£13.2million in its opening weekend

The Inbetweeners has had the biggest opening box office weekend of any British comedy or independent film.

The E4 spin-off took £13.2million across 455 cinemas in the UK and Ireland.

That was even more than predicted on the strength of its preview screenings last week.

The previous biggest British comedy opening was Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason, which grossed around £11million in its first weekend in 2004.

For further comparison, the Inbetweeners took more money on its opening weekend than Avatar (£8.3 million) and latest Pirates Of The Caribbean film (£11.5million).

The film, which sees the sitcom characters head for a lads’ holiday in Crete after finishing sixth form, cost about £3.5million to make.

The film has been sold into Spain, Canda, France and Germany – but not, as yet, the US.

Published: 22 Aug 2011