Diversity helps make cinema a star attraction

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By Peter Aspden

Published: April 18 2009 03:00 | Last updated: April 18 2009 03:00

Recession-cowed Britons may be cutting back but they are unable to resist the lure of the silver screen.

Film-goers have spent more than £250m on cinema tickets in the first three months of this year - a 16 per cent increase on the equivalent period in 2008.

Leading the way has been Slumdog Millionaire , Danny Boyle's Mumbai-shot Oscar-winner, which has attracted 6m viewers and £31.1m in box office revenue.

The latest figures, compiled by the Film Distributors' Association (FDA), support the frequent claim that cinema-going, perceived as a cheap night out, actually increases during times of economic hardship.

Mark Batey, chief executive of the FDA, said the cinema still offered a "good value night out". The average cost of a cinema visit across the nation is £5.

"We are not immune from the effects of the recession and we are not complacent, but cinema is showing itself to be something that delivers for all audiences - whatever your taste, there is something there for you."

One of the biggest growth areas in cinema attendance has been for 3D films. There are 210 screens in the UK able to show 3D films, a figure that is expected to rise to 300 by July. Current favourite Monsters vs Aliens , one of 16 films in 3D this year, has earned 55 per cent of its box office revenue from 3D screenings, which cost more to attend.

David Hancock, head of film and cinema at analyst Screen Digest, said cinema was "in a state of regeneration", taking advantage of "a very complicated digital media landscape", but also broadening its appeal.

Although last year the 10 highest-grossing films in the UK accounted for 36 per cent of box office revenue, at the other end of the scale there were nearly 200 foreign language films released that accounted for less than 4 per cent. "That is a sign of the diversity that currently exists," said Mr Hancock. "Cinema will always be the best place to watch a film - it offers an emotional journey in the context of a social gathering."

The FDA this week launched this year's "Summer of Cinema" marketing campaign aimed at increasing audience figures. The average number of cinema visits per year in the UK population is three.

Ever since the success of Jaws in the 1970s, the release of summer blockbusters has been a key element in maximising box office revenue. Last summer was the most lucrative for 40 years and this year, with no big sporting events taking place, crowd-pullers such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Star Trek are expected to do even better.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009