EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures International UK & Ireland has broken its annual box office record in 2026 with 10 weeks of the year still to go.
Films released by the studio have grossed a total of £284.9m, beating the £280.2m taken across 2015. They account for 28% of all UK-Ireland box office takings so far this year.
The studio has three of the top five films of the year: The Odyssey, Michael and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Additionally, Minions & Monsters is in the top 10.
Still playing in cinemas after 14 weekends, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is the second-highest-grossing film of the year with £87.8m, and is the 10th-highest-grossing film of all time in the territory. It has taken a significant 31% - £27m - of its total to date from Imax screenings.
The studio has also become the first to have five films take over £20m since the pandemic, with Obsession crossing that mark last month. Curry Barker’s smash hit is the third-highest-grossing horror film of all time in the territory.
It is the fourth-highest total ever for a studio in the territory, with Disney holding the top three spots from 2019 (£489.7m), 2018 (£312.6m) and 2016 (£300.7m). If takings continue at the current rate, Universal will surpass the latter two and record the second-highest annual total ever by the end of the year.
“With 2026 marking Universal Pictures UK and Ireland’s best year ever at the box office, we’re incredibly proud of our filmmakers and partners, whose extraordinary range of films, from blockbusters and original filmmaking to animation, literary drama, horror and event cinema, has given audiences a different reason to visit the cinema,” said Kezia Williams, managing director of Universal Pictures International UK & Ireland. “And to have reached this milestone in October, with many of our films still in cinemas and five more to come before the end of the year, makes it even more special.”
Universal Pictures International UK & Ireland 2026 top five
| Rank | Film (origin) | Release date | Opening weekend | Total to date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Odyssey (US) | 17/7/26 | £12.6m | £87.8m |
| 2 | Michael (US) | 22/4/26 | £8.4m | £53.2m |
| 3 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (US) | 1/4/26 | £9.4m | £38.5m |
| 4 | Minions & Monsters (US) | 1/7/26 | £3.5m | £20.1m |
| 5 | Obsession (US) | 15/5/26 | £1.3m | £20m |
Universal has released 30 titles so far this year – the most of any studio - with five more to come. Recent releases still in cinemas include literary adaptation Sense And Sensibility, horror Other Mommy and animation Forgotten Island; while the upcoming slate consists of I Love Boosters (October 30), George Michael – The Faith Tour (November 6), A Talent For Murder (November 20), Violent Night 2 (December 4) and Onslaught (December 11).
“It’s an incredibly positive sign for cinema going more broadly that there is no better place to be entertained, moved, surprised or transported by films than on the big screen, it is a reminder of why films and cinemas continue to matter so much to our culture,” added Williams.
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