Bridget Jones leads big screen bounce back as box office takings beat pandemic downturn

Cinemas across the UK and Ireland are roaring back to life after posting their strongest first-half performance since the Covid19 pandemic i...

Cinemas across the UK and Ireland are roaring back to life after posting their strongest first-half performance since the Covid19 pandemic in a stunning box office comeback.

After years of gloom, audience numbers are surging and tills are ringing once more.

New data from Comscore shows box office takings hit a massive £532.4million in the first six months of the year – up a hefty 18 per cent on the same period in 2024. 

It is a dramatic reversal from the post-Covid slump that many feared was here to stay. 

This year's box office has outpaced 2024 for all but a single week, and analysts say the trend is only gathering speed.

Film fans have been flocking to the big screens for a string of smash hits - with the Minecraft Movie leading the charge, grossing a staggering £56.7million.

Hot on its heels came Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy with £46.4million, followed by a live-action Lilo &  Stitch reboot, which raked in £35.3million.

Other crowd pleasers included Ryan Coogler's Sinners which grossed a whopping £162.2million, contributing to a bumper first half.

In total, cinema admissions were up 12 per cent, with box office receipts rising even faster - up to 18 per cent on last year.

Experts now believe the worst is behind the industry. Gower Street Analytics forecasts the UK and Ireland box office will reach £1.2billion this year.

'A 16.5 per cent advantage over last summer’s performance is a great place to be,' Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told The Times.

'With August looking particularly strong, I think we’ll see this momentum continue'.

Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, credited a broad range of appealing titles for luring audiences back into cinemas.  

'The summer slate has really started to gear up, and there’s still more to come - including Fantastic Four: First Steps,' he said, adding that high expectations now rest on tentpoles such as Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Ash and Water, later this year.

Even the slightly underwhelming UK launch of Superman - which opened with £6.9million, compared to Man of Steel's £11.2million in 2013 - has not  dampened the mood.

Vue's group director of screen content, Eduardo Leal, dismissed fears the superhero's return signalled another dip.

'We’re seeing external factors, like the heatwave, weighing on UK numbers, but the film has already picked up in the last few rainy days,' he said. 'We’re optimistic it will track upwards.'

Leal also pointed to a structural shift. 'There’s a much higher volume of films this year - levels recovered after 2022 but then dipped due to the [Hollywood writer] strikes. Now they're looking really good again'.

Looking ahead, hopes are high for a strong finish to the year.

Titles including the Fantastic Four, Wicked, and Avatar are all poised to deliver box office fireworks in the autumn and winter months.

Film journalist Charles Gant described the year's progress as 'continued gentle recovery, supercharged by strong releases'.

He added that 'success breeds success' and that anticipation is built on audiences coming in and seeing striking trailers.

Despite this, the path is not entirely smooth. 

September is expected to be quieter, and some insiders warn the final quarter may struggle to replicate last year's blockbuster-heavy finish, which included Wonka and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

But there remains cautious optimism that the UK box office could return to pre-pandemic heights by late 2016 - or even sooner.

'It’s been a long haul and we’re still behind 2019, but 2025 is showing cinemas can bounce back when the right films come along,' Gant said.

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