In August, a comedy charmed German spectators, another caused a sensation in Portugal, while an animated film captured attention in Poland.
In August, two French productions also attracted more than 50,000 spectators to international movie theaters.
| # | Title | No. of Admissions | Box Office Revenues (€) | No. of Prints | No. of Countries | Total Admissions |
| 1 | Arab Blues | 75,416 | 575,295 | 329 | 10 | 102,808 |
| 2 | Meet The Malawas | 5,181 | 287,416 | 62 | 1 | 85,619 |
| 3 | SamSam | 47,181 | 204,899 | 380 | 7 | 106,180 |
| 4 | Divorce Club | 34,525 | 193,144 | 272 | 6 | 54,985 |
| 5 | La Belle Epoque | 27,329 | 218,234 | 161 | 7 | 926,766 |
| 6 | Yakari, A Spectacular Journey | 26,312 | 260,375 | 78 | 2 | 26,312 |
| 7 | Papicha | 25,997 | 152,874 | 127 | 4 | 59,072 |
| 8 | How to be a Good Wife | 25,904 | 128,396 | 252 | 6 | 60,393 |
| 9 | Mia and the White Lion | 22,446 | 81,026 | 1 | 2 | 4,498,358 |
| 10 | Toto | 22,082 | 212,411 | 47 | 3 | 22,082 |
| 11 | The Best is Yet to Come | 18,728 | 140,321 | 197 | 3 | 182,641 |
| 12 | The Room | 18,616 | 62,804 | 223 | 3 | 451,231 |
| 13 | Proxima | 18,187 | 129,781 | 257 | 8 | 65,754 |
| 14 | A Mermaid in Paris | 16,570 | 81,145 | 350 | 3 | 44,025 |
| 15 | Fahim, the Little Chess Prince | 14,417 | 130,775 | 91 | 3 | 177,568 |
| 16 | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | 13,751 | 45,056 | 109 | 10 | 1,417,677 |
| 17 | Two of Us | 13,684 | 109,856 | 139 | 5 | 14,864 |
| 18 | Les Misérables | 12,787 | 54,767 | 50 | 7 | 632,305 |
| 19 | Water Lillies | 11,362 | 68,916 | 89 | 1 | 49,580 |
| 20 | A Bigger World | 11,092 | 88,745 | 104 | 2 | 58,455 |
In August, French films tallied 1.01 million admissions abroad (€7.58 million in box office revenues) thanks to almost 200 different titles, with majority productions contributing 72% to the total (730,000 tickets sold for €4.74 million). For the first time since February, the monthly total crossed the symbolic one million threshold and was 58% higher than in July, but it is less than half the figure for August 2019, when four titles passed the 100,000 spectators mark.
Arab Blues didn't beat around the bush and claimed 1st place in the monthly rankings. Exhibited in 10 foreign markets, the film played its cards right in Germany where it appealed to 38,000 moviegoers (€309,000 in box office revenues) and became the biggest hit in the country since theaters reopened. Initially screening in 82 theaters, Manele Labidi's film would be on the billboard of 113 by its fourth week, buoyed by solid support. Arab Blues was also released in 100 Polish cinemas, attracting 17,000 spectators (€68,000 at the box office) since August 14. It will soon be arriving in Spain and Italy, where many premiere screenings have taken place during the summer.
In Portugal, Meet The Malawas has dominated the box office for the last 3 weeks! With 52,000 tickets sold (€287,000), it is the most seen French production of 2020 in this country. Moreover, it was the only French release to top 50,000 admissions in August. Initially present in about thirty cinemas, the success of this feat led to a doubling of screens for Meet the Malawas the following Thursday, and attendance figures also increased (+25%). Christian Clavier has many fans in Portugal, as can be seen by the success of films in which he plays the lead: last year, Ibiza caused a sensation with 121,000 admissions, and À bras ouverts surpassed 76,000 admissions (€406,500) in 2017—being the best international careers for both titles. We should not forget the saga Serial (Bad) Weddings, which attracted a total audience of nearly 200,000 people (€1 million in ticket sales).
After taking top place on the podium last month, and after conquering Australia (AU$416,000, being 29,000 spectators), SamSam headed for Poland. It was launched in more than 200 cinemas, the largest number of screens for this film outside France to date, with precisely 243 by the second week of its run. Aside from the fact that box office sales were up 21%, the film reached third place in the local rankings and became the most popular French production of the summer in this market. With a total of more than 35,500 admissions (€136,000), to date, Polish audiences have generated the largest number of admissions for SamSam, whose total international admissions have passed the symbolic 100,000 spectator mark (€704,000). Its international tour will continue in German-speaking Switzerland and in Turkey.
Apart from the top 3, it is worth noting the success of La Belle Epoque in Australia. During its first week, the comedy narrowly missed tallying AU$100,000 in box office revenues, a threshold that French films do not often reach at the outset, and enjoyed great exposure in 70 cinemas, a print-run rarely reserved for French productions. Considering the premiere screenings, notably at the Alliance Française French Film Festival, La Belle Époque has already made AU$421,000 at the Australian box office (about 30,000 spectators). La Belle Époque is highly awaited in Denmark, Spain, and the USA (101 Studios). Will it exceed one million admissions outside France?
This report is based on results recorded on September 9, 2020. As the figures relating to film releases are continuously updated, the graphics generated automatically on our website will differ from the chart featured in this article.
