The UK box office has closed out 2024 by exceeding the weekly totals of both before and after the pandemic, according to newly released statistics from the British Film Institute (BFI).
From October to December, the total 2024 box office was up 32% compared to the post-pandemic (2021-2023) total for the same period, but 9% less than the same period before the pandemic (2015-2019).
During October, the box office lagged behind both the pre and post-pandemic years. This is in part down to releases such as Joker: Folie à Deux and Transformers One failing to draw in audiences. Folie à Deux grossed over £10.5 million at the UK box office, more than half of which came from its opening weekend. This compares to over £58 million for Joker (2019).
UK box office analysis shows that cinema takings lagged behind previous years in October, before picking up in November and closing the calendar year on a high. pic.twitter.com/4GOa6nu0p6
— FILMHOUNDS Magazine (@filmhoundsmag) January 7, 2025
Cinema takings picked up in November, with each week increasing from the last. Paddington in Peru, Gladiator II, Wicked, and Moana 2 saw the box office outperform previous years for five weeks running. It peaked at £26,829,215 for weekend 48, more than triple the post-pandemic total of £7,627,646 and 84% higher than the pre-pandemic total of £14,616,276. This makes it the highest-grossing weekend of 2024.
However, this momentum didn't last for the whole of December. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Kraven the Hunter all opened below expectations. The latter title opened with the lowest UK debut for any Sony-produced Marvel title. Mufasa meanwhile has currently grossed approximately £20.7 million at the UK box office, compared to £79.6 million for The Lion King (2019).
However, there was a spike over the final weekend of the year, driven by new releases such as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man. This has seen weekend 52 in 2024 outperform previous years.
