Comedies make the most popular films

Comedies are officially the most popular films in the UK - attracting more than a quarter of all ticket sales.

The news comes as new statistics reveal that the British box office is at its highest levels in 30 years.

Last year, 176 million cinema tickets were bought, worth a total of £755 million, according to Film Council figures. The figure represents a rise of 175 per cent over the past decade.

Fantasy films were the second most popular genre, followed by action and sci-fi.

But comedies are usually more lucrative, too, as they do not have to rely on expensive special effects.

The most popular comedy of 2002 was Austin Powers: Goldmember, followed by Scooby-Doo, About a Boy and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

British films accounted for almost a quarter of the box-office sales.

Published: 6 Jun 2003