Heat wave boosts the film industry

When it’s too hot outside, what better place than a movie theater to find a little relief from the heat? In the darkness of the theater, the body can breathe again, the mind is entertained… and the industry giants are reveling in this “unprecedented” success.

In recent days, all of Europe has found itself suffocating, trapped under a new heat dome. In France, while the phenomenon has caused despair for many, it has been a boon for urban movie theaters and benefited professionals in the film industry. In fact, theater attendance has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year.

Xavier Albert, the director of Universal Pictures International France, certainly isn’t complaining. “This is unprecedented! On Tuesday, movie theaters sold 400,000 tickets, which is incredible outside of school vacation periods!” he exclaims.

The weather and its mood

For his part, Jean Labadie, president of Le Pacte —the company that distributes, among other titles, Curry Baker’s horror phenomenon “Obsession”—points out that, sometimes, good weather can turn out to be “bad news for attendance because people may prefer to sit on a patio rather than go to the movies.” Weather conditions could therefore, in certain areas, tip the scales one way or the other when it comes to success. “The worst is when it’s 24–26°C. It would actually be interesting to compare the weather and attendance figures in detail to see what impact the weather has on a film’s performance.”

Richard Patry, president of the National Federation of French Cinemas, agrees.“It’s impossible to quantify the impact of the heat wave on people’s desire to go to the movies or not,” he acknowledges, before adding, “The fact that many theaters are air-conditioned must play a significant role…” He also points out that the closure of many schools due to the heat wave played a significant role in the triumphant release of “Toy Story 5” by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, which has drawn nearly a million viewers.

A combination of factors

Furthermore, Xavier Albert explains that “attendance is particularly high in urban areas, and I think this will become even more pronounced for the Fête du Cinéma. The combination of attractive ticket prices and the heatwave seems highly favorable.” Because, clearly, the weather outside isn’t the only factor affecting audience turnout.“What matters most are the films on offer,” Richard Patrypoints out . “When audiences are drawn to a film, they’ll go see it no matter what the weather is like!”