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French cinemas post their best August attendance since 1980

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • French cinemas recorded 19.94 million admissions in August, the highest figure for the month since monthly tracking began in 1980, the CNC said.
  • Attendance doubled from August 2025, helped by The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a Charles de Gaulle biopic and French comedies.
  • Cinema admissions reached 127.92 million in the first eight months of the year, up 28.5% from the same period in 2025.

French cinemas recorded nearly 20 million admissions in August, their strongest performance for the month since statistical monitoring began in 1980. The National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image, known as the CNC, reported 19.94 million tickets sold.

The figure was twice the attendance recorded in August 2025. The CNC attributed the surge to the success of major releases including The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, alongside several French productions.

The summer lineup also benefited from a two-part biopic about Charles de Gaulle and the comedies De la Comédie-Française and Tombé du ciel. The strong showing followed years of disruption in the US film industry, which had limited the availability of American releases.

Cinemas also offered a welcome escape from the heat during periods of scorching temperatures. From January through August, French cinemas recorded 127.92 million admissions, an increase of 28.5% compared with the same period last year. American films accounted for an estimated 48.4% of the market, while French films held a 37.2% share.

the best August since monthly statistical monitoring began in 1980

· National Centre for Cinema and the Moving ImageThe CNC described the record monthly attendance in a statement.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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