April Cinema Strong, But Admissions Down On March

UK cinema admissions reached 10.6 million during April, with an average of 2.5 million each week, according to the latest figures published by the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA).

Despite a strong performance, April experienced a drop in year on year comparisons due to it missing out on the bank holiday weekend in March. March was the busiest month in the past three years, with 12.3 million admissions, up 14.5% year on year (see Cinema Sees Strongest March In Three Years).

Horror film, The Ring 2, proved to be the most popular choice for cinema goers in April, generating £4.9 million in the UK and achieving over $143 million worldwide.

The Interpreter, staring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, came in closely behind The Ring, with gross box office takings of £4.78 million. The dramatic thriller, directed by Sydney Pollack, is also the first movie ever to film inside the United Nations.

Continuing its successful run at the cinema, animated children’s adventure, Valiant, ranked third in April’s highest grossing films, with earnings of £4.48 million. Completing the top five films for the month were March releases, Robots and Hitch which continued to perform very well, placing fourth and fifth respectively.

Robots gathered more school break admissions with gross £4,27 million earnings, while romantic comedy, Hitch, spread its appeal further to reach £4.17 million.

Advertising activity in April was lead by the entertainment, telecommunication and automotive industries, hitting £9.8 million for the month. The top three advertisers in terms of spend were BSkyB with £1.3 million, Orange at £1.1 million with their out-of-reel sponsorship, followed by Renault UK spending £593,000.

Several of April’s top ten films may contest the top box office position in May, with all eyes on the progress of Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Future films to provoke interest include Sin City and Batman Begins.

CAA: 020 7534 6363