British and Irish Cinema Takings Hit a Post-Pandemic Peak as A Minecraft Movie Leads 2025 Charts

The UK and Irish box office has posted its strongest annual performance since the Covid pandemic, with A Minecraft Movie closing out 2025 as the top-earning film of the year.

A Gradual Recovery in Revenue

Statistics published by experts 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. At the same time, there was a minor decline in the amount of films released: 1,092 in 2025, compared with 1,124 in 2024.

This result is the highest total since 2019, which saw £1.35bn in total revenue. That was shortly before the collapse of the physical cinema box office the following year, to £323.7m, as Covid restrictions hit hard. Industry earnings recovered to £595.5m in 2021, and £980.7m in 2022, only exceeding £1bn in 2023, with a total of £1.06bn.

Industry Rebound and Changing Tactics

The numbers of films on release suggest that the movie-making engine, impacted by the pandemic and subsequent film industry strikes in 2023, has regained strength. It is, in fact, exceeding pre-pandemic levels; in 2019, 938 films were released.

Notably, though, a strategic shift appears to be underway. In 2025, 224 films were recorded as “saturation” releases (playing in over 250 venues simultaneously), versus 200 in 2024 and 188 in 2019. Data indicates that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale had the widest opening in the UK in 2025, with over 750 cinemas.

2025's Top Film

The highest grossing film of 2025 in the UK and Ireland was the game-to-screen translation A Minecraft Movie. Its online buzz, notably from the “chicken jockey” scene, has translated into box office supremacy, with a total of £56.88m.

“Although it saw only a small year-on-year increase in box office, 2025 clearly represented a key advance in the sector’s recovery after the challenges of recent years. There is strong confidence 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.

Homegrown Hits and Event Cinema

Among domestic features, 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 ongoing popularity 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 record-breaking showing for a stage production; the film of the West End production Six the Musical amassed £6.2m.