Entertainment Film Distributors’ The Magic Faraway Tree was the highest-grossing UK independent film at the UK-Ireland box office in the first half of 2026, totalling £15.1m, according to statistics released by the BFI today (August 11).
The market share for UK independent films was 7.2%, down from 8.4% in the equivalent period in 2025. It is the second lowest figure of the past decade, after the first half of 2023 (5%).
Entertainment Film Distributors released three films in the top 10 for best-performing independent titles. It has Mother’s Pride in second place, which grossed £3.8m and Return To Silent Hill in sixth place, with a £1m gross.
UK-Ireland Top 10 UK independent titles, January-June 2026
| Rank | Title (origin) | Distributor | Release date | Jan-Jun total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Magic Faraway Tree (UK-US) | EFD | 27/3/26 | £15.1m |
| 2 | Mother’s Pride (UK) | EFD | 6/3/26 | £3.8m |
| 3 | Shelter (UK-US) | Black Bear | 30/1/26 | £2.5m |
| 4 | How To Make A Killing (UK-US-Fr) | Studiocanal | 11/3/26 | £2m |
| 5 | H Is For Hawk (UK-US) | Lionsgate | 23/1/26 | £2m |
| 6 | Return To Silent Hill (UK-Ser-Ger) | EFD | 23/1/26 | £1m |
| 7 | Giant (UK-US) | True Brit | 9/1/26 | £1m |
| 8 | Saipan (UK-Ire) | Veritgo/Wildcard | 23/1/26 | £1m |
| 9 | Wasteman (UK) | Lionsgate | 20/2/26 | £0.9m |
| 10 | Fuze (UK) | Studiocanal | 3/4/26 | £0.7m |
The BFI defines an independent film as produced without creative or financial input from major US studio companies. The BFI said there is flexibility with productions backed by US studio subsidiaries, taking into account the film’s budget level, the filmmaker and the independent production companies that have propelled the project.
The overall UK-Ireland box office for the first half of 2026 (for films that started their release in this period, up until July 12) was £503.7m from 489 Rentrak-reported film releases. This figure excludes Netflix films (Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, The Swedish Connection and In The Hand of Dante) which are not reported to Rentrak, and event cinema releases.
The total UK-Ireland box office was up 11% on the equivalent period in 2025, when £467.8m was grossed from 480 releases.
Universal’s Michael was the highest-grossing overall performer at the UK-Ireland box office in the first half of the year, with £53m. It is the second highest-grossing biopic at the UK-Ireland box office of all time, coming just behind the 2024 release of Oppenheimer, with £53.7m.
In the first half of 2026, four films in the top 10 were sequels: Disney’s Toy Story 5, Universal’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu. This is compared to eight in 2025.
Revenue of the top 10 releases in the first half of 2026 was £286.9m, or 57% of the total UK-Ireland box office for all Rentrak-reported film releases in the period. In the equivalent period in 2025, the top 10 revenue was £264.6m, also a 57% share of total box office.
UK-Ireland January-June top 10
| Rank | Title (origin) | Distributor | Release date | Jan-Jun total |
| 1 | Michael (US) | Universal | 22/4/26 | £53m |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 (US) | Disney | 19/5/26 | £42.4m |
| 3 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (US-Japan) | Universal | 1/4/26 | £38.4m |
| 4 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 (US) | Disney | 1/5/26 | £34.4m |
| 5 | Project Hail Mary (US-Can) | Sony | 20/3/26 | £27.1m |
| 6 | Wuthering Heights (UK-US) | Warner Bros | 13/2/26 | £25.2m |
| 7 | Hamnet (UK-US) | Universal | 9/1/26 | £19m |
| 8 | Obsession (US-UK) | Universal | 15/5/26 | £18.2m |
| 9 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu (US) | Disney | 22/5/26 | £15.7m |
| 10 | The Magic Faraway Tree (US) | EFD | 27/3/26 | £15.1m |
Admissions
The number of cinema admissions in the UK only, including event cinema, was 66.7 million, 9% higher than for 2025, and the highest first half of year total of the post-pandemic period. Admissions data is supplied by the UK Cinema Association.
Animation and drama titles each accounted for a 20% share of the UK box office, up from 8% and 15%, respectively, in the equivalent 2025 period. Horror accounted for 10%, up from 8%.
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