May Days Prove No Emergency For Cinema Box Offices

This year’s cinema admissions for May were higher than they have been for 25 years. According to Carlton Screen Advertising, 11.3m people went to see films including the blockbuster Gladiator and Final Destination, representing more than a 50% increase on the same period in 1999.

Gladiator which opened over here following great success in the US, became the second highest opening of the year so far, taking £ 3.5m in its first weekend and £16.2m during the whole month- more than all the other top films put together.

The Euro 2000 competition during this month means that June figures are not expected to be as impressive. A drop of around 40% is expected as distributors have held back releases until the end of the tournament. June last year saw successful releases such as Notting Hill and The Matrix (see Cinema Achieves Best June Admissions In 27 Years). Hopes are higher for July this year, when the sequel to Mission Impossible will come out.

Carlton Screen Advertising: 020 7534 6363