Cinema ticket sales rocket
Cinema ticket sales for the first half of the year have reached 83.4 million, the UK’s highest box office figures for seven years.
Films such as Slumdog Millionaire, which has taken an incredible £31.6 million in the UK so far this year, Monsters Vs Aliens and Star Trek, have contributed to the success of ticket sales this year.
However, the recession has also had an impact on rocketing sales, with consumers spending less on expensive forms of entertainment and more on cheaper entertainment, such as going to the cinema.
| UK Top Films 2009 – Year to Date | |||
| Rank | Film | Cert | Takings (£million) |
| 1 | Slumdog Millionaire | 15 | 31.6 |
| 2 | Monsters Vs Aliens | PG | 21.1 |
| 3 | Star Trek | 12A | 19.4 |
| 4 | Bolt | PG | 17.9 |
| 5 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | 12A | 16.1 |
| 6 | Angels & Demons | 12A | 16.1 |
| 7 | Night at the Museum 2 | PG | 15.4 |
| 8 | Marley & Me | PG | 15.2 |
| 9 | Fast & Furious | 12A | 13.5 |
| 10 | 17 Again | 12A | 11.2 |
| Source: Nielsen EDI 1st Jan – 7th June 2009 | |||
In May, cinema admissions reached a peak of over 15.7 million – an increase of three million compared with May 2008.
By region, London’s admissions soared to more than 3.6 million, followed by the Midlands with 2.2 million and Lancashire with 1.8 million.
Cinemas expect this trend to continue through the second half of 2009 with the release of highly anticipated films such as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Warner Bros, which distributes the film, claims the latest Harry Potter movie made more than $100 million on its first day on worldwide release.
The sixth film in the Potter fantasy series, which opened in 20 countries last Wednesday, took more than £4.7 million from 1,305 screens on its first day in the UK alone.
Box Office data is available each week within the Box Office section of MediaTel.co.uk’s Cinema Database, provided by Nielsen EDI / DCM. To view, please click Cinema on the drop-down menu.