Will Wilderpeople become NZ's biggest film ever?

The Hunt for the Wilderpeople may have lost its top spot at the New Zealand box office to The Jungle Book but the local hit has continued to steam its way to becoming the biggest release at Kiwi cinemas in 2016.

Wilderpeople's box office total after four weekends now stands at $6,747,043, which eclipses superhero movie Deadpool's $5,184,561 after 11 weeks at NZ cinemas.

Without inflation being taken into account, Wilderpeople has drawn nearly even with the gross for 1994's Once Were Warriors, which had a NZ box office haul of $6,795,000.

Warriors was previously the third biggest NZ-made film at the local box office with only The World's Fastest Indian and Boy ranking above it.

Wilderpeople grossed slightly more last weekend ($1,204,716) than it did on the previous one ($1,197,325).

On its opening weekend in NZ cinemas, the big-budget Disney adventure The Jungle Book wasn't far ahead with a take of $1,649,943.

After an opening weekend of $1.3 million (and $1.8 million in its first full week and $1.9 million in its second), Wilderpeople has stayed above the million dollar mark every weekend since.

The biggest box office release at New Zealand cinemas of recent times is Star Wars: The Force Awakens which grossed $14.6 million at NZ cinemas after opening last December.