In 2024, the French box office experienced a modest rise, seeing a 0.5% increase in admissions, totaling 181.3 million. This modest growth brought in an overall gross of approximately $1.36 billion, according to reports from France’s National Cinema Centre (CNC).
Despite this positive result, it’s important to note that overall admissions still lagged by 12.8% compared to the pre-pandemic era. However, the CNC expressed optimism, highlighting the significant progress made over the past eight months, closing the gap to just 2.7%. The French box office performance was notably better than that of comparable markets such as the UK, which experienced a 1% dip in receipts, and Spain, which saw a 7% decline year-on-year.
The remarkable performance of local French films contributed significantly to this positive trend, capturing 44% of market admissions. This figure stands out against the 36.7% share claimed by U.S. films. It’s the highest market share French films have enjoyed since 2008, when popular titles like ‘Welcome To The Sticks’ and ‘Asterix At The Olympic Games’ bolstered local admissions to 45.5%, far surpassing the pre-pandemic average of 37.2%.
Leading the pack of French films was the unexpected hit ‘A Little Something Extra,’ which drew in 10 million viewers, followed by ‘The Count Of Monte Cristo’ with 9.1 million. ‘Beating Hearts,’ ‘Monsieur Aznavour,’ ‘Ooh La La!,’ and ‘Open Season’ also contributed significantly, each attracting millions of spectators. In contrast, ‘Vice-Versa 2’ was the top U.S. film, bringing in 8.26 million viewers and grossing approximately $62 million.
Arthouse cinema did not lag behind, with ‘Emilia Pérez,’ a Cannes Jury Prize winner, drawing around 1 million viewers. François Ozon’s ‘When Fall Is Coming’ sold over 600,000 tickets. Other successful indie titles included ‘Souleymane’s Story’ and ‘The Second Act,’ each drawing around 500,000 spectators, and low-budget films ‘Golo & Ritchie’ and ‘Vingt-Deux,’ each exceeding 400,000 admissions.
Acting CNC president Olivier Henrard praised the results, stating, “Comparing these results with all those of comparable countries is the best proof of the artistic and industrial excellence of our model of cultural exception.” He attributed the success to the diversity and originality of French cinema, spanning various genres such as historical dramas, comedies, and animated films. This diversity is credited with driving increases in attendance and achieving an unmatched global market share for French films.
The year 2024 marked a promising period for the French cinema industry, as it showed resilience and strength in the face of ongoing global challenges. With its diverse film offerings and strong local support, France has set a positive course for the future of its film industry.
Source: Yahoo
