Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’ has soared up the UAE box office charts to land at the number one spot over the three-day National Day weekend.
The Indian National Award-winning period film topped the UAE box office with 113,525 total admissions to land in the first spot. Distributed by the UAE-based Phars Films in the region, the film is set in the 16th century and narrates the story of Kunjali Marakkar IV, the naval commander of the Zamorin of Calicut, who was known for defending the Malabar Coast against the Portuguese invasion. The epic has been directed by the talented Priyadarshan and also stars Keerthy Suresh and Suneil Shetty in pivotal roles.
In second place this weekend is the Emirati film ‘Al Kameen’, which is a co-production of Image Nation Abu Dhabi and AGC International. With 47,861 admissions over the UAE National Day weekend alone, the action thriller has recorded a total of 274,504 admissions over the two weeks since it released in cinemas.
The action thriller had earlier logged in 170,000 cinema admissions between November 25 and November 29, putting the Pierre Morel directorial in competition with Hollywood blockbusters that include ‘Fast 9’, ‘No Time to Die’, ‘Venom: Let There be Carnage’ and ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ in the UAE.
‘Al Kameen’, which translates to ‘The Ambush’, features an all-Emirati lead cast and has been extensively shot across familiar landmarks in the UAE. The movie tells the true story of the brave attempt to rescue a small group of Emirati soldiers trapped by rebel fighters in a mountainous valley and has been released in the UAE and select markets within the region by VOX Distribution.
‘Ghostbusters: From Beyond’ trails in at third place, having released over the UAE National Day weekend and recording 22,730 admissions in total.
The movie stars Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace as the latest members to join the beloved film franchise that was created in 1984 and followed a group of eccentric New York City scientists who investigate and capture ghosts for a living. This third film in the original series takes place 32 years after the events in New York in 1989. A single mother and her two children move to Oklahoma, where they discover a connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather’s legacy. Jason Reitman, who is the son of the original director Ivan Reitman, has helmed this new film.
In fourth place is the animated family film ‘Encanto’ by Disney, now in its second week with 20,811 admissions over the three-day weekend to tally the total to 64,316 admissions across 14 days. In the fifth spot is the Ridley Scott-directed ‘House of Gucci’, which is already generating an early Oscar buzz for Lady Gaga.
The Gulf Films release recorded 18,482 admissions in total. Meanwhile, according to the distributor, the movie has performed very well in the GCC and is currently the number one film in Saudi Arabia.