• Approximately 236,000 attended cinemas the weekend 28 – 30 August
• Highest weekend audiences since lock down
• Admissions driven by the opening weekend of blockbuster film Tenet
• Week-on-week cinema attendance is on track to be up 26%
According Val Morgan, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated action-thriller, Tenet, drove audiences to return to Australian cinemas in high numbers over the weekend, with around 236,000 movie-lovers attending various films on the big screen.
Despite social distancing measures influencing cinema capacity, the film prompted a strong audience return, with admits surpassing Val Morgan forecasts by 15%. The admission numbers are the highest since cinemas reopened across most of Australia, with week-on-week attendance on track to increase by 26%.
“The cinema industry has been waiting for a blockbuster like Tenet to draw bigger audiences back into venues and it didn’t disappoint, delivering solid numbers over the weekend. Admissions were largely driven by affluent 18-39 year old’s, which is testament to the appetite these audiences have for a cutting-edge sound and visual experience that simply cannot be replicated at home,” Mr Guy Burbidge, Managing Director of Val Morgan said.
“Even though cinemas have been closed in Melbourne, we have seen a steady increase across the rest of the country, with over 2,000,000 admissions since restrictions have lifted. We are forecasting to be at 70% of pre-COVID audience level by mid-Q4.
“Cinema has momentum and we anticipate these numbers will continue to rise as more blockbusters are released over the course of the year. September is packed with first-run content including The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music and Trolls World Tour. We also look forward to a slate of epic blockbusters including Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow and No Time to Die in Q4,” Mr Burbidge said.