Harry Potter Magic Yields Record Cinema Revenues
The latest cinema box office figures have revealed record breaking weekly admissions during May thanks to the latest instalment of the highly lucrative Harry Potter film franchise.
However, as the latest Harry Potter movie was released on 30 May it does not grab the top spot in terms of takings for the month, going instead to vampire flick, Van Helsing.
Harry Potter‘s record opening figures, detailing an unprecidented 6.8 million admissions in just the one week, have led the Cinema Advertising Association to predict a massive rise in admissions throughout June, forecasting a rise of approximately 70% on the same month last year.
Elsewhere the much hyped Troy, an all star epic featuring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, was the second biggest film in May, taking £11.3m from audiences throughout the month, just behind Van Helsing‘s £13.8 million.
Surprise third place entry was disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow, sweeping into the top three despite being released late in the month on 28 May and notching up a total revenue of £8.5 million over the remainder of the month.
| Top Ten Films At The UK Box Office During May | ||
| 1 | Van Helsing (12A) | £13.8m |
| 2 | Troy (15) | £11.3m |
| 3 | The Day After Tomorrow (12A) | £8.5m |
| 4 | Kill Bill Volume 2 (18) | £4.3m |
| 5 | The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (15) | £4.2m |
| 6 | Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (PG) | £3.6m |
| 7 | Secret Window (12A) | £2.0m |
| 8 | Scooby Doo Too (PG) | £1.8m |
| 9 | 50 First Dates (12A) | £1.7m |
| 10 | Laws Of Attraction (12A) | £1.2m |
| Source: CAA |
Commenting on the month’s results Debbie Chalet, president of the CAA said: “Admissions in May carried on from April’s successes, with a particularly encouraging end of month. Big budget blockbusters such as Van Helsing, Troy and The Day After Tomorrow seem to have delivered, especially encouraging young and big spending audiences to the cinema.”
She added: “Family films such as Harry Potter have been some of the biggest films of the last few years. With a double dose of Harry Potter and Shrek this summer, combined with releases such as Spider-Man 2, The Stepford Wives and King Arthur, cinema admissions in June and July are predicted to be the highest for 30 years.”
The latest results show continuing success for children’s films. Last month also saw the sector riding high and cashing in on the lucrative Easter holidays. Films such as Scooby Doo 2 and Cat in the Hat performed, earning £14.4 million and £6.8 million respectively (see Children’s Favourites Dominate Easter Box Office).
Cinema Advertising Association: 0207 534 6363
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