George and Julia continue to rule the box office. Despite an ‘avatar’ attack. But Don’t Worry Darling, the much gossiped about Olivia Wilde film made a surprising third place debut.

No one thought that even a pair of huge superstars stood a chance against the nostalgia for high voltage sci-fi and the blue avatars, certainly not James Cameron whose original film got re-released in theaters a few months before the start date of Avatar 2: The Way of Water (release: December 14^Th), seemingly the best and cheapest marketing strategy to drum up interest in the sequel. But Ticket ins Paradies (Ticket to Paradise) won the weekend yet again. Avatar – Aufbruch nach Pandora brought in € 1,3 million. 110.000 people flocked to the film. In comparison: Clooney and Roberts attracted 145.000 ticket buyers who spent € 1,35 million.

The real surprise is the number three film: after some scathing reviews at the Venice Film Festival and more press about the alleged off-screen relationship between director and leading man which led to an interview boycott by the leading lady, such a strong debut for the modestly budgeted movie can be attributed to boyband phenomenon Harry Style’s huge fanbase. Described as The Truman Show with Stepford Wives in a Manhattan Project, Styles and Florence Pugh play a seemingly perfect couple in a seemingly perfect 1950s Palm Springs with the most colorful oldtimers who drink a lot of cocktails and have a lot of sex. But behind the stylish façade is a dark secret – and nothing and no one is what they pretend to be.

The drama Gesang der Flusskrebse (Where the Crawdads Sing) proves staying power in fourth place, just ahead of Minions 2 – Auf der Suche nach dem Mini Boss (Minions 2 – In Search for the Mini-Boss) followed by Top Gun: Maverick, After Forever (After Ever Happy) and the Gerard Butler starrer Chase – Nichts hält ihn auf (Last Seen Alive).

In ninth place is another debut, Mittagsstunde (Noon Hour), a drama based on a German novel about a man who moves back to the small village of his childhood to take care of his aging and ailing parents only to find a dying town, riddled by economic hardship.

How DC League of Super-Pets reappeared back in the top ten after having dropped already, is anyone’s guess, now that its built-in audience of kids is back in school. But it rounds out the German top ten in last place.

The Super-Pets fared even better in Austria where they climbed back up to the fourth place. Ticket ins Paradies (Ticket to Paradise) kept ruling the charts there as well, edging out a wide gap to the number two, Minions 2 – Auf der Suche nach dem Mini Boss (Minions 2 – In Search for the Mini Boss). Gerard Butler seems to have many fans in Austria, his films usually faring better than anywhere else in Europe, and Chase – Nichts hält ihn auf (Last Seen Alive) is no exception: it climbed up to the number three spot.

Another film that is not going anywhere in Austria is the lovely Emma Thompson dramedy Meine Stunden mit Leo (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) which is still in number six behind Guglhupfgeschwader and before After Forever (After Ever Happy), Top Gun: Maverick and the two horror films Jeepers Creepers: Reborn and Orphan: First Kill.