Alan Partridge flies to the top of U.K. box office

Steve Coogan’s comic creation Alan Partridge has been propelled to movie star status by securing the top spot at the U.K. box office chart in his first ever big screen outing. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, which features the actor as a local radio/TV personality, shot to the number one spot after taking in $3.3 million (£2.2 million) in its opening weekend (09-11Aug13).
Partridge saw off competition from Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, which fell just short of the comedy’s $3.3 million (£2.2 million) earnings, ahead of Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups 2, which took $3.2 million (£2.1 million).
The top five is rounded out by horror The Conjuring with $2.4 million (£1.6 million) and The Lone Ranger, which limped into the chart in fifth place with disappointing takings of $2 million (£1.3 million).
Johnny Depp’s Western previously flopped in North America and the actor blamed bad reviews for discouraging cinema-goers.