Harry Potter, Danny Boyle's slumdogs and James Cameron's futuristic blue aliens helped make 2009 the best year for cinemas since 2002, a raft of figures from the UK Film Council (UKFC) showed today.
Doom-mongers who predicted the slow death of cinema, as viewers sat at home watching box sets and downloaded movies would appear to be off the mark. In the UK last year, cinema admissions hit 173.5m and the combined box office takings in the UK and Ireland exceeded £1bn for the first time.
The messages were more mixed for film production. While there was the highest ever level of inward investment – that is, largely Hollywood films made in the UK – the amount spent on co-productions fell to a low of £35m, compared to £169m in 2003. In terms of film numbers, there were 22 co-productions in the UK in 2009 compared to 106 in 2003.
The UKFC says that is a result of "the one flaw" in the film tax credit scheme introduced by Labour: that films have to be made in the UK, and that a co-production filmed in another country does not get tax relief. The figures also show a drop in market share for British films, down to 16.5% from 31% in 2008 – although that was a particularly strong year because of films including Mamma Mia! and Quantum of Solace.
British independent films, however, took their biggest market share of the decade – 8.5% – helped by Slumdog Millionaire, St Trinian's 2 and In the Loop.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the franchise (there are only two left to go), was the top grossing film at UK cinemas in 2009, taking £50.7m, closely followed by Avatar, a film that will soon overtake the wizard altogether. The biggest surprise in the top 10 is arguably the Todd Phillips comedy The Hangover, at number seven, which also did extremely good DVD business at Christmas.
The ebbs and flows of moviegoing in 2009 also make interesting reading and will be pored over by studio bosses attempting to understand audiences. January was a strong month, up 8% on 2008, mainly thanks to Slumdog Millionaire and animated 3D film Bolt.
The real standout month was April, with 13.8m cinema admissions representing a rise of 40.8% from 9.8m. That was the biggest increase all year although the films fuelling it may surprise some: Monsters vs Aliens and Fast & Furious, with Vin Diesel and endless fast cars. The good figures carried on in May – a 24% year-on-year rise – with big Hollywood releases including Wolverine, Star Trek, Angels and Demons, and Night at the Museum 2.
Things went downhill in the summer with releases such as GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. There was a 6% fall in July, a 24% fall in August and a 9% fall in September. But the arrival of Avatar in December saw a 32% increase in admissions.
Creative industries minister Siôn Simon paid tribute to the "superb production statistics and incredibly buoyant box office receipts". He said: "It's hard to imagine that there was a time not so long ago that UK production was in the doldrums and cinema was under threat from new forms of home entertainment."
In a statement released by the film council, chief executive John Woodward said the figures showed "the UK film industry is weathering the recession well".
He said: "British cinema-goers are voting with their feet – they want to see big event movies, many of which depend on outstanding British talent and are made in the UK."
He added that what is "particularly encouraging is that the public appetite for low-budget, independently produced British films is rising once again despite the blockbuster phenomenon".
UK/Ireland box office
1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince £50.7m
They're all at it, hormones and stuff. Don't worry - only two more left
2 Avatar £41m
Saying it's rubbish hasn't stopped everyone going to see it
3 Ice Age III £35m
Pesky dinosaurs.
4 Up £34.2m
Balloon adventures
5 Slumdog Millionaire £31.6m
Eight Oscars, seven Baftas says it all