Mumbai: Last year, film in the UK bucked the recession – posting a record box office of £944 million, – according to the statistics published by the UK Film Council.
Internationally, the UK share of the global market was 7% (pulling in around $2 billion); with the top three UK films grossing almost $1.5 billion together (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Slumdog Millionaire, and Sherlock Holmes).
Independent UK films were at their most popular – both in the UK and global markets.
Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Ice Age III were the three most popular films in UK cinemas in 2009, with Avatar alone grossing £92 million (to 20 July 2010), making it the highest grossing film of all time in the UK, surpassing the previous record of £69.2 million set in 2008 by Mamma Mia!
Creative Industries and Communications MP Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey said, “These figures are clear evidence of the UK’s thriving film industry and its valuable contribution to our economy and cultural life. Not only are people visiting the cinema in ever greater numbers, some of the biggest hits at the box office in the last year are British.”
UK Film Council CEO John Woodward added, “The UK Film Council’s Statistical Yearbook allows us to see the big picture in terms of audiences and the industry. In terms of sheer economic value, jobs and overall contribution to the economy, film has had a great year and is more than punching above its weight.”
