Independent films 'We Live In Time' and 'The Salt Path' dominate the UK local box office at the midway point of 2025.
UK Independent Films See a Decline in First Half of 2025
UK independent films experienced a decline in market performance in the first half of 2025, according to data released by the British Film Institute (BFI). The total box office gross for the top 10 UK independent films was £34 million, a 22% drop from the same period in 2024 and a 52% drop compared to the pre-pandemic high of 2019.
The market share for UK independent films at the UK-Ireland box office was 8.4%, nearly 3% lower than in the first half of 2024. The best-performing UK independent film in early 2025 was Studiocanal’s We Live In Time, which grossed £8.8 million after its release on January 1, 2025.
The John Crowley-directed film, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, was the best-performing UK independent title for the first half of 2025. Other notable UK independent releases included "The Salt Path," directed by Marianne Elliott and produced by Number 9 Films, which grossed £7.9m, and "Becoming Led Zeppelin," directed by Bernard MacMahon and produced by the UK’s Allison McGourty, which brought in £1.1m.
In contrast, UK independent films had a stronger worldwide presence in 2024, achieving a 1.7% share of the global box office up from 0.9% in 2023. The top 10 UK independent films in 2024 grossed $329 million globally, significantly higher than the $98 million in 2023. The highest-grossing UK independent film released in 2024 was Conclave, with $110 million across 11 territories.
Despite the decline in the UK market, UK feature film production spend took a small dip in the first half of 2025. There were 61 million cinema admissions during the first half of 2025, and six UK independent releases grossed more than £2m, compared with five in the equivalent period of 2024 and 11 in 2019.
The UK-Ireland box office for 2025 has passed half a billion pounds, at £532.2m, with Universal's Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy being the best-performing UK-qualifying film, grossing £46.4m.
It's worth noting that Warner Bros' US-South Korea co-production Mickey 17 was UK-qualifying due to shooting at Leavesden and VFX handled by UK companies including Framestore and DNEG. Other US-qualifying films included F1 (US-UK), which grossed £15.9m, and Snow White (US), which grossed £11.6m.
In terms of box office gross, the top 10 UK-qualifying films were led by We Live In Time (UK-Fr) in eighth place, followed by The Salt Path (UK) in ninth place. The second-best-performing UK-qualifying film was Paramount's Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning with £26.1m, and Dog Man (UK-US) grossed £13.8m.
Overall, the first half of 2025 saw a decline in the performance of UK independent films at the UK box office, but the industry remains resilient with continued investment in production and a strong showing on the global stage.
Movies-and-TV from the UK independent sector faced a decline in market performance during the first half of 2025, as seen by a 22% drop in box office gross compared to the same period in 2024. The entertainment industry, however, remains resilient, with UK independent films continuing to make a strong impact on the global box office.
