French cinemas enjoy record summer driven by "L'Odyssée" and "Spider-Man"

French cinemas are enjoying a record-breaking summer, with July alone drawing 17.5 million visitors, a figure not seen since 1946. This surge in attendance, a 22.6% increase compared to last year, brings the total summer visitors to 17.5 million and positions July as the most attended month of the year. The resurgence is attributed to a strong film lineup and favorable weather conditions.

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With 17.5 million visitors welcomed in July, dark rooms continue their march forward and hope to reach attendance levels close to those before COVID at the end of the year.

Several major films have driven this success. "La Bataille De Gaulle - Part 2" has already attracted over 1.4 million viewers, with its first part bringing the total to over 3.5 million. Christopher Nolan's "L’Odyssée" captivated nearly five million visitors in less than a month after its July 15 release. Additionally, "Spider-Man - Brand New Day" has garnered over 3.2 million admissions since its release, with an impressive 650,000 viewers on its opening day. Animated films like "Toy Story 5," "Vaiana la légende du bout du monde," and "Des Minions et des monstres" also contributed to the increased attendance.

Compounding the success, heatwaves across France have encouraged more people to seek refuge in air-conditioned cinemas. Data from the Centre national du cinéma (CNC) indicates a correlation between high temperatures and increased ticket sales. The week of July 22, which saw particularly high temperatures, recorded over 6.5 million admissions, nearly 10% of the French population.

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July benefited from the momentum given at the end of June by the Fête du cinéma, but also from a particularly rich and eclectic programming.

With these strong summer results, French cinemas are optimistic about reaching pre-pandemic attendance levels by the end of the year. The positive trend represents a significant recovery for the industry after a challenging period.

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The heatwave effect is snowballing. Data published by the CNC show that episodes of high heat tend to boost attendance in cinemas, where air conditioning is welcome.