Cinema admissions for 2002 were the highest in 30 years, reflecting a 13% year-on-year increase, according to the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA).
Almost 176 million visits were made to the cinema, an average of 3.37 million weekly cinema admissions to see films such as Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets and the 20th instalment of James Bond, Die Another Day (see
UK Box Office Earnings Climbed 10% In 2002)
Record-breaking months in cinema admissions in 2002, included January which was 29% up year on year and June which was 25% up year on year thanks to the release of Spider-Man.
2002 was a boom year at the box office, with total receipts up 17% on last year to £755 million, a 275% increase after the past 10 years.
The year was also the year of the blockbuster, with 12 films grossing more than £20 million, compared with 7 in 2001, 4 in 2000 and just 2 in 1999. This trend was reflected by five films released in 2002 entering the top 20 all time box office hits, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets which took fifth place in the chart after grossing £48.9 million.
Debbie Chalet, president of the CAA, commented: “We have seen a resurgence in cinema going over the last four years. 2002 was a record-breaking year and it is fantastic that this success has continued. The range of films has never been better, this means advertisers have more choice and can benefit from all types of audiences seeing their advertisements.”
Chalet also had rosy predictions for 2003: “It will be another strong year with an extremely wide range of film releases, catering for all segments of the cinema audience.”
Audiences can expect a wave of sequels this year, with the release of two further Matrix films, Charlie’s Angels 2, Tomb Raider 2, Terminator 3 and the final instalment of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy Return Of The King.
