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£69m Mamma Mia! razes Titanic
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent16.12.08
MAMMA MIA! has beaten Titanic to become the highest grossing film ever released in the UK.
The disaster film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio has held the top slot for a decade with a gross of £69,025,646.
But days after picking up two Golden Globe nominations, Mamma Mia! has surpassed it and has taken £69,066,035 after 23 weeks on release.
David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International, said: "For Mamma Mia! to make history and beat Titanic, which has held the record in the UK since 1998, is truly phenomenal. This film has exceeded our expectations and delighted audiences around the world since it opened in July."
He thanked Judy Craymer, the producer who was also responsible for the original stage show, Phyllida Lloyd, the director, and the "brilliant" cast. Meryl Streep has been nominated for a Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy. She plays a woman who does not know which former lover is her daughter's father. The film is also up for the best musical or comedy award.
It has been the top grossing film in 15 countries from Austria to South Africa and has taken £375million worldwide.
Reader views (3)
Many movies can cross Titanic as we did not count how many theatres and multiplexes have increased in last ten years. This stat also doesn't say how many people were added in the total movie vewing audience in the last ten years.
Overthrowing Titanic's record is easy to write if the above mentioned factors are not considered.
- Sikander Jafar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Are these figures using 'normalized' values for the ticket price or simply gross receipts? There is a difference...
- Trunk, US
Streep was grand in her latest. Who knew the woman could really sing! Of course, The Abba songs were timeless and with Meryl Streep performing--each song seemed its' own little story. Pierce Brosman was pretty cool too.
With all the depressing Headline news--this was a welcome mind escape.
- Rose Ballard, peoria, USA
