UK cinemas continue to build on a solid start to the year, with admissions for the first five months of 2009 up over 16 per cent on the same period in 2008.
A stream of popular films including Star Trek, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Angels and Demons meant audiences continued to flock to the cinema in May despite the spring sunshine. 15,775,946 tickets were sold in May – the highest figure for that month for over ten years – adding to an already strong first quarter.
Commenting on the figures, James Bird of the CEA said:
“Cinema audiences continue to defy the economic downturn and seek out good value entertainment at the cinema. With the next Harry Potter instalment coming to UK screens this month, and movies such as Up! and Avatar to look forward to later in the year, there is every reason to believe that UK cinema will enjoy further success in the year ahead.”