Box office: in 2022, no French film in the top 10, a first for thirty-three years
For the first time in more than thirty years, no French film is in the top 10 of the national box office, dominated by American productions. More generally, if the cinemas find a little color after two years of pandemic, the figures remain below those of 2019.
The top of the ranking is occupied by the sequels of great Hollywood sagas. Top Gun, Maverick wins the gold medal with 6,672,052 admissions, followed by Avatar, The Way of the Waterreleased in December, which has already attracted 4,562,991 people. Minions 2, Once upon a time Gru complete the podium.
No French film appears in the ten most viewed, never seen since 1989. In 1982, the vast majority of the ranking (eight out of ten) was even monopolized by French productions. The harvest had also been very good in 2006, Les Bronzés 3, Arthur and the Minimoys, Camping, I think you are very handsome, Don’t tell anyone and give me your hand all listed.
The first French film in 11th position
In 2021, Kaamelott, First part, The Tuches 4 and BAC North managed to reach the top 10. This year, the first French film, What have we all done to God? fails at its gates, in 11th position. He is followed by November and Simone, The Journey of the Centuryin 12th and 13th positions.
Taking a step back, the results are not catastrophic. Of the 56 films having exceeded 500,000 admissions, 26 are French, 26 others are American. However, the former account for 27.2 million tickets sold, against 54.5 for the latter.
Films inspired by the Marvel universe are also well represented, with Thor, Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Black Panther, Wakanda Forever.
Arthouse films in trouble?
Cinemas saw better attendance in 2022 than in 2021. With 14.78 million admissions, November was the best month.
However, they have so far only totaled 133.88 million tickets sold, or 29.9% less than over the same period in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. In comparison, 213 million admissions were recorded in 2019 and 201 million in 2018.
Benoît Jacquot, director, on the absence of French feature films in the ten most viewed films of 2022: “Things are going very badly for those who make films and those who like to go to see them. no longer makes money. Ambition no longer pays” #le7930interpic.twitter.com/DrEe8eSuoW
– France Inter (@franceinter) December 28, 2022
“Films which, let’s say, were a French speciality, auteur films, that no longer makes money”, commented on France Inter Benoît Jacquot, director, whose film by heart hits theaters Wednesday, December 28.
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