Worldwide studio box office
(not all studios have yet finalized box office for 2015 with some estimates)
Universal Pictures
Global – $6.88bn – US $2.44bn – international $4.44bn
Box office was up by 120% from 2014 thanks mostly to Jurassic World $1.67bn, Furious 7 $1.51bn, Minions $1.15bn and 50 Shades of Grey $570m all delayed from 2014; had a fantastic Feb – August but the last four months but dropped off allowing Disney to get into touching distance
Sequel filled slate with few standout titles compared with films from their rivals Universal Pictures are likely suffer similar to Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures in 2012 and 2013 following record year with average one the year after.
Key 2016 releases:
After a record breaking year 2016 was always going to be tough but will be made even tougher with fewer stand out potential blockbusters compared to their rivals having to wait until 2017 for sequels to many of their 2015 hits Furious 8, Pitch Perfect 3 and Despicable Me 3.
The Huntsman Winter’s War, Neighbors 2, Secret Life of Pets and Bourne 5.
Disney
Global -$5.85nn – US $2.28bn – international $3.56bn
Releasing far less films than their rivals but with most performing strongly except Tomorrowland and The Good Dinosaur not matching the success of other Pixar films and Ant-Man doing ok while Disney were slightly disappointed Avengers Age of Ultron only took $1.4bn.
2015 hits:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens $1.331bn, Avengers Age of Ultron $1.4bn and Inside Out $855m
With an equally impressive slate for 2016 and beyond thanks to the mix of Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Walt Disney animation they will top the global charts in 2016 and for many years to come as 2017 and 2018 slates look even more impressive.
Key 2016 releases:
Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, Doctor Strange and Rogue One.
20th Century Fox
Global – $4.11bn – US $1.38bn – International $2.73bn
After their record high in 2014 suffered from several major flops including Fantastic Four and Victor Frankenstein. While they didn’t have any massive hits as they did in 2014 The Martian surprised as did Kingsman and Home.
2015 hits:
The Martian $600m, Kingsman $414m and Home $386m
Key 2016 releases:
After a mixed slate for last year 2016 is far stronger starting with Kung Fu Panda 3 and ending with Assassin’s Creed with many other high profile films in-between.
Kung Fu Panda 3, X-Men: Apocalypse, Independence Day: Resurgence and Ice Age: Collision Course
Warner Bros
Global – $3.7bn – US $1.59bn – International $2.11bn
Similar to 20th Century Fox Warner Bros suffered with several expensive flops Jupiter Ascending Pan and In the Heart of the Sea. Having pushed back Batman Vs Superman to 2016 2015 was more a holding year similar to Universal in 2014-2015.
2015 hits:
San Andreas $473m, American Sniper $547m and Mad Max: Fury Road $375m.
Key 2016 releases:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Sully and Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
Sony Pictures
Global – $2.6bn TBC – US $957m – international $1.64bn TBC
With their worst US box office total since 2005 with two films contributing majority of the box office.
With questions over if they will get the next Bond for likely release in 2018 it will leave a massive hole they will need to fill.
2015 hits:
SPECTRE $864m, Hotel Transylvania 2 $461m and Pixels $244m.
After their annus horribilis in 2015 this year they have a stronger slate but missing James Bond the long awaited Ghostbusters reboot is a massive unknown and releasing Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi Passengers days after Rogue One is risky especially as they will be competing against themselves in the Jumanji reboot that people want as much as they wanted Pointbreak reboot.
Key 2016 releases:
The Angry Birds Movie, Ghostbusters, The Magnificent Seven, Passengers and Jumanji.
Paramount Pictures
Global – $1.77bn TBC – US $640m – international $1.13bn TBC
With their worst year since 2004 at US box office similar to Sony two films took 56% of total US box office for 2015 Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.
2015 hits:
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation $682m and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water $323m.
Key 2016 releases:
After another poor year they release more films in the first 6 months than they did in most of 2015. Star Trek: Beyond is a massive risk with JJ Abrams with mixed reaction for the trailer Paramount.
Zoolander 2, Star Trek: Beyond, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Untitled Brad Pitt.
UK Box Office Summary Report 2015
UK Box office for 2015 hit a record £1,309,606,400 beating the previous record 2012 £1,179,046,380 and 15.26% ahead of 2014 £1,136,168,077. Admissions have yet to be confirmed but this depends on what many believe is the average price for me it’s about £11 especially with Odeon adding a £2 blockbuster tax on films including SPECTRE and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and with London cinema prices Empire Leicester Square £19.95, Odeon up to £28 and BFI IMAX £22 for The Force Awakens.
Estimates for studios confirmed figures will be released shortly box office for the year is looking at £1.309bn.
While Warner Bros had one of their worst years, 20th Century Fox after their amazing 2014 lost ground to Universal and Disney due to costly flops Victor Frankenstein and Fantastic Four.
Was looking gloomy for Sony until mid-October when the triple punch of Hotel Transylvania 2, SPECTRE and The Lady in the Van were responsible of over 75% of their box office. In 2018 Hotel Transylvania 3 returns but will Bond 25 return too?
But eOne, Lionsgate and Studiocanal suffered the most from 2014 will be hoping to bounce back in 2016; eOne have the best chance with their best slate of films in years. How will Lionsgate cope without The Hunger Games as Entertainment Films and eOne suffered in the years that followed after The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Twilight films as they left a big gap to fill. Studiocanal had two of their biggest films in 2014 with Paddington and The Imitation Game but while Legend and Shaun the Sheep surprised couldn’t match its box office in 2015.
