Despicable Me 2 biggest box office hit of 2013 in UK

Despicable Me 2 was the biggest hit film of last year, pulling in more than £47 million at the box office according to figures released by the British Film Institute (BFI).

Other smash hits included The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and Les Miserables, both of which took more than £40 million at cinemas in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The biggest independent release was Philomena, with Steve Coogan and Dame Judi Dench, which grossed over £11 million.

BFI figures show it is the third year running more than £1 billion was spent at the box office, but they also show the number of British-produced films at a five-year low of 239 - 86 fewer than the year before.Researchers also found takings down by 1% on 2012 and a 4% dip in tickets sales.

The 20 highest-grossing films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2013:

1 Despicable Me 2 - £47.46 million

2 The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - £41.59 million

3 Les Miserables - £40.82 million

4 Iron Man 3 - £36.97 million

5 Frozen - £34.17 million

6 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - £33.79 million

7 Monsters University - £30.69 million

8 Man Of Steel - £29.95 million

9 Gravity - £28.85 million

10 The Croods - £26.78 million

11 Star Trek: Into Darkness - £25.82 million

12 Fast And Furious 6 - £25.27 million

13 Wreck-It Ralph - £23.78 million

14 Thor: The Dark World - £19.85 million

15 The Hangover Part III - £19.32 million

16 Captain Phillips - £16.09 million

17 Django Unchained - £15.74 million

18 The Great Gatsby - £15.73 million

19 Oz: The Great And Powerful - £15.28 million

20 World War Z - £14.57 million