The Theory of Everything beats The Hobbit at UK box office

[dutchman]

The Theory of Everything has topped the UK box office on its first weekend on release.

The Eddie Redmayne-led Stephen Hawking biopic earned £3.7 million to secure first place ahead of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Co-starring Felicity Jones as Hawking's first wife Jane, the film follows Hawking's university romance and his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The Hobbit finale, which has now surpassed £36 million in lifetime grosses in the UK, sits in second place ahead of Paddington. The family movie has now earned more than £30 million in the UK, marking an impressive haul for the StudioCanal release.

New release The Woman in Black: Angel of Death and Exodus: Gods and Kings round out the top five.

Elsewhere, Michael Keaton's Birdman debuts at number seven with £1.5 million.

The UK box office top ten in full:
1. (-) The Theory of Everything - £3,749,293
2. (1) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - £3,246,845
3. (3) Paddington - £2,834,003
4. (-) The Woman in Black: Angel of Death - £2,431,823
5. (5) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb - £1,736,233
6. (2) Exodus: Gods and Kings - £1,575,131
7. (-) Birdman - £1,524,667
8. (4) Annie - £1,347,598
9. (6) Dumb & Dumber To - £752,738
10. (8) Penguins of Madagascar - £629,774

Source: Rentrak