A family affair: Child-driven films dominate top takers at the box office

Despicable Me 2 is on course to be the blockbuster hit of the year.

Four of the top 10 grossing films in Ireland are family movies, which shows that the cinema in this country is still seen as a traditional outing for parents and their children.

Another four of the top 10 films were seen as child-driven with two in the science fiction category and two more classed as superhero movies.

The figures from Carlton Screen Advertising show Despicable Me 2 as the top movie with takings of €3.75m at the box office.

But the family film scored just two thirds of the return of James’ Bond Skyfall, which landed in the top spot in 2012 with €5.6m.

Iron Man 3 earned €2.8m while Superman reboot Man of Steel accounted for €2.5m in ticket receipts in the figures compiled from Jan 1 to Dec 15.

Eoin Wrixon, general manager of Carlton Screen Advertising, said: “Sequels and family movies always do well in [Ireland].”

Incredibly, of the top 20 movies in the country last year just under a third were sequels, which are hugely popular with studios because they usually have a big opening weekend.

Irish audiences appear to have turned their backs on dramas with no serious films making it into the top 10 grossing films, while and romantic comedies are out of favour.

The Hunger Games was the fourth most popular movie with €2.38m, while Les Miserables scored €2.32m. Animated hit The Croods and the Hangover Part III both made just over €2.2m. Monsters University was eighth with €2.1m.

Gravity, which landed in ninth place with takings of €2.1m, is the only film in the list which is expected to get an Oscar nod. Wreck-It Ralph shored up the list with takings of nearly €1.98m.

No home-grown movie made it to the top 10 this year.

Mr Wrixon said Irish movies were still striking a chord with audiences.

Avatar still holds the record as the No. 1 box office hit in Ireland with €8.7m takings.