Will Australia’s cinema comeback continue this Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is when 2024 starts, as far as Val Morgan’s managing director Guy Burbidge is concerned.
With DC tentpole Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Disney’s Wish, rom-com Anyone But You, and Universal’s animated bird comedy Migration all opening across the country today, Australian cinema operators and film studios alike are hopeful that what is traditionally one of the biggest box office days of the year will continue to be so.
Like most industries, COVID hit the cinema sector hard, with the forced closure of cinemas across Australia (and the world) coupled with an acceleration of home viewing habits such as on-demand streaming that were already threatening the industry.
Boxing Day weekend (Thursday to Sunday) in 2019 generated $30.98 million at the box office – the following year it was just $8.57 million.
Boxing Day picked up again in 2021, with $12.45 million grossed, while last year, big-hitters such as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and Avatar: The Way Of Water grossed $16.08 million on Boxing Day, and the following two-day period.
(As Numero, the company that provides the box office numbers, pointed out to Mumbrella, direct comparisons between years can be tricky. Most cinemas close on Christmas Day, and blockbusters launch the following day. Therefore, years where Boxing Day falls on a Thursday have notably higher box office taking than those where Boxing Day falls on a Sunday.)
Also in cinema’s favour is weather hitting the high 20s across all states (Darwin will hover in the mid-30s) today — an air conditioned movie theatre is upon the most pleasant places to be on a hot day — and the wonder year that cinema has just had, with the likes of Barbie, Oppenheimer, Avatar, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie all drawing audiences back to theatres this year.
“Cinema plays a really special role in the hearts and minds of Australians,” Burbidge tells Mumbrella.
“In the last two years, we’ve had four titles that are in the top eight of all time — not just post-pandemic — all time.”
As Burbidge points out, cinema is primarily about the experience. The films themselves are obviously a key driving force in getting people to the cinema, as the massive box office success of 2023 shows – but the ritual of capping Christmas with a trip to the movies is one that’s dear to many, and Val Morgan understands this.
“That [cinema] experience is what gives us the edge,” Burbidge continues.
“Yes, the content is super important, but why do people keep coming out and wanting to see cinema – as that affordable luxury, as part of the family entertainment suite? We’re very lucky to have a very strong set of exhibitors in this country that have invested heavily in the industry over the last five years.
“In comparison to the other global markets, the local market is an incredible example of how to do cinema brilliantly, from a viewing experience.”
The full interview with Burbidge, about what to expect in cinema in 2024, will be released in the new year.
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Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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