"Alibi.com 2", "Asterix", "Avatar": the cinema finds colors

Finally ! The cinema lives again

"Alibi.com 2", "Asterix", "Avatar": the cinema finds colors

Finally ! The cinema lives again. According to attendance figures for French dark rooms in February, relayed by Le Parisien, 18.2 million tickets were sold across France. An almost "return to normal", even believes Eric Marti, director of comScore, a company specializing in box office analysis, with our colleagues. Attendance remains, however, below the figures for 2017, 2018 or 2019: -21.3% according to the National Cinema Center (CNC). Compared to February 2022, this is 39.9% more sales. To achieve this result, French theaters have been able to count on an armada of successful films: American works of course, but also – and above all – French.

As a result, out of all the winter holidays which ran from February 4 to March 6, the big winner is... Philippe Lacheau. With at least 3.25 million entries according to a count stopped on March 5, Alibi.com 2 does better than the first opus. Above all, admissions are surprisingly stable with around one million tickets sold each week. As for the blockbuster of the year, Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, the film got off lightly with at least 4.3 million admissions. However, the break-even point is far from being reached. With a budget of 65 million euros, it required at least six million spectators.

French cinema can also be proud of the success of these two films. Indeed, since the release of Kaamelott: Premier Volet in July 2021, no French film had managed to exceed the 2.6 million admissions mark.

As for American films, Avatar: The Way of the Water still tops the box office. In theaters since December 14, it totaled 13.85 million admissions on March 5. However, the results of the first part should not be exceeded. In 2010, Avatar had accumulated 14.64 million tickets sold in France. Creed III, for its part, is on a roll. Released on March 1, the film sold more than a million tickets... in five days.