Research & databank

London, 22 December 2009

THE TOP 20 FILMS IN UK CINEMAS 2000 - 2009:
CHART PACKED WITH BRITISH STORIES AND RECURRING CHARACTERS

British stories fill the chart of the top 20 films of the decade 2000 - 2009. All six Harry Potter films released to date feature in the list, alongside the two most recent James Bond thrillers starring Daniel Craig and the first Bridget Jones episode, Bridget Jones's Diary. All parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy are ranked in the top five, while the first Chronicles of Narnia adventure, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is also included.

The decade's most popular movie, Mamma Mia!, produced by British filmmakers at Pinewood Studios, is also the top grosser of all time in UK cinemas with box-office receipts of £69.1 million.

Between them, these 20 films clocked up more than 200 million cinema admissions and generated more than a billion pounds in box-office ticket sales (£1,034 million).

Top 5 European markets by admissions:

	Top 20 films in UK cinemas 2000 - 2009	Opened in UK cinemas
1	Mamma Mia! The Movie	10 July 2008
2	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	16 November 2001
3	The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring	21 December 2001
4	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	19 December 2003
5	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	20 December 2002
6	Casino Royale	16 November 2006
7	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	15 November 2002
8	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest	7 July 2006
9	Quantum of Solace	31 October 2008
10	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	17 July 2009
11	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	13 July 2007
12	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	18 November 2005
13	The Dark Knight	25 July 2008
14	Shrek 2	2 July 2004
15	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	31 May 2004
16	The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	8 December 2005
17	Toy Story 2	4 February 2000
18	Bridget Jones's Diary	13 April 2001
19	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End	25 May 2007
20	Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	23 May 2008

Nine of the top 20 were released in the fourth quarter of the year, highlighting the significance of the current festive period not only in terms of cinemagoing but also as a springboard into the forthcoming awards season.

Lord Puttnam CBE, President of Film Distributors' Association, said

"The end of 2009 finds UK cinema in incredibly good shape following a buoyant decade which has seen a surge in the number of films released, the start of an historic transition to digital projection and, most recently, the rapid rise of digital 3D. Cinema continues to deliver a uniquely immersive means for each of us to experience the twists and turns of a story. But it also offers a very special intimacy as we share the 'on screen' experience and emotions with dozens, or even hundreds, of others. When this experience is captured by a stream of inspiring films such as those in this chart, the movies become an utterly unbeatable entertainment medium. Here's looking forward to a terrific New Year at the movies!"

The highly varied cinema line-up for 2010 includes new installments in the Shrek, Toy Story, Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia series.

Further information

Please contact Mark Batey,
Film Distributors' Association 22 Golden Square,
London W1F 9JW

Tel: 020 7437 4383
Email mbatey@fda.uk.net
www.launchingfilms.com