It’s been a record-breaking June across the world in the cinema this year and the same goes for the UK.

Last weekend saw the Blighty release of THIS IS THE END and DESPICABLE ME 2 and while the former performed respectively – pulling in £1.4 million for 4^th place – the latter blew the competition out of the water and into the stratosphere.

It seems there are still a lot of warm feelings for those wee yellow minions and that, coupled with strong early reviews, has seen the animated follow-up launch with a staggering £14.8 million, giving it the highest launch of 2013 and a record-breaking June debut. Its future performance will now likely be dictated by the release of MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, though seeing as that’s not until July 12 there’s enough time to milk its target audience dry.

MAN OF STEEL and WORLD WAR Z both drop a place to 2^nd and 3^rd to compensate for DESPICABLE ME 2’s rampant appetite. Both films pulled in £2.4 million, granting a 53% loss for Supes for a £26.7 million total and 47% reduction for Pitt’s zombie flick taking it to £9.8 million in its second week.

The one other new release to grace the Top 10, REDEMPTION, took 5^th spot with £206,000 ahead of Steven Soderbergh’s swansong BEHIND THE CANDELABRA in 6^th, which pulled in £187,000 leaving it just shy of a £3 million gross after 4 weeks.

So summer is quite heartily underway. After EPIC’s underwhelming worldwide performance – taking 10^th place this week with £90,000 – DESPICABLE ME 2 has emphatically restored the animated film’s dominion over the child infested summer months. With MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on the horizon, you can expect nothing if not a colourful July.

British Box-Office Top 10

1. Despicable Me 2
2. Man of Steel
3. World War Z
4. This is the End
5. Redemption
6. Behind the Candelabra
7. After Earth
8. The Hangover Part III
9. Before Midnight
10. Epic

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