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What are the most popular comedy films in the UK, of all time? If you’re looking to get inspired and need a night-in with some classics, our list of the top 10 most popular comedy films in the UK should have you covered! From some best British comedy films to some of the greatest comedy films of all time, our list contains some absolute corkers as well as a few that may surprise you!
If you love great comedy, check out Blackpool Grand’s full list of upcoming comedy shows coming soon. Or, check out our list of the most popular comedians in the UK as voted by you!
So whether you’re after a night of laughs, tears or adventure, check out our list of top ten comedy films according to the Great British public! Thousands of you voted in the YouGov Poll to come up with the top-100, here we disclose just the top 10. Will your choices be in the headliners?
Coming in at number 10 is the third instalment of the swashbuckling adventure series that took the world by storm. Featuring the likes of Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, the films series became an instant box office hit. So much so that quite a few make the top 10! Released in 2017, this film is the fifth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg from a script by Jeff Nathanson, the film is the sequel to On Stranger Tides (2011) and the fifth instalment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. It stars regular cast members Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, and Kevin McNally.
Dead Men Tell No Tales premiered in Shanghai in 2017 and grossed $794 million worldwide against a production budget estimated at between $230–320-million.
Popular Comedy Film A 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first instalment in The Hangover trilogy.
The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, and Jeffrey Tambor. It tells the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate one’s impending marriage. However, three wake up with one of the parties (the groom) missing and absolutely no memory of the previous night, I mean ‘what could have happened, right?’, now they must find the groom before the wedding can take place.
The Hangover was released on June 5, 2009, and was a critical and commercial success. The film became the tenth highest-grossing film of 2009, with a worldwide gross of over $467 million. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and received multiple other accolades. It is the tenth highest-grossing worldwide film of 2009.
A sequel, The Hangover Part II, was released in 2011, and a third and final instalment, The Hangover Part III, was released in, 2013.
A 2011 musical comedy film directed by James Bobin, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, and believe it or not, the seventh theatrical film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones, as well as Muppets performers.
In the film, devoted Muppet fan Walter, his human brother Gary and Gary’s girlfriend Mary help Kermit the Frog reunite the disbanded Muppets, as they must raise $10 million to save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman, a businessman who plans to demolish the studio to drill for oil.
The Muppets premiered at the Savannah Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2011. It makes the list of best comedy films thanks to its critical and commercial success, grossing $165 million worldwide on a budget of $45 million and garnering praise for its humour, screenplay and music. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for McKenzie’s song “Man or Muppet”, as well as garnering BAFTA and Critic’s Choice Awards nominations. A sequel, titled Muppets Most Wanted, was released in 2014.
The iconic Notting Hill is one of the best British comedy films of all time, written by Richard Curtis. The film stars legends, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, with the support of Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, and Hugh Bonneville. The heart-wrenching love story is of a romance between a London bookseller (Grant) and a famous American actress (Roberts), who happens to walk into his shop.
Released in 1999, Notting Hill was well-received by critics and became the highest-grossing British film of all time. The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, with Roberts and Grant also receiving nominations for their performances, while the film also earned two BAFTA nominations. It also won a British Comedy Award and a Brit Award for the soundtrack.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is one of the most popular British comedy films of all time. The much-loved rom-com is based on Fielding’s 1996 novel of the same name, which is a very loose interpretation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old English single woman, who writes a diary that focuses on the things she wishes to happen in her life. However, her life changes when two men vie for her affection, portrayed by Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
Bridget Jones’s Diary premiered in 2001 grossing over $280 million worldwide. Zellweger’s performance garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Over the years, it has been hailed as a cult film as well as part of the English pop culture with Bridget Jones being cited as a British cultural icon. The success spawned a Bridget Jones franchise with two equally successful sequels being released, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016).
The 2003 spy action-comedy film Johnny English, directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies.
Starring king of comedy Rowan Atkinson in the title role, more commonly known as a singer Natalie Imbruglia, straight man Ben Miller and John Malkovich. Now a Johnny English film series and dare we say loosely a parody/homage to the spy genre, the ‘Mr Bean’ as the James Bond type character. The film received such great response Atkinson’s bumbling spy character was used in adverts in the UK for Barclaycard (1990s).
Grossed $160 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million, and soon became a firm favourite and landmarked one of the best comedy films of the year. The film was released in the UK on 11 April 2003 and topped the country’s box office for the next three weekends. Following its commercial success, it was followed by two sequels, Johnny English Reborn and Johnny English Strikes Again, in 2011 and 2018, respectively.
You’d be amazed at the amount of Pirates of the Caribbean films that make the list! On Stranger Tides was another commercial success that saw the adventures of our favourite pirates unfold on screen. Released in 2011, it is the fourth instalment of the popular film series and saw Penelope Cruż join the cast. Grossing over $1 billion upon its release, it proved an incredible success, and that’s why it makes the list!
Released in 2007, At World’s End is the third instalment of the epic fantasy series that proceed incredibly popular. The film follows Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and Barbossa rescue Captain Jack Sparrow. At the time of production, it was the most expensive film ever made! It still makes the top 10, coming in as the 5th most expensive film ever made. Following the tumultuous tales of Jack Sparrow, the franchise only boosted Depps’ career and was nominated for Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects at the 80th Academy Awards.
Yes, it’s another Pirates of the Caribbean film: Dead Man’s Chest the second instalment of the film series and the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). In the film, the wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who wants Turner to acquire the compass of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in a bid to find the Dead Man’s Chest. Sparrow discovers his debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) is due.
Released in 2006, it makes the list of top 2 best comedy films, receiving praise for its special effects, direction, action sequences, Hans Zimmer’s musical score, humour, and performances, particularly those of Depp and Nighy. The film again broke incredible records at the time, including the opening weekend record (US) with $136 million, the fastest film to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office – a staggeringly impressive 63 days, and became the highest-grossing film of 2006. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Mrs Doubtfire is one of the most popular comedy films of all time. A much-loved classic for many, this American comedy-drama features the late great Robin Williams. To spend time with his children, a recently divorced actor (Williams) plots the perfect disguise in the form of Scottish housekeeper Mrs Doubtfire. Robin Williams, who also served as a co-producer, stars with Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky. It follows a recently divorced actor (Williams) who dresses up as a female housekeeper to be able to interact with his children. The film address’s strong themes of divorce, separation, and the effects they have on a family.
The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the Academy Award for Best Makeup and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Williams was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Grossing $441.3 million on a $25 million budget, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 1993 worldwide. The film was originally based on the 1987 novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine and was released in 1993.
We hope you will agree on an impressive list of the Most Popular Comedy films in the UK…
Check out the full YouGov list of best comedy films of all time as voted for by the UK public here. Explore Blackpool Grand’s upcoming comedy shows here or head to our blog for more comedy top 10’s and fabulous facts!
The multi award-winning musical DEAR EVAN HANSEN will make a very welcome stop at Blackpool Grand Theatre in 2025!…
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