French cinema theatres have enjoyed an historic start to the summer, with box office figures boosted in particular by films such as The Count of Monte Cristo – released on 28 June – which attracted a total of 5.6 million spectators, including more than 4 million in July alone.
Gone are the harbingers of doom and gloom who forecast the 2024 Paris Olympics would turn the French away from cinemas in their droves.
One can consign the poor figures at from start of the year to history, which were particularly hampered by the Hollywood scriptwriters' strike.
According to figures released this week by the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée or CNC, the number of French cinema-goers for July 2024 is the best on record since 2011.
Some 18.71 million admissions were recorded last month, an increase of 2.2 percent on July 2023, which was itself boosted by the success of Barbie and Oppenheimer – the so-called "Barbenheimer" phenomenon.
Great news for exhibitors
According to Richard Patry, president of the National Federation of French Cinemas, nobody saw it coming.
"Over the whole of 2024, we expected to do at least as much as in 2023 [almost 183 million admissions]," he said.
"We suffered a lot in the first few months," Patry adds, as receipts were down by 17 percent over the January-to-March period, compared with the same period in 2023.
"It's great to see that we're back on track, after the Covid crisis and the writers' strike in Hollywood.
"And if the film gods continue to smile on us, we could reach 190 million tickets sold. We're going to bring France another medal."
The Fête du Cinémathat took place from 30 June to 4 July set the tone from the outset, smashing attendance records with over 4.6 million admissions over four days – the highest figure since the event was launched in 1985.
The impact of the Olympics was also, unexpectedly, limited.
"It's true that some of our Parisian colleagues who are next door to the Olympic events are suffering because of the large crowds," Patry explains adding "it's still very much a sector-based operation and a minority".
"If the public want to see a film, they'll find a time to go, Olympic Games or not".
Stormy weather
Another factor could have been the gloomy weather at the start of July, that may have pushed people in front of cinema screens.
"Bad weather can be a positive factor, but it's not a decisive one," says Patry.
Historically, it has little impact in the south of France and more in the north.
"The gloomy weather may have played a part, but when it's very hot too, air-conditioned cinemas can be attractive. With attractive films, it works," says French film producer Éric Marti.
According to him – over the last fifteen years or so – summer has become the biggest season for cinema after Christmas, and a prime time for blockbusters.
"Distributors have realised that people are available at this time," he says. "Not everyone leaves. And in France, even on holiday, a cinema is never far away".
