Glimmer of hope for dark rooms: with 152 million admissions in 2022, cinemas have regained three quarters of their pre-Covid attendance, signing one of the best “remontada” at the global level and optimistic prospects for the year 2023. This is a strong rebound compared to the 95.5 million admissions in 2021 (+59.2%), but still down 26.9% compared to the pre- -Covid, with 207.9 million admissions on average between 2017 and 2019, according to the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC). Unlike 2020 and 2021, no theaters were closed for health reasons of Covid in 2022, even if health restrictions such as the vaccination pass and the ban on the sale of confectionery were only lifted in mid-March. “This is a very encouraging result in a still atypical context. France is recording one of the best recoveries in the world, with a more limited decline compared to, for example, the United States, South Korea, Germany, Spain or Italy“, declares in a press release Dominique Boutonnat, president of the CNC. The top 5 films in 2022 remain the prerogative of American blockbusters. With already nearly 8 million viewers, Avatar: The Waterway has dethroned Top Gun: Maverick (6.7 million) at the top of this ranking. This is followed by Minions 2: Once Upon a Time Gru with 3.9 million admissions, then Jurassic World 3: The World After (3.5 million) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (3.4 million), according to the audience analysis company Comscore. See also on Konbini American films were a “driving force” when, on the French side, only films “with a certain originality” resisted, to the detriment of big comedies for example, indicated on Friday to AFP Éric Marti, specialist at Comscore. Highly anticipated, the third installment of What We Did to God attracted only 2.4 million spectators, far from these previous records, while November on the 2015 attacks made 2.3 million admissions.“Positive dynamic”However, “American films have never been as rare on screens as in 2022”, due to the reduction in the number of releases since 2012, but also to a few direct releases on streaming platforms, while “the number of unreleased French films has returned to its 2019 level”, noted Comscore. According to the CNC, French films won 40.9% of the market share in 2022 – against 37.2 % on average over 2017 to 2019 — exceeding 40.5% for American films, which are more inclined to achieve high attendance scores. Another noteworthy fact: the return of the public in 2022 has been more towards local cinemas, particularly in the city center, to the detriment of large complexes, whose attendance trend has tended to erode for several years. Comedies, films historical, biopics, dramas, thrillers, animated films: this year, the successes of French films show the diversity and richness of French cinema with, for example, What have we all done to God? (2.4 million); November (2.3 million); Simone, the trip of the century (2.2 million); Retirement home (1.9 million); Despite himself superheroes (1.7 million); In body (1.3 million); Masquerade (more than 800,000 entries); Color of Fire (over 700,000 entries); The Innocent (nearly 700,000 entries); Revoir Paris (more than 500,000 admissions) or Vaillante (French-Canadian animated film at 1.3 million). average 2017 to 2019, according to the CNC, “the year ends better than it began”, welcomed the end of December to AFP Marc-Olivier Sebbag, general delegate of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF). The spectators were particularly present during the Christmas holidays. Comscore indicates a record of more than five million admissions for the week of December 21 to 27, while the days of December 27 to 30 equaled or exceeded 1 million each, boosted by the success of Avatar 2. “This positive momentum should continue throughout 2023, thanks to a dense and diversified film offer”, estimates the FNCF. On the menu: the new John Wick, the return of Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible and that of Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones. Ant-man must usher in a new phase of the Marvel universe and Margot Robbie transform into Barbie.
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