16/09/2003 - The women posing nude for a charity-raising calendar have taken £1.76m in their 1st weekend on release. A good start, but it’s still a long way off from the average takings for Billy Elliot & Full Monty

As expected, Nigel Cole’s feel good movie Calendar Girls took the top position at the UK/Ireland chart last weekend, with a total of £1.76m from 462 screens. The good showing is thanks to BVI UK’s strong marketing campaign, which already started during the film’s production two years ago, and following the rave reviews the film received since its premiere at the Locarno Film Festival last month.

However, the comedy starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters had a lower screen average (£3,815) than other UK hits such as Billy Elliot (£4,600) and most importantly The Full Monty (£7,115) its closest screen model.
The true story about a group of middle-aged women from a Women’s Institute in Northern England who tastefully pose nude for a charity calendar should still play strongly over time, thanks to positive reviews passing by word of mouth from its core ‘female over 35’ audience who tend to go the cinema on weekdays and not necessarily during the opening weekend.
The film will be opening in Sweden on September 19, Finland (September 26), and Italy (October 3). The film will also open this year’s Dinard Film Festival (October 2-5).