The covid crisis accelerated a phenomenon that was already noticeable in France: a decline in movie theater attendance. The lockdowns saw subscriptions to video streaming platforms like Netflix or Prime Video explode in response to the closure of cultural venues. Moviegoers are equipping themselves with 4K TVs or 4K projectors combined with AV receivers and surround sound speakers to enjoy their passion at home. So much so that David Lynch was recently worried about people abandoning movie theaters. Good news: in April 2023, movie theater attendance was back to pre-covid levels!
Family movies during school vacations
Several factors explain the return to an upward trend in attendance. Firstly, the month of April coincides with school vacation. In their free time, moviegoers enjoy spending time with family and friends at the movies. April’s releases were the other factor in the increase in movie theater tickets sold last month.
Super Mario Bros. and The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan together accounted for over 8.6 million admissions. The animated film, based on the popular video game franchise available on Nintendo Switch, is expected to surpass the 6 million mark. It is already at the top of the 2023 French box office, ahead of Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.
This increase in attendance is to be confirmed
In concrete terms, cinema attendance in France is up 37.8% compared to April 2022. This dramatic increase is justified by the fact that uncertainties due to the pandemic were still present last year. However, theaters’ greatest satisfaction lies in the fact that cinema attendance is up 2.7% on average from 2017 to 2019. A genuine trend? The upcoming releases of other blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 should quickly reveal the true dynamics of the movie market.