Universal Pictures
21% £279.927m from 26 releases
2015
Top 3: Jurassic World £64.5m – The Minions Movie – £47.8m – Furious 7 – £38.6m
Misses: Steve Jobs £2.18m – Crimson Peak £2.47m – Unbroken £0.65m
2016 key releases: Bourne 5 – Bridget Jones’s Baby – Bad Neighbours 2
Disney
£261.669m from 12 releases
Top 3: SW: The Force Awakens £87.1m – Avengers: Age of Ultron £48.3m – Inside Out £39.2m
Misses: Tomorrowland £4.97m – Strange Magic £0.05m – Macfarland £0.01m
2016 key releases: Zootopia – Finding Dory – Star Wars: Rogue One
20th Century Fox
£174.14m from 27 releases
Top 3: Home £25.4m – The Martian £23.32m – Taken 3 £17.17m
Misses: Fantastic Four £5.65m – Victor Frankenstein £0.90m – Paper Towns £3.4m
2016 key Releases: X-Men: Apocalypse – Independence Day: Resurgence – Absolutely Fabulous
Sony Pictures
£151.44m from 18 releases
Top 3: SPECTRE £94m – Hotel Transylvania 2 £19.72m – The Lad in the Van £11.71m
Misses: The Walk £1.25m – The Night Before £0.76m – Whiplash £1.27m
2016 key Releases: Angry Birds: Movie – Ghostbusters – Passengers
Warner Bros
£96.94 from 24 releases
2015
Top 3: Mad Max Fury Road £17.20m – American Sniper £13.62 – San Andreas £11.31
Misses: Vacation £1.35m – in The Heart of the Sea £1.91m – Jupiter Ascending £4.41m
2016 key Releases: Batman Vs. Superman – Suicide Squad – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Paramount Pictures
£54.29 from 12 releases
Top 3: MI: Rogue Nation £21.07m – Terminator: Genisys £10.86m – Daddy’s Home £8.12
Misses: Hot Tub Time Machine 2 £0.17m – The Gambler £0.38m – Zombie Apocalypse £0.53m
2016 key releases: Star Trek: Beyond – Zoolander 2 – Jack Reacher 2
Studiocanal
£40m from 11 releases
Top 3: Legend £18.35m – Shaun The Sheep £13.72m – Macbeth £2.84m
Misses: Man Up £1.22m – The Gunman £0.90m – Kill Your Friends £0.1m
2016 key releases: Robinson Crusoe – Our Kind of Traitor
Eone UK
£39.74 from 23 releases
Top 3: Divergent Insurgent £7.81m – The Angel of Death £5m – Insidious Chapter 3 £3.87m
Misses: Child 44 £1.31m – Danny Collins £0.46m – Big Game £1.03m
2016 key releases: The BFG – Divergent: Allegiant Part 1 – The Girl on the Train
Lionsgate UK
£39.74m from 23 releases
Top 3: Mockingjay Part 2 £28.1m – Brooklyn £5.08m – Sicario £4.62m
Misses: Mortdecai £0.48m – The Gift £0.58m – Absolutely Anything £1.46m
2016 key releases: Eddie The Eagle
Entertainment
£17.06m from 13 releases
Top 3: The Woman in Gold £2.85 – Southpaw £2.82m – Bad Education £2.03m
Misses: Big Eyes £0.13m – American Ultra £0.63m – Solace £0.34m
2016 key releases: The Hateful Eight
Pathe
£12.67 from 2 releases
Top 2: Suffragette £9.77m – Selma £2.9m
2016 key releases: Florence Foster Jenkins – Snowden – Viceroy’s House
Icon UK
£3.40m from 8 releases
Top 3: While We’re Young £1.06m – It Follows £1.05m – The Legend of Barney Thomson £0.71m
Misses: The Last Five Years £0.01m – Transporter Refuelled £0.35m
2016 key releases: The Nice Guys – The Neon Demon – A Hologram for the King
UK Box Office share 2012 – 2015
| Distributor | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | % 14/15 |
| Universal | 10.7 | 15.09 | 12.05 | 21.02 | +74.4 |
| Disney | 10.2 | 15.29 | 9.25 | 20.05 | +116.7 |
| Fox | 16.1 | 13.38 | 22.75 | 14.66 | -35.56 |
| Sony | 18 | 8.72 | 6.81 | 12.75 | +87.22 |
| Warner Bros | 12.9 | 16.45 | 15.7 | 8.16 | -48.02 |
| Paramount | 7.7 | 7.2 | 5.84 | 4.57 | -21.74 |
| eOne | 6.7 | 9.04 | 8.50 | 3.34 | -60.70 |
| Studiocanal | 3 | 7.55 | 3.36 | -55.49 | |
| Lionsgate | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.96 | 3.34 | -43.95 |
| Event Cinema | 3.77 | TBC | |||
| EFD | 3.1 | 2 | 4.19 | 1.43 | -65.87 |
| Pathe | 0.87 | 1.06 | +21.83 | ||
| Icon | 0.24 | 0.02 | -91.66 | ||
| Others | 4.6 | X | X |