British and Irish Cinema Earnings Hit a Post-Covid Peak as A Minecraft Movie Tops 2025 Box Office

Cinema revenue across Britain and Ireland has seen its highest annual performance after the pandemic, with A Minecraft Movie finishing 2025 as the top-earning film of the year.

A Steady Climb in Revenue

Figures released by box-office analysts show that box office revenue in the UK and Ireland reached £1.07bn. This represents an increase of 1% on 2024’s total of £1.06bn. Meanwhile, there was a minor decline in the number of films released: 1,092 in 2025, compared with 1,124 in 2024.

This result marks the best figure since 2019, which saw £1.35bn in total revenue. That was shortly before the steep decline of the physical cinema box office the following year, to £323.7m, as Covid restrictions took a severe toll. Box office takings 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 count of movies in theaters suggest that the movie-making engine, hit both by the pandemic and subsequent film industry strikes in 2023, has recovered. 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 video game movie A Minecraft Movie. Its online buzz, notably from the “chicken jockey” scene, has translated into box office the top spot, with a total of £56.88m.

“While growth was modest year-on-year in box office, 2025 undoubtedly marked a key advance in the sector’s recovery following the challenges of recent years. There is considerable hope that the coming months will see notable additional gains.”

The film also led the 2025 North American box office but placed fifth at the worldwide box office, trailing 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, was 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 highlighted 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.