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The market share of UK-qualifying films at the UK and Ireland box office was up by almost 12% in the first three quarters of 2025 (January to September) compared to 2024. However, the market share for UK independent films 1.2%, according to figures published by the British Film Institute.
The total market share of all UK qualifying films was 43%, compared to 31.4% in 2024, according to statistics published today by the British Film Institute (BFI). This is above the level in the equivalent period of the last full pre-pandemic year of 2019, which was 35%.
Top 10 UK qualifying titles in UK-Ireland from January-September 2025
| Rank | Title (origin) | Distributor | Release date | Jan-Sep total |
| 1. | Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (UK-US) | Universal | 13/2/25 | £46.4m |
| 2. | Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (US-UK) | Paramount | 21/5/25 | £26.1m |
| 3. | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (US-UK) | Disney | 24/7/25 | £23.9m |
| 4. | How To Train Your Dragon (US-UK) | Universal | 13/6/25 | £19.3m |
| 5. | The Conjuring: Last Rites (US-UK) | Warner Bros | 5/9/25 | £17.8m |
| 6. | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (UK-US) | Universal | 12/9/25 | £16.9m |
| 7. | F1 The Movie (US-UK) | Warner Bros | 25/6/25 | £15.9m |
| 8, | Dog Man (UK-US) | Universal | 7/2/25 | £13.8m |
| 9. | 28 Years Later (UK-US) | Sony | 20/7/25 | £13.7m |
| 10, | Jurassic World Rebirth (US-UK) | Warner Bros | 2/7/25 | £12.5m |
A UK-qualifying film includes films such as Paramount’s Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps; and Apple/Warner Bros’ F1: The Movie, as all three films based their principal photography work in the UK, employing many UK cast and crew.
Officially, UK-qualifying films are certified as such in one of three ways: either by the BFI’s cultural test; or under one of the UK’s official co-production agreements or the European Convention on Cinematographic Coproduction; or a film which has not applied for certification but which is obviously British on the basis of its content, producers, finance and talent.
The top-performing UK-qualifying film of the year so far remains Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which grossed £46.4m for Universal Pictures following its February release. It was produced by Universal-owned Working Title Films.
UK independent films
The market share of UK independent films in the first three quarters of 2025 was 7.5%, compared with 8.7% in the first three quarters of 2024.
US filmmaker Jay Roach’s Searchlight comedy The Roses, which shot in the UK and was produced out of the UK by South Of The River Pictures and SunnyMarch and distributed by Disney, is deemed by the BFI to be the highest-grossing UK independent release of Q1-Q3, earning £10.1m following an August 29 release.
It is the only UK independent film released between July and September to break into the UK independent film top 10 of the year to date.
The market share of UK independent films is still down on the equivalent period in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, which was 15%.
Top 10 UK independent titles in UK-Ireland from January-September 2025
| Rank | Title (origin) | Distributor | Release date | Jan-Sep total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Roses (UK-US) | Disney | 29/8/25 | £10.1m |
| 2 | We Live In Time (UK-Fr) | Studiocanal | 1/1/25 | £8.8m |
| 3 | The Salt Path (UK) | Black Bear | 30/5/25 | £7.9m |
| 4 | The Brutalist (UK-US) | Universal | 24/1/25 | £3.8m |
| 5 | The Penguin Lessons (UK-Sp) | Lionsgate | 18/4/25 | £3.3m |
| 6 | Marching Powder (UK) |
True Brit | 7/3/25 | £3.1m |
| 7 | Warfare (UK-US) | A24 | 18/4/25 | £2.2m |
| 8 | The Ballad Of Wallis Island (UK) | Universal | 30/5/25 | £1.8m |
| 9 | Becoming Led Zeppelin (UK-US) | Sony | 2/2/25 | £1.1m |
| 10 | Mr Burton (UK) |
Icon | 4/3/25 | £1.1m |
The BFI’s definition of a UK independent film was revised in 2023: “Where previously a film only needed to be UK qualifying and not directly made by a major US studio to be considered a UK independent, the BFI Research and Statistics Unit now also looks at where a film has been made with inward investment, whether it is either demonstrable or reasonable to assume that UK talent had substantial creative control or input (e.g., by having a UK director or writer).”
UK box office revenue rises 10%
The UK’s box office revenue hit £750.8m for the first three quarters of 2025 (excluding Ireland), up 10% on the equivalent period in 2024. This is down 18% on the equivalent pre-pandemic year of 2019.
A Minecraft Movie was the highest-grossing film release with a UK-Ireland box office of £56.7 million.
September 2025 saw eight million ticket admissions (for all titles on release in the UK only, including event cinema), the second lowest monthly total of the year to date – and down 2% on September 2024 and 27% on September 2019.
Top 10 films released in UK-Ireland from January-September 2025
| Rank | Title (origin) | Distributor | Release date | Jan-Sep total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | A Minecraft Movie (UK-Swe) | Warner Bros | 4/4/25 | £56.7m |
| 2. | Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (UK-US) | Universal | 13/2/25 | £46.4m |
| 3. | Lilo & Stitch (US) | Disney | 21/5/25 | £36.1m |
| 4. | Superman (US) | Warner Bros | 11/7/25 | £28.1m |
| 5. | Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (US-UK) | Paramount | 21/5/25 | £26.1m |
| 6. | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (US-UK) | Disney | 24/7/25 | £23.9m |
| 7. | How To Train Your Dragon (US-UK) | Universal | 13/6/25 | £19.3m |
| 8, | Captain America: Brave New World (US) | Disney | 14/2/25 | £18m |
| 9. | The Conjuring: Last Rites (US-UK) | Warner Bros | 5/9/25 | £17.8m |
| 10, | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (UK-US) |
Universal | 12/9/25 | £16.9m |
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