Italy Box Office 2015: ‘Inside Out’ Arrives on Top, Overall Revenue Jumps

Inside Out conquered Italy this year with $27.7 million, followed closely by Minions with $25.6 million.

In a country often plagued by piracy, animated films reigned supreme where families made an outing of going to the cinema. This proved true also for the No. 9 film this year, Cinderella, and last year’s top film, Maleficent, as Disney’s live-action films continue to be box office slam dunks.

To compare, last year only the top three films broke $15 million, while in 2015 each of the top 10 films well surpassed that mark. In 2014, the top 10 films grossed $135.65 million while in 2015 the top 10 films made $204 million, marking an increase of 50 percent. Overall ticket sales were up in 2015.

The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon also swept Italy. The film had the highest-ever opening for a film rated VM14 (restricted to audiences 14 and over), raking in $9.1 million with 1.1 million admissions. In total the film made $21.4 million, coming in at No. 3.

This year only one local film made it into the top 10, Si Accettano Miracoli. The popular film about a fake miracle in the south of Italy from director Alessandro Siani was a new year’s hit, beating even American Sniper in its opening weekend.

But American Sniper held steady at the box office, setting a career best for Clint Eastwood, a popular name in the country. It took the No. 4 spot for the year. 

Star Wars fans are rampant throughout Italy. The film is already in the No. 5 position for the year, with $20.6 million, and is expected to continue to climb.

While Italians love their cars, no one could have expected the success of Furious 7. The Vin Diesel-starrer landed at No. 6 on the list for the year, with $20.4 million. Other franchise heavyweights fared well, including Avengers: The Age of Ultron at No. 7 and Jurassic World at No. 10.

Here is the list of Italy’s top 10 box-office performers in 2015:

1. Inside Out ($27.7 million)

2. Minions ($25.6 million)

3. Fifty Shades of Grey ($21.4 million)

4. American Sniper ($20.8 million)

5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($20.6 million)

6. Furious 7 ($20.4 million)

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron ($18.1 million)

8. Si Accettano Miracoli ($16.9 million)

9. Cinderella ($16.4 million)

10. Jurassic World ($16.1 million)

Box Office Data: Cinetel