27/01/2025 - The region suffered declines in admissions, but local films thrived, with Denmark remaining the most stable market and Finland experiencing the steepest drop

Stormskerry Maja by Tiina Lymi, the biggest domestic success of 2024 in Finland

In 2024, the Nordic film markets experienced varying degrees of change, with box-office performance influenced by a mix of domestic successes, shifting audience habits and external challenges. Overall, Finland saw a notable decline in cinema admissions, although local films thrived. In Norway, admissions fell significantly, particularly for international titles, but domestic productions gained ground. Meanwhile, Denmark's box office showed stability, buoyed by a strong local presence. Sweden and Iceland also faced declines, yet local films gained momentum, reflecting regional shifts in audience preferences.

We will now take a closer look at each of the five Nordic countries’ box-office figures. Please note that some of the figures were disclosed by the national film institutes and local film bodies, while others are part of an analysis published on the Nordisk Film & TV Fond website last week (click here for more information).

In Finland (see the news from December), cinema admissions totalled 6.8 million in 2024, representing a 20.7% drop compared to the pre-pandemic average from 2015-2019 and a 5.5% decrease from 2023. Overall box-office revenue amounted to €89.5 million (just under €27.4 million for domestic films), down 4.3% from 2023, even as average ticket prices rose slightly. The biggest domestic success was Tiina Lymi’s Stormskerry Maja [+see also:
film review
film profile], a historical drama adapted from Anni Blomqvist’s novels, which surpassed Hollywood blockbusters such as Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine to become the year’s top film and the most-watched Swedish-language movie in Finland since records began in 1972, with 470,000 admissions. Finnish films secured a 31.6% market share in 2024, driven by hits like Kari Juusonen and Jørgen Lerdam’s animated feature Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights, Reetta Aalto’s children’s pic Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Chicken, and comedies such as Kari Ketonen’s Luottomies-elokuva: All In and Panu Raipia’s Kyllä isä osaa – elokuva. Additionally, Mika Kaurismäki’s drama Long Good Thursday performed well.

In Norway, admissions declined by 12.7% in 2024 compared to 2023, with international films experiencing a steeper drop (33.9%) than Norwegian productions (22.3%). Total admissions fell from 9.4 million in 2023 to 8.2 million, significantly below the pre-pandemic average of 11.9 million. The market’s difficulties were compounded by the Hollywood strikes and an unusually warm summer. Nevertheless, domestic films’ market share rose to 25%. The most notable domestic titles included the war dramas Quisling – The Final Days [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Erik Poppe, which earned the equivalent of €2.4 million, and John Andreas Andersen’s No. 24 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which grossed the equivalent of €3.44 million and became the most-streamed movie on Netflix in Norway.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s 2024 box office was more stable, with 9.8 million admissions, only 2.7% lower than in 2023. Local films maintained a 24% market share, selling 2.3 million tickets despite a reduced slate of 22 releases compared to 35 the previous year. Seven Danish productions ranked among the year’s top 20, including Niclas Bendixen’s dramedy When in Rome, which topped the domestic chart. Subscription programmes like Cinema Club Denmark also helped sustain attendance.

Sweden reported mixed results. Admissions dropped from 11.2 million in 2023 to 10.6 million, a decrease of 5%. However, local films gained a stronger foothold, with a market share exceeding 20%, up from 17% the previous year. Hits included Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson’s documentary The Last Journey [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which became the country’s highest-grossing non-fiction work with over 400,000 admissions, and Ted Kjellsson’s family flick Håkan Bråkan 2. Additionally, remakes of Nordic hits, like Eddie Åhgren’s comedy Jönssonligan kommer tillbaka, continued to perform well domestically.

Iceland, the region’s smallest market, saw admissions decline from 1 million in 2023 to 905,000 in 2024, with total box-office revenue dropping 5.8% to 1,597,042,123 Icelandic crowns (circa €11 million). The reduction in the number of releases, particularly US titles, contributed to the downturn. However, Baltasar Kormákur’s romantic drama Touch [+see also:
film review
film profile], which is Iceland’s Oscars hopeful (see the news), emerged as the top-grossing film of the year with the equivalent of €743,000, surpassing the Pixar hit Inside Out 2. Icelandic films accounted for a 14% market share, while popular imports included the Norwegian divorce drama and Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe winner Loveable [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
film profile] by Lilja Ingolfsdottir.