The U.K. and Ireland theatrical market demonstrated continued recovery in 2025, generating £1.07 billion ($1.45 billion) at the box office. This represents a 1% increase over 2024 and marks the strongest performance since the onset of the pandemic, according to data from Comscore Movies.
Strong Performance Driven by Diverse Releases
“A Minecraft Movie” from Warner Bros. led the year with $76.9 million in ticket sales, followed by Universal’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” at $62.7 million and “Wicked: For Good” with $62 million. The year saw a record 224 films receiving “saturation releases” – playing in 250 or more cinemas – a significant increase from the 200 recorded in 2024. This surge indicates a full recovery from production delays stemming from both COVID-19 and the Hollywood strikes.
Despite the positive trend, the 2025 box office remains 21% below pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when annual revenue exceeded $1.76 billion. However, this is the third consecutive year post-pandemic to surpass $1.43 billion, positioning the territory favorably in comparison to many other European markets.
Universal Takes the Lead
Universal emerged as the top distributor in 2025, a position it hadn’t held since 2021. The studio achieved a 25.1% market share and a total gross of $363.5 million from 35 new releases. Disney followed with a 23.1% share and $333.8 million, while Warner Bros. secured third place with 18.5% and $266.2 million. Eleven new and refurbished cinemas, adding over 80 screens, also opened across the U.K. and Ireland during the year, including sites operated by Vue, Odeon, and Everyman.
Event cinema also proved resilient, with ten releases exceeding $1.3 million and generating the second-highest annual total of $59.4 million, surpassed only by 2019. “Six The Musical” achieved the highest gross for a theatrical title at $8.3 million, second only to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in overall event cinema revenue.
British and Irish productions contributed significantly to the overall box office, accounting for 19% of the total with $272.7 million. “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” was the top-performing local film, followed by Universal’s “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” and Sony’s “28 Years Later.”
Notably, the top 10 films accounted for 33% of total revenue, representing the best market diversity since 2017, an improvement from 38.6% in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the total box office revenue for the U.K. and Ireland in 2025?
The U.K. and Ireland theatrical market generated £1.07 billion ($1.45 billion) in box office revenue in 2025.
Which film topped the box office charts in 2025?
“A Minecraft Movie” from Warner Bros. topped the annual chart with $76.9 million in revenue.
How does the 2025 box office compare to pre-pandemic levels?
The 2025 box office remains 21% below 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, when annual revenue exceeded $1.76 billion.
As the industry continues to stabilize, will we see a further return to pre-pandemic box office figures in the coming years?
