UK and Ireland Cinema Earnings Hit a Post-Pandemic High as The Minecraft Film Tops 2025 Charts
Cinema revenue across Britain and Ireland has recorded its best annual performance after the pandemic, with A Minecraft Movie ending 2025 as the number one film of the year.
A Gradual Recovery in Revenue
Data from industry analysts show that cinema takings in the UK and Ireland amounted to £1.07bn. This shows growth of 1% on 2024’s total of £1.06bn. Meanwhile, there was a small drop in the amount of films released: 1,092 in 2025, against 1,124 in 2024.
This result constitutes the peak since 2019, which saw £1.35bn in total revenue. That was just prior to the collapse of the physical cinema box office the following year, to £323.7m, as Covid restrictions had a devastating impact. Cinema revenues recovered to £595.5m in 2021, and £980.7m in 2022, only returning above £1bn in 2023, with a total of £1.06bn.
Industry Rebound and Changing Tactics
The numbers of films on release suggest that the production pipeline, hit both by the pandemic and subsequent film industry strikes in 2023, has regained strength. It is, in fact, surpassing pre-pandemic levels; in 2019, 938 films were released.
Significantly however, a change in approach appears to be taking place. In 2025, 224 films were recorded as “saturation” releases (playing in over 250 venues simultaneously), versus 200 in 2024 and 188 in 2019. According to reports that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale had the widest opening in the UK in 2025, with over 750 cinemas.
2025's Top Film
The top-earning film of 2025 in the UK and Ireland was the gaming adaptation A Minecraft Movie. Its online buzz, including the “chicken jockey” scene, has translated into box office dominance, with a total of £56.88m.
“While growth was modest year-on-year in box office, 2025 clearly represented a major milestone in the sector’s recovery after the challenges of recent years. There is considerable hope that the coming months will see substantial more growth.”
The film also led the 2025 North American box office but finished fifth at the worldwide box office, far below the global leader, the Chinese animation Ne Zha 2.
British Productions and Event Cinema
Among UK-made films, the fourth Bridget Jones film, Mad About the Boy, ended the year as the most successful at the UK and Irish box office, taking £46.4m. It came far in front of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and 28 Years Later in second and third place.
The figures also revealed the continuing strength of “event cinema” releases, which took a total of £44m (4.1% of the total). This category included 10 films earning more than £1m. Among these was the highest-grossing run for a stage production; the film of the West End production Six the Musical amassed £6.2m.
