For comparison, 2016’s The Purge: Election Year began with £808,000 in the UK; 2014’s The Purge: Anarchy with £1.17m (almost identical to The First Purge) and 2013’s The Purge with £1.02m.
When Universal decided to release The First Purge in the UK on 4 July, it might have been hoping England would be knocked out of the World Cup by then.
The First Purge saw Saturday takings below the Friday and Sunday numbers in the UK, but managed an opening weekend in seven figures: £1.16m.
Another weekend of hot temperatures plus an England World Cup quarter final on a Saturday – typically cinema’s busiest day – combined to lay waste to the UK box office.