July figures were up by 8% on last year, with an average of 3.38m admissions per week. Box office taking were boosted by the Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg movie Minority Report, which took £16m over the month. This places it firmly in the top ten box offices smashes of the year so far.
The period Jan-Jun 2002 saw an increase of 22% on admissions figures on last year, and the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) is confident that 2002 will exceed the 1971 totals, with blockbusters such as the new Bond film Die Another Day, and sequels to both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings on their way.
But as far as cinema advertising is concerned the figures for 2002 are not moving in the same direction and cinema advertising has not been boosted by rises at the box office.
"Rising figures have some impact in a buoyant marketplace, but no direct impact on revenues," said a spokeswoman from cinema advertising company Pearl & Dean. "In fact, the increase in advertising revenues for 2002 is expected to be lower than last year, due to the general decline in the advertising market."
The most popular movies in the last comparable bumper year of 1971 were the anti-war western Soldier Blue, Disney's The Aristocats and a feature length version of TV sitcom On the Buses.
Debbie Chalet, president of the CAA, said the high standard of films released this year helped explain the figures: "The depth and quality of the films this year is outstanding. It is not surprising that all months therefore have exceeded last year’s admission totals."
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