Rapid TV News

IMAX booms in Europe - thanks to Avatar

Chris Forrester ©RapidTVNews | 03-02-2010

Indeed, Avatar has brought in more than $150m in Imax theatres worldwide. During its seventh weekend, the film grossed $6.02 million from 179 Imax theatres domestically, representing approximately 21% of the film’s total domestic three-day weekend gross of $29.3 million on less than 2% of the screens. Internationally, the Imax release grossed $4.3 million from 83 Imax theatres, bringing the weekend’s global Imax total to approximately $10.5 million and the film’s overall Imax global total to more than $152.9 million. Out of the 262 Imax screens worldwide showing the film, 17 have already surpassed the $1 million mark.

The European numbers are also fascinating. The European Imax theatre network (29 screens) has grossed over $21 million (through Jan 31) with a per screen average of approximately $740,000. In the Netherlands the two Imax theatres have so far grossed more than $2 million. In Austria, their Imax screens have contributed 7.6% of the nationwide box office out of just 1.37% of the screens.

In France, the screen at Gaumont Disney Village has grossed $839,000 as of Feb 1, more than tripling its previous top record. To Russia, where the Nescafe Imax theatre in Moscow has already grossed over $2.225 million; while the Kinostar Imax screens in both Moscow and St. Petersburg have also passed the $1 million mark. The Imax screens in Russia have generated 5% of the total Russian box office on just 0.3% (less than a third of one per cent) of the screens.

In the United Kingdom, Imax screens in the UK average over $685,000 gross box office to date and the Odeon screens provide half the total, having already grossed more than $3 million. London's BFI Imax screen has an occupancy rate of over 98% for the 168 shows from the initial release through to Jan 30, 2010 and the theatre has already grossed over $1.5 million.

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