The past twelve months have brought ample tremendous films to cinemas across Britain and audiences have lapped them up. Musicals roared, superheroes scored and wizards continued to cast a spell.

By all accounts, the healthy year that was 2018 at the UK box office is quite out of step with all other aspects of British economic life. For all the woes of the pound and high street, admissions and takings both rose in UK cinemas. 

Perhaps it was the attraction of reduced prices in chains like Vue and Cineworld. Maybe, the big screen was merely a much needed source of escapism is murky times. Either way, not even England’s rare success at the World Cup, could keep viewers from filling auditoriums across the country.

But who won big in 2018? Which films came out on top and which were left in their dust?

At the bottom of the pile, it was a disappointing year for Mortal Engines, which failed to make tracks with just £1.3m, and Robin Hood, which fared little better with £2.7m.

Although Aquaman is sailing high internationally, UK audiences were a little less keen to bite, leaving it the lowest grosser of 2018’s live-action superhero films with £5.2m. Admittedly, the DC film remains in cinemas and will continue to grow, while this figure does not account for the final week of the year, which overlapped with 2019.

Jumping to the top of the list, the best-sellers of 2018 have good reason to be cheerful. 

Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, of course, reigns supreme – as it did worldwide – taking £70.2m in the UK. Hot on its heels, however, was Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which brought Universal a £65.6 total. Turns out we still love ABBA.

Whilst four of the UK top ten for 2018 were superhero films, impressively, the same number were musicals, with A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman (in a stunning holdover from 2017) and Bohemian Rhapsody all holding their own. It’s worth noting that had The Greatest Showman been released in 2018, it would have topped the list with a total earning of £90.8m.

Not all of the top ten films will be popping the champagne bottles though. Whilst the latest Fantastic Beasts and Jurassic World films performed well, both were substantially down on their predecessors.

The full list is as follows:

1. Avengers: Infinity War (£70.8m)
2. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (£65.6m)
3. Incredibles 2 (£56.1m)
4. Black Panther (£50.6m)
5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (£41.6m)
6. Peter Rabbit (£40.9m)
7. The Greatest Showman (£39.6m)
8. Deadpool 2 (£32.7m)
9. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (£29.8m)
10. A Star Is Born (£29m)

This year will see the release of a new Star Wars film, three Disney remakes and the conclusion to Infinity War’s Avengers cliff-hanger. We anticipate big numbers all round.

Check out our list of the biggest films due in 2019 right here!