The least number of people attend in the last 10 to 12 years. Czech multiplexes are missing a hit

In the first three weeks of April, Czech multiplexes were visited by significantly fewer people than usual. This is due to fewer blockbusters due to last year’s Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strike and warm weather earlier in the month. However, fewer people go to cinemas also because the average price of tickets is constantly increasing, up to 200 crowns in the case of multiplexes. The situation is better in Prague single-screen cinemas.

According to the Union of Film Distributors, on the first weekend of April, the 20 most visited films arrived in Czech cinemas with a total of less than 70,000 viewers, sales amounted to less than 13.4 million crowns. A week later, approximately 78,000 people came, sales increased by half a million crowns. Last weekend, the operators counted over 156,000 viewers and earned 29.6 million crowns.

“The April numbers were the lowest in the last ten to twelve years, if we don’t count the extremely low covid numbers,” says Jan Bradáč, head of CineStar cinemas.

The weekend of April 13 and 14 was particularly weak. The audience ranking was won by the fifth installment of the American series Ghostbusters: Empire of Ice, with just 11,000 viewers. For comparison – the science fiction film Dune: Part Two, based on the novel by writer Frank Herbert, was seen by over 121,000 viewers in the first weekend in local cinemas.

“Last year’s strike left a hole in the American production, which accounts for two-thirds of the attendance. In addition, it was clear that the Czech segment lost a little breath. Films like Jedeme na teambuilding or Aristokratka va varo attack the threshold of 300,000 visitors, which is quite good, but then there is a gap. It can be seen that the audience’s response is broken, this year will be like on a swing,” thinks Jan Bradáč.

The most successful film of the year in Czech cinemas so far is the science fiction film Dune: Part Two, which attracted 456,000 viewers two months after its premiere and grossed over 103 million crowns. Another sci-fi action movie from Marvel, Deadpool & Wolverine, which will premiere on July 25, pitting Ryan Reynolds’ superhero Deadpool against Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, could bring people to multiplexes this summer. “The problem is that there are few such films,” points out Jan Bradáč.

Marvel used to release three to four titles a year, this year Deadpool & Wolverine is the only item on its menu. Due to the strike, other American studios were also unable to complete projects planned for this year and postponed them until next year.

In the Czech Republic, ticket prices are also a deterrent to spectators. According to Cinema City’s price list valid from November 1, 2023, admission to their screenings in 2D for an adult will cost 275 crowns, in 3D without glasses for 290 crowns and with glasses for 320 crowns. According to Bradáč, the average price of a ticket to CineStar cinemas is up to 200 crowns.

According to Ivo Andrle, co-founder and director of the art distribution company Aerofilms, linked to Prague’s art cinemas Světozor, Aero and Bio Oko, Králové Hradec’s Biem Central and Brno’s Scala, the situation is better in single-screen cinemas.

“In the ones in Prague that do not rely on blockbusters, things look good for the first quarter. Some single-screen cinemas, such as Světozor, are even ahead of multiplex cinemas in terms of attendance,” states Andrle.

“But we all need to reach positive numbers, because one part cannot survive without the other. So I’m not happy that somewhere is not doing well, we’re all on the same side of the river,” concludes the head of Aerofilms.