Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back tops box office chart in the UK

Star Wars classic The Empire Strikes Back has topped the box office chart in the UK, with cinemas showing old favourites to tempt fans back.

Cinema-goers are having to wait for high-profile new releases – with the likes of Tenet and Mulan delayed until next month – and in their absence, The Empire Strikes Back was the most popular release during the second weekend that screens were reopen in England after lockdown.

The film beat last week’s number one, Grease, and took £50,406 after showing at 101 cinemas.

The likes of Dirty Dancing, The Shawshank Redemption and Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone were also in the top 10. The figures, published by the British Film Institute, cover those cinemas that have reopened in England, together with a few cinemas in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

There are plenty of cinemas open across the UK already, while major chains like Vue and Cineworld are waiting until the end of the month to welcome back guests. Read our full guide to local cinemas in London here.

See the full box office top 10 for July 10 – 12 below.

1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - £50,406 (101 cinemas)

2. Onward - £35,086 (95 cinemas)

3. Black Water: Abyss - £28,053 (79 cinemas)

4. Trolls World Tour - £19,996 (70 cinemas)

5. Dirty Dancing - £15,134 (25 cinemas)

6. Knives Out - £14,747 (5 cinemas)

7. Grease - £14,416 (18 cinemas)

8. The Shawshank Redemption - £13,231 (18 cinemas)

9. Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone - £12,358 (30 cinemas)

10. The Greatest Showman - £11,681 (57 cinemas)

Additional reporting by PA​