BFI confirms 'Skyfall' as biggest film of 2012

It will come to no surprise to Bond fans as "Skyfall" broke UK box-office history by becoming the highest grossing film in the country of all time, but the BFI this week confirmed the latest 007 adventure was the biggest film of 2012. Almost 10% of all UK cinema earnings was driven by 007 last year.

The report announced: "Cinema admissions reached 172.5 million in 2012, their third highest level for the last 40 years, with over-45s the largest proportion of British cinema audiences for the first time. UK box office receipts totalled £1.1 billion – the highest on record."

"There were 647 films released during the year – more than 12 per week and 89 more than in 2011 – and action was the UK’s favourite genre, taking 28% of the box office and pushing usual favourite comedy into second place. The Dark Knight Rises (£56.3 million), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (£52.2 million) and Marvel Avengers Assemble (£51.9 million) were the year’s highest earners after Skyfall (£102.8 million), and despite a fiercely competitive marketplace, UK films fared well, taking 32% of the total UK and Republic of Ireland box office, with the top 20 together grossing £348 million."

The BFI also noted that since records began, the James Bond series has sold 39 million DVD and Blu-ray discs in the UK (including individual components of box sets) and the Bond films have been viewed over 1 billion times on UK television since tracking began in 1997.

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