Latest figures from industry data experts Comscore confirm that UK box office for 2024 reached the same levels as 2023, despite the impact of US strikes on the film slate in the early months of the year.
Final numbers for UK box office were £978,176,569, just 0.1 per cent down on 2023.
With fewer major films in the first half of the year, and despite the strong performance of individual titles such as Dune: Part 2, it was only in the Summer months that the slate returned to anything like its normal pattern, with Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 all doing strong business.
That said, the sector still entered Q4 of 2024 10 per cent down on the same point the previous year, leaving it to an exceptionally strong line-up of titles including Paddington in Peru, Gladiator II, Wicked, Moana 2, Mufasa: the Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to make up that gap, pulling in audiences in their millions.
Commenting on the figures, UK Cinema Association Chief Executive Phil Clapp said:
‘While these numbers do not maybe represent the progress we might have hoped for in the year, given the challenges presented by the actors’ and writers’ strikes to the film slate in the first half of 2024, the response of audience when major films were available confirms the enduring appeal of the big screen experience. We can only hope that the strong line-up of titles in 2025 sees that recovery continue and strengthen.’
The full Comscore press release – which covers UK and Ireland – is here.
The top ten films for 2024 at the UK box office can be seen here.