An exceptionally strong August – which saw admissions surge almost 26 per cent ahead of the same month in 2015 – capped off a strong Summer at UK cinemas, buoyed by a diverse slate of films, in particular targeted at the family audience.
Despite a range of competing attractions, not least the 2016 Rio Olympics, UK audiences responded enthusiastically over the months from June-August to a range of quality titles including: The Secret Life of Pets; Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie; Star Trek: Beyond; Ghostbusters; Suicide Squad; Finding Dory; Jason Bourne and The BFG. All told, these movies and many more saw over 45 million admissions, including well over 18 million in August alone.
That performance means that on admissions this year is currently tracking ahead of 2015 – itself a high point in recent times – with the likes of Bridget Jones’ Baby, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Star Wars: Rogue One amongst a number of high profile titles likely to keep the UK cinema box office ticking over and more as 2016 progresses.
Commenting on the latest figures, UK Cinema Association Chief Executive Phil Clapp said:
‘Given where we ended up, many probably thought that 2015 would be a very tough act to follow. While there is no sense of complacency, these latest figures do confirm that UK cinemas continue to perform strongly, with a strong family slate in particular clearly striking a chord with the UK audience over the Summer.’