German cinema box office sales slide in H1

Cinemas in Germany attracted fewer people to the big screen in the first half of the year, according to ticket sale figures released on Thursday by the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

Around 41.9 million tickets were sold in the first six months, according to the FFA, down 7.3% compared to the same period last year. In 2023, around 45.2 million cinema tickets were sold in the first half of the year.

The science fiction epic "Dune: Part Two" was at the top of the German box office in the first six months of the year, selling 3.1 million tickets.

It was followed by the German comedy "Chantal in Fairytale Land" from director Bora Dağtekin, which sold around 2.7 million tickets.

In third place was the Pixar hit "Inside Out 2," with around 2.6 million tickets sold. The animated films "Kung Fu Panda 4" and "Migration" were also popular with German audiences.

FFA Executive Director Peter Dinges said the ticket sales figures were disappointing considering improved sales last year, but noted that the decline in ticket sales was to be expected given the fallout from labour strikes in Hollywood.

He also described the decline as "moderate."

In 2023, screenwriters and actors in the United States walked off the job for months, delaying production and pushing back release dates for many films world-wide, including in Germany.

The FFA said that revenue for German cinemas fell to around €403.5 million ($450 million) in the first half of 2024, compared to €455.1 million in the first half of 2023.

Tickets were cheaper for German moviegoers, with admission cost an average of €9.63 compared to more than €10 in the same period last year.

The number of active cinemas and screens in the country remained steady, despite fears in recent years that the industry could be in danger because of competition from streaming services and other home entertainment.

Germany continues to boast 955 cinema locations and 4,895 screens.

"The figures show that cinemas are still very popular across the board as a low-threshold cultural offering," said Dinges.

He said that the industry is looking to the second half of the year with "optimism and excitement."