark Knight.

Brideshead Revisited (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International)

Release date: October 3

Julian Jarrold's adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel showcases an up-and-coming UK cast including Ben Whishaw, Matthew Goode and Hayley Atwell.

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (Paramount Pictures International)

Release date: October 3

This adaptation of Toby Young's best-selling comedy memoir about trying to make it as a writer in New York stars Simon Pegg, Jeff Bridges and Kirsten Dunst.

NEW ENTRIES

Worldwide Bonus Entertainment (WBE) made its UK distribution debut this spring with the local comedy Three And Out, which has taken $600,000 to date.

WBE, which also has interests in book and music distribution, is also publishing the film's novelisation and soundtrack. It has a multi-picture deal with Rovinge Motion Picture Company which produced Three And Out. A second project is now in development.

IN FIGURES

Total Box Office Jan 1-May 31, 2008 - $678.6m (£345.5m) 48.3m adms

Number of sites 2008 - 832

Market share of local films 2008 - 15.3% (including US-UK co-productions The Golden Compass and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. Excluding these titles, 9.4%)