Attendance at French cinemas collapsed by 73.8% in July compared to last year, with 4.8 million tickets sold over the period marked by reduced programming, corresponding to three quarters of the usual offer, announced Friday, August 7 the National Cinema Center (CNC).
Over the first seven months of the year, attendance is estimated at 44.06 million admissions, a fall of -64.3% over one year, according to the CNC. The rooms were closed for 99 days during the lockdown, an unprecedented fact.
Despite this context, the upturn in attendance in France was “More dynamic than that observed in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands or Spain”, notes the CNC. Since the gradual reopening of French cinemas on June 22, the CNC has seen a slow increase in programming. Thus, since 1is July, between five and ten films were released each week. An offer that remains reduced compared to normal, especially in American films. Summer is traditionally a prime time for the release of blockbusters.
“Mulan” private theatrical release
With the exception of the disaster film Greenland starring Gerard Butler, released Wednesday August 5, the big-budget films have deserted theaters, either because their release date has been pushed back or because they are ultimately released on streaming platforms.
The National Federation of French Cinemas, which brings together 6,000 French screens, deplored, in a press release, the fact that some films do not come out in theaters and are broadcast directly on video platforms.
After pushing back several times the exit of Mulan, Disney has decided this week to put the live-action version of the famous cartoon on its Disney + platform starting September 4. A decision that made cinema operators jump.
The next big movie release is Tenet, by Christopher Nolan, scheduled for August 26 in France. With a colossal budget of 205 million dollars, according to several American media, Tenet is a spy film incorporating supernatural elements, starring John David Washington, son of comedian Denzel Washington.
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