As expected, UK cinema attendance hit a 26-year high in 2000, despite November admissions dropping 30% over the same period in 1999.

According to year-end figures from the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) more than 142.5 million tickets were sold, compared with 139 million in 1999.

Strong box office performances towards the end of the year from Meet The Parents and The Grinch helped shore up the year's box office after November's slump.

These admissions translate into a $919.3m (£627.5m) box office total in the UK in 2000 - a 4% increase over 1999's total, and an increase of 124% over the decade.

A total of 20 films grossed more than $14.7m (£10m) in the UK in 2000, compared with 13 in 1999, and the year also turned in the highest grossing UK box office weekend of all time. The weekend of Feb 11-13 grossed $21m (£14.3m), more than half of which was generated by Toy Story 2.

As well as heading up the list of the most successful UK releases of the year (see below) with a total gross of $63.7m (£43.5m), Toy Story 2 also landed fifth place in the top 10 UK box office earners of all time.

Gladiator and Chicken Run also made it into the top 10 grossing films of all time in the UK, at positions 9 and 10 respectively.

TOP TEN FILMS IN THE UK IN 2000

Title (Country of origin) Distributor (Release date) Total gross

1. Toy Story 2 (US) BVI (Feb 4 2000) £43.5m
2. Gladiator (US) UIP (May 12 2000) £30.9m
3. Chicken Run (UK-US) Pathe (June 30 2000) £29.4m
4. American Beauty (US) UIP (Jan 28 2000) £21.3m
5. Stuart Little (US) Col TriStar (June 30 2000) £17.8m
6. Mission: Impossible 2 (US) UIP (July 7 2000) £17.3m
7. Billy Elliot (UK) UIP (Sept 29 2000) £16.8m
8. X-Men (US) 20th Fox (Aug 18 2000) £15.0m
9. The Beach (UK-US) 20th Fox (Feb 11 2000) £13.3m
10. What Lies Beneath (US) 20th Fox (Oct 20 2000) £13.2m

Source: Cinema Advertising Association