Sticks’ boomerang effect triggers fall in 2009 admissions
With 51.98m admissions in the first quarter of 2009, audience figures in French theatres have seen a sharp 15.2% decline compared to the same period in 2008, according to estimated figures published by the National Film Centre (CNC).
March has seen a spectacular 34.1% drop, with 18.1m viewers compared to 27.46m last year. But this downturn must be put in context, for March 2008 smashed all the monthly box office records thanks to the staggering score achieved by Welcome to the Sticks [+see also:
trailer
film profile].
In reality, March 2009 has seen the second best March results in the past 25 years in France. Moreover, total figures for the first quarter correspond to the usual levels seen over the last ten years (an average of 50.9m admissions, excluding 2008).
The market share for French films has also been affected, standing at 39.5% for the first quarter of 2009 compared to 62.5% for the first three months of 2008. US films clock in at 46.1% (30.9% in the first quarter of the previous year) and features from the rest of the world have also seen a marked increase from 6.6% to 14.4%.
At the box-office, Lisa Azuelos’ LOL [+see also:
trailer
interview: Christa Théret
film profile] has emerged as the first quarter’s best-performing European film with 3.5m admissions. Meanwhile, Gad Elmaleh’s Coco [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has garnered 2.6m viewers in three weeks and UK director Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danny Boyle
film profile] has attracted 2.3m French cinemagoers.
Next in line are Pascale Pouzadoux’s Changing Sides [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (1.8m admissions) and Danielle Thompson’s Change of Plans [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (1.6m).
Philippe Lioret’s Welcome [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Philippe Lioret
film profile] has drawn 880,000 viewers in four weeks and Martin Provost’s Séraphine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has amassed 780,000 admissions in 27 weeks. Meanwhile, Italian director Gianni Di Gregorio’s Mid-August Lunch [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is also enjoying success (135,000 admissions in four weeks).
(Translated from French)
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