German Box Office Sees Minimal Growth in First Half of 2025
The German box office has experienced a lackluster first six months of 2025, with income rising by only €0.1% to €371.1 million compared to the same period in 2024. According to ComScore/Rentrak Germany, this minimal growth is a cause for concern for the film industry.
Box Office Figures: A Closer Look
The number of tickets sold decreased by 3.3% from 37.8 million to 36.6 million, despite an increase in the average ticket price from €9.80 to €10.14. This rise in ticket prices helped compensate for the decline in ticket sales, but the overall revenue remains relatively flat. In comparison, the first six months of 2019 saw a box office revenue of €430.7 million, with 49.1 million tickets sold.
Top Performers and Disappointments
Walt Disney led the market with a 26% share, thanks in part to the success of Lilo & Stitch, the second-highest-grossing film of the first half. Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft film took the top spot, earning over €34 million and becoming the only title to receive the Golden Screen Award for surpassing the three million admissions mark. On the other hand, several films underperformed, including Warner’s Sinner and Universal’s How to Train Your Kite.
Surprise Successes and Local Films
The surprise success of the first six months came from Tobis Film’s release of the Steve Coogan comedy The Penguin Lessons, which earned €4.1 million, the highest for all territories worldwide. Local German films, however, struggled to attract audiences, with only a few titles making it to the top 20 box office lists. The market share of German films in the first half of 2025 was 15.8%, the lowest in the past six years, excluding 2022 when cinemas were still recovering from pandemic-related closures.
Looking Ahead to the Second Half of 2025
The industry is now looking to the second half of 2025 to boost box office performance and bring the final tally closer to the 90 million admissions recorded in 2024. July has already started strong with the promising Jurassic World: Return, which earned €12.8 million in its first two weeks. Other potential blockbusters include Walt Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Konstantin Film’s The True Cane Manite.
Top 10 Films at the German Box Office (January-June 2025)
- A Minecraft film (Warner), €34.7 million
- Lilo & Stitch (Disney), €26.5 million
- Mufasa – The Lion King (Disney), €16.7 million
- Mission Impossible – The Final Billing (Sony/Paramount), €15.9 million
- Paddington in Peru (StudioCanal), €13.3 million
- Beautiful (Warner), €13.2 million
- Moana (Disney), €10.5 million
- The Three ??? and the Carpathian Dog (Sony), €9.4 million
- Captain America: Brave New World (Disney), €9.2 million
- Thunderbolts (Disney), €7.8 million
Source: Comscore/Rentrak Germany, January 22, 2025
