The U.K. and Ireland box office closed out 2024 with a strong December, generating £115.5 million ($143.5 million)—a 21% increase compared to December 2023’s £95.5 million ($118.6 million). This robust performance contributed to a total annual gross of £1.06 billion ($1.31 billion), mirroring 2023’s figures and representing an 8% growth over 2022. The month’s success was fueled by a diverse range of high-performing films, with “Wicked” leading the charge.
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway musical, “Wicked,” held the number one spot for the second consecutive month, raking in £23.2 million in December, pushing its cumulative gross to £55.6 million. This impressive performance positions “Wicked” as the third-highest-grossing film of 2024 in the U.K. and Ireland, trailing only “Inside Out 2” (£59.2 million) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” (£57.5 million). Furthermore, it secured the third spot on the all-time highest-grossing musicals list for the region, behind “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!” (£65.6 million) and “Wonka” (£63.5 million).
Disney’s “Moana 2” claimed second place in December, earning £21.8 million and bringing its total to £36.4 million—surpassing the original film’s lifetime gross of £20.6 million and placing it as the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2024. Another Disney offering, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” secured third place with £17.4 million in its second week of release, ultimately finishing the year ranked 13th overall.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted strongly in fourth place with £16 million in its opening week, maintaining the franchise’s consistent box office success. “Paddington in Peru” added £6.4 million in December, bringing its total to £34.2 million, securing seventh place for the year, although slightly underperforming its predecessors. “Gladiator II” grossed £5.9 million during the month, accumulating a total of £31 million and poised to surpass the original film’s gross in the region. Edward Berger’s “Conclave” contributed £3.9 million, reaching a total of £5.8 million, making it Black Bear’s second-highest-grossing film.
Rounding out the top performers, the Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man” debuted with £2.9 million. “Pushpa 2 – The Rule,” a Telugu-language action drama, grossed £1.8 million, outperforming “Kalki 2898 AD” (£1.4 million) and “Fighter” (£1 million), establishing it as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 in the U.K. and Ireland. Finally, Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” concluded the December chart with £1.4 million.
Looking ahead, January 2025 promises a strong start with notable releases including Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” John Crowley’s “We Live In Time,” Asif Kapadia’s “2073,” and Disney’s Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.”
(The requested tables “U.K. & Ireland – Top 10 Titles of December 2024” and “U.K. & Ireland – Top 10 Titles 2024” were not included as they were not provided in the original text.)