In 2023, a bunch of movies hit the screens in Ukraine, with the majority coming straight out of the USA. Unsurprisingly, it was these American flicks, with their numbers and quality combined, that dominated the box office charts in Ukraine. Yet, Hollywood’s triumph in a single nation is no one-off event; it’s a global trend.
Here’s a peek at the global box office top ten, according to the Box Office Mojo last year. The worldwide box office saw some major hitters in the last year, with films like “Barbie” leading the charge with an impressive $1,445,638,421. Close on its heels was “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, raking in $1,361,964,429, followed by the compelling “Oppenheimer” at $957,590,370. Not far behind were favourites like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” with $845,555,777 and “Fast X” with $704,875,015. The list continues with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” at $690,615,475 and “Wonka” not too far behind at $617,247,000. Then we have “The Little Mermaid” at $569,626,289 and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” coming in strong with $567,535,383. Rounding off the top ten, we see “Elemental” with $496,444,308 making a mark in the global cinema scene.
The entire top 10 consists of USA productions, which is quite predictable. In Ukraine, according to Box Office Mojo data, it is also very similar. The Ukrainian box office in 2023 reflected a pattern strikingly akin to the global scene, dominated by American films. Topping the charts was “Mavka: The Forest Song” with $4,177,185, followed by the poignant “Oppenheimer” at $3,327,597. “Barbie” took the third spot with $2,995,441, while “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” held strong at $1,834,807 and $1,818,299 respectively. Not to be outdone, “Fast X” raced in at $1,703,607, followed closely by “Elemental” at $1,506,760. “Migration” made its mark with $1,339,478, while “Trolls Band Together” brought in $983,278. Rounding off the list, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” left an impression with $979,233.
Almost all the films from the global top 10 also found themselves in the upper echelons of the Ukrainian ranking of most visited films. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” landed firmly at 15th place, closely followed by “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” at 16th. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” secured a respectable 18th place in the lineup. However, “Wonka” missed the cut, having only hit theatres in December 2023. Meanwhile, “The Little Mermaid,” released in May of the previous year, failed to captivate the hearts of Ukrainians.
So, among the 73 highest-grossing films in Ukraine, we find a mix of international flavours. There are four French films, three Ukrainian productions (“Mavka: The Forest Song,” “Myrnyi-21,” and “Luxembourg, Luxembourg”), and one English film (“Bank of Dave”). This lineup is completed by a staggering 65 American films, showcasing the undeniable dominance of Hollywood in Ukrainian cinemas—a trend mirrored globally in the film industry. However, there are exceptions, such as South Korea, where their own productions claim half of the top 10 spots, highlighting a robust local film industry or India. India’s powerhouse Bollywood, however, also presents a mixed picture, with only 9 out of 67 films being homegrown (although the top two spots are claimed by Indian films “Pathaan” and “Animal”).
There are, of course, examples like Poland, where many of their own productions rank high among the highest-grossing films, but they still fall short of the top twenty as Hollywood dominates there, as it does everywhere else. Ukraine perfectly aligns with this global trend, although its box office numbers are influenced by the unique nature of national film distribution. During frequent air raid alerts, occurring almost daily and sometimes multiple times a day, audiences are forced to evacuate cinemas. Whether they return for subsequent screenings hinges on the film’s appeal. Personally, I know individuals who were so eager to experience Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” in its entirety that they had to make three or four trips to the theatre, interrupted by the blaring sirens that disrupted continuous viewing.
It’s worth noting that the last stable year for film distribution in Ukraine was 2019, a period reported by Media Business Reports with a record-breaking overall box office of 2,8 billion UAH (€67,827,336). Following that, there were two years of the pandemic and two years of war. However, despite these challenges, 2023 saw a resurgence in cinema attendance compared to 2022. Notably, audiences showed strong support for national films, exemplified by the box office success of the feature-length animated film “Mavka: The Forest Song.” Interestingly, Ukrainians also kept pace with global premieres, indicating a renewed enthusiasm for cinema. As mentioned earlier, many of these releases hailed from the USA, continuing the trend of American films dominating the market.
Last year’s phenomenon of the simultaneous release of Oppenheimer and Barbie in theatres, known as Barbieheimer, did not escape the attention of Ukrainian viewers, who, however, were more eager to go to Nolan’s film rather than Gervig’s. Meanwhile, franchises (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, “Fast X, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”) remain consistently popular in all countries, and Ukraine is no exception. However, what is more interesting is that in the Ukrainian top 10, there are as many as four animated films (“Mavka: The Forest Song”, “Elemental”, “Migration”, and “Trolls Band Together”), which is not often seen in the rankings of European and Asian countries. Perhaps this is an indirect indication of what Ukrainian distributors have been saying for years: in Ukraine, cinemas are most often visited by children with their parents, and it is the children who primarily choose what to watch.
Moreover, animated films often attract repeat visits, providing a more enjoyable way to entertain children when other options become tiresome or when bad weather confines activities indoors. The success of animation is also attributed to its role as a comforting escape, offering a nostalgic trip back to childhood for adults and providing a wonderful distraction for children from the complexities of reality.
Take, for instance, “Oppenheimer” with its deeply poignant and sensitive portrayal of nuclear bombing, and combine that with a constant nuclear threat looming from Russia. Despite its weighty subject matter, the film still found success at the box office in Ukraine. However, I’ve heard from several military acquaintances and individuals who have endured harrowing shelling that watching this film was no easy feat for them; some even had to leave the theatres.
Regardless of the circumstances, despite Ukraine being in its third year of the Russian full-scale invasion, film distributors are quite optimistic about the future of Ukrainian film distribution in 2024. They unanimously predict growth compared to 2023, barring any significant deterioration on the frontlines or economic crises. As such, this year, Ukrainians are gearing up to enjoy a multitude of films, with the majority expected to be Hollywood productions. In just a few days, the highly anticipated “Dune: Part Two” is set to hit the screens, poised to potentially lead this year’s box office. Therefore, the outlook for American cinema in Ukraine appears promising, although, of course, it is also influenced, to some extent, by the military support coming from the U.S. Such is the reality of a country defending itself from the insatiable encroachments of a totalitarian neighbour, who intimidates not just Ukraine but the entire world with the very scenario artfully depicted by Christopher Nolan.
