July’s Cinema Admissions Fail To Beat 1999 Figure

Cinema admissions last month failed to reach the same total for the same period last year – unsurprisingly as July 1999 saw the release of the record breaking Star Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace (see Star Wars Episode 1 Smashes Box Office Records). Admissions for July 2000 were, at 14.1 million, down 3% on last year, with average weekly admissions of 3.18 million.

The two top box office draws were Chicken Run, which brought in £18.5m and Mission Impossible 2 which managed £14.2m. The success of these titles, along with third highest box office earner Stuart Little (£6.8m) helped push admissions higher than predicted.

Admissions for the year so far total 85 million, up 10% on the same period last year. August admissions are expected to contribute less to the year’s total than last year, as it is not known whether the US success of X-Men (which took $55 million in its opening weekend) will be repeated over here.

The following month, however, high hopes are pinned on new releases Snatch, Scary Movie and Me, Myself and Irene. Admissions by the end of the year are expected to show an increase on 1999’s total.

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