One of the worst months for cinemas in France for ten years. In January 2020, attendance at French theaters reached 14.4 million admissions, according to figures from the National Center for Cinema and the Animated Image (CNC). In other words, a decline of 21.3% in one year: in January 2019, French establishments recorded 18.2 million admissions.
The score achieved last month is also below the average of the last decade for the month of January, which is 16.8 million admissions. Should we see the threat of downloads and the growing emergence of video-on-demand platforms like Netflix? Or a disinterest of the spectators for the dark rooms?
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In reality, this alarming figure is first of all to be attributed to the strike that has affected the country since December 5 and which continued in January 2020. But that is not enough to explain this sudden public disaffection French for the big screen. In December, when the strike was particularly virulent, French cinemas achieved their best score of the year with 22.68 million admissions.
French films lagging behind
This drop in attendance can also be explained by the low supply of mainstream films proposed in January, which would have been likely to achieve good scores. In December, on the other hand, the dark rooms could count on the presence of the colossi Star Wars: The Ascension of Skywalker , Frozen 2 , Jumanji: Next Level .
The success of these films had less "spilled over" in January 2020 than that of the blockbusters of the previous winter. " This does not mean that they made fewer entries, but that they were distributed more over the end of the year. In 2020, there are fewer follow-ups on the admissions of films released at the end of the year, ”analyzes Marc-Olivier Sebbag, general delegate of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF).
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The poor performance of French films during this period is also a significant factor. Thus, only two national feature films are present in the top 10 of the first films in January 2020: Les Vétos (7th position) and Les Misérables (9th place). In 2019, at the same period, there were four to appear in the same ranking ( Les Invisibles 3e, Asterix: The secret of the magic potion 4th, Mia and the white lion 6th , and Edmond 10th).
American films thus took precedence over French films in January 2020, with the presence of two blockbusters at the French box office: the Oscar tripling 1917 and the third installment of the Bad Boys saga carried by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. In January, the market share of French films decreased by 12.3 points compared to 2019; those of American films, on the contrary, increased by 15.5 points.
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This decline would not, however, be representative of a general drop in cinema attendance. In 2019, French cinemas thus had their best year in 53 years, with 213.3 million admissions. January 2019 was also exceptional, and the highest of the decade, thanks to big successes like Creed II, Aquaman , Les Invisibles and Asterix: The secret of the magic potion. The mild weather in January also less encouraged spectators to go to the movies. So many elements that seem to reassure professionals about the underperformance recorded at the start of 2020. “ We are coming out of a very positive year. Last year's record is not the kind of record you can beat every year, ”observes Marc-Olivier Sebbag.
Read also: With 213 million admissions, 2019 has been the best year for cinema in France for fifty years
The general delegate remains optimistic about the coming months. " We are entering 2020 with serenity ", he confides before recalling that the releases of James Bond: No Time To Die (April 8), Kaamelott (July 29), Les Minions 2 (July 8) should allow to restore this mixed start to the year, " plus all the films that will have an unexpected success ". After a “ catastrophic ” start in February, French cinemas are already starting to raise the bar with the arrival of the school holidays. The big screen has not said its last word.
