End of Covid disaster movie as cinemas bounce back

Times

2 days ago

Cinemas have posted their strongest first-half performance since the pandemic, defying fears that audiences had abandoned the big screen for good.
From Bridget Jones to Captain America, cinemas have found their summer sequel: a real-life comeback story.
UK and Ireland box office revenue in the first six months of 2025 reached £532.4 million, according to Comscore — a clear bounce back from recent years and a reversal of the steady post-Covid decline that had set in since cinemas fully reopened.
That total is an 18 per cent rise on the same period last year.
When comparing cumulative revenue totals across the first half of the year, 2025 has been ahead for all but one week compared with 2024. In the sole week when 2024 nudged in front, it was only by a mere 0.2 per cent. Since then, a strong summer showing has propelled 2025 to an impressive return year-on-year.
The recovery is gaining momentum and is unlikely to slow down any time soon, according to experts.
Gower Street Analytics forecasts the UK and Ireland box office will reach £1.2 billion this year — a 10 per cent jump on 2024 and 9 per cent ahead of 2023, marking a strong rebound as the market continues to close the gap with pre-pandemic levels.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said the UK performance echoed a wider global trend. 'A 16.5 per cent advantage over last summer's performance is a great place to be. With August looking particularly strong, I think we'll see this momentum continue,' he said, pointing to the cumulative impact of a robust summer slate.
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said the resurgence had been powered by a broad range of hits.
A Minecraft Movie led the way, grossing £56.7 million, while Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (£46.4 million) and Lilo & Stitch (£35.3 million) both outstripped expectations. Other successes included Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which brought in £16.2 million.
While some films underperformed, Clapp said the overall effect had been positive: cinema admissions were up 12 per cent and box office takings up 18 per cent on the year.
Much has been made of the disappointing start made by the latest blockbuster, Superman, causing many to mistakenly see its struggles as a symbol of cinema's decline. The film opened with £6.9 million in the UK and Ireland — a noticeable drop from 2013's Man of Steel, which debuted with £11.2 million.
'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.
But insiders pointed to mitigating factors.
Eduardo Leal, group director of screen content at Vue, said Superman's US performance had actually matched Man of Steel's.
'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. We're optimistic it will track upwards,' he said.
Analysts agree this year's success is partly structural. 'There's a much higher volume of films this year — levels recovered after 2022 but then dipped due to the [Hollywood writer] strikes,' said Leal. 'Now, they're looking really good again.'
Many believe that this was an underappreciated fact, and that cinema was being written off far too hastily.
Charles Gant, a film journalist and critic, said this year marked a return to a slow but steady recovery trend after 2024's flatlining.
'What we're seeing is continued gentle recovery, supercharged by strong releases,' he said.A Minecraft Movie and Bridget Jones gave early momentum, while summer saw an unusual run of back-to-back hits — F1: The Movie, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman — giving cinemas a sustained lift.
'Success breeds success,' Gant said. 'Audiences come in, see trailers, build anticipation. That momentum's been missing since the pandemic.'
But some familiar challenges remain. September looks patchy, with a slate of medium-sized releases and no guaranteed hits. Last year's fourth quarter, which featured heavyweights such as Wonka, rescued 2024's box office, and while this year's slate is strong, it may struggle to replicate that late surge.
Leal believes the second half of the year will still deliver, especially with major franchise films in the pipeline, and predicts UK box office could match — or even possibly exceed — pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year.
Gant struck a similar note of cautious optimism: '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.'