US box office: Parasite gets Oscars boost but Sonic tops chart

Parasite won four Oscars including best picture and best director

Parasite received a huge box office boost over the weekend in the wake of its Academy Awards success.

The South Korean satirical thriller won four Oscars earlier this month, becoming the first non-English language film to take best picture.

It jumped to number eight on the US box office chart over the weekend, increasing its ticket sales by 234% to make $5.5m (£4.2m).

Sonic the Hedgehog topped the chart, performing well above expectations.

The adventure comedy took $57m (£44m) on its opening weekend in the US, according to industry analysts Exhibitor Relations, despite pre-release trailers not going down well with critics or the public.

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An early trailer for the film, starring Jim Carrey, was poorly received in May, prompting the studio to redesign the title character.

"The consumer always determines what is right and what is wrong. They made their voices clear, and we listened," Paramount's president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson told Variety.

"This movie exceeded [audience's] expectations. That's a testament to that reset and terrific performances by Jim Carrey and the entire cast."

The final product may have won over audiences, but the film still left many critics unimpressed.

The UK box office mirrored that of the US - with Sonic topping the chart with takings of £4.7 million.

Parasite, which only opened in the UK last weekend, increased its UK takings by 133% after its Oscar wins, earning the movie a further £2.5 million.

The film, from the director Bong Joon-ho, is now enjoying the biggest post-Oscar boost for a best picture winner in the past decade.

It has made $8.8m (£6.7m) since the Oscars on 9 February, and $44m (£34m) since release.

Parasite's wins included best picture and best director for Bong Joon-ho

Currently it stands as the fourth most successful international film in US history, behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life is Beautiful and Hero.

"It's a great win for Parasite," said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore, which measures media data.

"This example can put to rest the notion that streaming and the big screen are adversaries. Parasite is doing well on home video and in movie theatres. Both formats can be successful."

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On its opening weekend in the the UK, Parasite made £1.4m in the run-up to the Oscars. Figures for this past weekend are yet to come in.

Best picture winners often profit at the box office from their Oscar triumph.

Last year, Green Book saw a 121% increase in revenue the weekend after its victory, the biggest post-Oscar lift at the time.

The road trip drama with Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen ended its cinema run with $85m (£65m) from venues in the US and $329m (£252m) globally.

Moonlight, The Artist, Slumdog Millionaire and Million Dollar Baby also saw a subsequent increase in ticket sales.