As we know, the year 2020 was curtailed by two lockdowns and health measures that forced French cinemas to close their doors.
The annual figures have just been released by the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC). As we know, this data is not surprising given the situation. However, the loss remains colossal for distributors, with a collapse of around 70% compared to 2019. In terms of cinema visitors, we went from 213 million to 65 million.
Let us recall that, in total, cinemas were closed for almost six months (162 days), which is an eternity in an industry that requires tens, or even hundreds of millions of euros to produce a feature film.
Logically, the two most lucrative periods for French cinema were the pre-Covid period between January and March, and then the summer season (from June 22), which saw the temporary reopening of theaters. Among the three blockbusters released in 2020, none exceeded the symbolic threshold of three million entries. The first is Tenet by Christopher Nolan (2.3 million entries), the second is 1917 by Sam Mendes (2.2 million entries), and the third is Sonic the Hedgehog by Jeff Fowler (2.1 million entries).
Among all the big-budget American films that were planned, Tenet was the only one that made the bold choice to release in the midst of a global health crisis. This initiative revitalized the economy at the end of the first lockdown. However, in France, it was indeed French films that boosted attendance. Those that managed to surpass a million entries include Les Blagues de Toto (Pascal Bourdiaux) and 30 jours max. With his second project as a director, Tarek Boudali achieved a very good score.
At the start of 2021, we hope that cinemas can once again welcome all cinema fans.
