Crisis, what crisis?, could be said just by looking at the figures of spectators to the cinemas in Argentina in the month of May. It is that the 4,898,450 tickets sold from May 2 (the 1st there were no functions) to Wednesday 31 placed it as the best May since reliable records are kept, that is, since 1997. And a lot had to do with Fast and Furious X and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
That is, in May of this year it was much more public to the rooms than in the pre-pandemic era.
It was the coincidence of several Hollywood tanks, clearly, but this is something that, we will see, has been happening for several years. So we will have to find another explanation to understand the furor that awakened the public, because comparedto previous Mays, the difference is abysmal, as we will analyze.
Vin Diesel in the most watched in this May for history, "Fast and Furious X". And that was only two weeks in the month. Photo UIP
It is that as it has been happening for a few years, it is the Hollywood sagas that bring to the theaters the largest number of spectators. Delayed by the pandemic, the aforementioned new films with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) combined, sold 3,029,452 tickets, 61.84% of the total.
And that Fast and Furious X (1,737,837 spectators) was not all the month of May on the billboard, but only the last two weeks. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (1,291,615) was longer on the bill, as it premiered on the first Thursday of the month.
Chris Pratt in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3," another that garnered more than a million viewers in May. Disney Photo
The third, the one that closed the podium of the three most watched in the past month, was Super Mario Bros., the movie, with its 681,105 tickets. The cartoon wasn't a saga, but it will be, due to its impressive success, here and around the world. Released on April 6, it has until yesterday, Sunday, June 4, 2,758,215 spectators, and is the highest grossing film of 2023.
Fourth, and with only one week on the billboard, was the version with actors of Disney's The Little Mermaid. In its first 7 days on the billboard, including the extra large weekend for the May 25 holiday, it was seen by 574,290 spectators.
Chris Pratt lent his voice to "Super Mario Bros.," which closed the podium in May. Photo UIP
So far this year, Super Mario Bros. is followed by another animated production, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Third March Avatar: The path of water -released on December 15, 2022, the figures counted are those of this year-, which will surely soon be surpassed by Fast and Furious X.
And this weekend the film that led the preference of the Argentine public was another animated film, Spider-Man through Spider-Verse, with 145,343 spectators.
How did Argentine cinema fare in May? Seventh was La extorsión, with Guillermo Francella and Pablo Rago, with its 98,580 tickets sold, but it had premiered on April 6, the same date as Super Mario Bros.
The Mays of history
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" had been the most viewed in May last year. Disney Photo
In May 2022, 2,932,893 tickets were sold. The most watched film had been Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (1,848,303 tickets), followed by Sonic 2 and Top Gun: Maverick.
In May 2021, when cinemas had barely reopened, only 121,351 spectators went to cinemas. Mortal Kombat (23,296), Godzilla vs. Kong and Demon Slayer: The Infinite Train were the most viewed.
In May 2020 cinemas were closed, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Avengers: Endgame", a hit of the last pre-pandemic May. Disney Photo
And already in pre-pandemic times, in May 2019 4,001,980 tickets were sold, with Avengers: Endgame (2,102,171) at the front, followed by Aladdin and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
To show that this May 2023 has nothing to envy to the previous ones, in 2018 there were 3,777,967 spectators, and the three most watched productions were Avengers: Infinity War (1,584,312), Deadpool 2 and Nothing to lose.
In May 2017 there were 3,351,162: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (657,838), Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge and Fast and Furious 8 made up the podium.
"Captain America: Civil War", the most watched in May 2016, which was, so far, the best May in history. Disney Photo
The month of May 2016 was, until this year, the best since 1997, with its 4,512,125 tickets sold. Captain America: Civil War (1,461,578) was the most viewed, followed by Angry Birds and the national The Red Thread.
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